Dead Girls Walking: A Novel

Chapter Two

Lacey

"It is very clear that one of the main themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is the underlying racism that resides in our justice system. The only reason Bob Ewell forced his daughter to accuse Tom Robinson was because he knew that he would be easily convicted. It's applies to our culture today because we see so much police brutality against African-Americans. It's completely preposterous and unjust." Lacey addressed to Ms. Hernandez, her AP Lit teacher.

"Excellent answer, Lacey. I'm glad to see that someone finished the book." Ms. Hernandez gave the evil eye to the rest of the class, who all forgot about last night's assignment of finishing the book and the discussion questions.

AP Lit was Lacey's favorite class of the day. She loved English more than anything in the world. It was a way for her to escape and immerse herself in a world of fictional characters and fascinating plot lines. She liked it more than the real world, if she was being honest. She hoped to be a journalist one day, or maybe even a writer. Her mother would never approve of that. She'd rather Lacey become a lawyer like her or something in the medical field. Something practical, she would say.

Her mother never really cared for Lacey's love of literature. It reminded her of Lacey's father, Thomas. He was one of the writers for the New York Post, and an avid lover of books. He used to read to Lacey every night before she went to sleep. He did that until she was ten. That's when he started drinking.

He went to the bar almost every single night and would come back to the house in rage. One night it was worse than every before. He and her mother were screaming at each other for hours, and little eleven-year-old Lacey hid under the covers and tried to read Little Women, but the yelling wouldn't stop. Then she heard something break, and she came downstairs to her mother sobbing as she picked up a broken vase. Her dad was gone, and the divorce was finalized a few weeks later. After Catherine was never the same. Now she had Lorenzo, and he was one of her top priorities. Even a higher priority then Lacey, perhaps.

The bell rang, signaling the end of second period. Lacey grabbed her belongings, wished Ms. Hernandez a good day, and began to make her way to French down the hall. "Hey, Lacey!" called a voice from behind her.

Lacey turned to see Joslyn Quill, her friend and Vice President of the junior class. She had golden brown hair that she always wore in two braids, and wore a denim jumper with a pink cardigan. They were always working together, whether it was fundraisers or school dances. "Principal Gaffey approved the Easter Egg Hunt around the school!"

Lacey grinned in excitement. "That's great!" They had been planning an Easter Egg Hunt for the elementary schoolers for weeks. It would be a great way to bring in money and raise funds for the Spring Fling, the annual dance for sophomores and juniors each spring.

"I talked to him this morning. He said we just have to begin advertising now and notify Mrs. Barnes from the elementary school." Joslyn explained.

"Okay, I'll make sure to talk to Ellie by the end of the day." Lacey said, referring to the junior class publicist, Ellie de Luca. Aka the most creative person Lacey knew.

As Joslyn began to talk about how difficult the French homework was, which Lacey found quite easy, something in the display case caught her eye as she passed by. A beautiful wreath of flowers stood behind five picture frames with the words WE REMEMBER THEM in rustic block lettering. It was beautiful. Lacey recognized each of the kids. One was a handsome boy with strong features and curly blond hair. Andrew McPhee. Next was a mousy-looking girl with a mob of black curls and glasses. Michelle Torrance. Then there was a skinny-looking dark haired boy with tan skin. Phillip DeSantos. Then an plump-looking boy with a face full of acne. Peter Dunne. The final photo was of a beautiful girl with short dark brown hair and lively hazel eyes. Her smile could light up a room. That was what people always said about Victoria Beck.