A few days passed with no new texts, no new messages. Jeannie was still hurt over Jesse's behavior, but was beginning to feel better. Even so, Liz was determined to take legal action against Jesse for sharing Jeannie's private media.

"I don't know, Mom. I think maybe I just want to let it go," Jeannie sighed. "I just kind of want to put it behind me. I start school soon and really just want to focus on that."

"I really wish you'd change your mind, Babydoll, but you're a grownup now. It's your call." The corner of Liz's mouth turned down in disappointment. She'd hoped to take this guy to the cleaners, but it really was Jeannie's choice.

"Look, if it happens again, let's pick it back up, but for now, I'm just going to focus on moving forward." Jeannie's self-assuredness was comforting to Liz.

"You got it," she smiled. "Now, how about some back-to-school shopping?"


---


Later that night, snuggled up in a cozy new nightshirt, Jeannie scrolled reels on her phone. Normally, she received mostly makeup tutorials and funny skits in her feed, but lately, true crime reels had begun to appear.

Before she could tap the skip icon on one such reel, something caught her eye. It featured a photo of a very familiar-looking girl. Why was she so familiar? Had she seen this before?


"This is the sad tale of Melaina Johns, a former foster child who slipped through the cracks of a system that never cared about her and others like her." The narrator's voice was mysterious and almost sinister-sounding.


"In 2013, Melaina's lifeless body was discovered hanging from a tree in the wooded area where she had been staying." The voice continued. "Having aged out of the foster care system, Melaina was often homeless and without employment."


A photo of her tent and some of her belongings flashed across the phone screen.


"Things began to look up for Melaina in late 2012 when she not only found work as a barista, but also found love. According to Melaina's co-worker, Heidi Bruce, Melaina came to work happier than she'd ever been for the better part of a month.


The happiness was short-lived, however. According to Heidi, Melaina stopped coming to work because her boyfriend had begun sharing intimate images of her on message boards on the internet. He also printed out photos and put them up in gas station and truck stop restrooms.


Unfortunately, there wasn't much being done about this sort of thing back in 2013, and since Melaina didn't have the means or support to do anything about it anyway, she withdrew from society before ending her own life just before Valentine's Day of that year.


When the police questioned Melaina's former co-workers about her supposed 'boyfriend,' no one had any information other than the name Jesse."


Jeannie's heart stopped. She paused the reel and ran it back so she could hear that last part again.


"When the police questioned Melaina's former co-workers about her supposed 'boyfriend,' no one had any information other than the name Jesse."


Jeannie saved the reel so she could finish it later, and then navigated to the profiles of her two friends with whom Jesse had been a mutual. She carefully constructed messages inquiring about their friendships with Jesse, hit send, then waited.

Her friend, Anna, who worked at a clothing store a town over, was the first to reply.


I don't know him irl. We had a mutual and he added me so I accepted. Why? Weren't u guys dating?


Before she could answer, her other friend, Paul, with whom Jesse was a mutual replied.


I met him when he moved over here back in 2013. He was my neighbor at the apartment I lived in with my Mom back then. Why?

Your neighbor? Like, on his own? That was over ten years ago! Jeannie replied. Just how old was Jesse? She had thought he was close to her age, maybe 21, 22 at the most.


Yeah, on his own. He didn't live there long tho. Said he wanted to go into the military but i guess he didn't. Paul responded.

I thought it was weird you all were dating, but my dad was 20 years older than my mom when they met. He added.

Jeannie put down her phone in an effort to clear her mind and sort all of this out. Could Melaina's Jesse be her Jesse?

Just who was Jesse anyway?