“Aleeza and I have been having cocktail nights in my room. Did you know she moved into Jay Hoque’s old dorm room?”
Taylor’s eyes suddenly go very wide. Like, I’m actually surprised she doesn’t spit out her drink.
Bailey’s eyes are wide too. “They seriously moved someone into Jay’s old room? I’d turn to drinking if I had to live in a dead guy’s room.”
“Jay’s not dead,” Gracie says.
“Oh, he’s totally dead,” Bailey says. “They’ll find his body soon. Mark my words.”
“I don’t think so,” I say, shaking my head. “I think he’ll be found alive.” Of course, I have no idea if he’s alive or dead. It could be wishful thinking since I have a massive crush on him.
Ugh. I totally have a massive crush on him, don’t I?
“Don’t mind Aleeza,” Mia says. “She’s all into murder mysteries and, like, Sherlock Holmes and shit.” She laughs, and it looks like she’s expecting everyone to laugh with her.
No one does. Taylor’s eyes are still bugged out. She looks quickly at Mia, then walks away.
Okaaay, that was weird. I wonder if Taylor is the Birdwatcher?
I take another gulp of the mai tai. It’s so tasty. I have a new favorite drink. I want to be sipping mai tais on a beach somewhere instead of this awkward party with terrible people. Maybe that’s where present-day Jay is—on a beach. I want to be there with him, not here. I take another long sip.
“Did you know Jay well?” Gracie asks Bailey.
Bailey shakes her head. “He was really tight with Jack before ... you know.” She looks at Mia. “Didn’t Taylor have a thing with Jay?”
I frown. Did Jay hook up with Taylor? She wasn’t on his list. The thought that the girl my best friend replaced me with hooked up with the guy who I’ve moved in with—sort of—and who I’m trying to save is a bit too much of a coincidence. I strain to remember if Jay ever mentioned Taylor or Lance to me, but my brain isn’t working right. Probably the mai tai.
“Did you hear about that secret Instagram about Jay?” Aster says. Thank god for Aster and Gracie because I’m pretty useless tonight. “It apparently listed all the girls he ghosted in first year.”
Bailey nods. “It wasamazing,” she says. “Seriously ...epic. The guy was such a dick ... I think he ran away from school because he was about to get caught for that engineering cheating ring. I don’t know why he wasn’t kicked out last year.”
“I heard about that cheating thing,” I say. “Was there any evidence?”
The girl with Bailey shakes her head. “The school’s probably still investigating, but like, I seriously doubt they’d publicize that now while he’s missing.”
“It’s all so tragic,” a girl says. “You know he grew up, like,poor? Lived in a basement apartment in Scarborough. His mom came from India or something.”
“Bangladesh,” I say.
“Yeah, reallytragic.” Bailey giggles, taking a sip of her drink. I have no idea why she’s laughing. “Hedidhave privilege. Taylor told me he wasn’t even paying his own tuition.”
What? How wouldTaylorknow that?
Mia turns to look at something to her right. It’s Lance and Taylor coming back toward us. Lance immediately puts his arm around Mia. I can’t decipher Mia’s expression.
Lance nods at me. “Eliza, right?”
“Aleeza,” I say. “With anA.”
He shrugs, then looks me up and down in my tight dress, impressed. Gross. Mia puts her arm around his waist.
Across the room, Nat laughs loudly again, then calls Aster over. Aster grins and heads her way, and Gracie follows, which leaves me alone with Bailey, Mia, Taylor, Lance, and two other girls. I grip my drink.
“You said you’re living in Jay Hoque’s room, right?” Taylor asks.
I nod.
“Is there anything of his still in there?” Lance asks. “I mean ... his family probably came to pick his crap up. I should have offered to bring it to them. I met them a few times—even went on a date with his cousin once.” He whistles low. “She was a nutcase.”
