The End of Innocence

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

October 17th, 2017

Emerson can't get herself to go to class. She has geometry, which is with Serena. After what happened yesterday, it makes her sick to her stomach just thinking of her friend. How can Serena be so awful? How can she pin this on Emma just because the other girl was nice enough to help?

She walks to the hallway her class is in. From across the hall, she can see Serena sitting at the desk they share. She's twirling her hair, as happy as can be. Emerson is filled with rage seeing how well Serena has recovered from her outburst, how easy it is for her to drop the damage on someone else's plate.

I can't be around her. I can't. I just can't.

Emerson slips out the side door of the school, crossing the grassy ground until she reaches the Eleanor West memorial bench. She collapses across it, throwing her bag to the ground.

The bench's plaque catches her eye.

ELEANOR MARIE WEST
2002—2017

Beloved daughter and friend.

Emerson's eyes prickle with tears. It was only earlier this year that Eleanor disappeared. How can they already be memorializing her like this? They never even found her body; they don't know she's dead for sure.

Eleanor was the unofficial sixth member of their group. She was one of those girls who floated around, talking to everyone, but she ended up with them a lot because Tanner was her closest friend.

One day last May, Eleanor seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. They never found her—not a body or a clue or anything—but the police suspected Finn O'Shannery a boy a year older than Eleanor, the last person to see her before she disappeared. There was a trial and everything, but he was eventually found innocent. There wasn't enough evidence.

Still, everyone wonders about him. What if he did kill her? It makes Emerson shiver to think about it. Every time she passes him in the hallway, she ducks her head so she doesn't have to look him in the eye.

Emerson is so lost in thought she doesn't hear Emma approaching, not until Emma says her name.

Emerson spins around. "Hey, Emma."

Emma's eyes widen.

"Sit down," Emerson offers.

Emma pauses. "You sure?" She sits down, though, on the far end of the bench.

Emerson smiles. "Guess I'm not the only one who felt like skipping."

"Why are you talking to me?" Emma whispers. Her eyes are wide. Poor thing. Serena's really done a number on her.

"Because you're here," Emerson says. "And because there's no way I'm going to math class."

"Do you... do you have a test or something?" Emma squirms in her seat.

Is she being blackmailed too? Emerson has to wonder. Emma seems terrified out of her mind just talking to Emerson.

Emerson shakes her head. "No. But Serena will be there, and I just can't deal with her right now. I'm so sorry about the whole rumor thing, Emma. Really, it's just awful of her."

"Aren't you helping to spread that?" Emma's eyes shoot daggers.

Emerson shakes her head again. How can Emma think such a thing? Do people think she's like that just because she's Serena's friend? "Of course not. I hate it when they do this. It's so... stupid."