Unexpected Rendezvous

Chapter 19

Leigh-Anne's POV

"Oh God," Perrie says, growing even more pale. "Now what?"

She heads down the hallway with Jade and me at her heels. Aaron is almost exactly where I left him, curled in one corner of the couch, his eyes half-mast and his expression vacant, except now he has a remote in one hand. The tv in front of him is tuned into the local news channel, where Simon Cowell is standing in front of...oh shit. 

Charlton High School. Flanked by Ellie Hemmings, Jamie McFarland, and Zack Tate. "What are those three doing there?" I ask. I know Ellie is Perrie's best friend, but I've never seen her with either of the other two.

Perrie's mouth is a thin line. "Can you rewind please, Aaron?"

"Um..." Aaron stares at the remote like it's a PhD level maths equation he has no hope of solving, and Perrie snatches it from his hand with a frustrated huff. She restarts the segment from where Simon first appears on screen.

"Good afternoon, this is Simon Cowell, continuing with today's special edition of The Cowell Report," he says smoothly. "I'm at Charlton High, where students are reeling from the news that their classmate, 17 year old Jesy Nelson, was killed this morning. While reporting on that tragic occurrence, I was sent a link to a YouTube video featuring two of Charlton High attendees standing beside me. These young men claim that one of their classmates, who has a history of bad blood with Jesy and fits the description of the person of interest police have been seeking, has been missing from school all day."

"No." The last drop of colour drains from Perrie's face. "This can't be happening."

The camera pans across the three students beside Simon. Ellie looks upset, Jamie looks like he's trying to figure out which side of his face will look better on tv, and Zack looks nervous.

"Zack, what the hell," Jade mutters behind me, and it's only then that I remember the two of them are friendly.

"Tips have been coming into the station all day, and we can't possibly respond to them all," Simon continues. "But this one interested me, because I'm acquainted with the young woman involved. Furthermore, and this is breaking news, my crew and I also happen to have seen her in London, not far from the crime scene, less than an hour ago. However, she fled before I was able to speak with her."

"Oh nooooo," Perrie moans.

On screen, Ellie leans forward to interrupt. "Excuse me, but I think it's important to say that the YouTube video wasn't a tip. It was gossip."

Simon ignores her and angles his microphone towards Jamie. "Jamie McFarland, you're one of the founders of the Charlton Speaks YouTube channel. When did you first begin to question whether Perrie Edwards might be involved in what happened to Jesy Nelson?"

"Oh my God." Perrie pauses the screen, like that'll do something to slow the train wreck headed her way. "He said my name. On television. I am so fucked." Her eyes dart wildly around her living room. "I can fix this. I have to fix this." Then she flings the remote on to the couch, drops into a chair, and covers her face with her hands. "I have to fix this," she repeats, voice muffled.

Jade and I exchange glances. "How many people even watch the local news though?" I say. Nobody answers me, which is probably just as well, since I have no idea and it might be a lot. Jade puts a hand on Perrie's shoulder and leans down, murmuring something in her ear that I can't hear. She doesn't move a muscle.

"Christ, that was messed up," Aaron says, sounding almost sympathetic. "Except for Ellie. She's your ride or die, huh?"

Perrie doesn't respond, and her misery tugs at my conscience. All day, she's been trying to piece together the truth. And I've been either getting in her way, or staying so far out of it that I'm no help at all. Because I wasn't sure I even wanted to know. I'm still not, but I can't just stand around while her life falls apart either.