They Just Don't Know You

Chapter 26

Perrie's POV

Saturday, October 5

"You look absolutely beautiful, Leigh."

I turn from the refrigerator at the sound of my Mother's voice, grasping a too-warm seltzer and stepping closer to the foyer so I have a clear view of the staircase. Leigh's descending it like royalty in a red dress, her hair pulled back in some kind of complicated twist. She looks better than she has all week, but she still doesn't have her usual sparkle. There's something brittle about her face. 

The neckline on her dress dips low, displaying a lot more cleavage than Leigh usually shows. It should be distracting, but even that doesn't derail the train of thought that's been running through my brain since yesterday afternoon.

What do you know? What did you do?

"Woah." Leigh's boyfriend, Andre, doesn't have the same problem. His eyes zero in on her chest until he remembers that her Dad's in the room. "You look amazing."

I can't see John, but his voice is full of forced heartiness. "Let's get some pictures of the four of you."

That's my cue to leave. Leigh and Andre are doubling to homecoming with two of my least favourite people at Echo Ridge High: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jesy Nelson. It's not a date, Leigh explained to my Mother. Just two people who are worried about Ellie, coming together while the town tries to hang on to some kind of normal. From the glimpse I saw of Alex when they arrived, he looks as though he got talked into it and already regrets saying yes. 

All the money raised from selling homecoming tickets is going towards a reward fund for information leading to Ellie's safe return. Most of the businesses in town are giving matching donations, and John's law firm is doubling theirs. 

I retreat into the study while everyone poses. Kamille's still going with Karl, and she was texting me until an hour ago trying to convince me to ask Jade. Under different circumstances I probably would have. But I couldn't get Leigh's words out of my head: I'd better not see you there. She's backed off on treating me like a criminal, but I know that's what everyone at school is thinking. I don't care enough about a pointless dance to deal with three hours of getting whispered about and judged.

Besides, I'm not sure I can act normal around my stepsister right now. 

I haven't told anyone what we found yesterday. Despite the wild theories, all it really amounts to is a receipt with questionable contact information. Still, it's been eating at me all day, making it almost impossible to look at Leigh without the words bursting out of me: What do you know? What did you do?

The murmur of voices in the foyer grows louder as Leigh and her friends get ready to leave for the dance. Pretty soon, only John and Mom will be home. Suddenly, the last thing in the world I want to do is spend a Saturday night alone with my thoughts. Before I second-guess myself too much, I fire off a text to Jade. Do you want to hang out tonight? Watch a movie or something?

I don't know if she'll be up for it, or if her grandmother will even let her. But Jade replies within a few minutes, and the vice gripping my chest loosens a little when I read her response. 

Yeah, sure. 

----------

Turns out, if you invite a girl over on homecoming night, your Mother will read into it.

Mom flutters around Jade with zero chill after her Grandmother drops her off at our house. "Do you two want popcorn? I can make some. Are you going to be in the den, or the living room? The den is more comfortable, probably, but I don't think that television has Netflix. Maybe we could set it up real quick, John?"