The next morning I decided to not tell Clare about the other night. She would only feel betrayed by me for breaking my promise and I know it would agonize her even more. We got to school and Clare started to head for her locker when I asked her if we could stop at mine first. Clare looked confused but agreed, even though her locker was closer than mine. I couldn't help it though, I was afraid Elizabeth would be waiting by Clare's locker like last night, bearing her disfigured stomach.
We got to my locker and I pretended to rummage around in it while I kept my eyes peeled for a sign of Elizabeth. When I didn't see her, I stuffed my history book into my bag and Clare and I set off for her locker. With ever step, my dread seemed to rise. We got to Clare's locker and as I, yet again, scanned the crowds for Elizabeth I missed Clare's discovery.
"Oh, look at this!" Clare exclaimed. I jumped and spun around, thinking that Elizabeth had maybe left a dead rat or something sinister in Clare's locker as a warning. Instead I spotted a small picture of Alli and Clare taped to the outside of Clare's locker.
"Alli must have left this here, since we haven't been hanging out much. I guess she misses me," Clare said as she peeled the picture off her locker and stuck it in her backpack. "I'll talk to her during math class."
I nodded my head as the bell rang. I walked Clare to math and then doubled back around for my anatomy class. Something didn't feel right to me, I just couldn't put my finger on it.
The day passed sluggishly and finally it was time to head home. I met Clare at her locker and we started to stroll towards Morty. Clare looked fidgety and distant. She kept wringing her hands together and biting her nails. We got into Morty and headed towards Clare's house.
"You alright?" I asked. Clare took a couple of seconds to answer, almost like her thoughts were in a completely other place.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured. She stared out of her window.
"Did something happen? With Elizabeth?" I prodded. Clare was never this secretive and distant and it bothered me.
"No, I'm um...I'm not sure yet. I have to call maybe? It'll all be fine though, I'm sure," Clare said, although she appeared to be talking more to herself than me.
My brow furrowed in confusion.
"Huh. Pause, rewind, and play," I said as I pulled into Clare's drive. Clare finally snapped out of her funk.
"What? Sorry Eli. I'm just thinking about something else. I'll call you tonight! Bye!" Clare gave me a kiss on the cheek and leaped out of the car. I noticed she was biting her lip and I wondered what it was she was thinking about.
I found out later that night.
It was 2 a.m. and I was fast asleep until I heard Dead Hand blare from my phone. Disoriented, I grabbed it off my nightstand and after fumbling with it for a second, managed to answer it.
"Huh, hello?" I yawned into the phone. Clare's hysterical voice crackling on the other end of the phone snapped me instantly awake. I sat bolt upright.
"Clare? What's wrong? What's going on?" I shouted.
"Eli, s-she's missing-Alli's missing! She wasn't in school today and I was w-w-worried about her and Sav j-just called me and said she hasn't been seen s-s-since this morning," Clare cried.
I felt cold. This call felt so familiar. The hysteria on the other end. It reminded me of the night Julia died. My heart sank. Elizabeth had been responsible for Julia's death, and now was she responsible for Alli's disappearance? I remembered Julia's words from last night, "I WILL MAKE YOU HURT. WE BELONG TOGETHER, AND NOTHING...AND NO ONE WILL GET IN MY FUCKING WAY!"
It looked like Elizabeth had decided to hurt me after all. By hurting Clare, and taking away her best friend. I remembered the picture on Clare's locker. It hadn't been Alli who'd taped it there, and I was right, it was a sinister warning.
"Clare," I whispered into the phone, "There's something I have to tell you about last night..."