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15

Their dorm room was quieter than it had been in the near month since they had moved in. Virginia wanted to speak and she could tell Catherine did as well, but Virginia had no idea what she should say. Would it be better to talk about it? Or to ignore it and talk about the fun, light things they enjoyed so much? Catherine had gotten a new pair of shoes, and Virginia a new pair of jeans, but that seemed so trivial. And if she spoke about what was really on their minds, she couldn't just come out and say that they needed to talk about their complicity in a murder.

"We should go to the vigil," said Catherine, abruptly breaking the silence.

"I know," agreed Virginia, blessing her roommate for taking the first step.

"Well it starts in a half hour," Catherine stood up and walked over to her makeup drawer. "I'd like to look halfway presentable."

Virginia got up as well, feeling a smile tug at her lips. "You and me both."

They stood beside each other, sharing the mirror in their small room. Virginia decided this was the right moment to address the situation.

"You feel better about lying now?" Virginia asked, aware of her tactlessness.

"I don't feel better," shrugged Catherine. "But it's easier now than it was before. You know I can't think of a single other time I've ever told a real lie? One that mattered? About where I was or what I was doing? To anyone, ever. Not even my parents."

Virginia was again wracked with guilt. If it weren't for her, Catherine would never have been put into this position. She set aside her makeup brush to give her roommate exclusive use of the mirror for the time being.

"I'm really sorry, Catherine," she said as she pulled a dark blue maxi-dress out of her closet. "I never meant for this to happen."

"I know," Catherine put on her purple eyeliner to accent the flecks of green in her eyes. "It isn't your fault. It's just a bad situation."

The pair lapsed again into awkward silence and stayed that way as they dressed, both of them in dark colors which they assumed was the appropriate look for a candlelight vigil for a missing teen. There had been flyers put up all over campus talking about the event. "Missing" they all read, and it made Virginia sick to see it. He wasn't missing. Because of his choices, because of Quinn, but because of her, too. Maybe that was her punishment, to keep this burning secret to herself. But that meant Catherine was being punished, too, and Virginia couldn't quite wrap her head around that idea. Catherine had never done anything to hurt anyone. What kind of justice was that?

They made their way to the football stadium where the field was covered with people and some were even force to move to the stands. Virginia never anticipated that many people would be there. A lot of people from the community, quite a few of them alumni, from their dated Martin College apparel were there beside staff and students. There were probably a thousand students in attendance, three-quarters of the entire student body, all holding small, flaming candles with their faces rapt and their voices low, if they talked at all. The girls weaved their way into the sea of people. From a little way off, Virginia spotted Greyson and Quinn, taller than a significant amount of the people around them. The pair were making their way over toward the girls, both with a candle in each hand.

"Here," Greyson held out a candle to Virginia.

"Was this always for me?" she asked.