VISUAL

A comfortable interview room with a fireplace. A small round side table is positioned between two empty chairs. A vase of flowers sits on the table. A video screen behind the chairs displays an image of fire consuming the Bolinas Mall buildings.

Breaking News reporter Tiffany Clermont, wearing tan slacks, a dark top, and black shoes with just a hint of heels, walks into the room and stops in front of the chairs.

VOICE

Tiffany: We’re continuing with my interviews of students who lived in the Apthorp apartment building at the time of the Bolinas Mall fire. An Apthorp resident, Katherine Hart, lost her life at that time. This interview is with Emily Little, and my questions have been edited out to keep the focus on Emily.

VISUAL

Emily enters the interview room and is greeted by Tiffany. The view shifts to Emily, speaking.

VOICE

EMILY: Of course I know how they knew where the Apthorp was. Isabella told them. I heard her say it, and I just knew it was a mistake. I knew it, but I didn’t do anything.

For a while after, I pretended to myself that I hadn’t done anything because I thought Audrey or Mackenzie would take care of it. But that was never the reason. The truth is, I was afraid that if I told on Isabella she wouldn’t like me any more! Can you believe it? I was such a child.

It still hurts to think about how it could have been different for Katherine, if it weren’t for me.

I was infatuated with Isabella. Completely, and more. I knew that, at least. She knew it, too, but it didn’t faze her. I think she welcomed it. Goodness knows, we both needed comforting afterward. We were always together — at the Grape and Pint, at the farmers market, everywhere, whispering, touching. I was in mourning and in heaven at the same time.

But I was about as naive as a person could be. I guess none of us gets to choose how we get experienced. I couldn’t imagine Isabella didn’t feel the way I did.

Thank heaven she let things go on for long enough that when I got up the nerve to say I loved her, I had enough equilibrium to get through her response. Oh, I cried and said things I’m still embarrassed about, but I didn’t completely collapse.

And after a couple of weeks, she was back again, teasing me and bouncing away to something else, just being Isabella. And — I’m still amazed about it — when she came back, she stayed.

We’re together. She’s my partner, my best friend.

I can’t wait to hear what she said to you. Maybe she sounded embarrassed about us. That would be different.

You haven’t talked to Mackenzie yet, have you? We all saw her as our protector, even though we only needed protecting on that night. We tried to turn to her afterward, but she just had nothing to give.

It wasn’t her fault, you know.