They Just Don't Know You

Chapter 11

Perrie's POV

Thursday, September 26

When I poke my head into Kamille's room, she's wedged in against a small mountain of pillows on her bed, her MacBook propped on her lap. She has her headphones in, nodding along to whatever's playing, and I have to knock on the door twice before she hears me. "Hey," she says too loudly before unplugging. "Practice over already?"

"It's past 4." My one and only activity at Echo Ridge High, which is one more than Kamille's ever signed up for, is band. Mr Hughes got me into it in 9th grade when he suggested I take drum lessons, and I've been doing it ever since. 

It's not the same without him. The woman who took over isn't half as funny as he was, and she's got us doing the same old shit from last year. I'm not sure I'll stick it out. But tomorrow night we're playing at the pep rally, and I have a solo that nobody else knows about. 

Kamille stretches her arms over her head. "I didn't notice. I was just about to text you though." She shuts her laptop and puts it aside, swinging her legs off the bed and on to the floor. "Fucking Jesy's most cherished dream has come true. The Burlington Free Press picked up on her story about the vandalism, and now they're covering it along with a 5 year anniversary piece on Caitlin. A reporter called a little while ago, trying to get hold of Sairah."

My stomach flops like a dying fish. "Shit."

I shouldn't be surprised. The Homecoming Stalker, so named by the Echo Ridge Eagle student newspaper, has been busy. He or she left a bloody mess of raw meat on the hood of Ellie's car Monday, which made her gag when she saw it. Jade got off comparatively easy a day later, with a spray paint job on the side of Armstrong's Auto Repair that reads THIRLWALLS MAKE KILLER QUEENS.

Yesterday was Leigh's turn. On the street where Mr Hughes died, in the corner that's turned into a makeshift memorial with flowers and stuffed animals, someone added an oversized print of Leigh's class picture with the eyes gouged out and an RIP date of October 5th, next weekend's homecoming dance. When John found out about it, he got as close to losing his shit as I've ever seen him. He wanted homecoming cancelled, and Leigh barely talked him out of calling the Principal. This morning, we got a homeroom announcement reminding us to report anything suspicious to a teacher. But so far, homecoming is still on. 

Kamille grabs a black studded sweatshirt from the back of her desk chair. "You didn't hear anything from Jonnie about it? I figured the reporter must have tried to reach him too."

"No." Jonnie finally answered my texts over the weekend to tell me he was back in New Hampshire. Other than that, we haven't spoken since we met in Tomlinson's Tavern. I still don't know what he was doing here, or where he was staying. 

"Sairah's been holed up in her room ever since the call came in," Kamille says, yanking the sweatshirt over her head. The fabric muffles her voice as she adds, "Not that there's anything unusual about that."

"You still want to go to Grande's for dinner?" I ask. Dr and Mr Purcell both work late on Thursdays, and John and my Mom have date night, so Kamille and I are heading to Echo Ridge's only restaurant. "I have Mom's car, so we don't have to walk."

"Yeah, definitely. I need to get out of this house. Also, I invited the twins, so they're expecting us. I told them 5 though. We can hang out and have coffee till then." She stuffs her keys into her pocket and heads for the door, hesitating as she reaches the hallway. "I'm just gonna check..." She backtracks a few steps to a closed door across from her bedroom, and knocks on the frame. "Sairah?" No answer, so Kamille knocks harder. "Sai?"

"What?" comes a quieter voice.

"Me and Perrie are getting dinner at Grande's. Do you want to come?"

"No thanks. I have a headache."