A girl appeared.
Claire found me crying in the library.
“My parents were separating. I cried in class. Claire walked me to Mrs. Evans and stayed until I could talk.”
Another student appeared.
“I was failing algebra. Claire helped me after school. She told people we were working on her homework because I was embarrassed.”
“I thought she’d tell everyone because of what I’d done to her,” Rocky said, coming into the screen again.
“My parents were separating.”
He stared at his hands.
“She didn’t.”
The video paused.
“Why did you keep treating her badly?”
His eyes filled.
“Because she knew.”
He stared at his hands.
“Knew what?”
“The thing I was most afraid of anyone knowing. Every time she kept quiet, I felt worse.”
I stared at the phone.
“You all found out after she got sick?”
Rocky nodded.
“Everyone thought they were the only one.”
“Knew what?”
I stood.
“I’m talking to Claire.”
“She’s going to be furious.”
“Probably.”
***
Claire saw the phone in my hand.
Her expression changed.
“She’s going to be furious.”
“He showed you.”
“Yes.”
Rocky stood near the door.
“I’m sorry.”
Claire’s eyes hardened.
“You promised.”
“He showed you.”
“I couldn’t keep hiding it.”
“That wasn’t your choice.”
He left quietly.
I sat beside her.
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”
“I couldn’t keep hiding it.”
“Because it wasn’t mine to tell. You need to understand that I can take care of myself, Mom.”
“They hurt you.”
“That doesn’t make their private lives mine.”
“You protected them.”
Claire looked at her hands.
“Not at first.”
“You protected them.”
She picked at the blanket.
“Months ago, after a terrible day at school, I went home furious.”
“What happened?”
“That’s not important.”
She looked at me.
“By then, I knew things about them. Rocky’s mom. Somebody’s parents splitting up. Who was failing.”
“I went home furious.”
My stomach tightened.
“I opened a group chat.”
“Claire.”
“I typed everything out.”
“Did you send it?”
“No.”
“I typed everything out.”
Relief hit me.
She shook her head.
“That’s not what scared me, Mom.”
“What did?”
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