The Mute and the Liar (46 page)

I
struggle
to
understand
what
he
means
and
his
asphalt
words
are
left
to
crumble in
the
air
between
us.

“
They killed her.
Oh
God,
they
actually
killed
her.
”

He
pulls
away
and
I
let
my
hands
slip
away
from
him.
Although
strangely,
that
one
gesture
tugs
something
in
me.
I
wish...
I
wish
I
could
have
held
onto
him
for
a
little
longer.
He
sits
up,
pushes
his
back
against
the
wall
and
then
pulls
his
knees
up
and
hugs
them.
There
is
something
disjointed
in
his
shadowy
eyes
and
something
broken in
his
voice.

“
Becky
Meyer,
”
he
says
softly,
staring
into
the
distance.
No,
staring
longingly
at
a
person
I
am
forbidden
to
see.
My
eyes
narrow.
I
don't
think
I
want
to
hear
this.
“
She
was
my
best
friend.
My...
My
only
f
riend.
And
they
just killed her. Just like
that.
We were only fifteen.
”

He
looks
at
me
now,
and
I
mean
really
looks
at
me,
as
though
we
have
been
suffocating
in
a
crowded
room
this
whole
time
and
he
has
finally
seen
me.
“
Gone
,
”
he whispers.

He’s
never
spoken
to
me
about
his
past
before.
Why
now?
Maybe
he
trusts
me.
That
thought sends
a
strange
warmth
in
my
chest.

He
rummages
into
his
pocket,
pulls
out
his
phone
and
scrolls
through
his
photos.
Smiling
at
me
with
a
mouth
of
perfect
pearls
is
a
rosy-cheeked,
round-faced
girl
with
her
blonde
hair
pulled
into
two
plaits.
Standing
with
his
arm
around
her
possessively
is
Ryo,
although
I
struggle
to
put
a
name
to
him
at
first
-
he
looks
completely
different, or
perhaps
just
a
lot
younger.
The only
giveaway
is
his
murky,
dark
brown
eyes
and
gangly,
awkward
posture;
the
Mohawk
is
gone
and
so
is
the scar
running
underneath
his
eye.

“
She
was
amazing.
I
tried
to
follow
her
home
once.
I
sat
behind
her
in
class
so
I
could
hear
her
talking
to
her
friends.
I
thought
about
her
all
the
time.
”

I
never
wondered
about
Jayce's
past.
To
be
honest,
I
forgot
he
had
friends,
a
home,
a
life.
Maybe
even
a
girlfriend,
if
that's
what
this
Becky person
was
to
him.
I
somehow
forgot
about
all
of
that
since
we
have
been here.
Is
that
stupid?

“
I
cried
all
night
when
I
found
out
she
was
with
Ryo.
He
didn't
deserve
her.
The
sky
didn't
even
deserve
her;
how
the
Hell
could
he?
”
he
glowers.
He
puts
his
phone
back
in
his
pocket
and
turns
to
face
the
wall
on
his
right,
so
I
can
no
longer
see
his
face.
“
Do
you
know
what
the
happiest
day
of
my
life
was?
The
day
she
sat
with
me
at
lunch.
Ryo
had
punched
me
outside
my
house
that
morning
and
I
remember
that
because
he
broke
my
glasses
again
so
that
meant
my
mum
was
going
to
kill
me
again
and
I
was
thinking
how
cliché
it
is
for
a
bully
to
break
a
nerd's
glasses
again.
So
that
day
I
was
just
sitting
there,
on
my
own,
like
always,
and
then
she
just
comes
over
and
sits
next to me.
”

Although
I
can't
see
his
face,
I
can
hear
him
smile.
I
wish
I
could
see
his
face.
I
want
to
know
how
much
he
loved
her.
I
want
to
know
why
he
loved
her.
His
cold
words
wedge
themselves
into
my
chest
and
stay
there
-
I
try
but
I
can't
get
them
out,
and
for
some
reason
I
feel
cold
all
over.

I
look away from him. I've decided
I
don't want
to
hear anymore.
But
at
the
same
time,
I
don't
want
to
leave
him.

“
I
remember
every
word
she
said
to
me
that
day.
I
even
remember
that
she
had
a
ketchup
stain
on
her
shirt
and
she
was
wearing
pearl
earrings
and
she
was
eating
a
tuna
sandwich
and
an
apple.
And
everyone
was
staring,
but
she
acted
like she
didn't
notice,
but
knowing her,
she
probably
didn't
care.
”

“
Ryo
got
so
mad
one
time.
And
who
does
he
take
it
out
on?
Me
obviously.
He
waits
for
me
to
leave
school
and
get
to
the
street
down
the
road
and
then
bam
,
”
he
punches
his
fist
in
to
his
palm.
“
But
then
Becky
jumps
in out of nowhere and stops him.
”