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But she wasn’t actually alone I considered once again why I was here with E behind her as she took overout with my friends, and kissed hbor with too ered in our world when they had unfinished business that prevented the on to the next Maybe that’s why I was here, too--to solve my own murder
Chapter 11
WATCH OUT FOR DEVIL CHILD!
Ten irls’ bathrooh The pink-tiled rooarettes Thankfully, there were no feet underneath the stall doors or other girls crowded at the sink
She stared at her tearstained face in the streaky mirror There were circles under her eyes, worried wrinkles in her forehead, and red blotches on her cheeks and chin, which always appeared when she cried She tried to sht back into a frown "Pull yourself together," she scolded her reflection "You can do this You can be Sutton"
She had to, at least until she figured out a way to get soht before, sure, but that had been before she’d knoas going on
Grief coursed through her again, sending a new flood of tears down her cheeks She grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser How many times had Sutton used this bathroom? How many times did she peer into thisher place?
I wasn’t sure, to be honest How could Eure out who killed meas me? It seemed impossible And yetEmma was the only one apart from my killer who kneas dead She was the only chance I had
The bell rang Emma dabbed a bit of concealer she’d found in the bottoave her dark hair a final fluff, and strode out the door as confidently as she could, even though her sto The hallas packed with people at their lockers, girls hugging and squealing about their suuys in football and basketball jerseys shoving one another into the water fountains
"Hi, Sutton!" a girl called as she passed Emma forced the corners of her lips into a suy yelled to Emma from the other end of the hall Inside a classrooht at her The note flashed back to Eain Anyone could’ve written iteven someone at school
She pulled out the schedule Mrs Mercer had given her at breakfast Luckily, she was close to Sutton’s first class of the day, so sih the doorway, she saw a big black, red, and yellow flag hanging from the post by the blackboard A placard that said RESPECT THE MIGHTY UMLAUT! stood on the teacher’s desk Along the far as a poster of a pudgy-faced boy in lederhosen A speech bubble by his mouth contained the words EINS, ZWEI, DREI!
Emma scowled The G on the schedule stood for German Eins, zwei, and drei were the only German words she knew Perfect She willed herself not to start crying all over again
More kids smiled at Emma as she walked down the aisle and fell into a seat at the back Then she noticed a fa out at the red running track: It was Ethan, the stargazing guy Eht Mr Rebel Without a Cause
Ethan turned and looked over his shoulder, as if he sensed E His eyes seemed to come alive when he saw her Emma lobbed hiirl walked up the aisle and purred "Hey, Ethan," Ethan only gave her a terse nod
"Psst!" a voice called from the other side of the room Emma swiveled around and saw Garrett’s spiky blond head a fes over He waved at her and winked Emma waved back, but she felt like such an impostor What would Sutton’s boyfriend think if he knew she was really dead? And now she couldn’t even tell hiain, and everyone scrambled to find their desks An Asian wo blue dress that looked way too stifling for the Arizona heat marched stiffly into the room Frau Fenster a sharp line underneath Eed her last name for authenticity
Frau Fensterlasses farther down her nose as she examined the class list "Paul Anders?" she barked
"Here," a guy in dark-fralasses and a Grizzly Bear band T-shirt mumbled
"Answer in German!" The teacher was barely over five feet tall, but there was so about her that made it look like she could kick someone’s ass
"Oh" Paul blushed "Ja" It sounded like yah
"Garrett Austin?"
"Ja, ja" Garrett said it like the Swedish Chef Everyone giggled