Page 55 of All the Missing Pieces

“They don’t have the yearbooks at the public library.”

My shoulders slumped. “Great,” I mumbled.

Dean just grinned. “They have them at the high school. Only students and faculty have access. But I could get you in.”

Even with the frustrations of the past twenty-four hours, I laughed. “I admire your determination.”

That grin just widened, making his lip ring glint in the morning sunshine. “I think it’ll make me a pretty damn good podcaster when the time comes, don’t you?”

“I do. Lead on, future true-crime king.”

The walk to Shady Cove High School only took us about fifteen minutes. A fifteen minutes where Dean peppered me with every podcasting question under the sun. But they were good ones, not the basic stuff any Google search could give you the answers to, so I didn’t mind.

When we reached the parking lot, I took in the dozen or so vehicles. “The school stays open during the summer?”

Dean nodded. “Summer school for the delinquents.”

“And you’re obviously not one of them.”

He opened one of the double doors to the school and held it for me. “Naw. My parents are pretty cool, but they would not be chill with me getting anything below a B-minus.”

“Seems like a good trade for cool parents,” I said, stepping inside.

“Yeah. And I don’t mind most of my classes.”

The moment the door shut, I was taken back in time. There was a lot that felt universal when it came to high school—the school spirit posters, the notices littering a bulletin board, the artwork of various students covering the walls.

The memory hit me like a physical blow. Suddenly I wasn’t looking at the maroon lockers in front of me. I was cast back in time to a navy-blue one.

I put the finishing touch on by gluing a pom-pom to Avery’s wrapping-paper-covered locker. I’d had to special order the lacrosse-themed wrapping paper but had shared it with the rest of our friends who were decorating the team’s lockers. For Avery, I had gone over and above.

It looked like silver and light-blue glitter had thrown up on Avery’s locker. I’d done her number, seventy-eight, in the sparkly stuff and even drawn lacrosse sticks to the best of my ability. In her locker were cupcakes and brownies with more lacrosse paraphernalia as decorations.

“Ridley Sawyer Bennett, what did you do?” Amusement laced Avery’s voice from behind me, and I spun.

“You weren’t supposed to be here for another hour,” I groused.

She just grinned at me. “You know I always need to get to school early on game days.”

“Well, TA-DA!” I made a sort of Vanna White gesture at her decorated locker.

Avery moved in closer, taking in each and every detail, her eyes taking on a shiny quality. “Rids, I can’t believe you did this.”

“It’s not every day my badass twin leads her team to the state championship.”

She glanced at me as she ran a finger over one of the pom-poms. “But usually it’s just the football team that gets this sort of treatment.”

“Screw that,” I huffed. “They’re like one and five this year. If anyone deserves locker decorating, it’s you guys. There are some treats in your locker, and I have the rest of the girls covered too. I thought it would be nice?—”

My words were cut off as Avery tackle-hugged me, squeezing me so hard I could barely breathe. “I’m so lucky you’re my sister.”

“Love you, Avs.”

“Love you, Rids.”

“Ridley?” Dean’s voice cut through the memory, bringing me back to the here and now.

“Sorry,” I croaked. “Just going back to my glory days.”

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