Skylar nodded, swallowing the lump that always appeared in her throat when she was reminded of her mother. What Meg was saying made perfect sense. She knew about the pressure of expectations. Skylar couldn’t help but wonder, briefly, how Meg knew so much about people. It was like she’d lived hundreds of years and had seen it all.
“You are totally as pretty and smart and savvy as Gabby,” Meg added. “It’s just a question of getting Pierce to see that.”
“At least I played it cool at school this week,” Skylar admitted, hopping off the bed to gather up the things for her mother, and placing them in a bag under her desk for now. “Pierce smiled at me during geometry today. So I don’t think he’s, like, dwelling on it. Do you think I’m making progress?”
“Of course you are!” Meg rattled off a list, keeping track on her long, delicate fingers. “You’re already friends with Gabby, so you’re learning from the best. You’re on the dance committee. You’re one hang-out away from making Pierce like you. You’re having your own party this weekend. You look great—your hair is so cute. You just have to keep going. Push it further.”
As Meg spoke, Skylar’s thoughts gained force, like a few flakes of snow whirling into a blizzard. Meg was right. Everything was going so well—she was on her way to living the life she wanted to lead. She wouldn’t let one minor setback ruin her plans. Her party would be a social success. Her contributions to the dance committee would be brilliant.
It was simple: She would beat Gabby at her own game. And while she felt a pang of guilt, plotting against the person who had been so nice to her, she was sick of trailing behind. When she was around Gabby, she felt too much like the ugly, pudgy little sister again.
Anyway, wasn’t it said that imitation is a form of flattery? It’s not like people would stop paying attention to Gabby. It was harmless. Skylar would innocently spread the wealth. No one would get hurt.
Not like last time.
“Let’s go shopping this week,” Meg said with a wink. “You need something really special to wear to your party. Something killer.”
? ? ?
As Marty Dove had predicted, the weather warmed up significantly in the days leading up to Skylar’s party. Ascension teachers were unable to tamp down the burbling excitement that swept through the school, as it did whenever the brutal winter gave them a slight reprieve. The hardened crust of snow that had coated the ground for months had melted, leaving behind puddles of mud.
As soon as the final bell rang on Thursday afternoon, Skylar ran to the parking lot to find Meg. She was waiting in her maroon Lincoln with two other girls, whom she gleefully introduced as her cousins, Ty and Ali. All three of the girls were wearing sundresses and sunglasses, as though they were ready for a day at the beach.
Skylar raised her eyebrows and giggled as she waved to them. “Hey, ladies, I know it’s sunny, but it’s not officially summer quite yet.”
“We run hot in our family,” Ali said. “Come on!”
Skylar hopped into the backseat with Ali, the bottle-blonde, whose piercing blue eyes and full lips reminded Skylar of Scarlett Johansson.
“This is going to be superfun,” Meg said, pulling out of the Ascension High lot with the windows down. “I love shopping trips! We’re going to find you something amazing. I might get something new too.”
“Where are we going?” Skylar asked meekly, pushing up her shirtsleeves. Ali was right. It was hot in this car. She hoped they would say Forever 21 or some bargain store. She didn’t have much spending money, even after the pawning incident.
“There’s really only one option at the mall,” Ty said with authority. “If you want to really look special, I mean. We’ve got to go to Euphoria Boutique.”
Skylar felt a flicker of anxiety. That place was way out of her price range. Didn’t Meg know that? She’d never thought of Meg as having a lot of money. She worked at an ice cream shop, after all. But Meg just smiled at Ty’s suggestion.
“Oh, well . . .” Skylar racked her brain for an excuse. “I was thinking more along the lines of, like, H&M? Because I kinda blew a lot of cash on the drinks and everything.”
“Well, you’ll just have to splurge a little more,” Ty said, looking over her shoulder into the backseat, flipping a lock of flaming-red hair off her temple. Skylar was struck by how white her teeth were. Like Chiclets. “You deserve to have something nice for tomorrow night.”
? ? ?
At the mall they dragged her immediately to Euphoria. It was an expensive store, full of beautiful, well-made staples and statement pieces. The stuff Gabby wore. The things Lucy would have liked.
Meg saw the doubt in Skylar’s eyes. “Just pick out what you like,” she said, that familiar twinkle in her gray eyes. “There’s no harm in trying things on.”