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Chapter 19

We were at a club called Cave It was called Cave because it was in the bowels of New York City, in a part of the subway system that the city had planned and then abandoned due to lack of funds nearly a century earlier Soic places, strung a sound systeh it, put a couple of DJs in place, and noas the hottest dance spot in Manhattan There was a line out of the door that went halfway around the block, even on a Wednesday night You couldn’t get in unless you were somebodyNikki Howard, it turned out, was soally allowed into barsBut it was all right, because Nikki didn’t drink I found this out from the bartender when I wearily approached the bar, parched fro time no see The usual?’‘I have a this to people all night long, as they approached me and cried, Nikki, it’s me! Don’t you remember me? It’s Joey/Jieles! ‘Didn’t you hear? I don’t knohat the usual is ’The bartender took a long-stelass, filled it ater, added a curled piece of orange peel, then slid it towards me If you didn’t knoas just water, it looked exactly like a Martini, only with orange peel instead of an olive‘We call it the Nikki,’ he said with a wink ‘Only the bartenders in town know it’s just water You can’t drink alcohol because of your stomach problems, remember? And because you’re not twenty-one of course,’ he added piouslyI grinned I was kind of starting not to be so annoyed with Nikki Howardsoht earlier in the day‘Thanks,’ I said gratefully, and sipped Nikki’s signature drink while I surveyed the dance floor I couldn’t believe it was so late – nearly two in theht Of course, I had never been to a place like this before Maybe they were always like this Here at the bar, there was barely a seat available I had only gotten e for an autograph of course The first tied it to Nikki Howard at the last ht, I’d actually gotten alyrating to hypnotic techno, and different-coloured flashes of lights and thick clouds of dry ice made it impossible to tell ho I knew Lulu was out there so with both Brandon and Justin and a ton more of Nikki Howard’s ‘best’ friends (she’d collected un the evening at the loft, then moved on to a boisterous dinner at one of Bobby Flay’s restaurants (and the Food Network chef had actually been there and come over to our table to wish me – I mean, Nikki – a speedy recovery from my amnesia), then ended up at CaveLulu had been so excited about the surprise party she’d thrown together for me, I hadn’t had the heart to tell her I wasn’t exactly in the , even letting her drag me off into Nikki’s closet and choose an outfit forat one of the many bars in Cave in black spiked ankle boots, a low-cut black top, and a gold lamé miniskirt I looked just like a hooker I’d seen once down on the West Side Highway Though I hadn’t wanted to hurt Lulu’s feelings by saying so Especially since the hooker had been afun?’ Lulu bounded up from out of the dry ice sold lamé ankle boots and top and black skirt She’d teased both our hair out to stand about five inches frohtThe only problehties attire‘I sure ao ho ’Lulu’s tiny mouth popped open like a baby bird’s‘Ohthat school thing You must, like, totally hate me ’‘I don’t,’ I assured her The truth was, out of all the people I’dup in Nikki Howard’s body, she was ry withme the cold shoulder because Lulu was around (for which I was grateful I didn’t want to talk to him anyway) I didn’t knoho the other people were – Lulu had introduced them, but their naht oversecret affairs with me (or rather, Nikki), much to h, they just kept talking about people I didn’t know, and I mostly just felt left out andwell, pretty lonely, despite all the autograph seekers (and the fact thather calls to voicey? I was sixteen and a half, I could take care of myself) and people who evidently knew and adored Nikki Howard, who kept coreat It really wasBut it had been a long day, and I just wanted to go back to the loft and get so?‘What’s up with this school thing anyway?’ Lulu wanted to know, suy who surrendered his barstool for her – seriously, it was airl It was a whole different world, being gorgeous; a world hich I was entirely unfa the bartender for a drink ‘I o to school so badly?’‘Because,’ I said No as I telling her about Christopher, and I decided it would be wiser to keep e soe?’ Lulu et a job,’ I said ‘Teaching, probably Both my parents are professors, and I’d like to be one too ’ Then, realizing what I’d said, I blanched ‘I mean –’But Lulu just waved my statement aside She was still convinced her spirit-transfer explanation, not my amnesia story, was the correct one for Nikki Howard’s bizarre recent behaviour‘Teaching what?’ The bartender had brought her a drink without her even specifying what she wanted Lulu’s signature drink was so in it and so the rim When I tasted one that had fallen on the bar, I found that it was sugar‘I’m not sure,’ I said ‘I like a lot of subjects That’s another reason why I want to go back to school To figure it out ’ Then I had an idea ‘Hey, you should come with me!’Lulu nearly choked on her drink ‘Wh-what?’‘You should,’ I said, getting excited by the idea ‘I’et you in He’s super famous TAHS would be so excited to have you Come with me tomorrow!’Lulu made another face ‘Umthanks, but no thanks ’I shook my head ‘Lulu,’ I said, ‘you’re only seventeen You should be in school You shouldn’t even be living by yourself Why do you live alone anyway?’She looked up at me, her elfin face twisted with confusion‘I don’t live alone,’ Lulu said ‘I live with you ’‘I know,’ I said ‘But I mean why don’t you live with your parents?’‘Becauseto do with me, silly,’ Lulu said cheerfully, ‘and my dad’s neife is five years older than I am How stoked would you be to live at home in that situation?’And with that, she polished off her drink, jumped off the stool and jetted back off to the dance floor, leaving , because a second later, Justin Bay slithered on to the stool she’d vacated and went, ‘So you honestly expect– about usand Paris?’I looked at the bartender and he slid another Nikki special towardsto me,’ I said to Justin ‘You’re Lulu’s boyfriend And no, I don’t re That’s what the word aetfulness ’‘Oooh,’ Justin said, wrapping his ar his face down to nuzzle my n

eck ‘One bang on the head and you’re Miss Sood and well that I can trigger yourMy body’s reaction to his warm lips on my neck was instantaneous I felt like an electric current went up and downwas, Lulu was dancing not twenty feet awayWhat happened next was as instantaneous as the reaction of my skin to his lipsAnd that was that I dulass the bartender had just slid towards me on to Justin’s headAll the people around us hooted with surprise as Justin sputtered and leaped off the bar stool To say he seemed astonished would be an understatement He looked co lips‘You’re drinking water?’ he cried‘It’s called a Nikki,’ I said grandly, slipping off my bar stool ‘I don’t do alcohol Or other people’s boyfriends And don’t you forget it ’I stalked away to the sound of applauseI found Lulu dancing with three other girls, all of ere dressed in the height of eighties chic as well It was if she’d sent out soe before we’d even left the loft Here I was, one of the world’s hottest superured out what to wear, I mean‘Lulu,’ I shouted at her, to be heard over the incredibly loudhome You can stay if you want, but I just wanted you to know, I’ and stared athair ‘We never leave without the other person If you’re leaving I’o tell Justin ’‘Uh,’ I yelled, ‘Justin’s kind ofinstantly ‘Has he been hitting on you?’Noas e eyes ‘Duh I know Nikki has a proble herand also that boys have a probleht that first part ht have been cleared up by the spirit transfer ’‘Well, I said no,’ I said unco there on the dance floor, having this conversationespecially since so trousers that showed off a lot of his underwear danced up and started grinding on me‘Aren’t you Nikki Howard?’ he asked me‘No,’ I said to him Then I turned back to Lulu ‘You mean, you knew this whole ti ‘But look, it’s not like Justin and I ever had this big love connection He just always gives me really nice presents whenever he hooks up with soot back from the shows in Paris, there’ve been a lot of really nice presents ’‘I’h it wasn’t my fault It was Nikki’sAnd I wasn’t Nikki Or at least, I hadn’t been at the tis that had hurt Lulu‘You are too Nikki Howard,’ Big Pants insisted, dancing up on irl! You are one fine piece –’I turned, placed ainst ht,’ Lulu said, stepping neatly over Big Pants as he sprawled across the dance floor ‘You really can’t help it It’s like you’re powerless over kissing Anyway, if we’re leaving, we should probably get Brandon Last tiood ’Lulu pointed Brandon was in the DJ’s booth, arguing with the DJ about soet him,’ I said, and hurried over just in tis, man Why is that?’The DJ’s reply was cals suck ’Brandon pulled back his ar ht on to it so that he staggered backwards with ?’ he deuy just said? I’onna take hio now ’‘I can’t go now,’ Brandon said, trying to shake ing rout of the tiled floor to keep hio The li me inexorably forward ‘I’ll be there in awhat else to do – but knowing I had to distract hi one ar the other around his neck, and clamped my mouth over hisAs I’d hoped, Brandon’s reflexes weren’t too badly affected by alcohol for him not to catch me the moment I leaped into his arreally is wonderful that way I alet Brandon to quit wanting to fightuntil, that is, soedthere staring at us, holding a CD in his hand and looking vaguely be intoheld in the air by Brandon Stark Although at least this ti me over his shoulder, fireht he and Lulu kidnapped ht?’‘Oh,’ I said, trying to sound breezy ‘Yes We were just leaving Brandon, you can put me do ’‘No,’ Brandon said sullenly as he stared at Gabriel, apparently recognizing hirainy photo of the two of us on Gabriel’s Vespa that had been all over the place the day before‘Ha ’ I gave a nervous laugh, and tried to s Put ainI closed ht between Gabriel and BrandonBut I needn’t have worried Because of course Gabriel doesn’t likethe fact that he thinks Nikki Howard is a recovering addict and all When I openedat me with that same bemused expressionAnd Lulu had co so long?’ she dely loud voice She looked like a five-foot-tall angry general ‘The car’s waiting, you guys Move it, or lose it!’Obediently Brandon followed her, not see what else to do, I waved goodbye to Gabriel from over Brandon’s broad shoulder Gabriel waved back – then see around as several people standing nearby cried, ‘Oh my God – that’s Nikki Howard!’ One or two rushed up to ask for , not pausing even for acarried out of the hottest dance club in Manhattan at two in the ain boyfriend wasn’t too e Especially e encountered about nine thousand paparazzi on the sidewalk between the front of the club and the waiting doors of our limo That was especially nice I mean, not‘Great,’ I said, after Brandon had duhtened out my skirt, which had hiked up past ht?’‘What?’ Lulu asked blearily as she reapplied her lip-gloss‘Like I was too drunk to walk and Brandon was carrying me out of there ’‘So?’ Lulu admired her own reflection in the Swarovski crystal-encrusted co ‘You didn’t know any better than to drink too ot You have amnesia Re ’ She looked up from the compact ‘Oh, no, waithow could you remember that? You have amnesia ’Brandon, who’d piled into the limo after us, chose that moment to collapse on top of me‘Your place or iving hi at mine I don’t even like you that way I only kissed you to keep you fro your face smashe

d in by that DJ You’re in no condition to be fighting anyone ’‘You’re nice,’ he said, notmore deeply into my lap ‘You’re much nicer than you used to be, before you hit your head and scrambled your brains You were so mean before Remember, Lulu? When Nikki was soand put her lipgloss away, cocking her head to study htfully ‘She is a lot less bitchy,’ she said ‘It must be because of the spirit transfer ’‘I don’t care why it is,’ Brandon said, sighing happily as he hugged lad she’s back And so entle snoreI threw Lulu a helpless look, like, What aet ho of her razor-sharp shoulder blades ‘He won’t wake up Tom’ll take him back to his place on Charles Street It’s not like he’ll remember any of this tolancing down at Brandon’s handso faceLulu looked at me blankly ‘He likes to party,’ she saidI could see that she had no idea what I was talking about – also that she was beginning to nod off herself, every bit as tired as I was I was going to have to get to the bottom of the Brandon probleht, I just wanted to go to bedWhich I did, theNikki’s alarrand total of four-hours’ sleep – so I could get to school on ti to be easy, this balancing high school with a full-ti to pull it offAll I kneas that I had to, if I was going to establish any kind of normality to my new lifeNormality When I had Nikki Howard’s face and E out just great so far