Page 139 of Our Secrets and Lies

‘She’s in the bath. She said she didn’t feel too good so she didn’t want anything to eat.’

Shannon ran upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door. ‘Kelly? It’s me. Are you okay?’

Silence.

‘Kelly, please, let me in. I know you must be feeling crap, but we’ll work it out. Just let me in so we can talk.’

Silence.

Shannon began to panic. ‘Kelly!’ She raised her voice. ‘Come on, just tell me you’re okay in there and I’ll go away.’

Silence.

‘Please, Kelly, you’re freaking me out now! Tell me to go away – just speak to me! Say something!’

Silence.

Shannon rattled the door handle.‘If you don’t speak to me, I’m going to have to get your mum and break the door down. Kelly, come on.’

Silence.

Shannon felt her blood run cold. ‘Lucy!’ she screamed. ‘Mum! Come quick!’

Lucy and Sarah came running up the stairs.

‘What’s wrong?’

Shannon was crying. ‘Break the door down – she’s not okay. Please, I’m really scared. Break it down.’

‘Shannon, love, calm down.’ Lucy wriggled thedoor handle. ‘Kelly, it’s Mum. Are you all right in there?’

Silence.

‘Kelly?’

Shannon grabbed Lucy’s arm. ‘We have to break the bloody door down. Something terrible happened at school – she’s not okay.’

Lucy’s face drained of colour. ‘What happened?’

‘It doesn’t matter now. We just have to get in. Now. Please.’

‘What’s going on?’ Lucy was beginning to panic.

‘Lucy, just get the fuckingdoor open,’ Sarah shouted.

Lucy looked shocked. ‘Okay.’ She raced downstairs and called for Billy. Shannon tried to shoulder the door open, but just ended up hurting herself.

Billy and Lucy came up with a wrench from the shed. ‘What’s going –’

‘Just do it!’ Shannon shouted over Billy.

Billy put the wrench into the side of the door and heaved the lock back. The door flew open.

There was amoment of silence. Then Lucy’s scream split it apart. ‘Kelly!’

‘Oh, Jesus,’ Billy shouted, staggering against the door frame. Shannon bent double, crying and wailing. Sarah was saying something to her, but she couldn’t hear it. Lucy felt as if she was under water. The voices around her were muffled, distant. It was as if all the sound had been drained out of the world and there were only theimages that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

Kelly was slumped in the bath. The water was pink. The tiles were white. The bath towel on the hook was dark blue. The colours blurred and merged. Then the pink water came into sharp focus.

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