Forget Me Never

apologized about running back into the house instead of sticking up for me. He was clearly embarrassed, and somehow I knew we wouldn’t be speaking again. Nothing could make the humiliation go away.
    I kept thinking, If only I hadn’t been to the party. If only I hadn’t been lonely enough to latch on to Finn like that. This was Reece’s fault! He’d said he’d be there – he’d have looked out for me. Stuff dressing up and trying to fit in – I’d only managed to make myself more of an outsider than ever.
    To top it all, the answer to where Reece had been on Saturday night was on his Facebook page. One of his Berkeley friends had uploaded a photo album showing a whole bunch of them out on the town. It looked like they’d been in a cocktail bar. Since when had Reece even liked cocktails or looked old enough to get into a bar? Some posh-looking girls had been there too, and a particularly pretty one had managed to get photographed with her arm around Reece. Even though I knew people always got in close to pose for the camera, it stung. Maybe there was something going on with them. And why not? She was gorgeous and obviously liked him – if Reece was interested, I guessed it would make sense. He clearly wasn’t interested in me .
    All of this just smacked home the fact that he had a new life now, one I didn’t fit into. It was time we called it quits.
    That had happened about three months ago and it still tore me up. I was afraid of starting in the sixth form because of it – Zoe’s behaviour at Brent Cross told me she wasn’t going to let things be. I wondered if Reece had seen the video clips – I’d assumed so, but now I wasn’t so sure. Had I been wrong to blame him for what had happened between us? I had been pushing him away by making things difficult for him with his new mates, and he had sent me texts I’d ignored. He’d hurt me – but now I’d hurt him.
    Was it too late to give each other another chance?
    An hour and forty minutes later and I was walking out of Bournemouth station. I took in the scene outside; distinctive yellow taxis, people with wheelie cases, zebra crossings. As I waited for a bus to the town centre, I sketched out a plan. It was past midday; I’d get a sandwich and walk to the flat where Dani had died. The friend who owned it, Fay, was back from her travelling now – I’d sent her a Facebook message saying I might pop by. Perhaps being there might trigger a memory; perhaps I might find something, a vital piece of evidence everyone had overlooked, to prove once and for all whether Dani was murdered.
    Clutching at straws – but straws were all I had.
    It was about two by the time I reached Fay’s flat. I could feel my steps dragging as I got near.
    I didn’t know if I wanted to be where Dani died. Here, so close to where her body had been found, I couldn’t hide any longer. For all I’d been talking about Danielle recently, I still didn’t think I’d fully grasped the fact that she was gone. I swallowed, wondering if the bad taste in my mouth was fear or lunch disagreeing with me. For a moment I wasn’t sure if I could do it. Then I told myself I had to.
    I pressed the entryphone by the main door and felt a chill run up my spine as I realized this was exactly what Aiden had done. Fay answered, the door buzzed and I stepped in.
    The lift was out of service – it had been back then too. I stared at the sign. It felt eerie, as though nothing had moved on.
    Fay was waiting at the door when I arrived. I’d never met her before – Dani knew her from college, though Fay looked several years older. She had a chunky build and very long brown hair, but the most striking thing about her was the pendant around her neck. It was about the size of my palm and reminded me of the engraved wax letter seals used in medieval times. Certainly a statement piece, I thought.
    ‘Hi, Sophie,’ Fay said. ‘Good to meet at last. Come on in. Can I get you a drink? You must be parched; it’s boiling out there. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, as the song goes.’
    I wasn’t sure what she was on about, so I just stepped inside. There was a funny smell in the air which reminded me of the design and technology corridor at school. I went through to the living area. Instantly it swept me back; I could see Danielle at the table by the window, laying out the breakfast cereals, Danielle by the CD rack, telling us about all the albums Fay had, Danielle putting one