Page 31 (1/2)

Mrs Fields dragged her to the little gate that led from the courtyard to a back alley that led to the street "I’et home"

"No!" Emily broke free, then faced her mother halfway hunched over, the way a suht "How can you say I’hter?" she screeched "How can you send ain, but Erass She fell backward, hitting the ground on her tailbone, experiencing a white, blinding flash of pain

When she opened her eyes, her o"

"No!" Eet up, but her led but kneas hopeless She glanced once e and watery, and she looked tiny and alone I ht be it

"What’s so wrong with it?" she screa different? How can you hate me for that?"

Her mother’s nostrils flared She balled up her fists and opened herback And then, suddenly, she seemed to deflate She turned away and made a small noise at the back of her throat All at once, she looked so spent And scared And ashamed Without any makeup on and in her pajamas, she seemed vulnerable There was a redness around her eyes, as if she had been crying for a long tio"

Eet up She followed herlot, where E lot attendantsneer, as if Mrs Fields had explained why she was parking here and retrieving Emily from the party

Emily threw herself in the front seat Her eyes landed on the Dial-a-Horoscope laminated wheel that was in the car’s seat pocket The wheel foretold every sign’s horoscopes for all the twelve months of this year, so En, and looked at October’s predictions Your love relationships will beco Your relationships may have caused difficulties with others in the past, but all will be sht She hurled the horoscope card out theShe didn’t believe in horoscopes any else that said things happened for a reason What was the reason this was happening?

A chill went through her I get a call fifteen h her bag, her heart pounding Her phone had one new e It had been in her inbox for nearly two hours

E you-knoho

--A

Emily put her hands over her eyes Why didn’t A just kill her instead?

33

SOMEONE SLIPS UP BIG TIME

First, Lucas gave Hanna a shrunken Rosewood Day sweatshirt and a pair of red gyle Scout is always prepared for anything," he proclaie Reading Rooe It was a few streets over fro roo out and reading It ss and was filled with all sorts of books, azines, newspapers, chessboards, leather couches, and cozy love seats for two Technically, it was only open to college students and faculty, but it was easy enough to jimmy your way in the side door

Hanna went into the tiny bathroom, removed her ripped dress, and threw it into the little chro it in so it would fit She slumped out of the bathroom, threw herself on the couch next to Lucas, and just…lost it Sobs that had been pent up inside of her for weeks--maybe even years--exploded out of her "No one will like ly, between sobs "And I’ve lost Mona forever"

Lucas rubbed her hair "It’s all right She doesn’t deserve you anyway"

Hanna cried until her eyes swelled and her throat stung Finally, she pressed her head into Lucas’s chest, which was more solid than it looked They lay there in silence for a while Lucas ran his fingers through her hair

"What ht you weren’t invited"

"I was invited" Lucas lowered his eyes "But…I wasn’t going to go I didn’t want you to feel bad, and I wanted to spend the night with you"

Little sparkles of giddiness snapped through her stoame at the last minute like that, for Mona’s stupid party"

"It’s okay," Lucas said "It doesn’t matter"

Hanna stared at Lucas He had such soft blue eyes and adorably pink cheeks It didthe perfect thing all the titone, keeping her body in perfect shape, having the perfect best friend and the perfect boyfriend--but as all that perfection for? Maybe Lucas was perfect, just in a different way He cared about her

Hanna didn’t quite kno it had happened, but they’d settled in on one of the cracked-leather love seats, and she was on Lucas’s lap Strangely, she didn’t feel self-conscious that she was breaking Lucas’s legs Last summer, to prepare for her trip with Sean’s farapefruit and cayenne pepper, and she hadn’t let Sean touch her when she earing her bathing suit, afraid he’d find her Jell-O-ish With Lucas, she didn’t worry

Her face moved closer to Lucas’s His face moved closer to hers She felt his lips touch her chin, then the side of her mouth, then her mouth itself Her heart pounded His lips whispered across hers He pulled her toward hi so fast and excitedly, she was afraid it would burst Lucas cradled Hanna’s head in his hands and kissed her ears Hanna giggled

"What?" Lucas said, pulling away

"Nothing," Hanna answered, grinning "I don’t know This is fun"

It was fun--nothing like the serious, important make-out sessions she’d had with Sean, where she felt like a panel of judges was scoring each and every kiss Lucas was sloppy, wet, and overly joyful, like a boy Labrador Every so often, he’d grab her and squeeze At one point, he started tickling her, ht onto the floor