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Mr. Blythe crouched next to her and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. I looked to the right and dipped my chin in a nod. Erin returned the nod and darted into the English classroom behind Mr. Blythe’s back.
He must’ve caught some of the movement from the corner of his eye, because he briefly turned his head to the left. Bobbi noticed the movement and let out a howl to draw his attention back to her. “I miss her so much!” she sobbed, clawing at the sleeve of Mr. Blythe’s jacket. “Why doesn’t anyone else miss her? Why am I the only one who gives a shit?”
Mr. Blythe carefully extricated his arm from her hand. “I know you miss Cerina a lot,” he said in a soothing tone, patting her shoulder. “Everyone does. What happened to her was an awful tragedy. But you can’t behave like this at school. You need to—”
“Mr. Blythe,” I cut in, cocking my head to one side. “Why don’t I take her to see the school counselor? She’s been acting kind of weird all day, and now she’s had this full-on meltdown. I’m worried about what she’ll do next. I think she really needs to talk to a professional.”
As I spoke, Bobbi continued to sob and rock back and forth on the floor, hugging her arms around her knees. Erin darted out of the classroom behind her and Mr. Blythe. She shot me a grin and a thumbs up. Then she hurried down the hallway and disappeared around a corner.
Mr. Blythe’s eyes flickered with concern as he regarded Bobbi’s state of distress. He briefly raised his gaze to my face and nodded. “I think that’s a good idea, Jax,” he said. “I’ll take her up to the office now.”
“I can take her. You’re probably really busy.”
He hesitated and glanced to the right. His desk was in full view of the open doorway, and I could see several stacks of paperwork sitting on it. “You don’t mind?” he asked, turning his attention back to me.
“No, it’s fine.” I lifted a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “I figured you probably have marking to do, so you don’t need the disruption.”
He gave me a tight smile and nodded. Then he turned his attention back to Bobbi. “Are you all right with Jax walking you to the counselor, Bobbi?”
She sniffed and wiped her face. “Yeah, I guess so,” she mumbled.
“Here.” I extended a hand. “Let me help you up.”
She accepted my assistance and rose to her feet on wobbly legs. “Sorry,” she murmured, looking up at Mr. Blythe through her eyelashes.
“It’s all right, Bobbi.”
She took a deep breath and sniffed again. “Am I going to get in trouble for hitting you?”
He shook his head. “I understand that you’re going through some emotional turmoil right now,” he said. “Besides, you didn’t hurt me, so I think we can let this one slide. But no more outbursts, okay?”
“Yes, Mr. Blythe. I’m so sorry,” Bobbi said, voice thick with emotion. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and turned to me. “You too, Jax. Sorry for yelling at you like that. You didn’t deserve it.”
“It’s all right. I understand,” I said. I smiled faintly and hooked an arm through hers. “Come on. Let’s go. I think you’ll feel much better once you’ve talked to someone.”
I escorted her down the hall, briefly casting my eyes over my shoulder to check out Mr. Blythe. He watched us go for a moment, lips set in a flat line. Then he shook his head and headed back into the classroom.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re an amazing actress?” I said to Bobbi as we turned a corner. “I actually thought you were going to blow a gasket on me back there.”
She gave me a watery smile. “How do you think I’ve gotten away with pretending to be a ditzy idiot all these years?” she said, dabbing at her eyelids and cheeks with her blazer sleeve. “Besides, I wasn’t totally putting on a show. Cerina was my best friend. I don’t think I’ll ever stop missing her.”
“Don’t worry. When we get justice for Kinsey, we’ll get it for Cerina too,” I said softly, patting her on the back.
“I know.” She tilted her head and arched a brow. “Why do you think I’m helping you so much?”
We arrived at the library five minutes later and found Erin tucked away at a table in a quiet corner behind the stacks. When she saw us approaching, she sat up straight, face brightening. “He bought it?”
“Hook, line, and sinker. He thinks we’re at the counselor’s office right now,” I replied. “You have the phone, right?”
“Of course.” She pulled out a black iPhone and held it up, lips stretched in a smug smile. “It was in his top desk drawer with his keys and wallet.”
“Nice.”
She set the phone down on the table and exhaled deeply. “I was really worried it wouldn’t be there,” she said. “I thought he might have it in his pocket.”
Bobbi’s lips tugged upward in a devious smile. “It’s okay. I had a contingency plan for that,” she said. “I totally felt up all his pockets when I threw my tantrum. Just in case.”
“Wow. That’s realcommitment to the bit.” Erin grinned and dipped her chin toward the phone. “So… do you want to do the honors? Or should I do it?”
