Page 27

Eighteen years ago.

Gwen Parrish, Margy Binder, Charmaine Dunn, Tamera Watts, Nancy Baker, and Jessie Hooper, collectively known as the Cheerios, navigated down the path. They were headed to Jerrod Moran’s cabin, which was located on a small lake outside of Serenity Shores, Minnesota, their hometown. Jerrod and his football teammates were already there and didn’t know the Cheerios planned to crash their graduation party. Ian Fowler had bragged all week that his older brother had purchased a keg for them. They thought it would be a guy’s weekend to celebrate finishing high school with drinking, fishing, and serious bro time.

They were wrong.

The girls had talked about having their own shindig, but it was Jessie’s idea to combine parties. Everyone involved would be going away to different colleges in the fall, and she planned on taking advantage of the summer months to create memories that would last a lifetime. One she wanted to make was with Jerrod Moran. Oh, sure, he was hot for Gwen. Who wasn’t? All the guys wanted her, but she was so cool and aloof. It only added to her mystery. If they weren’t best friends, Jessie could hate her.

Gwen had dated Dominic Bianchi, the hottest guy in town, for two years. Jessie tried not to be jealous, but it was hard. He was the most popular boy in school, gorgeous, intelligent, and athletic. The total package. Jessie had been shocked when they’d broken up. She knew Gwen loved him. Jessie felt guilty for going behind Gwen’s back, but she’d taken her shot with him. He’d turned her down, but he’d been nice about it, so it was impossible to stay mad at him. He was now seeing a cheerleader from a rival school. That stung.

If Jerrod made a play for Gwen tonight, Jessie might set her sights on Dominic again.

“Do you think they’ll be surprised to see us?” Charmaine wanted to know as she moved the sack of snacks from one hand to the other.

“No. They’ve dropped hints all week,” Jessie stated. “Why talk about it if they didn’t want us to show up?”

“Good point,” Margy noted. “They practically invited us.”

“There it is,” Gwen said as they approached a wooden cabin with a thin gray trail of smoke emanating from the stone chimney. She had been to Jerrod’s cabin when she and Dominic were dating.

“I’ll see what they’re doing.” Nancy rushed ahead and peeked in the window before standing and slamming her hands on her hips. “It’s empty.”

“They’re probably at the lake,” Gwen rationalized. “It’s down that path.” She pointed to the dirt trail that led down a slope. “We’re going in anyway. I need to use the bathroom.”

Margy tested the door, and it opened. The girls filed inside. It smelled of wood smoke from the flames roaring away in the fireplace. Sleeping bags and backpacks rested in a heap against one wall, and empty soda cans and fast-food wrappers were piled in the trash can.

The girls placed their bags of snacks on the counter. They’d purposely left their gear in the car in case the guys kicked them out, but Jessie was optimistic they would be welcomed with open arms. Maybe they could share the guys’ sleeping bags.

“Everyone stay away from Sam,” Tamera warned. “He’s mine.”

“Hey, I told you I wanted him,” Charmaine cried.

“No, you didn’t.”

“I did so. Didn’t I, Nancy?”

Nancy ducked her head. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. Don’t lie.”

Nancy held up her hands. “I’m not getting in the middle of your fight.”

“Ladies, there are enough guys to go around,” Gwen chastised.

“That’s because you know Jerrod is hot for you,” Jessie drawled.

“You think?”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “Duh. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked you out yet.” And he would. Unless Jessie could change his mind.

“Tamera, Sam is mine,” Charmaine stated determinedly.

“We’ll see,” Tamera sing songed.

“No, we won’t!”

Charmaine charged after her, plowing into her from behind. The blow caused Tamera to crash into Gwen. Gwen pitched forward and slammed her head violently against the stone hearth. She crumpled to the floor.

“Oh God, oh God,” Margy cried as a river of blood flowed from the wound. “Did you . . . did you kill her?”

Tamera gasped. “What? It wasn’t me!” She spun around and pointed to Charmaine. “It’s her fault. She pushed me.”

“No, I didn’t,” Charmaine cried.

“You so did. Everyone saw you.”

Tamera turned back to their fallen friend and kneeled beside her. She started to touch her but jerked her hand back. “Gwen, can you hear me?”

“Check for a pulse,” Nancy urged.

“Oh God, I can’t find one,” Tamera fretted as she checked several spots on Gwen’s neck and wrist.

“You killed her!” Margy accused. Tears raced down her cheeks. “What are we going to do? You’ll go to prison, Charmaine! You, too, Tamera. We all will! We’re accomplices.”

“I didn’t mean to kill her!” Charmaine burst into noisy sobs.

Jessie took charge. “No one will go to jail. Let me think for a minute.” She rubbed her temples and forced herself to calm down. She was their unofficial leader. It was up to her to devise a plan to save them all. She glanced around the cabin, looking for what? She had no idea. Then it came to her. She ran to the entry and grabbed a throw rug. Returning to Gwen, she tangled it around her feet.

“I’m sorry, Gwenie,” Jessie murmured. The devil on her shoulder taunted she could console Jerrod and make him forget about Gwen. What a horrible thought. Nausea rolled in her belly, and she stood. “We make a blood oath right now. We are never to speak of this to anyone. I mean it. If one of you tattles, we will all go to prison. We’ll spend the rest of our lives behind bars. No one is innocent here.” She glanced at each of the four other girls. “You don’t want that, do you?”

When they all shook their heads, she held out her hand. “Deal?”

Tamera stared at it before clasping it. “Deal.”

“Deal,” Margy responded in a watery voice, adding her hand to the pile.

“Nancy?”

“Deal,” she responded and placed her hand on top of the others.

They all turned to Charmaine, who looked to be in shock.

“ Charmaine ,” Jessie prompted. “Are you in, or do you want to grow old behind bars, wearing an orange jumpsuit and peeing in front of everyone with no privacy?”

Charmaine swiped at her wet face and added her hand with the others. “Deal.”

“Good. Now, you four, go outside. I’m going to light the cabin on fire.”

“What?” Tamera screeched. “You can’t do that!”

“It’s the only way to make it look like an accident. The fire will take care of any evidence of what really happened.” She hoped. “Go outside. Now.”

The four girls scurried away. Jessie removed the protective screen from in front of the fireplace and then placed newspapers used for kindling on the hearth. She rolled one up and stuck it inside the flames, waiting for it to ignite before dropping it on the stack. Then she stood and, with one last apology to Gwen, dashed outside.

“Wipe the tears,” Jessie instructed. “It’s dark enough that they shouldn’t be able to tell we’ve been crying. Compose yourselves. Act natural. Do not mess this up.”

The girls jogged down the trail to where the boys were drinking beer before a campfire. Music blared from a portable boombox.

“Hey, look who’s here,” Sam King called out.

The guys turned around, whooped, and cheered. Jessie tried to smile, hoping the others were doing their part. The boys made room around the campfire, and they took seats. Plastic cups of beer were passed around.

Jessie downed hers in one gulp and held it out for more. Sam dutifully refilled it, winking at her as he handed it back.

“Where’s Gwen?” Jerrod wanted to know.

“She, uh, had to use the bathroom?” Tamera squeaked, making her answer sound like a question.

Jessie shot her a quelling look. Tamera looked away and took a drink.

“So, she’s here?” Jerrod rubbed his hands together. “Good.”

A stab of jealousy hit Jessie, quickly followed by crushing guilt. Gwen wouldn’t be joining them. She was Jessie’s best friend. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped. “What’s all that smoke?”

Everyone followed her lead. Jerrod leaped from his chair and took off in a dead run, with Sam and the others hot on his heels.

“It’s the cabin,” Jerrod cried. “Where’s Gwen?”

Smoke poured from the windows, and flames could be seen inside when they arrived. Jerrod tried to open the door, but Sam pulled him back. “You’ll be burned alive,” he yelled over the roar of the fire.

“But Gwen’s in there. Oh, God, she’s going to die.”

Sam forced everyone to move back. Someone called the fire department, but by the time they arrived, it was fully involved. Everyone sat and watched in shock as the structure perished, taking Gwen with it.

One of the firefighters came over. “Whose cabin is it?”

When no one answered, Sam elbowed Jerrod. “Oh, uh, mine . . . well, my parents.”

“Did you light a fire in the fireplace?”

“Yeah, to warm it up.”

“It’s early, but it looks like sparks started the blaze.”

“It couldn’t have. I put the screen in front of it.”

The firefighter shook his head. “It was off to the side.”

Jerrod leaped to his feet. “What? No! I put it there. I swear I did!” He turned to his buddies, looking for support. “Didn’t I?”

The other guys shrugged.

“I didn’t notice,” Richie Hinkle said.

“I have no idea,” Joel Timms responded.

Jerrod dropped to his knees and gripped his head. “Oh, God. I killed her. I killed Gwen.”

In the coming days, Jerrod would need to be consoled, and Jessie planned to be the one to do so. She felt that crushing weight of guilt again, pressing down so hard she had trouble breathing. Then she chided herself. It wasn’t as if she was responsible for Gwen’s death. That fell on Charmaine and Tamera’s shoulders. They were the ones who had crashed into her, causing her to crack her head open.

The rest of the evening was a blur of cops, interviews, and tears. Jessie prayed the others would stick to the story, or she would get in big trouble. No, she hadn’t killed Gwen, but she’d destroyed the evidence. It wouldn’t matter that she was covering for her friends. She would be just as guilty.

Since Jessie had driven to the cabin, she took the others home with her. Her dad was always traveling, and her mom lived at the country club, probably doing the tennis instructor or something. They talked and cried and shared memories of Gwen all night long.

“I just thought of something,” Margy moaned. “Pep.”

Jessie’s gut clenched. Gwen’s younger cousin Presley would be crushed. She idolized Gwen. She was an honorary member of the Cheerios, and they all adored her. Thank goodness she hadn’t been with them tonight.

Loud pounding sounded on the door. The walls shook with the force. Jessie got up and looked out the window. “It’s Sam.”

“Sam?” Charmaine repeated. “Do you think he’s here for me?”

Tamera shot her a look. “Get real.”

Jessie opened the door to a frantic Sam. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Jerrod. H-he shot himself last night.”

“What?”

“He couldn’t live with knowing he was responsible for Gwen’s death. He went back to the cabin and ate a gun.”

The other girls started bawling, but no tears came to Jessie. She felt numb. What did it say that a guy who wasn’t even dating Gwen couldn’t live with the burden of guilt, yet Gwen’s five best friends could? How messed up was that?

Shame lay heavily on Jessie’s shoulders. She had resented Gwen because she’d dated Dominic, and Jerrod had liked her. Now Gwen and Jarrod were gone.

After Sam left, Nancy’s cell phone rang. Jessie walked to the window overlooking the sparkling blue pool she rarely used because she didn’t want to mess up her hair. There was a hole inside where her heart used to reside.

“Oh, no,” Nancy cried.

Jessie spun around to see her friend cover her mouth with her hand as she listened to what was being said. She disconnected and covered her face.

“What is it?” Tamera urged. “What’s wrong?”

“That was my aunt. She works at the coroner’s office. She said there was smoke damage in Gwen’s lungs.”

“We knew that,” Margy reminded her. “We were there.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Nancy swallowed hard. “It means she was still breathing when the fire broke out.”

Charmaine jumped to her feet. “If she was still breathing, it means I didn’t kill her.”

Jessie closed her eyes. Oh, God. “I did.”