Pieces of You

Chapter Four

Jamie | After

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It's been 48 hours since Blaire disappeared and 24 hours since the news release.

That's one whole day of wondering what's happened, 1440 minutes of not knowing if she's dead or alive, and 86,400 seconds spent watching endless theories turn up online.

The latest post reads: I don't get why you're all so pressed. Bee obvs isn't in trouble. She probably just ran away ran away bc things are boring as hell here. Who can blame her?

I roll my eyes at the white screen, teeth grit as I drop my phone onto the hard-plastic table, looking around the cafeteria as people eat their lunches and whisper between each other.

There's a change in the air. A dangerous one.

If I look hard enough, I can see it. I see it in the glances exchanged in halls, hundreds of eyes layered in suspicion and fear. I see it in the muted conversations by Blaire's locker, how nobody really feels comfortable again until you're standing at least ten steps away from it.

Everyone's on edge. I'm on edge. Watching and waiting for something – anything – to happen. Will Blaire be the only girl to go missing? Or is there some kind of serial killer on the loose in Berewood?

Outside, rain falls in showers of needles. The wind carries each drop like a bullet, constructing wild vortexes one moment and diagonal sheets the next. It hasn't stopped since Sunday morning and the inescapable wetness is everywhere, quickly becoming the bane of my existence. I shuffle in my seat, keeping my eyes cast down as I try to ignore the way my jeans stick tightly to my thighs.

But then it happens.

The cafeteria door slams open. Sheriff Miller, escorted by our head, Principal Davies, marches into the room. It's almost as if someone's told her exactly where to look, because Davies doesn't spare any of us a second glance as she walks straight to her target: Anna Robinson.

A conversation is exchanged, whispered so no one can hear. But everyone leans forward nonetheless, if only to hear one word. After a minute, Anna gathers her things and follows them to the exit. As they walk, Principal Davies' hand closes around Anna's arm – to keep her from running or keep her grounded, I don't know.

Yet, even as she whispers firm but silent words in her student's ear, Anna Robinson does not lose her stature.

It's like she's carrying a pile of invisible books on her head – as though Anna is the new queen of Berewood High and she knows it. And even though I know it's wrong, I can't stop the admiration swelling in my chest. What would I do if I were in her position? Probably break down and cry, pleading for my innocence. Maybe I'd even have to be dragged out.

I remind myself that I don't know what this is about. We don't know what's happened – they're probably just bringing Anna in for routine questioning. She was one of Blaire's best friends, after all.

There's something about her, though, as she strides past us all, knowing what everyone must be thinking but acting oblivious nonetheless. You'd have to hold a certain kind of mind frame – a Blaire Olsen kind of mind frame – to be like that.

I think that's why everyone suspects Anna knows something, why her name keeps coming up on those posts. Not to mention the party she's holding this weekend.

Sure, it was planned before any of this happened, but any normal person would cancel it if their best friend went missing, right? I know I would. Nobody knows why Blaire's disappearance is being treated as suspicious, but I'm at least willing to bet that Anna Robinson holds a few of those answers in that pretty little head of hers.