Page 17 (2/2)
But right now, I can’t just turnlike I would do otherwise I’m suddenly aware of how s me with those blue eyes of hers They are such a stark contrast with her newly jet-black hair that it just doesn’t quite look right Her entire face is blank, emotionless I s and shift past her to the sink farthest away I turn on the water, staring robotically at ? I know I should, but I don’t knohat and I don’t kno My cheeks feel hot fro down on ht ti to Danielle Hunter I have alanted to talk to her again, but never could
I glance back up at Danielle in the oing to go for it I aht now before I overthink it With as e as I can muster, I force myself to look directly at Danielle The smile I plaster upontoo hard and she knows it “Hi, Dani,” I say Saying her naoosebumps “It’s really nice to see you out”
Danielle narrows her eyes at me, and I allow my smile to slowly collapse because I know she can see the reality behindat her the way most people look at her: with pity There is a hint of surprise in her blue eyes that I’ve actually spoken to her, though she doesn’t say anything in response Her frown doesn’t so much as tremble as she looks back to her reflection in the e of the sink
Her silence is worse than any other possible reaction, because now I’ate the situation I’ve done what I should have: I’ve told her it’s nice to see her out That’s what I’m supposed to tell her, but she doesn’t seem to appreciate it Her expression is so blank, so empty, that it is impossible to read
It’s been a rough year for the Hunters, and the entire town of Windsor knows this I’ve witnessed how drastically Danielle has changed, how broken she’s been, how big an impact her parents’ deaths have had on her I reth, when it swayed down her back in blond waves, when her cheeks were always flushed, when she was known for having the loudest laugh in every single one of her classes She’s not the sao, but who can blaedy, and no one kno to deal with those left behind Especially not me
The thing is, I haven’t just been avoiding Danielle for a year now I’ve been avoiding her brother too Jaden, the second half of the Hunter twins, who still smiles at h to stop and talk to Jaden, who I don’t kno to act around anyed just asmyself to be around either of the thing I can’t cope with the effects such a devastating loss will have had on them It’s not that I don’t want to God, I want to But I justcan’t
With water dripping from my hands, I turn off the tap and quickly dry theh I can’t exactly meet her eyes now They look so much like Jaden’s She is still quiet and the time has passed for her to reply, so I know I have to say so hiulp back that fear and quietly ?”
I don’t kno Jaden is doing, because I have never asked even though I know I should have I a other than “okay” or “fine” That’s why I aether with sympathy
Danielle is fall over her eyes “Why do you ask?” she responds quietly, and I’m taken aback at the defensive tone to her voice “It’s not like you care”
I stare back at her, stunned by her words A year ago, Danielle and I were friends She used to joke that if Jaden and I ever got married, we’d technically be sisters, and she had alanted a sister What I never told her was that I had alanted one too “Dani”
“Because if you really did care,” she says slowly, turning fully toward o when” Her sentence trails off, but I already knohat she was going to say She was going to tell me that if I really cared, I would have asked how they were doing a year ago when their parents were killed
“Dani” I shakeI expected to do tonight was confront Danielle Hunter in the Dairy Queen restrooms “You know I care”
“You have a funny way of showing it, MacKenzie,” she says, her tone softer She turns back to the s back out of her eyes, then reaches for the door However, she pauses and looks back at , “I’ll tell Jaden that you asked”
In thatin the air around me, I feel like the smallest person in the world I don’t knohy I ah I expected her to treat me the way she used to, because I don’t treat her the way I used to either, but I guess this is why I have been dreading thisI knew fros would always be different between us, but I had no choice
I don’t want Holden and Will to wonder where I am, so after a deep breath I leave the restrooms and head back to our booth I notice that alh they seee Holden as soon as I reach hie
ntly shoving him further into the booth so that I can slide back in next to him My face feels hot
My discomfort must be evident, because Will immediately sits up “What’s up with you?” he asks
“I just spoke to Danielle,” I tell them, my voice a whisper “It’s the first time I have since” Even I can’t say it out loud Quickly, I glance back and forth between the two of thee their reactions Holden frowns andhis attention to the parking lot, whereas Will looks curious
“You spoke to her?” he asks, clarifying that he did actually hear me correctly
“I had to She was right there” I prop my elbows up onto the table and throwa ht was Danielle Hunter, and I certainly didn’t want the Dairy Queen restrooain for the first tielse “She hates ainst my palms
“Well,” Will murmurs His words are slow, his expression cautious, and I slowly raise ain to look at him “You can’t exactly expect her not toAfter all, it’s not like she knohy you cut her off”
“That isn’t helpful,” Holden cuts in, snapping his head around fro the thelances sideways atfor confirmation “Soht, Kenzie?”
I can only nod
Before either Holden or Will can say anything er pops up in front of our booth out of nowhere, politely asking us if we can get athe place up before they close in ten minutes When I look around, I realize we’re the only ones still here