Page 90 of The Rat

“Such ateacher’s pet.”

The insult made Ollie grinwider. “Literally the first time anyone’s ever called me that, andI don’t know why it’s a bad thing.” Ollie slid the newspaperto him. “Youstart tearing.”

“Yes, officer Artpolice.”

“Teacher’s pet I don’t mind, art police, I’mnot a fan of.”

“Why not?”

Ollie shrugged. “The police, everyonehates them in here, I don’t want someone to overhear andthink…”

“Think what?”

“I dunno.”

Rory bit his lip, then dropped his gaze tothe newspaper.

The blow to his chest wasphysical, punching the air from his body. His heart slowed, and hisvision pulsedblack in time with the stuttering beats.

Erica was on the front, and theheadline sliced straight into his heart.

He bowed over the table, panting forbreath. Someone had dealt him the killer blow, and inside he washemorrhaging, bleeding out.

He closed his eyes, shook hishead, then looked, but she was still there. It was still her facegrinning backat him next to a headline of horror. It was impossible. Rory rubbedhis eyes, and looked again, wanting the picture to change tosomething else, but it didn’t. It was still his sister. He wasn’tbleeding out, someone had cut around his heart, and yanked it fromhis chest. Some invisible force squeezed it, making it struggle towork.

“There’s noway,” hemurmured, clutching his chest.

He dragged hiseyes off the page,and looked at the neighboring tables, all the same newspaper, allwith Erica’s face on the cover. Inmates tore right through her, andothers tore around her and shoved her picture in theirpockets.

Rory’s gut twisted, thebreathlessnesscontinued, and his heart skipped into overdrive. The roomswayed, and the noise of the classroom distorted, then sharpened,making him dizzier.

“Rory… newspaper.”

He couldn’t breathe, the roomwas crushing him from all sides, and the sound of tearingpapershuddered his spine.

It had to be a joke, it was theonly explanation that kept his heart beating.An evil vindictive joke, butstill a joke. Not real, fake, make-believe, pretend. It couldn’t betrue. But no one was looking at him waiting to see his reaction, noone smirked or laughed at the emotional bludgeoning he’d justreceived. Everyone in the room was clueless.

“You gonna tear it up orwhat?”

Ollie tried to take thenewspaper back, but Rory pressed his forearmsdown. One on either side ofErica’s face. He stared down at her and started to shake. The pageblotched, and he realized tears were escaping his eyes, but didn’tfeel them. They dropped around his sister, silently soaking thepage. He was crying even though it wasn’t true, the joke had hithome, had landed with effect. Erica wasn’t dead, she couldn’tbe.

“What is it?”

“I’m ready to wake upnow.” Rorywhispered.

“What?”

“I wanna wake up now. Why aren’tI waking up?”

Ollie gripped his shoulder, and hehated that he could feel it.

“You areawake.”

“I can’t be.”

“Do you know that girl?”Ollie said close to his ear.

“She’s not dead.” Roryhissed, “IfI’m not asleep, then this is a lie, she’s not dead.”

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