46 Chapter 46

My eyes flickered to Elliott, and I silently wondered if this was because he had not done a very good job of helping me "deal" with my "grief." He smiled at me, a small reassuring gesture, and I quickly put my attention elsewhere, back to Hannah. "Thanks," was about all I could manage.

"How are the rest of your friends?" my dad asked. He looked at me, and for a moment I thought he might send me out of the room, like all of this was also top-secret, but he didn't.

Cadence replied, "Okay. They spoke to Elliott and Hannah, and I think that helped."

My parents nodded, and I pretended like I had no idea what that meant, like I was supposed to think Elliott and Hannah were just good at talking to people instead of knowing what Cadence really meant was that her new friend had brainwashed her gang from high school, and Hannah had used her emotional manipulation, the same good juju I was feeling right now.