“They would!” I plead, almost begging—but I’m no beggar.
Audrey laughs. “No, Jillie, they really wouldn’t.”
I sigh. “Fine. But remember, I’m wearing these under duress. I’ve got my insurance card in my wallet, you know, for when I break my neck.”
“So dramatic,” Audrey chides.
“You make my dad—The Colonel—come back from Afghanistan because I screwed up my ankle, he’s not going to be happy.”
“Whatevs,” Isla replies. If they’d met The Colonel, they wouldn’t be so relaxed. My dad is bad ass.
They both roll their eyes.
Just as I hope they’re finished, Isla reaches into my shirt and bra and adjusts my breasts. I slap her hands away.
“What are you doing!?”
“You’re lopsided. You don’t want one boob to look bigger than the other, do you?” she asks so matter-of-factly you’d think stuff like this happens every day. I can assure you. It doesn’t. In fact, Isla is only the second person to feel me up.
Mortification complete.
I look for my backpack and they both glare.
“Look. You got all of this,” I say, motioning up and down my body, “so I get this.”
Audrey shakes her head. “At least use the one that matches.”
“Fine.” I transfer everything over—including my Kindle and a hair tie I sneak in when neither is looking.
“Take a look,” Audrey encourages.
I stand in front of the long mirror on the back of my bedroom door and I don’t recognize this girl. This girl is everything the guys at school drool over and try to get into bed. This girl is one who could be popular. This girl is perfect… but this girl is not me.
“You’re gorgeous,” Isla compliments.
“Only for tonight.”
“Why, Jillie?” Audrey asks.
“I don’t want to be everything everyone else already is. I want to be different. I want to be me.”
“You could still be you like this,” Isla proposes.
“No, this isn’t me.”
“What about halfway?” Audrey suggests.
I look at myself again—really look this time. I can see myself in her, this girl in the mirror.
“Hair up, Chucks on, half the makeup? Maybe.”
Audrey and Isla are grinning so wide I swear their faces are going to break.
Audrey hugs me. “It’d be a great start.”
Or the end, depending on who you ask.
