Loser II || WlW

Twenty-Three

"Jo, oh my god. Are you okay?" His voice is urgent. "I can't get ahold of Mom or Dad and I was getting worried about you."

Silence.

"Jo?"

"Get ahold of Dad?" My fists clench. "You murdered Dad. Or did you forget?"

He sighs. "Sorry. My therapist—"

"I don't care about your therapist, Zachary."

I can feel his hurt through the phone. See his face, twisted with anger and grief as his eyes search the air for what to say next.

His voice is deflated as he says, "Then why'd you call me, Jo?"

I rub the space above my eyebrow, lean up against the railing on the porch. "Where are you?"

He clears his throat. "I'm with some friends."

"Where?"

"I'm home. I didn't... I didn't know where else to go and a friend of mine lives in the same town where we grew up."

"Don't fucking lie to me, Zachary!" I say through clenched teeth.

He sighs. "I just wanted to make sure you're safe."

My heart sinks. "You're at the retreat, aren't you?"

Silence.

I don't speak this time. I want answers.

"I can't believe you don't trust me." He scoffs. "I told you the truth. I have an ankle bracelet. I can't leave the house except to work. I can send you a picture if you don't believe me."

I run a hand through my hair. "Then why is mom's junkie boyfriend here? Why did his son attack me? Why are people dying?"

"I..." He stops, and from years of being inseparable, I can tell he's shaking his head. His brown curls are flopping against his forehead and his bony hands are twitching with anxiety. "People around you are dying? Can you come home? I could send a friend to pick you up if you don't feel safe."

"Stop lying to me, Zachary. I know you're here. Just tell me where you are so I can finish what I started."

"Did you just... You just threatened to kill me?" He clears his throat. "You really believe them." He lets out a single disbelieving laugh. "When are you going to realize they're not like us?" Something crashes in the background. "Brittany and Kyle are not interested in being friends... Or, or lovers with the Taylor family! Why do you think people are suddenly dying around you again, Jordan? Huh? Go ahead. Tell me. Who's back, Jo?"

I don't say anything.

"I hope she's worth it, Jordan. I really do." He hangs up before I can respond.

I'm clenching the railing of the porch, staring at the unbroken snow over the rest of the yard, when someone nudges me.

"You doin' okay?" Grace leans next to me, folds her arms over her chest.

I let out a hopeless chuckle.

"I told Donna what she did was messed up," she starts. "She shouldn't have said that about you. We all knew Jeremy was trying to push your buttons. We all know you would never murder somebody."

The image of the boy's body, Eric, sprawled on the barn floor flashes through my head.

"Right," I mutter.