Remember When **Under MAJOR Editing**

Chapter 18

"Just tell me!" I shouted at her.  If a copy of the accident report was at my house, I knew where it would be.  And I wasn't allowed in there.  "You know this big secret so just tell me instead of making me chase around for it!"

"Oh, I don't give away people's secrets."  If Dade's words dripped sarcasm, Mckenzie's gushed it like the biggest waterfall at Splash Central.  "That's why you didn't tell me your mom--"  Even in the middle of confronting me, Mckenzie couldn't bring herself to say it.  My mom was insane.

"And that's why you didn't tell me you had amnesia.  Because you don't trust me with something that important.  Now everybody knows my own best friend doesn't trust me.  You made a freaking fool out of me--"

"Just tell me what happened!" I screamed.  My voice set the locks buzzing against the lockers.  "How did you find out?  Who else knows?"  As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized I didn't need to yell at her.  I knew exactly who else knew and how she'd found out.  I jerked up my backpack and stomped toward the door to the pool.

As I reached the door, Mckenzie put her hand on my arm and pulled, eyes full of fear.  "You can not tell them you heard this from me.  Dade will kill Mike.  Mike will never speak to Lily again.  And Lily...and me.."

"Then tell me what it is."

Mckenzie pressed her lips together.

I jerked open the door before Mckenzie could stop me again.  I headed straight across the pool deck, empty except for Lily and Mike sitting close together on the lawn chair.  When Lily saw me, she jumped up, holding out my clipboard, almost as if she was ready to make up with me.  "I can't believe you forgot this!" She saw the look on my face and stopped.

I closed the steps between us and took the clipboard from her.  "Tell me what happened Friday night."

She gasped at me, then wailed over my shoulder at Mckenzie, "You told her!"

"I didn't tell her what happened," Mckenzie clarified.  "I told her she needs to find out.  She can't go around not knowing, Lily, and I don't care if it does break you up with your boyfriend."

"You just don't want me to have a boyfriend," Lily squealed.  "You cant get a boyfriend so you don't want me to have one either!"

"Whatever," I mumbled, skirting Lily and approaching Mike, who had edged toward the pool.  He watched the twins silently as if he had nothing to do with any of this.  I walked right up to him and stopped inches from his face so he couldn't pretend he didn't hear me, one of his usual tactics for saying nothing.  "Michael."  I smiled, skin stretched so taut across my face that it might break.  "Baby.  Tell me what happened."

He turned red as a stop sign and shook his head.

"Dade is not going to kill you."  As Mike's eyes widened, my voice rose.  "He is not going to beat you up or whatever he threatened to do to you." I wasn't sure Mike was really safe, but I was desperate. "Dade is full of shit, in case you hadn't noticed. Now, for the last time, what the fuck happened?"

As a diversion, Mike jerked the clipboard from my arms and slung it into the pool. Behind me, the twins gasped.  The plastic board floated for a few seconds.  The wind stirred ripples that lapped at the pages, soaked them.  Then the clipboard nose-dived. I didn't stay to watch it hit bottom. My arms were still extended like I could grab the clipboard and save it. I put my arms down. Turning fro the gate to the parking lot, I called over my shoulder, "Thanks for being true friends."

Never get into a shouting match with twins. They emptied their clips into my back, still shouting at me as I crossed the parking lot to the Benz. Right back at you, pot calling the kettle black, talk about a true friend. Bitch!