Megan

My answer differs with the lens with which I'm looking at it. So when I was young, I felt a lot of sadness for Heidi because... The things that were important to me as a child, the celebratory things like birthdays and holidays, the things I would get the most excited about were things that I would watch her be excluded from. And that always really puzzled me due to her religion.

My answer differs with the lens with which I'm looking at it. So when I was young, I felt a lot of sadness for Heidi because... The things that were important to me as a child, the celebratory things like birthdays and holidays, the things I would get the most excited about were things that I would watch her be excluded from. And that always really puzzled me due to her religion.

Her family was Jehovah's Witnesses. So there would be numerous times throughout our childhood where Heidi would have to be picked up from school and taken away because the school was going to celebrate a birthday or celebrate a holiday event.

Her family was Jehovah's Witnesses. So there would be numerous times throughout our childhood where Heidi would have to be picked up from school and taken away because the school was going to celebrate a birthday or celebrate a holiday event.

And I knew that that always made her very sad that she'd often be crying when she'd have to leave her friends over to wait in the hall for her parents to pick her up. So one of the things that I used to do was buy her secret birthday gifts and take them to her. She really loved like Snickers bars, comic books.

And I knew that that always made her very sad that she'd often be crying when she'd have to leave her friends over to wait in the hall for her parents to pick her up. So one of the things that I used to do was buy her secret birthday gifts and take them to her. She really loved like Snickers bars, comic books.

So I didn't have a lot of money myself, but I'd always make sure that I at least would sneak her cards and candy on holidays and her birthday so that... She would know she was loved because to me, that was part of showing love. I think acknowledging people, making them feel special on days like that. So that always puzzled me.

So I didn't have a lot of money myself, but I'd always make sure that I at least would sneak her cards and candy on holidays and her birthday so that... She would know she was loved because to me, that was part of showing love. I think acknowledging people, making them feel special on days like that. So that always puzzled me.

After she died, Barry and Linda surprised me by giving me back all the gifts I'd given her. So I think they knew I had done that. I always wondered... if I was unknowingly causing her trouble. But again, that's sort of what I mean by the lens with which I view whether her home was happy or not is different as an adult versus when I was a kid.

After she died, Barry and Linda surprised me by giving me back all the gifts I'd given her. So I think they knew I had done that. I always wondered... if I was unknowingly causing her trouble. But again, that's sort of what I mean by the lens with which I view whether her home was happy or not is different as an adult versus when I was a kid.

In our generation, you didn't ever talk about what was happening at home. Everything was always perfect and you had to always act like everything was fine and not talk if there were things that weren't fine. That was what was normal. So you never really knew what was going on behind closed doors.

In our generation, you didn't ever talk about what was happening at home. Everything was always perfect and you had to always act like everything was fine and not talk if there were things that weren't fine. That was what was normal. So you never really knew what was going on behind closed doors.

Not at length, but I knew that she would be upset or sad sometimes. And you just didn't really ask. It isn't what was done. If you kind of sense that your friend wasn't happy, you would distract them. Maybe it's like, just let's just go do something. And it's more of an escape distraction tactic, I think, is what we would do.

Not at length, but I knew that she would be upset or sad sometimes. And you just didn't really ask. It isn't what was done. If you kind of sense that your friend wasn't happy, you would distract them. Maybe it's like, just let's just go do something. And it's more of an escape distraction tactic, I think, is what we would do.

Yeah, it was a Sunday. And I was at a neighbor's house hanging out. And we got a call from her parents, maybe mid-afternoon, asking if Heidi was with us. And she wasn't. So my friends canvassed our other friends looking forward to see if she was over. So I lived a village away from where Heidi lived. I lived in Heartland, Four Corners. Very important distinction.

Yeah, it was a Sunday. And I was at a neighbor's house hanging out. And we got a call from her parents, maybe mid-afternoon, asking if Heidi was with us. And she wasn't. So my friends canvassed our other friends looking forward to see if she was over. So I lived a village away from where Heidi lived. I lived in Heartland, Four Corners. Very important distinction.

She's Heartland, Three Corners, a mile down the road. So I looked with our other friends in the Four Corners village and she wasn't anywhere to be found. And we reported that back. The next morning, I got on the bus to go to the high school. And one of the stops was her house on the route. So when the bus stopped at her house, I asked the driver in small town. So could you hold on a moment?

She's Heartland, Three Corners, a mile down the road. So I looked with our other friends in the Four Corners village and she wasn't anywhere to be found. And we reported that back. The next morning, I got on the bus to go to the high school. And one of the stops was her house on the route. So when the bus stopped at her house, I asked the driver in small town. So could you hold on a moment?

Let me run in and see if she's there. I said she's been missing. And I think in a small town, the driver knew everything. He paused and let me run in the house in the morning to see if they had found her. And they hadn't. And Barry and Linda were at the kitchen table with other people that were there, pretty distraught. So I just left the house, got back on the bus. I didn't know what else to do.

Let me run in and see if she's there. I said she's been missing. And I think in a small town, the driver knew everything. He paused and let me run in the house in the morning to see if they had found her. And they hadn't. And Barry and Linda were at the kitchen table with other people that were there, pretty distraught. So I just left the house, got back on the bus. I didn't know what else to do.