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Chapter 15

The press release went out the next afternoonI couldn’t go online to Google News it of course, since I was still lacking a coiven the state of Nikki’s computer, this was probably just as well) But I saw it on the running scroll at the botto newsThen, next thing I knew, it was the lead story on all the entertainment news showsIt turns out Kelly, Nikki’s publicist, didn’t mess around when it came to her most popular client‘The fashion and beauty industry breathed a collective sigh of relief this evening when a statement was issued froht, as photos of Nikki Howard flashed up on the screen, ‘assuring her fans that the teen super absence from the catwalk and the New York City club scene Fashionistas ide have been alar frolycaemia, which are said to have been responsible for that now fa lasther concussion and a bona fide case of amnesia’The next photo to flash across the screen was one that caused led in for(yes, I know I used to hate them Now I love them Dr Holcombe says it’s normal for patients to find themselves with tastes quite unlike the ones they used to have in their previous bodies)It was a grainy cellphone photo of reen Vespa Both of us were looking back at the photographer with slightly alarh I don’t re my picture that dayThe alar pursued by a herd of staradersBut of course it looked as if ere upset over the fact that ere being photographed together A fact the television news ‘journalists’ were only too quick to point out‘Perhaps aain boyfriend Brandon Stark for this photo snapped yesterday of theto hot new British singing sensation Gabriel Luna The pairat which Nikki suffered the fainting spell responsible for her head injury, and at which a young fan was killed during a melee caused by ELF protesters ’I waited in horror for the reporter to show a picture of me – the old meBut I should have known they wouldn’t I was yesterday’s newsif I’d ever even been news at all Why report about a girl being killed by a falling TV when you could show pictures of Nikki Howard on red carpets with her dress slit up to her belly button?‘Representatives for both Howard and Luna had no comments on the photo But perhaps Nikki can tell Brandon she just “forgot” that she already had a boyfriend’Oh my God I couldn’t believe it I could barely breathe, I was so upsetBut the story didn’t even end there‘Stark Enterprises founder and CEO Robert Stark has issued a stateet ishes for Howard – whom many refer to as the Face of Stark –’The cay-faced version of Brandon Stark – his father, dressed casually in an open-collared shirt, who said, ‘We here at Stark Enterprises respectfully request that the press, during this period of recovery for Nikki, afford her the privacy she needs For the next feeeks at least, Nikki will be spending slightly less ti back to school –’ he grinned as this statement provoked chuckles fro to get her high-school degree was the funniest thing in the world – ‘a decision we here at Stark Enterprises are behind one hundred per cent ’What? I’d never told Robert Stark any such thing I’d never even reat My own boss – well, Nikki’s boss anyway – thinks she’s too stupid to h school Nice Thanks for the support He probably thinks that because he’s been reading her ehjinks like this,’ the reporter went on to say, flashing the photo of ain, ‘et this model student detention!’Then a new reporter came on to talk about the current celebrity-divorce scandalI couldn’t believe it I couldn’t believe one of those schoolgirls had snapped a photo of oing to be like fro stalked by paparazzi,spread all over the tabloids?I was so busy staring at the television screen above my bed in horror, I didn’t even see the person who ca out at eand not just because they were riain This ti around a lesWell, it was late, andht atso event I didn’t knohich one, because I couldn’t have cared lessSo it hadn’t been hard for Lulu to slip past the security guards posted at the doors Especially in her current enselumly‘You re out into an enormous smile ‘Oh, Nikkiwhen they said you had a it up ’‘No,’ I said quickly ‘Sorry, Lulu I reallyI mean, I just know you from before Remember? When you kidnapped‘It’s justwell, I saw the thing on TV and I started thinking, you know, irl Because hopping on to the back of that guy’s scooter? That was such a totally Nikki thing to do Brandon is soooo ry? Atover to plop herself down at the side ofit’s OK for hi, but not OK for you to get a ride on souy’s Vespa That’s a total, like, whadduyacallit ’‘Double standard?’ I offered‘Yeah, I guess But anyway When I saw the picture, I got totally excited I thought maybe you were back I mean, that Nikki was back The real Nikki Cosabella is ht maybe you’d come home and taken her—’‘Lulu,’ I said, ‘Cosabella’s here ’ I pushed backat , she was crying, andwell, I just didn’t have the heart to leave her behind ’‘Oh ’ Lulu’s voice sounded sood Cosy did miss you I uess that was you on the back of that guy’s bike? Notthe real Nikki?’‘Yeah,’ I said ‘That was’‘Yeah?’ Lulu sounded congested Had she been crying?I had no time to worry about her tears now Any minute, my dad or one of the nurses – or worse, Dr Holcoure out who I was talking toAnd somehow I didn’t suspect any of them would be very thrilled All their talk of fines and jail ti this thing a secret And I didn’t want Lulu to get into trouble In spite of what a space case she was, she still seemed really sweet‘Lulu,’ I said, ‘there was no spirit transfer It turns out I, um, hit my head And now I have amnesia So that’s why I didn’t remember you Or Brandon ’Silence Lulu stared at urine’s Then she let out a slurpy, ‘No way ’‘U they’ve been saying on the news It’s true ’‘I don’t believe you,’ Lulu said ‘Or the news I know that’s what Kelly is going around saying now But it’s not true ’‘Lulu,’ I said, feeling desperate I had tomy parents pay two million dollars Or,

rather, file for bankruptcy, since they didn’t have two million dollars, ‘it is true Why don’t you believe me?’‘Because even if she had amnesia,’ Lulu said, ‘Nikki would never do that to her nails ’And she reached out and grabbed aze, and sahat shewith Dr Holcombe and Mr Phillips, I’d bitten off all the carefully edjust liketo hurt her body or e in her conviction that what she was saying was true ‘So I don’t knoho you really arebut you aren’t Nikki So don’t even try with the aht ith everyone else But I was Nikki’s best friend I know everything about her And I know she would never, ever do that ’I stared at her and the gri about her alleged ‘best’ friend Nikki She didn’t, for instance, know that her best friend Nikki had been fooling around behind her back with Lulu’s boyfriend, JustinBut overto let Lulu know about thatStill, Lulu deserved the truth – what truth I could tell her without hurting her – if anyone didAnd so I said, ‘OK, Lulu You’re right I’m not really Nikki Howard The truth is, the doctors here stuck Emerson Watts’s brain into Nikki Howard’s body And I’m not supposed to tell anyone, or my parents will oo million dollars – which they don’t have – to Stark Enterprises, who paid for the whole thing, I guess to keep their spokesmodel alive after Nikki suffered a fatal aneurys ’Lulu blinked back at ht,’ she said ‘Good one!’I blinked back at her‘I know,’ I said ‘It sounds like aBut you know, they have this new Nikki Howard beauty and clothing line couess they spent a lot of , and they want ht!’ Lulu interrupted She was practically rolling off the bed, she was laughing so hard ‘Like if they were really going to do so like that, they’d pick someone as clueless as you are to take her place!’ She reached up to wipe away tears of laughter ‘U I’m sure you’re nice But Nikki’s job is really hard Iexperience?’I tried not to laugh I mean, at the Nikki’s job is really hard part‘No,’ I said drily ‘But I think I’ain, laughing even harder ‘Do you even knohat a Manolo tip is?’‘Well,’ I said, thinking back to all those copies of COSMOgirl! Frida left lying around, ‘a Manolo is a type of shoe, right?’Lulu hted noise ‘Oh God,’ she cried ‘I can’t believe this This is going to be great! Nikki’s going to laugh her ass off when she hears about this You know you’re not going to last a , ‘that’s why they made up the amnesia story So if I screw up, we can blanored the question‘God,’ she said, ‘this is hilarious I can’t wait to tell Brandon—’‘No,’ I cried, reaching out to grasp her spool-thin wrist ‘Lulu You can’t I told you It’s a secret Ito live with you – in Nikki’s place – and everything We’re going to be room-mates – or loft-mates or whatever But seriously You can’t tell anyone Ortrouble ’She stared at ently ‘OK, Nik – or whatever your na her tiny feet, in four-inch stilettos, above the floor – ‘Do you want me to call Bliss? Because I could totally set up an appointency-nail-repair technician ’‘No,’ I said ‘That’s OK Listen, Lulu When I was at your place – our place – I noticed so about Nikki’s computer ’Lulu looked instantly bored She studied her cuticles ‘Yeah? What?’‘So she types or looks up on it In real time, from a remote location Do you have any idea who’d do that?’‘No,’ Lulu said ‘That’s a brand-new coave me one too They’re pink ’‘Yes,’ I said ‘I know it’s pink Mr Stark gave you one too?’‘Uh-huh They’re the newest’ Lulu blew a bubble, then skilfully popped it ‘What do youon Nikki’s emails?’It was at thatmy patient chart‘Er, hello,’ she said when she saw Lulu perched on the end of my bed ‘Do I know you?’‘Oh, no,’ calanced busily down at her own (stolen) chart ‘Justrounds You know ’The nurse, as clearly no one’s fool – perhaps recognizing that most nurses wore Crocs, not stilettos – narrowed her eyes ‘Excuse me,’ she said, ‘but where’s your pass for this floor?’‘Oops, there’s o, bye!’ She scooted out of the roo, ‘Wait! You, there!’I totally hoped she escapedIt eird If soht about Lulu Collins, I’d have replied that I thought she was another shallow celebrity, obsessed with clothes and partyingAnd I still think that about herExceptI think I’ to like herSo what does that say about me?