“Listen, Nadia, I have no idea who killed Mr. Albert or Alissa,” Jenny was in now only a few inches from Nadia’s face, and she had to fight the urge to take a step back. “But I can tell you for sure that it wasn’t me. So maybe next time, don’t be so quick to accuse.” Nads was frozen, waiting for something to happen. But… nothing? Nadia was left standing there, stunned and frightened. She never meant to accuse Jenny of anything, she only wanted an answer, and now she felt like she had screwed up everything. She knew Jenny was innocent…probably, and she wanted to make things right. also, if she had done it… Trembling, Nadia took a deep breath and rushed after Jenny. “Wait! Jenny, please listen to me,” Nadia begged as she tried to caught up to her. “I’m so sorry if I came across as accusatory. I was just really scared and I didn’t know who to turn to.” It was as if Jennifer couldn’t hear her, as if Nadia was invisible…or gone.
Nadia felt her heart sink as Jenny walked away from her, not even giving her a chance to explain herself. Why couldn’t Jenny just listen to her? Why did she have to be so cold and dismissive? As Nadia stood there, frozen in shock and fear, she couldn’t help but replay the conversation in her head. Had she really been so accusatory? Had she really threatened Jenny? She didn’t think so, but maybe she had been too harsh.
Nadia’s mind raced with thoughts of what might happen next. Would Jenny tell everyone what had happened? Would they all think she was crazy for accusing someone? But then again, Jenny was the obvious choice. Tears began to prick at the corners of Nadia’s eyes as she realized just how alone she was in all of this. She didn’t know who to trust, who to turn to. Was everyone a suspect now? Would she ever be able to feel safe again? Shaking her head in frustration, and now remembering that students were beginning to trickle in, she took a deep breath and headed to her next class wiping away and trace of tears.
——
Nadia was taken aback by Dior’s sharp response, but she couldn’t blame her for being upset. Losing a best friend was never easy, and Nadia knew that Dior must be going through a lot of pain and grief right now. Feeling guilty for staring at Dior’s outfit for so long, Nadia quickly averted her gaze and turned back to her own work. She could see the strain on Dior’s face as she tried to focus on her work.
Taking a deep breath, Nadia turned to Dior and spoke softly. “I’m sorry, Dior. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” she said, her voice gentle and sincere. “I know you’ve probably heard it a million times now, but I’m sorry about Alissa. Are you….okay? I don’t know… but this must be really hard for you, and I’m here if you need anything."
@Kristi • Dior