"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter Fourteen: Mouthbreathers
(The Body, Pt. 3)
***
*trigger warning: homophobic slurs and language*
Rowan was drawn out of her daze by a brisk knock. She looked over to the door at seeing the principal and a police officer standing there, interrupting the boring English class and jolting Rowan out of the daze the teacher's voice and Stevie Nicks' much more bewitching voice had lulled her into.
For a minute, she wondered if it was yet another round of interrogations for her and Alistair, but then the principal said, "Nancy Wheeler? If you'll come with me, please?"
Rowan looked at Nancy, brows furrowed.
The brunette looked similarly confused, but stood up and walked out of the classroom, following the officers.
Once she'd left, the teacher continued, but Rowan couldn't focus for an entirely different reason, looking at the doorway, her confusion alleviated as the only reason for why Nancy would be questioned by the police entered her mind.
They're gonna talk to her about Barb.
Rowan felt a nudge and looked over to see Chrissy staring at her, having poked her arm with her pencil. Robin was similarly staring at her from where she sat behind Rowan.
'You okay?' Chrissy mouthed.
'Fine,' Rowan mouthed back with a smile, and turned back to the front even if she was paying zero attention; between the dull books and poems they were required to read that sapped any joy out of reading and the teacher's monotonous timbre, it was honestly a miracle Rowan was passing the class. She guessed she could thank Chrissy for that, who made sure she studied and paid enough attention to take down notes and answer, and that the teacher, Mr. Hauser, was one of the nicer ones.
After the bell signalled the tepid class over, Rowan let herself be carried by the crush of students out of the classroom, heading to her locker as Robin and Chrissy followed, her mind consumed with the thought of the cops and Nancy, that it had to be something with Barb—it was the only explanation—and that they must be looking for her.
"What do you think the cops wanted with Nancy?" Chrissy wondered as she leaned against the wall of lockers.
"Maybe it has something to do with Barb?" Robin said, voicing Rowan's exact thoughts.
"I don't know," Rowan said. Looking at her friends, she asked, "Hey, do you guys mind if I skipped hanging out today? I think I might go over to the Wheelers' and see how Nancy and Mike are holding up."
