More laughter sounded throughout the room. Once Haley was back on her feet, a few other girls came over with napkins, offering them to all four of us.
It didn’t even compute in my brain until Simone said, “Ow.”
Rhiannon’s voice. “What’s…”
I turned around, just in time to see her dab some water from Simone’s face.
Water and makeup? Not a good mix.
A splotch of black and blue took up most of Simone’s chin and spread across her lower lip.
Still standing there, holding the napkin covered in makeup and water, Rhiannon’s mouth fell open. She stared at Simone. Probably waiting for her to say something. For her to explain.
Simone’s eyes were wide, and her breaths came in fast and hard. She glanced at me, then back at Rhiannon, then back to me, then back to Rhiannon.
Rhiannon looked at me too. Her eyes narrowed.
The rest of the room was loud, still joking about Haley’s fall, becoming a background noise to our silent conversation.
It was like being a kid all over again. Mom just walked in on me and my best friend trying the cigarettes she had stolen off her dad. She caught us red-handed, and neither of us could think of how to lie our way out of this.
“Both of you,” Rhiannon said, voice firm. “Legal building.Now.”
When we first got tolegal, Simone attempted a quick blanket lie. She fell down the stairs.
Rhiannon cut her off with, “Lie to me again, little girl. I dare you.”
She paced the hardwoods behind the large, cherry desk, hands on her hips. Her eyes flicked between the two of us. They stayed on me a moment too long, and I turned my gaze to the floor.
“What—you’re not gonna ask why you’re here?” Rhiannon snapped. “You knew something happened, and you lied to everybody about it.”
Couldn’t argue with that. Not that I would try to. I had too much respect for Rhiannon to argue with her.
My heart spun in my stomach. Simone and I hadn’t had the chance to work out a plan in case something like this happened. Once the swelling had gone down, we thought we were in the clear.
Of course, we were idiots. After committing murder, you were never in the clear.
Rhiannon reached into her desk drawer and came out with a packet of makeup wipes. She tossed them at Simone. “Take it off.”
Simone looked down at them, then up at Rhiannon. With tears in her eyes, she opened her mouth to speak.
Before she could, Rhiannon gritted her teeth and spoke between them. “No, we’re not playing this game. I need to know how bad it is. Take it off. Now.”
Simone peeled the label back with trembling fingers and pulled out a wipe. As she touched it to her face, tears mixed with the makeup remover. Little by little, she wiped it away, wincing as she uncovered each bruise like an archaeologist dusting off individual artifacts.
Rhiannon watched each swipe, eyes softening with tears. As more of the black and blue became visible, covering almost every inch of Simone’s face, a quiet gasp dropped into Rhiannon’s lungs. So much sympathy, so much pain like she wore each bruise herself.
She cupped a hand over her mouth and whispered, “My God.”
“I’m sorry,” Simone began through quivering lips. “I’m?—”
“You’re sorry?” Rhiannon said. “What are you sorry for? Did you miss him? Did you call him?”
“Of course not,” Simone said.
Rhiannon waited for her to go on, but only silence sounded.
“Then what? What the hell happened here?” Never had I heard Rhiannon’s voice so deep, so strong. “And don’t you daretell me ‘nothing.’ It was David, wasn’t it? I know you’re not seeing anyone new.”
