The Disappearance of Naomi Lorraine

2

The flyers were noticed by the school administration faster than Declan expected. The three of them knew that the bold statements of Naomi's death, produced out of anger and sympathy for her, would make everyone uncomfortable. It made Declan uncomfortable for sure, even after he pledged not to feel bad.

"I heard that people think that the person who put up the flyers is the murderer." Jordan says suddenly at lunch. It's uncharacteristically quiet, the three of them mulling over the choice to cover the school in flyers. Declan raises an eyebrow at Jordan's statement.

"It sounds stupid, right?" He says, agitated.

"To be fair." Bennett starts thoughtfully, "It is kind of gruesome."

"You know what's really gruesome, Bennett?" Jordan asks, shoulders set, his eyes narrowed and staring into space, "the absolute dunking of some random girl by the whole school that led to her death, somehow."

Bennett doesn't respond, his eyebrows furrowing in thought.

"You know who I think the murderer is?" Jordan says in a near lament, "The person who ran that shitty twitter account."

"By all means, it doesn't make sense." Bennett mumbles, his cheeks puckered, evidence that he's biting the inside, "The whole school couldn't have hated her that much to create a coordinated attack like that."

"Everyone hated her." Declan says, "It could happen, theoretically speaking."

"Oh my god!"

Declan looks up at the person who interjects and tries not to groan. Hannah is standing before him, flanked by Candice and Abby, eyeing him eagerly.

"You're talking about Nerdy Naomi too?" She asks, "So were we!"

"You mean Naomi?" Jordan's voice has a steely edge to it.

She sits at the lunch table, brushing her hair back behind her ear, "Yeah, Naomi. It's so fucking weird how the murderer would just put up flyers of how she died in the school." She says. Candice nods along with her, Abby shakes her head as if disappointed, "Fucking psycho."

"Almost like Saw!" Abby adds, "What if he has a mask and everything?" Abby and Candice seem to be chuckling at the visualization.

"You know what's pretty psycho?" Jordan says, annoyed. Declan can feel the rolling animosity coming from him. He tries to catch his eyes, to give him the cue to stop talking. "What's pretty psycho is that detailed Twitter account and Webpage of her being bullied."

Hannah frowns, her expression morphing into discomfort.

"You know what else is pretty psycho? Pretty fucking weird?" Jordan gives her an uncharacteristically easy smile. Bennet and Declan glance at each other, lips pursed, unsure of what to do, "That no one would come forward about it. Even though everyone at this school apparently hated her."

"Oh." She says airily. Candice and Abby shift in their seats, their lunch sitting untouched. She glances at them for help, "Well I didn't hate her."

"Yeah, me neither!" Candice says, "We all thought she killed herself!"

The temperature in the area drops a degree or two. Jordan gives her a mutinous glare, but says nothing. Hannah does not seem to notice his expression, even though Candice's face turns ghostly.

"I don't think you knew her like I did." Hannah says, nearly dismissive. She folds her arms, "I don't get why you care so much."

His mutinous glare snaps to her and Declan leaps into action, her words simmering in his stomach.