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"It doesn’t matter how it happened," her mother interrupted "What arded the couch, then picked up a decorative pillow and smacked it with her fist to fluff it up She set it back down, picked up another, and started all over again Thwack She was punching the to see that picture of you, E And to hear that it’s so you’ve done more than once, well…"

"I’m sorry," Emily whimpered "But ht about how hard this is for the rest of us?" Mrs Fields interrupted "We’re all…well, Carolyn ca And your brother and sister both calledto fly home"

She picked up another pilloack, thwack A few feathers spewed out and floated through the air before settling on the carpet E by thePerhaps they’d see the feathers flying and think that so, instead of what actually was

E hole at the pit of her stomach remained "I’m sorry," she whispered

Her et it" Her father disappeared into the living rooh the drawers of their old antique bureau Seconds later, he returned with a printout from Expedia "This is for you," Mr Fields said

It was an itinerary, flying from Philadelphia to Des Moines, Iowa With her name on it "I don’t understand"

Mr Fields cleared his throat "Just to s perfectly clear, either you do Tree Tops--successfully--or you will go live with your aunt Helene"

Emily blinked "Aunt Helene…who lives on a farm?"

"Can you think of another Aunt Helene?" he asked

E to send me away?"

"Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that," Mrs Fields answered

Tears dotted Emily’s eyes For a while, she couldn’t speak It felt as if a block of ce on her chest "Please don’t send me away," she whispered "I’ll…I’ll do Tree Tops Okay?"

She lowered her gaze This felt like when she and Ali used to arth and could do it for hours, but eventually, Eiving up too easily, but she couldn’t fight this

A small, relieved smile crept over her an pocket "Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?"

Before she could respond, Emily’s parents left the room

14

SPENCER’S BIG CLOSE-UP

Wednesday any Chippendale vanity s family for two hundred years, and the waterway--he’d set his sweaty glass of whisky on it during one of Spencer’s great-great-grandmother’s cotillions

Spencer picked up her round boar-bristle brush and began raking it through her hair until her scalp hurt Jordana, the reporter fro up soon for her big interview and photo shoot A stylist was bringing wardrobe options, and Spencer’s hairdresser, Uri, was due any ive her a blowout She just finished her ownfor a subtle, refined, fresh-faced look, which hopefully iarist

Spencer gulped and glanced at a photo she kept wedged in the corner of the mirror It was of her old friends on Ali’s uncle’s yacht in Newport, Rhode Island They were all s J Crew bikinis and wide-brioddesses of the sea

This will go fine, Spencer told thea deep breath The article would probably end up being a tiny ite no one would even see Jordana ht ask her two or three questions, tops A’s note from yesterday--I knohat you did--had only been meant to scare her She tried to sweep it to the back of her mind

Suddenly, her Sidekick bleeped Spencer picked it up, pushed a few buttons to get into her texts inbox, and squinted at the screen

Need another warning, Spence? Ali’s ht in front of you

--A

Spencer’s phone clattered to the floor Ali’s murderer? She stared at her reflection in the mirror Then at the picture of her friends in the corner Ali was holding the yacht’s wheel, and the others were grinning behind her

And then, soht her eye Spencer wheeled around, but there was nothing No one in her yard except for a lost-looking hs’ yards, either Spencer turned back to the th of her face

"Hey"

Spencer juainst Spencer’s four-poster bed Spencer whirled around, not sure if Melissa’s reflection was real She’d sneaked up on Spencer so…stealthily

"Are you all right?" Melissa asked, fiddling with the ruffled collar of her green silk blouse "You look like you’ve seen a ghost"

"I just got the weirdest text," Spencer blurted out