Frat Girl. Kiley Roache

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       Chapter Eleven

      Stephanie looks to the window for help, but my brain is short-circuiting.

      Lily clears her throat. “You know what? Sorry, but are we done here?”

      “Um...” Stephanie turns back to the mirror and so does Lily, and she looks like she’s screaming behind her glassy eyes.

      “I just really...” Lily looks around for help, but the room is empty except for the unhelpful Stephanie. “I can’t keep talking about this.”

      I stand too quickly, and my chair clatters to the floor behind me. I remember the computer and pull it toward me, typing frantically. I need to know if she’s okay, if he was caught. I need to help her.

      But the girl is getting up from her chair and wiping tears from her eyes.

      This stupid system is too slow. I drop the MacBook on the steel table, cross the room and push open the heavy door without thinking.

      There’s the flutter of a blue dress at the end of the hall before it disappears behind a door marked “Women.”

      I practically sprint down the hall, my patent leather flats slapping the floor. A door to my right flies open. It’s Stephanie, headed to get the next interviewee, like nothing happened.

      Her eyes grow wide as she looks at me, the door swinging shut behind her. “You aren’t supposed to be out here.”

      But I don’t stop.

      “Come back!” she yells after me. But I’m already at the bathroom door.

      Lily is braced over the sink, looking like she might be sick.

      “Hi.”

      “Hi?” She turns to take me in, her eyes scanning me, trying to figure out if she knows me.

      “My name is Cassie Davis. I was, uh, behind the mirror.”

      “Oh.” She stands up. “That’s a little...”

      I swallow. “I know. I’m sorry.”

      “No, it’s fine, I, uh, I knew someone was back there. I just didn’t think it was someone so...” She gestures vaguely, a tissue in her hand.

      I nod, although I have no idea what she means. Her eyebrows furrow. “Are you supposed to follow me into the bathroom?”

      I step back. “Uh...probably not. I’m not here, like, officially.” I gesture behind me. “I can go if you want.” My fingers brush the doorknob.

      “No.” She bites her lip. “Please, I just...need someone. If that’s okay. Not that—It’s just... I’m just—”

      My hand drops from the knob. “No need to explain.”

      The door swings open behind me. “Observer 2!” Stephanie says.

      I step in front of her. “Will you just give us a—”

      “No, you can’t.”

      I look from her to Lily.

      “It’s fine,” she says. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

      “Just give me a second, okay?” I exhale. “Stephanie, can I speak to you in the hall?”

      “I guess...”

      I step forward, closing the door behind me to give Lily privacy. “Really?” I say through gritted teeth.

      Stephanie is even more frazzled than I would have expected. “You’re not supposed to be out here. And you’re definitely not supposed to be talking to subjects outside the interviews.” She emphasizes every other word by waving her clipboard.

      “She needs me.”

      “It’s against all the rules. If you break the rules, you can’t keep being part of the study.”

      “Then I quit,” I say without a pause.

      “What? I’m—”

      I head back into the room, swinging the door closed before I hear what Stephanie plans to do. I lean against the door so she can’t follow and turn back to Lily.

      “I’m sorry,” I say. She just looks through me, so I keep talking. “And I’m sorry about earlier, about this whole thing—that was probably not easy to talk about.”

      “You think?” Her voice is sharp.

      I look down. I’m never good in situations like this. Alex is always better, with her bits of gritty wisdom, quotes from old songs and beat poetry.

      “Are you okay?” I ask, not sure what else to do.