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CHAPTER ONE

“Are you all right?”

The voice was tinny in Adina’s ears Her head ached, and she et She re, the s

“A over hers The face had apple cheeks and was fralossy black curls

“No”

“Are you dead?” Adina asked warily

The face above her shook from side to side, and then burst into tears Adina relaxed, reasoning that she had to be alive, unless the afterlife was a lot more bipolar than she’d been led to believe She pulled herself to a sitting position and waited for the wooziness to subside A gash on her knee was caked in dried blood Another on her arhtly scorched and she wore only one shoe It was one half of her best pair, and in her state of shock, finding the other became important “Can you help me find my shoe?”

“Sure I saw soirl said in an accent flat as a just-plowed field She had huge, blue, anime-worthy eyes “I’m Miss Nebraska, Mary Lou Novak”

“Adina Greenberg Miss New Ha out toward the sea “I don’t see it”

“That’s a shame It’s a real nice shoe”

“Roland Me’sognie2,” Adina said, and she honestly couldn’t figure out why She didn’t care about the stupid brand That was her mother’s influence Shock It had to be the shock

“If I can find ot an extra pair of sneakers in there I’ht”

“Thanks”

“You’re welco My pageant sponsor says I’ve got a real good chance at Miss Congeniality this year”

“Miss Congeniality represents the true heart of the pageant,” Adina found herself repeating frouely re motion at that, but she was too dazed for snarkiness just now Dazed because, yes, when she’d been looking for her shoe, she’d seen bodies in the water Lifeless bodies