knew, was her own online session, still engaged. Twelve o’clock had come and gone, and even if the Elf had logged on and sent an e-mail message, Marnie would not be able to respond. Meanwhile, Jenna cried as if she needed to flood the world.
Finally she stopped. She jerked her body forward away from Marnie’s hand and, her face concealed, said huskily but very clearly: “Get out.”
Marnie was both relieved and alarmed. “Jenna, are you sure—”
“Get out!”
“All right,” Marnie said. Somehow, on her numb leg, she managed to stand. Jenna didn’t raise her head, and Marnie cast one look at the computer. All her messages were sitting there; a mere click would open any of them. She wanted desperately to at least reboot the computer, break the connection. Part of her mind screamed at her to do it, that Jenna was in no condition to intervene.
“
Get out!
” If Jenna’s throat hadn’t been raw, the words would have been a scream.
Marnie left and closed the door behind her. Through it, however, she could hear Jenna’s gasps, renewed, though not as dreadful as before. She stood uncertainly in the corridor, wondering again about getting Mrs. Fisher. But if she were Jenna—if this
were
about the hockey boy—she’d want to be alone.
Marnie stood in the corridor for quite a long time. Eventually she sank down on the floor, her back against the painted concrete block wall, and closed her eyes against the harsh glare of the corridor lightbulbs. She spent the rest of the night like that, counting her life’s mistakes like little black sheep and wondering drearily why she felt she had to be there … just in case Jenna needed someone.
“Marnie? Marnie, wake up! What are you doing here? Marnie!”
Marnie’s eyelids did not seem able to come unstuck. She could feel someone shaking her shoulder. She knew exactly where she was: in a cold little heap on the linoleum floor outside Jenna’s room. And she knew why. She swallowed a groan and managed to open one eye. Mrs. Fisher was kneeling, leaning over Marnie, her forehead furrowed.
“Why, hello there,” Marnie croaked. She put one hand up—her whole arm was stiff—and managed to rub her other eye open. Ow. “Mrs. Fisher. Good morning.”
The door of Jenna’s room opened. Jenna stood there, looking more or less ordinary in a robe.Marnie gaped at her, and then at Mrs. Fisher. She sat up and tried to get her brain in gear. Mrs. Fisher was looking from one girl to the other, frowning.
“Jenna?” Mrs. Fisher said. “I thought you’d gone home for break. Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” said Jenna quickly. “I just—um, some of my little cousins were over and I realized it was impossible to get any work done at home, so I just stayed for the weekend. I, um, I had my mother drop me off last night. I’m sorry, I should have called you first….”
Jenna’s parents thought she was staying here at school throughout break, Marnie realized with a sudden flash of insight. While Jenna skipped off with hockey boy …
Mrs. Fisher was frowning at Jenna.
“Me,” said Marnie brightly, “I just fell asleep out here. Wow, how embarrassing. And how awful for you, Mrs. Fisher. Coming across me like that. I’m really embarrassed. Well, I guess I’ve figured out why they invented the bed.” She staggered to her feet. “Have you ever slept on linoleum? It’s hard, you know? And cold. In fact, what I really think I should do is go and take a hot shower. So if you’ll both just excuse me—”
“Marnie.” Mrs. Fisher stood in the way of escape.
“Oh,” said Marnie. “I suppose you’re wondering what I was doing here. Well. It’s very simple. Very simple. I saw Jenna coming in last night, and this morning I had a question I wanted to ask her, but she wasn’t up yet. Uh, this was
early
this morning. So I just sat down to wait and well, the rest you know.”
“Really,” said Mrs. Fisher skeptically.
Marnie stood her ground. “Yes, I just fell
Finally she stopped. She jerked her body forward away from Marnie’s hand and, her face concealed, said huskily but very clearly: “Get out.”
Marnie was both relieved and alarmed. “Jenna, are you sure—”
“Get out!”
“All right,” Marnie said. Somehow, on her numb leg, she managed to stand. Jenna didn’t raise her head, and Marnie cast one look at the computer. All her messages were sitting there; a mere click would open any of them. She wanted desperately to at least reboot the computer, break the connection. Part of her mind screamed at her to do it, that Jenna was in no condition to intervene.
“
Get out!
” If Jenna’s throat hadn’t been raw, the words would have been a scream.
Marnie left and closed the door behind her. Through it, however, she could hear Jenna’s gasps, renewed, though not as dreadful as before. She stood uncertainly in the corridor, wondering again about getting Mrs. Fisher. But if she were Jenna—if this
were
about the hockey boy—she’d want to be alone.
Marnie stood in the corridor for quite a long time. Eventually she sank down on the floor, her back against the painted concrete block wall, and closed her eyes against the harsh glare of the corridor lightbulbs. She spent the rest of the night like that, counting her life’s mistakes like little black sheep and wondering drearily why she felt she had to be there … just in case Jenna needed someone.
“Marnie? Marnie, wake up! What are you doing here? Marnie!”
Marnie’s eyelids did not seem able to come unstuck. She could feel someone shaking her shoulder. She knew exactly where she was: in a cold little heap on the linoleum floor outside Jenna’s room. And she knew why. She swallowed a groan and managed to open one eye. Mrs. Fisher was kneeling, leaning over Marnie, her forehead furrowed.
“Why, hello there,” Marnie croaked. She put one hand up—her whole arm was stiff—and managed to rub her other eye open. Ow. “Mrs. Fisher. Good morning.”
The door of Jenna’s room opened. Jenna stood there, looking more or less ordinary in a robe.Marnie gaped at her, and then at Mrs. Fisher. She sat up and tried to get her brain in gear. Mrs. Fisher was looking from one girl to the other, frowning.
“Jenna?” Mrs. Fisher said. “I thought you’d gone home for break. Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” said Jenna quickly. “I just—um, some of my little cousins were over and I realized it was impossible to get any work done at home, so I just stayed for the weekend. I, um, I had my mother drop me off last night. I’m sorry, I should have called you first….”
Jenna’s parents thought she was staying here at school throughout break, Marnie realized with a sudden flash of insight. While Jenna skipped off with hockey boy …
Mrs. Fisher was frowning at Jenna.
“Me,” said Marnie brightly, “I just fell asleep out here. Wow, how embarrassing. And how awful for you, Mrs. Fisher. Coming across me like that. I’m really embarrassed. Well, I guess I’ve figured out why they invented the bed.” She staggered to her feet. “Have you ever slept on linoleum? It’s hard, you know? And cold. In fact, what I really think I should do is go and take a hot shower. So if you’ll both just excuse me—”
“Marnie.” Mrs. Fisher stood in the way of escape.
“Oh,” said Marnie. “I suppose you’re wondering what I was doing here. Well. It’s very simple. Very simple. I saw Jenna coming in last night, and this morning I had a question I wanted to ask her, but she wasn’t up yet. Uh, this was
early
this morning. So I just sat down to wait and well, the rest you know.”
“Really,” said Mrs. Fisher skeptically.
Marnie stood her ground. “Yes, I just fell
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