What draws me in is the cap. It’s bubble gum pink.
Without realizing it, I’m fording the store straight toward her. I circle the mannequin, feigning great interest in the crop top. I think I’m being subtle, but the girl’s body goes as rigid as the shiny white dummy. Scared she’ll run before I can get a look at her, I speed-walk around the display, but trip over the square base. I latch on to the dummy that isn’t attached to the base. I squeeze my eyes shut as I crash, dummy-first, to the floor.
On the upside, from this vantage point, I can now see the girl’s face.
And yep, it’s the same one I glimpsed at Lynn’s house. It’s even sporting the exact same expression—undiluted shock with a side of horror.
“Hi?” I venture. Not my most impressive overture.
Eyes shiny like shaken snow globes, the girl backs away but bumps into a broad body. Hands settle on her shoulders. Long fingers crease her heather-gray sweatshirt, steadying her.
My gaze scales the length of the body. When it reaches the person’s face, my jaw slackens. Like rubber bands, my eyes snap back to the girl’sface. I expect her to spring away from the person touching her, but she doesn’t.
I wonder what my odds are of passing for a plastic dummy. Maybe if I lie perfectly still—
“Angie, are you okay?” Rae asks.
There goes operation inanimate object.
14
Ovaries Can Apparently Melt
“Hiya, Ten.” Rae flips her hair.
Sucking in a sigh, I peel myself off the mannequin. I don’t bother righting it. Two salesgirls have already flocked over to do just that, exceedingly concerned for the fiberglass figure and not the least bit for me.
If only I could blink out of existence—
Rae winds one arm through mine. “You okay, Angie?”
Nope. I’m not okay. I probably will never be okay. I just face-planted at Ten’s feet while clutching a mannequin.
I’m animated by a very real desire to race into a changing room and hide until Tennessee leaves the store with this girl, whom I assume is the owner of the princess Band-Aids, but Mom is their decorator. I don’t want them to fire her because I behaved like a lunatic stalker, so I level my gaze on the girl who’s still nestled against Ten’s chest and swallow my pride. “You have a real awesome voice. That’s what I came over to say.”
She doesn’t respond. Just gapes at me.
“Nev”—Ten sighs roughly—“meet Angie.”
Nev’s eyebrows are as dark as Ten’s, and her nose is a smaller version of his, complete with the slight bump.
“And I’m Rae,” my friend says brightly, giving Nev a small wave.
“Hi.” Nev’s voice is adagio soft.
“So that’s how you ended up at Lynn’s? My mother…” It’s not a question as much as a realization.
Nev glances up at her brother, who explains that I’m Jade’s daughter.
“You sing too, Nev?” Rae asks.
Even though Nev appears spooked, she nods.
Suddenly, I realize why Ten told me I was a danger on my bike. I almost ran into a car when I was fleeing Lynn’s…hiscar. He must’ve been on his way to pick up his sister. “How can you hate music when your sister has such an incredible voice?” I ask him.
Even though Nev’s face is shaded by her cap, it seems to darken. She cranes her neck to look up at her brother. Her brother who still hasn’t released her. Whose fingers are crimping his sister’s sweatshirt.
“Ten doesn’t hate music,” she says.
