Perfectly Broken

Chapter 4

Experiences that we remember intrusively, despite desperately wanting to banish them from our minds, are closely linked to, and sometimes threaten, our perceptions of who we are and who we would like to be.

-Daniel L. Schacter

Jessy was in shock about many of the things said about Alina when she visited Hannah at home that morning. While Cleo and Lilly sat in rapt attention, soaking in every word like gospel, Jessy found it hard to believe that the sweet, quiet Alina that she remembered would do something so disgusting as an offer to hook up with a guy who just beat her half to death and then shot her ex-boyfriend. Not to mention that she would agree to make Richy watch.

When Jessy spoke with Alina on the phone, she sounded extremely hurt by how things ended with Richy. And Jessy knew it still upset Richy, too, even though he would never admit how much it bothered him to anyone. Come to think of it, she remembered he hadn't even told the group that they broke up. At school on Monday, it was Hannah who announced at lunchtime that Richy had "finally dumped Alina.' He sat silently while Hannah also informed them that for Richy's sake, it would be easier if everyone stopped talking to Alina.

But nobody had given Alina the memo. She tried to speak to Richy a few times, but he refused, brushing past her without a word. Jessy felt so bad, but she was the relative newcomer, the one who didn't grow up in Duskwood. Who was she to go against what the others wanted?

After Jessy visited Hannah, she drove to the hospital. She wanted to fact-check what Hannah said against Richy's perspective. He looked a little better today than he had last night when she stopped by right after the surgery. This crazy cop, Eric, had beaten up Richy, too, besides shooting him. Richy said last night that he might have been shot in the torso if Alina hadn't shoved Eric.

Jessy still didn't understand how any of them ended up in that cave in the first place, but she intended to find out.

Richy was sleeping, but he woke up as she entered the room. "Hey, Jessy," he said tiredly. "Have you heard from Alina? Is she doing OK?" She smirked to herself. Of course, that was his first question.

"Not yet, but actually, I'm here to talk to you about her," Jessy told him. "Hannah's saying some pretty bad stuff about her, and I wanted to hear from you."

Richy sighed, and she waited patiently. He didn't seem surprised. Hannah and Jessy were never super close, but Richy knew them both well. "What is she saying?" he asked.

Jessy recounted what Hannah had said, and he frowned. "I can't believe her," he muttered. "That isn't how it happened at all, but there's just enough truth to it to sound convincing!"

"Care to tell me what exactly did happen?"

He gave her the details. Jessy put her hand over her mouth, completely disgusted and heartbroken. "That poor girl. You might both be dead right now if it wasn't for Alina," she muttered, tears escaping. "Richy, why is Hannah being like this?"

"She's always been jealous of Alina. Anybody who might steal the spotlight from her, she has a problem with."

"Is this anything to do with what happened when you broke up in high school?" Jessy asked skeptically. "Did Hannah have something to do with you leaving Alina?"

"Yes, but not in the way you think. I never cheated on Alina," Richy replied quickly.

"I knew it! I knew there was more to the story!" Jessy cried. "Tell me. Right now."