“What?”
“I used to work in a beauty salon. We’ll dress for success. And a party. We make sure Alek notices you. Only you.”
Abi gives me a tight hug. “You’re amazing.”
Her smile is back. After she releases me, I say, “I know you’ll love me even more when you hear where we’re going right now.”
She laughs. “Where?”
“To the mall for pretzel bites and more ice cream.”
“Yes to carbs.”
We change into our flip-flops. I don’t care to change out of my sweaty running clothes and Abi is content with her baggy sweatpants and tank top. We grab our wallets and phones and leave.
“Wow. Abi, I’m loving the look of your car.” I’m wide-eyed at the shiniest car I’ve ever seen as I get in the passenger seat. The inside is all leather and has so many buttons.
“It has all the bells and whistles. Every technology. It’s very convenient. Wait… Where’s my picture?”
She starts frantically opening every single compartment at the front, and there are so many.
“Slow down, Abi. What are you looking for? I’ll help.”
“The picture. The picture. Our picture. It was hanging here.”
She points to the rearview mirror.
“What does it look like? Small?”
“This size.” She shows me her palm. “It’s me and Alek.”
“I’m sure it’s here somewhere. It probably fell.”
I search the floors with no luck. I get out of the car and search on the floor of the back seat. I open the sun shades, but nothing.
Abi is about to cry.
“Abi, we’ll find it. I promise.”
I don’t know where else to look.
“Only Alek and I have keys to the car. If the picture is missing, and I didn’t move it, then it has to be Alek. It’s his way of letting me down before he breaks up with me.”
A bad feeling nudges my stomach. I don’t think Alek took it. It’s not his style.
Abi is at the back opening the trunk, which I find unreasonable. How would the picture get there?
She gasps and starts sobbing so loudly that my first thought is that she found a dead animal in the car. I run to her side and stare at the clean trunk. At the bottom I see the picture torn into two pieces. On one half is her happy face and the other is Alek’s.
My heart drops to my stomach.
“Alek doesn’t want me.” Abi is freaking out, pacing near the car.
I know it’s not Alek who did this.
My mind is racing, trying to find answers and make sense of the situation. Uncontrollable flushes of heat overtake my body, and I feel feverish. My gaze is clouding, but then I regain focus.
Charlie did this.
