By Next Thursday

Chapter Ten

"So you mean to tell me neither of you have ever even been to prom?!" I spluttered. "Isn't it encrypted in every teenager's bloodstream to go? It's like, the biggest event in high school."

Jay snorted into his coffee while Meredith blushed deep red. "W-well, there's never been anyone I wanted to go with... And dancing's not really my thing." She mumbled, looking embarrassed

I looked, open-mouthed, back and forth between the two of them. Jay raised a brow at me. "Do I honestly look like I'm a 'prom' kinda guy, Kel?"

I made a "good point" expression and leaned back into my booth. We were sitting in Sally's Café, the Sunday morning sun streaming through the window onto my favorite booth, where the three of us were presently nestled comfortably. We had spent an hour discussing, yet again, possible suspects, before I finally threw up my hands and declared I was simply too bored of the topic to pursue it further.

So far, I had learned that Meredith was too shy to make friends at Hudson, or any of her last schools for that matter. She transferred schools endless times after her parents died until she settled down with her grandparents, in tenth grade. Since then she stayed pretty much in her shell.

From Jay, I learned absolutely nothing, except that he didn't like dances, he was allergic to apricots, and liked his coffee with five sugars and no cream. Basically, he was a certified sweet-tooth who didn't like to talk about his personal life.

I sighed at the glaring differences between the three of us.

Jay looked back up from his muffin. "What?"

I just looked at him, confused. He half-smiled. "I mean, why'd you sigh like that?" He clarified.

"Well, it's just I can't believe that I've put so much stock in prom and dances and every damn social event my whole life and you guys are over there not caring about that shit one bit. I honestly wish I didn't care..." I trailed off then cleared my throat, "I just mean, sometimes I'm a smidge jealous of people who aren't in the middle of everything, ya know? That's all."

I looked at Meredith, who was totally absorbed in watching a young couple at the counter. They were giggling and feeding each other their pancakes. I found it amusing how much interest Meredith had in their interaction. She definitely was an observer, a wallflower, and she consistently zoned out on Jay and me. Sometimes I thought she simply forgot we were real.

I turned and saw Jay was staring at me with the same calculating look he always had while I talked. I almost made me self-conscious. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just odd to think you're jealous of anyone."

"Why?"

"You have everything. You're popular, smart, pretty, etcetera. Most people are jealous of you."

"In case you haven't noticed, Jay. I'm basically dead. Obviously none of those are really true or else I wouldn't be in this mess." I spat bitterly, ignoring the warm feeling that spread through me. His compliment were surprising. And nice.

"Did you ever think someone might be trying to kill you because all those things are true? Kelly, you managed to get yourself a known stalker in only eighteen years of life. Anyone out there could have been just a little too in love with you." He leaned back nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just admitted I was pretty.

Meredith finally tuned back into the conversation to find me staring at Jay in shock while he looked back, amused. "Guys!" she waved at us.

"Huh?" we both turned to her.

"Kelly, what do you usually do on Sundays?"

I blinked. "I, uh, usually have lunch with my dad and grandparents..." I was slightly taken aback by the change in tune. "Why?"