Eidolon

Chapter 19: Skeleton Dance Party

"Hey, are you going with us to the track meet this afternoon?"

Juliette looked up from her algebra homework, which she had gotten a head start on during the five minutes between classes, and glanced over her shoulder to see Charlotte leaning forward in her seat.

"Sorry, I've got a yearbook meeting this afternoon," she replied with an apologetic smile.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Charlotte pouted slightly. "Well, what about afterwards? Do you want to meet up at the drive-thru?"

Juliette nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you there."

Most people thought her schedule was hectic and demanding, but Juliette was frankly glad to keep herself occupied and out of the house. With Lucas gone and her parents always out, she had come to dread going home. It just felt so empty and lonely now. With no one and nothing to distract her, it was oppressively heartbreaking, and it filled her with regret and despair. No, far better to busy herself with something, anything else. Like her parents, Juliette had learned long ago to overcome such feelings by burying them deep down inside and pretending they didn't exist until even she herself started to believe that everything was okay.

"Hey, um..." Charlotte started, her eyes straying away from Juliette as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how.

"What is it?" Juliette asked sweetly, glad for the opportunity to console someone else.

"I was just wandering..." she hesitated again, and Juliette realized suddenly that Charlotte was afraid of saying something to upset her. She was very good at reading people. She braced herself, determined to keep a positive demeanor.

"Is it about Lucas?" she prompted.

Charlotte averted her eyes, but nodded. "Well, sort of. I just wondered if you had talked to that girl he was hanging out with? Alex?"

Juliette scowled for a brief instant, but before her friend could even register the expression, it had already softened again. "Let me guess, you've heard the silly rumors Zoe Peirce has been spreading?"

It was easy, of course, to place blame on Alex. She was a strange girl, and she had acted very suspiciously when Juliette had spoken to her. But Juliette was nothing if not level-headed and rational. She knew that Alex couldn't possibly be directly involved in her brother's death, although she did suspect that Alex might be hiding something. Perhaps she had seen what happened, or at least had some idea, but refused to come forward for fear of reprisal. Perhaps someone had even threatened her if she were to speak up.

She would find out the truth, eventually. She had sworn to that.

"Well, everyone knows Zoe's a crazy bitch," Charlotte conceded. "But did you hear about what she did to Rachel?"

"Rachel Allen? No, what did Zoe do to her?"

"No, not Zoe. Alex. A few days before Halloween, Alex came up to her in the library and gave her a note. The note said it was from Emily Natale. It even looked like her handwriting. And it said that Rachel shouldn't blame herself for what happened, and that she needs to move on with her life and stuff."

"Oh my god," Juliette whispered, aghast. Who would do something like that? She had seen some truly juvenile pranks in her four years at East Point High School, but this was completely heartless.

"I know, it's seriously messed up, huh? And then a few days later, the...the thing with Lucas? And she's connected to that, too? It just seems like an awfully big coincidence."

Juliette didn't know what to do with this information. Before she could think of a response, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. She turned back around in her seat, facing forward, only sparing a brief moment to whisper back to Charlotte.