Page 56 of Best Man on Campus

“It’s not luck,” I say. “It’s Majik.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Majik aimed her at me.”

He snickers. “Don’t worry. You would have found her either way.” He takes out his phone. “I’m texting my dad now. Tell me everything you know about this chick Sarah and the murder.”

I tell him what I know, which is shit, but there’s no way I’m calling Jazzy now to find out any more details. I’m not sure she would want me to find this woman, she’s still reluctant about the truth, but I want to have it for her when she’s ready and I know she will be. She has to be. Or there won’t be any us. She needs to heal, to let go of the broken girl, and look ahead, see her future as something more than whatever is defined by her past.

“It happened five years ago, right around her fifteenth birthday. The anniversary was a few days ago.” We exchange glances acknowledging how fucked-up that is and how much it explains about Jazzy. He texts the information to his father.

“Dad says he’ll look into it and get back to us.”

“Did you tell him why we need to know?”

“I only told him it was a favor for you and that’s good enough for him.”

“Thank you, man.”

“Tell me, what are we going to do when we find out where Sarah is?” I note he said we and it makes me smile.

“Depending on how far away she is, we’ll take a road trip. Talk to her. She knew Killian. We can get some answers about him. I need the truth about that night. All of it. Jazzy needs it. Needs to face it fully what happened and who Killian was and then leave it behind.”

“Easier said than done,” he says.

I give him a nod of sad agreement.

* * *

The rest of the day is shit, though I manage my last two classes and practice is light. The ice helps bring me back to center, gives me the strength I need to not call Jazzy, to not go see her. When I get back to BMOC House, the first thing I do is check in with Majik in the kitchen.

“You heard from Jazzy today?”

“No. You?”

I shake my head. “Maybe you should call her.” Majik stops what she’s doing and studies me with that implacable stare, doesn’t even blink. I manage to stare back, keeping my mouth shut fucking tight. She eventually nods and resumes chopping chicken into strips. I knew she wouldn’t ask me why. She doesn’t need to know because she can guess. She knows Jazzy’s story, has known it all along. Fuck. Maybe she knows the whole thing, the piece that I’m sure is missing, the piece I’m not sure I’m ready to hear any more than Jazzy is ready to acknowledge. There’s no fucking way I’m going to bring it up with Majik, no matter how unsettled I feel.

“We’re having stir fry chicken,” I say to fill the dead air as I head for the back stairs. She grunts in return and I squelch the useless resentment as I head up to my room and close the door behind me. Pacing around, I don’t know what to do. No texts, no calls from her. I have no idea what’s going on in her head and it’s worrying the shit out of me.

Finally I decide to call Dooley. He had a class with her today and hopefully she showed up. I press his number, now among my speed icons.

“Dooley, it’s Ben—”

“How exciting! We’re getting to be regular buds.” I shake my head because he’s so inappropriate and I can see why Jazzy sort of befriended him.

“Was Jazzy in class today?”

“Of course. She never misses. It’s songs and music and she’s the ultimate songbird, star of the class—if she would let herself—” Sensing he’d go on forever, I interrupt him.

“How was she?”

“Oh, now that’s another matter. Today she was extra edgy, like daggers-shooting-from-her-eyes-at-anyone-who-looked-at-her angry. I haven’t seen—”

“Did she say anything about what was bothering her?”

“You think I was going to ask?” He laughs. He has a point. “I roll with the punches to keep my head from rolling to the ground, my man. Bottom line is your girl is very upset. About something. And I would bet you know what that something is better than I do. N’est ce pas?”

Heaving a sigh, I acknowledge his observation and end the call. Good news is she’s not in bed hiding from the world. Though it sounds like that’s bad news for the world.