Dear Diary

6. WITNESS

S A M A R A

"We're fine," I say to Derek. "What's up?"

"Grabbing coffee," he says, gesturing toward the front counter. "I haven't been sleeping much. I need fuel." The bags under his eyes attest to the statement.

"Join the club," I say. "We miss you, Der. We haven't been able to hang out."

"Haven't been up to it. I'm stressed, tired, and . . . I've been having these terrible nightmares about Sidney. I saw everyone here, though, and came to say hi. But I gotta keep it moving. I have grief counseling to attend with the folks."

"That could be good for you guys," says Kelly.

Derek gives her a weird look, one that almost comes off as indignant. Kelly looks as though she regrets speaking.

Derek clears his throat. "Have you met my parents? No amount of counseling will fix that trainwreck. They're trying to be all attentive and caring now."

"That's a natural reaction to these circumstances," I say.

"It shouldn't take one of your kids dying to start caring about them." His words are like ice, matching the coldness of his expression.

No one says anything.

"Figure out your counseling schedule and hit us up whenever you feel up to it," Rome says, breaking the awkward silence.

"Maybe. Later, guys," Derek says, waving goodbye as he heads for the counter.

"That was intense," I say.

"Are you surprised? The whole Cromwell family is intense," Gio says.

"Should we tell him about the Chace thing?" Rome asks.

"And stress him out even more?" Kelly says. "As suspicious as it is, I don't think we should be openly throwing people under the bus. Especially not to Derek and his family. They have enough going on without putting bugs in their ears with no proof."

"You're right," Rome agrees. "Honestly, if we accused everyone who had a problem with Sidney, the list would stretch miles long. Like I said before, the Chace thing was just a thought. A creepy thought, but just a thought nonetheless. We should let the police do their jobs." He stands to his feet. "Tori's meeting me at my place soon. I gotta go."

We wave goodbye to Rome as well when he departs, though once Gio and Kelly start conversing I retreat into my own head.

What was it?

What was it about Sidney that kept us close to her? Maybe it was the fact she hadn't always been so problematic. There was a time, long ago, when she wasn't so bad. That was the Sidney I became best friends with.

And I suppose that's the Sidney I held on to.

***

Gio and Kelly eventually leave, but the time we spent together was refreshing after how drab the past few weeks have been. We avoided talking about Sidney and the creep leaving notes. Instead we talked about our futures, like what our lives will look like after graduation and going into the real world. It's hard to fathom how much things will change. But those conversations were welcomed distractions from the depressing reality of our lives right now.

I'm still seated in the booth having managed to work up a small appetite. The smell of burgers and fried food permeates the air of the mid-sized restaurant and infiltrates my nostrils as I wait patiently. It makes my stomach growl. I suppose I'm more hungry than I thought.