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Tully sat onstage, in the cream-colored chair that was hers The pale color er than life She leaned forward to talk intimately with both the audience and the camera

Kate was instantly hooked While she watched Tully reveal her makeup and hair secrets to the rest of America, Kate paid bills and dusted the Levolor blinds and folded laundry After the show, she clicked off the television and sat down again to work on her Christrossed in this project, it took her a lanced around, saw the cordless phone on the floor under a pile of Legos, and answered it "Hello?"

"Kate, is this you?"

"Yes "

"Thank goodness Its Ellen, fro because Marah isnt in her fourth-period class If you forgot to sign her out, thats—"

"I didnt forget," Kate said, realizing how sharp she sounded "Sorry, Ellen Marah is supposed to be in class Let uess: Emily Allen and Sharyl Burton are absent, too "

"Oh, boy," Ellen said "Do you knohere they are?"

"I have a pretty good idea When I find them Ill call you Thanks, Ellen "

"Sorry, Kate "

She hung up the phone and glanced at the clock: 12:42

It didnt take an advanced degree to figure out where the girls were Today was Thursday, the day the new movies opened at the Pavillion Coincidentally, that new teen queen—Kate couldnt remember her name—had a new movie out

Kate grabbed her purse and headed out, pulling into the Pavillion lot at just before one Trying not to be royally pissed took soer, walked through the darkened theaters, found the girls, and herded the the battle

But her anger was nothing cohters

"I cant believe you did that," Marah said when they reached the parking lot

Kate ignored the tone and said tightly, "I told you you could see the Saturday matinee with your friends "