Page 84 of For Your Own Good

“Not that I can remember.”

“And what about your search history?” Ezekiel says. “Either on your phone or your computer. Did you read about the case?”

“Yes.”

“Did you talk about it on social media?”

“A little.”

“Did you offer an opinion about whether or not Courtney was guilty?”

“I said she wasn’t.”

Ezekiel doesn’t look pleased, maybe because Zach hadn’t stuck to just answering the question.

“Yes,” Zach says, trying to correct himself. “I offered an opinion.”

“And what about the employees at the jail?” Ezekiel says. “Did you look up information about the guards?”

The pit in Zach’s stomach, which never really went away, grows bigger again. “Yes.”

“Personal information?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ever look up any information about your teachers? Specifically, Sonia Benjamin.”

Again, Zach has to think. He almost says no, but then he remembers. He looked her up when she asked him to be the editor of the paper. All information is useful. That’s what his mom always said.

“Yes,” he says.

Ezekiel does not look surprised. He hasn’t looked surprised at any of Zach’s answers. “How long ago was that?” he says.

“After Courtney was arrested.”

“What about poison?” Ezekiel says. “Did you ever search for information about the symptoms or effects of various poisons?”

The shock of that question hits like a physical blow. Of course Zachsearched for information about poison, but only to try and figure out what had killed Courtney’s mom. Everyone was doing it.

And, yes, it was after he saw Courtney in jail.

“It was only because—”

Ezekiel holds up his hand again. “I don’t need to know why.”

“Yes,” Zach says. “I searched for information about poisons.”

52

THE NEXT MORNING,Zach goes to school as he always does. He has to, Mom says. No one has convicted him of anything, and his name didn’t appear in the report released to the media. But everyone knows. They always know.

At first, he tries to act normal. Head up, smile on his face, he walks through the hall like everything is fine.

Then he sees the way people react to him. With shocked, distrusting, accusatory looks. By the midmorning break, he walks with his head down.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lucas says. “You’re just the thing of the day. Tomorrow, there’ll be a new thing.”

Zach hopes he’s right. And he should’ve taken Lucas up on his offer to get high before school.