From A To Z

Chapter 16

"An extra week?" she repeated making it sound like I had asked for a kidney. "Oh, why not."

I got home feeling drained. The idea of skipping the vigil was becoming more and more enticing by the minute. If the downpour continued, it might be postponed anyway and I wouldn't have to decide.

I turned on the TV and fell asleep on the couch, remote in hand. When I woke up, the rain had stopped. A quick glance at my phone confirmed that the vigil was a go. Maybe that was for the best. I still needed to talk to Arlo.

I was rummaging through my closet for anything with a smidgen of yellow when my mom announced she was coming too.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "It's like a school thing."
Her eyebrows shot up.
"Are you kidding me? Everyone will be there. Plus, Sienna is like a daughter to me."

One look at her vamp lipstick and freshly brushed hair and I knew that there was no point in protesting. This wasn't so much about Sienna or keeping an eye on me. Jim Lundy was going to be there.

Mom unearthed an old Halloween costume from the time she made me dress like a pollinator. She squeezed into the skirt and insisted that I try on the top. It was tight around my chest and pulled on the shoulders but she announced that it fit me like a glove.

It didn't. Plus the black and yellow stripes made me look shorter and wider but once again there was no point in protesting. We walked to the school arm in arm, looking like the two halves of a giant bee.

A sea of yellow had swallowed Bruler High's front lawn. My mom was right - no one in town had other plans for the evening.

My eyes scoured the crowd for Arlo's curls. Shaking my mom off would require extreme resourcefulness but I was willing to give it a try. But first I had to find him. I spun around like a weathervane.

I saw Mr. Dixon looking gaunt in a baggy yellow cardigan. He was swaying slightly like he was about to faint. It was as if something was ailing him. Was this residual guilt for demoting Sienna to a side character in the school play or was there more to his malaise?
Ms. Speltzer was here too, all the teachers were.

Tyler was standing front and center, wearing his shiner like a badge of honor. Both he and Arlo had gotten week-long suspensions because of the fight. That came as a surprise. I fully expected Arlo to get benched but I thought Tyler would get a free pass. He had been professing his innocence from the moment he came to on the library floor. He even swore to the principal that Arlo had thrown the first punch and called me a liar when I contradicted him.

Given that Arlo was already getting blamed for everything, I was astonished that the principal treated them equally. The recording was what tipped the scales. Justin was a waste of space but for once I appreciated his existence. If he hadn't filmed the fight, the principal might have bought Tyler's version of the events. My only regret was that the video wasn't online. It would have broken the internet.

"Look, there's Victor."

I followed my mom's finger and spotted him by the steps. Our eyes met and his face lit up. He waved at me to join him. I hesitated but my mom nudged me.

"Go on. Go be with your friends."

I made my way to where Victor was standing with Cody. Planted a step higher, Cody had on a yellow wooden hat meant to be worn in the dead of winter.

"Hi, Maya," he greeted me.
"Come again?" I asked, convinced I had misheard him.
"You must be Maya," he grinned. "Maya the bee?"
I wasn't in the mood for humor.
"It's a Queen Bee costume, if you must know."
He shot a confused look at Victor who shrugged.
"The Justice League?" I offered.
Cody shrugged too.
"If you say so."

I regretted letting my mom talk me into putting on the top from my Halloween costume but it was my only yellow outfit. On the other hand, I felt good for making an effort. Everyone was sporting Sienna's color. Even Victor. He had on a T-shirt with a lurking Bigfoot under the caption 'World's Hide And Seek Champ'. It was hardly appropriate but it was yellow.

I had to admit that with his dark hair, the bright color suited him. Marisol had noticed that too. Her eyes shadowed him across the lawn. I felt as though I ought to say something to Victor about her, in case he had failed to pick up on the signals, but I'd be a fool to do so in front of Cody.

"Glad you made it," said Victor.
I tugged on the hem of my yellow-black striped top and forced a smile.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

We stood side by side as the principal gave a lengthy speech. Incredible how such thoughtful words could ring so hollow. Sienna's mom was at the hospital but her father said a few words. He began by thanking the town for the outpouring of support. He held a paper with a longer statement but at the words "if only Sienna could see this", he choked up and stepped back.

While he spoke, I craned my neck looking for Arlo. The entire school was here, but no sign of him. This wasn't good. Whatever the reason for his absence, it would be interpreted as an admission of guilt.

Before the speeches continued, the resident nerd - a freshman named Judy Judson who excelled at everything - was pushed forward. The principal announced that she would play for us "My heart will go on."

The poor girl rested her chin on her violin and kept her eyes down through the entire performance. Whoever made her do that deserved to listen to Celine Dion for life.

I continued searching the crowd for Arlo but to no avail. Jim Lundy on the other hand was hard to miss. Decked out in his sheriff's uniform, complete with a trademark hat, he stood out like a sore thumb amid the sea of yellow. My mom was at his side, dabbing a tissue against the corners of her eyes.

His lips were moving I noticed; he was talking to her. This was my chance. I could sneak out and go over to Arlo's. He lived on 33 Oak Street. I had overheard his address while I was being grilled by the sheriff the other day. Oak street was three blocks east; a negligible distance from here and a small detour on the way home. By the time the vigil ended and my mom got back, I would be flicking through the channels in our living room. She would be none the wiser.

As people began passing around candles in plastic cups, I whispered to Victor that I was going home and elbowed my way towards the parking lot. To my annoyance, he followed me.

"You leaving too?" I asked pointedly.
Victor glanced around seemingly surprised by my question.
"I just want to see that you make it home safely."
"I know the way. No need to chaperone me."
"It's getting dark and after what happened to Sienna—"
He was exasperating. I spoke without thinking.
"I don't need a babysitter, Victor."

He flinched as if I had struck him.
"If that's how you see me..."
"No, of course not. I'm simply—"
But he wasn't interested in my excuses.
"Take care, Zoe," said Victor and turned around. I watched him return to his spot by Cody's side without once looking back.

Why did I lash out at the one person who always had my back?
Maybe the tumble on the library floor was messing with my head. It would explain my boorishness and my delusion that if I pressed Arlo for answers, I would crack open the case.