The End of Innocence

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

November 1st, 2017

Time is flying by so fast that you can barely get a sense of each day before it's pulled out from under your feet. On Wednesday, Altenview High lets out early and students spill out the doors, onto the sidewalks and into the buses.

Clare watches Layla and Tanner walk towards their bus together. There's a huge pile of leaves right in front of them, and they both move right through it as if it's not even there. It's strange, but the sight of it makes a sick feeling fill Clare's stomach. Everything is different now. Everything has changed.

Layla and Tanner are both alone now. Layla used to go home on the bus with Emerson. She's told Clare all about it, how she's got an empty seat next to her, how some kid sat there last week and it made Layla almost start to cry right there. Tanner has the same problem without Serena there. She's talked about it a little, too, saying that she and Serena used to gossip about the people on their bus together.

"Rachael Bell got on last week wearing lime green leggings," Tanner said earlier today. "I started to say something about it and then I realized Serena wasn't there."

Clare's head hangs low as she climbs into her dad's truck. If she doesn't figure out the truth about Serena's disappearance by Friday, Emerson is going to be sent back to juvie. She thought there was more time, apparently they've scheduled the hearing for the day after Thanksgiving. That means they can't have their meeting on Friday. It's going to be too late by then. Emerson could end up spending a whole year in the detention center.

She watches Emma van Dyk cross the parking lot on her walk home. She's bent over tightly. She looks sick.

Clare leans back and closes her eyes. She thinks of the days when all she wanted was for Emerson to notice her.

Now Clare knows everything would be better if she hadn't.

--

Will kicks a stone across the ground as he walks. Nate and Josh are so animated today, discussing who they think will make the varsity lacrosse team this spring. Will misses the days when he used to worry about things like lacrosse.

"Hey! Wait up!" someone shouts. It's Clark, a sophomore with dark hair and tan skin. He's grinning broadly at Will and his friends.

"Dude," Clark says, slapping Will on the back. Will steps into the street to avoid being too close to him. "I saw you with that cute freshman at the coffee house last night. Adelia whatever-her-name-is."

"Yeah," Will says through gritted teeth.

"You went out with Adi?" Josh says. He stares at Will as if it's some sort of a crime. "You were fucking in love with Serena. What the hell, man?"

Will turns his head towards the passing cars. He almost wishes one of them would just hit him. "Shut up, Josh," he says softly. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I'm trying to move on!"

Nate gives him a shove. A hard one. A woman in a silver Prius swerves to avoid him.

"You're fucking leading her on," Nate says, and he's laughing. As if this is a joke. As if Will's life is a joke.

"Really?" Will yells. "You're dating half the school!

He moves to walk on the edge of the curb. No one pushes him this time.

"It's different, Will," Nate says, his voice softer. "I'm casual. You're responsible. You actually have feelings for girls. For Serena. And anyways, it's Adelia Andorr-whatever. Have you met anyone more naïve?"