“I mean, would you have any more after her?” Owen tapped his finger on his chin, grinning slyly at me. “Have you met her cousin, Mei?”
I remembered her trying to get Seiko to go to study group that day. “No,” I lied. He would probably give me more information if I played dumb.
“She’s the complete opposite of Seiko. Straight As, president of everything that Eden isn’t the president of. Mei’s perfect. I’m sure the Tanakas would trade Seiko for Mei any day. They hate each other so much that you would never think they were related. Anyway, Seiko can get her hands on any type of drug or medication anyone wants.”
I almost choked on my sandwich, thinking about the brown paper bag I’d seen her stash in Eden’s locker. “She actually does that? She’s like a real-life drug dealer?”
“Yep,” Angie replied. “She also serves as their bodyguard. She’s a pro at kickboxing.”
“What about Eden?” As far as I was concerned, she was the most important. Eden was the one I had to win over because the final decision would be hers.
“Eden’s father is the chief of police,” Angie answered. “The top dog of law enforcement in this town. They can commit murder, and Daddy Dearest could make it all go away.”
Owen’s eyes widened. “Yeah, like with Carrington. I don’t know what they did to make her disappear, but they did something. So trust us when we tell you that you have something they want. You might want to figure out what that is.”
I was clueless. I had nothing to offer them that they didn’t already have. “What about Bree? What could they want from her?”
Angie mashed the last piece of her sandwich between her fingers. “That’s a good question. Nothing that comes to mind. Her dad’s a professor at the community college, I think. Not sure about her mom. She lives in Geneva Hills. Nothing shabby, but they’re not loaded.”
Owen drummed his fingers on the table. “Maybe Bree is just the diversion. What if they already know they want you to be a PIP and they’re just using Bree to go through the motions so you think there’s really competition?”
“Yeah, I bet that’s it.” Angie draped her arm around Owen’s shoulders, looking me up and down. “Lennox must be something pretty special if Eden Blackwood wants her to join the pink cult.”
Owen narrowed his gaze on me. “Right. She seems cool and everything, but what is it about her that makes her PIP material?” He laughed and picked up his phone again. “Could be anything, really. What do any of us really know about Lennox?”
I ignored the fact that they were talking about me like I wasn’t there. Nobody in Everson Falls knew anything about me. I missed being somewhere where people already knew my name and the gist of my life. It wasn’t fun being a walking question mark. Gulping, I felt a wave of word vomit coming on. Before I could stop myself, I erupted like a volcano. “My parents got divorced because my sister died two years ago.” I hadn’t planned on sharing that, but something about Owen and Angie made me feel safe. Abby was the only other person who made me feel that way.
For several awkward moments, I heard nothing but waves crashing and birds squawking like they were angry that we’d overstayed our welcome.
“Damn,” Owen said. “I’m sorry.”
Angie stopped eating. “Yeah, me too.”
I stared at my sandwich, wondering if I had done the right thing. “People think that most marriages end in divorce when a couple loses a kid, but that’s not true. It was for my parents, though. I think because they kept blaming each other for what happened to Piper.”
“What happened?” Owen asked.
I considered telling them the whole story, but it was a lot to put on two people I barely knew. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I don’t want to talk about it right now. Maybe another time.”
Angie reached over and squeezed my hand. “Sure. Or you don’t ever have to talk about it at all, but we are sorry.”
“Thanks.” I needed to change the subject quickly before I made everyone uncomfortable by dissolving into tears. “Tell me about Carrington.”
Angie and Owen exchanged glances. Angie took a deep breath. “Carrington is a mystery. When the Piranhas started their group freshman year, everything seemed fine, but then toward the end of last year, some problems started. I heard that Carrington was questioning Eden’s authority and breaking the rules of the group, so they were threatening to kick her out. She’d told them if they kicked her out, she would tell all their deepest, darkest secrets.
“Apparently, she has information so deep and dark that it could ruin their lives.”
“And?” I urged when Angie stopped talking. “What happened then?”
Owen took over. “A couple weeks before the school year ended, they had a big blow-out fight in the hallway. The four of them were screaming at Carrington, and she was screaming back at them. Nobody really knew what they were talking about, but it got ugly. Seiko slammed Carrington into a locker and choked her, but then security broke it up. I saw the whole thing. If no one had been there to stop it, who knows what would have happened to Carrington.
“Then when there was only one week left of school, Carrington just stopped showing up. She posted on Instagram that she was moving away. They were still in town then, so it really didn’t explain why she wouldn’t finish the last five days of school. After that, she stopped posting anything. She wouldn’t see anyone or take any calls. A couple weeks later, the Blue house was empty. No one knows where they moved or why. Eden told everyone Carrington’s dad got a new job, but no one believes that. That doesn’t tell us why Carrington, a girl with tons of posts and followers, disappeared from the world of social media and cut everyone off. She even had a YouTube channel where she would post dance videos, but she deleted her entire account.”
I took the last bite of my sandwich. “Okay, so what do you think happened to her?”
Angie looked somewhere over my shoulder. “They threatened her with something. With what, I don’t know, but they made her so afraid that she and her entire family moved away, so it had to be something major.”
Owen stared me dead in the eyes. “Lennox, you seem like a good person who’s already been through some shit. Really, you need to stay away from them. I promise you that however good everything seems, it’s not going to be worth it.”
He was so wrong. I was not a good person. However bad the PIPs were, I was much worse.
We threw our trash away and headed for Angie’s car. I wished it were that easy and I could just turn my back and tell the PIPs to go screw themselves, but memories of Piper wouldn’t allow me to do that.
***
Piper was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when she was four. She was super smart academically, but she had a hard time interacting with other people. Piper didn’t always understand social cues. For example, she could never tell when people were joking or being serious. Sometimes when people were being mean to her, she thought they were being nice. That part got worse as she got older. Piper barely had any friends, and when she did get one, they didn’t stick around for long. She would often come home from school red-faced and crying after a day of being picked on and laughed at.
My life was the opposite. In my old life, I had no problems making friends. Someone was always calling or texting, asking me to hang out. Every weekend, there was a party, a barbeque, or a trip to the beach.
High school was the worst for Piper. She was a freshman while I was in the seventh grade. I wished we were at the same school, because if I had been there, no one would have bothered my sister. Sometimes I would get mad at Piper for not fighting back, but self-defense wasn’t in her nature. She was too forgiving, and sometimes, she didn’t even realize that she was being wronged.
Mom wanted to homeschool Piper, but Dad wouldn’t hear of it. He said Piper needed to be prepared for the real world by standing on her own two feet. Mom wouldn’t be able to keep her home forever. If he had listened to Mom, Piper would probably still be alive. I think that was part of t
he reason Mom was so angry with him. Sometimes I was angry, too, but other times I felt sorry for him. He was only doing what he thought was right for his daughter.
Anyway, it wasn’t just Dad’s fault. We all could have worked harder at fighting for Piper, who wasn’t equipped to fight for herself.
During Piper’s sophomore year, my parents had had enough of the bullying. Two girls in particular were not only tormenting Piper at school but also going after her on social media. It got to the point that my parents shut down all her accounts. Farrah Wyatt and Yasmin Patel—I looked them up. They were pretty much what I expected them to be—beautiful with plenty of friends. Why are the cruelest people so popular? All their photos received tons of likes along with fire and heart emojis. The girls were also the stars of the junior varsity volleyball team. With so much going for them, I didn’t understand why they had to mess with Piper.
Mom and Dad went down to the school and demanded to meet with Farrah and Yasmin’s parents, or they would be going to the school board. I didn’t know what happened in the meeting, but Farrah and Yasmin backed off, and Piper seemed happier.
About a month later, she came home babbling about her new best friends, Farrah and Yasmin. I was happy for her because she would come home every day all smiles, but I also wasn’t stupid. I warned Mom that something didn’t seem right.
“Lennox, you weren’t in the meeting. The girls apologized. They even cried. I think they are truly sorry for the way they behaved and they want to make it up to Piper. When people are trying, you have to give them a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance.”
So I gave them a chance. Piper’s happiness lasted for a couple of weeks, then the tears were back. At first, she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, but one day, she finally did. She was in her bedroom, sitting at her desk, while I sat on the edge of her bed.
“What’s going on?”
She buried her face in her hands. “Farrah and Yasmin are mad at me.”
“Mad at you for what?”
Piper shook her head. “I don’t even know. One minute, we’re fine, then the next minute, they’re saying really mean things to me for no reason.”
My heart raced. “Is that why you’ve been coming home crying every day?”
She didn’t respond, but I had my answer.
I pulled her hands away from her face and made her look at me. “Piper, you need to stop hanging out with them. They’re not your friends. I know you think they are, but they’re not.”
She scrunched her face like she always did when she didn’t want to listen. “They’re the best friends I’ve ever had. We hang out, and they do my hair and makeup in the bathroom every morning. So we get in fights sometimes. Don’t act like you never fight with your friends.”
“Yeah, sometimes, but they don’t send me home crying on a daily basis. Real friends don’t do that. I mean it, Piper. You’re done with these girls.”
She yanked her hands out of mine. “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m not an idiot. You treat me like I am, but I’m not.”
“Pipes, I know you’re not an idiot. I never said—”
Just then, her phone rang. The name FARRAH popped up on the screen. Piper held the phone to her chest. “I have to take this. Can I have some privacy?”
Sighing, I left her alone. When Piper made her mind up about something, no one could change it. We were alike in that way. No matter what I said or did, I couldn’t get her to believe that Farrah and Yasmin weren’t her friends. She idolized those girls and was always at their beck and call. It made me furious to see my sister being taken advantage of like that, but I had no idea the nightmarish turn their “friendship” was going to take.
***
It was almost seven by the time Angie dropped me off. The three of us had taken off our shoes and walked along the shore, just talking about random things. I liked Angie and Owen. They were easy to be around. I didn’t have to do anything or put on a show for them.
Mom wasn’t home when I got there. I didn’t know where she was, and I didn’t care. An empty, quiet house was just what I needed. I had a lot to think about.
I’d just settled down at my desk to get started on my science project when my phone rang again—ANNOYING ASS REPORTER. That time, I answered. “What do you want?”
“Hey, Lennox. I’m so glad you picked up. How have you been?”
I’d forgotten how grating the voice of Casey Walker could be. “What do you want?”
She sighed. “It’s been a while since we’ve spoken, so I wanted to get in touch to see if your mind had changed about anything.”
Casey Walker was a reporter from my hometown. She had just finished her internship with the local news channel when Piper died, and she had been itching to interview me. She said the world needed to hear from me, Piper’s sister and best friend. My parents had forbidden it, but Casey hadn’t stopped trying.
“I told you I’m not interested.”
“You’re not interested in telling your sister’s side of the story? She can’t speak for herself anymore, but you can.”
I felt my eyes brimming with tears. It had to stop. She wasn’t about to make me cry. “Stop trying to use Piper to make me feel guilty. You don’t really care about her or me. You just want your exclusive interview. I’m not stupid, and you’re not going to use me to fast track your pathetic career.”
Casey was quiet for a moment. I must have struck a nerve.
“Lennox, I think deep down you really want to do this. Otherwise, why answer my call? Why haven’t you blocked my number by now?”
Those were both very good questions, but she wasn’t going to get the answer from me. I hung up and set my phone to Do Not Disturb.
I pulled my school-issued laptop from my backpack and clicked on the icon for my science textbook. It was hard to focus with the PIPs and Casey Walker occupying all the space in my mind, but I had to. Becoming a PIP wasn’t going to mean anything if I couldn’t keep my GPA up high enough to stay at Bainbridge. I had to do this for Piper and all the kids like her.
7
Piper
In the winter of Piper’s sophomore year, she was cast in a play. Mom made us all go to opening night, even though Piper had only six words to say and would be on stage for a whole three minutes. Although she only had a tiny part, Piper was bubbling with excitement. Mom had spent the afternoon curling her hair and making sure her costume fit just right. It was a hideous brown dress with ruffles and trimmed with white lace, but Piper twirled in it as if it were the most beautiful dress in the world.
The play was a retelling of “Snow White.” Piper was playing a commoner in the marketplace. When the wicked queen disguised as an old woman asked her where the seven dwarves lived, Piper had to say, “That way. Just beyond the hills.”
The play was as terrible as I thought it would be. I’d always hated fairy tales with a burning passion. Once Piper’s part was over, I tugged on Mom’s sleeve. “Can’t we leave since Piper’s done?”
She shrugged me off, actually engrossed in the corny dialogue and horrible acting. “No, she has to come back out for curtain call.”
“Mom, please.”
“Shhh.”
I pulled out my phone and sent Piper a text:
You were great, Pipes. Where are you?
Piper: Behind the auditorium. Come out and meet my friends.
Since I was bored out of my mind, I took her up on that. I’d never met Farrah and Yasmin, but I had a lot to say to them. Grabbing my coat from the back of my seat, I told Mom I was going to the bathroom, then I moved quickly before she could ask why I was taking my coat. The bathroom was in the lobby.
Slipping my coat on, I stepped out into the frigid nighttime air. I missed the warmth of the auditorium right away. It was even colder than it was when we had first come. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I made my way behind the auditorium.
I heard voices before I could see anyone. Three figures stood underneath the tall lights that illuminated
the school grounds. I walked closer. One was a pale girl with white-blond hair, and another was a tan girl with beautiful curls that came to her shoulders.
My face warmed when I caught sight of Piper standing in the bitter cold in nothing but her costume while the blonde wore the brand-new Chanel coat Mom had just given Piper for Christmas. It was bright red with gold buttons.
“Hey!” I shouted as I approached. “Piper, why is she wearing your coat?”
The blonde smirked. “This is my coat. Piper gave it to me.”
“Yeah, I did,” Piper replied softly.
“I don’t care. Give it back to her right now. She’s going to freeze.”
The girl with the dark hair stepped so close to me we were almost nose to nose. She was thicker and taller than me, but I wasn’t going to back down, not when Piper was concerned.
Yasmin cocked her head to the side. “Who do you think you’re talking to, little girl?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “This little girl can kick both of your asses.”
Piper grabbed my arm. “Lenny, stop it. I gave her the coat.”
“But why, Piper? Can’t you see they’re taking advantage of you? Why would you give her your brand-new expensive coat?”
Shrugging, Piper said, “That’s what friends do.”
“Yeah, that’s what friends do,” Farrah said mockingly. “Anyway, it looks better on me. Doesn’t it, Piper?”
Piper grinned and nodded.
Farrah had another coat folded over her arm, probably the one she’d worn there. The sight of her with two coats while Piper shivered was about to send me over the edge.
I turned to my sister. “What have they ever given you, Piper?”
“They don’t have to give me anything. They came out to support me tonight.”
I couldn’t take any more of Piper’s naivete. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t get it, but it was exhausting. I turned to Farrah. “My mother bought that for Piper, not you. Take the coat off now.”
Piranhas in Pink: Piranhas in Pink Book One Page 7