Dear Diary

9. DEAD LIKE SIDNEY

Friday, September 13th

S A M A R A

Being stared at gets old fast and it's more than usual today. Weird glances and lingering gazes are on me as I walk the hall. There's even a couple of snickers.

Kelly calls my name as she approaches from the opposite direction. "Have you heard the update last night?"

"No, what is it?" I say.

"Get this: molotov cocktails caused the fire. Someone broke into the house and Logan didn't realize until he woke up with smoke filling his lungs."

I put a hand over my mouth. "Jesus. Molotov cocktails? Who even knows how to make those?"

"They're not that hard. All it takes is a Youtube search."

"Anything else?"

"I didn't get to read the full blog, but it does no favors in making us look good," Kelly continues, voice full of concern. "It's like we're being accused."

"Is that why people are looking at me weird today?"

"Maybe. Could also be that stupid thing Pablo Rivera posted on Feedstr."

Of course it's Feedstr. The up and coming social app. Practically all the kids at Grovesville High use it as it provides more of a local community unlike Twitter or Instagram, and less older people use it, like Facebook. It's mostly used as a place for gossip at our school, so I'm not on it too often.

Kelly and I pull over to the side of the hall as she takes out her phone, taps the screen a few times and hands it to me. A Feedstr post under the Grovesville High community forum is on screen.

Pablo Rivera: Are we supposed to feel bad about what happened to Sidney? She's all anyone fucking talks about now. I'm not about to sit up here and act like I care. Let's move on already.

    There's almost one hundred likes on the post and over two hundred replies. A knot forms in my stomach as I scroll through the thread.

Imani Hudson: I heard her friends were at the witness' house fire last night. Something shady is going on with that group, but I hope they're all good.

Corey Crawford: Lmao who cares what happens to those damn enablers?

Natalia Sinclair: @Corey Crawford ur rude, the girl's dead & her friends are probably going through a lot.

Pablo Rivera: @Natalia Sinclair If anyone was rude, it was that slut Sidney. I don't feel bad for her OR them.

Corey Crawford: Right, Pab. Let's be real, the girl got what was coming to her. PERIOD.

Jett Liu: You guys are brutal.

Rebecca Townsend: Pablo and Corey have me dead over here lol.

Pablo Rivera: #DeadLikeSidney

Marcos Espinoza: Y'all are being assholes.

I give Kelly her phone and start down the hall, ignoring her calls for me to stop. With clenched fists, blood boiling, and a juddering heart, I navigate the hallway until I reach the boy's locker room and barge inside. I'm met with abashed looks from several shirtless guys, scanning the room until I find my target.  Pablo's back is facing me as I walk up to him.

"Hey!"

When he turns around I slap him across the face as hard as I can, provoking a chorus of audible reactions from the other boys.