On the Edge by Allison van Diepen Page B

look at me. I was a complete mess.
    â€œI’ve been there, Maddie,” she said, her tone softening. “When I got jumped, I looked just as bad as you—and it sucked. But at least your friends are standing by you. Mine didn’t.”
    I couldn’t imagine that. “How did you get through it?”
    â€œEric. He was my rock. We got through the shitstorm and were stronger for it. It might sound hokey, but I’m one of those everything happens for a reason people.”
    â€œI like those people.” I wished I could be one. It would be a relief to think that everything happened the way it was meant to. It would mean I didn’t have to feel regret or wonder what if .
    Although Julia’s words were comforting, I still saw myself as a coward. I’d never know what would’ve happened if I’d intervened to help Hector—and I knew that would haunt me forever. All I could do was promise myself that if someone ever needed my help again, I would step up instead of cowering in the dark.

DOUBT
    MONDAY MORNING I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. According to Iz, I only appeared “a little banged-up.” Which was a lot better than last week, when I’d looked “so Guantánamo.”
    At least she was honest. Most people made a point of saying how great I looked. I almost believed it until I came face-to-face with the purple-yellow bruises in my locker mirror.
    Thankfully, the story of my attack had died out of the press in the last few days, and Roz Wilson’s fifteen minutes had ended. But the latest headlines were a lot more disturbing. Three girls in their twenties had been found in a makeshift brothel in Kendall. They’d been drugged and abused. It turned out that the girls were illegal immigrants, brought into the country by sex traffickers. Maybe I’d write an article about it for the newspaper.
    At lunch, I met with Ms. Halsall. She greeted me cheerfully, but her eyes were full of concern. “It’s great to have you back, Maddie. You’re looking well.”
    â€œThanks.” We sat down at two desks in the middle of the classroom. “How’d the meeting go last week?”
    â€œFine. Everybody’s on task for the May edition.” She pulled a stack of paper from her briefcase. “Thanks for sending all this. I really didn’t expect you to get so much done while you were away. I’ve polished up the other articles, so we’re ready for Parminder to do the layout. We can go to print on Friday.”
    â€œThanks. That’s a huge relief.”
    Her eyes were kind. “You’ve been through a lot the past few weeks, Maddie. Everyone’s rooting for you. I was thinking it might be easiest if someone else took over the last two papers.”
    I straightened, causing pain to shoot through my ribs. “Are you serious?”
    â€œYou have so much on your plate already.”
    â€œDid you think I screwed up those articles? I know the sports section was a little confusing, but Josh was away with the soccer team, so I did the best I could to clean it up myself.”
    â€œYou’ve done an excellent job. That’s the thing, Maddie. I’m concerned you’re working too hard.” She smiled gently. “You have nothing to prove. Give yourself time to relax, to heal. To focus on wrapping up your classes. If you step down as editor, no one will think any less of you.”
    â€œStep down?” Ms. Halsall just didn’t get it. How could she think it would help me to take away the most important thing in my life? I needed to be the editor of Prep Talk . Without it, I was just that girl who’d seen the homeless man murdered. The witness who’d been attacked. I needed to be someone other than that girl.
    â€œNo way. I don’t want to step down. I know you’re trying to help, but please don’t. What I need is to focus on my work. To focus on what I’m good at.”
    She watched me