In the front seat, Alex was grinning. “It’s okay, Cass. You can say it. He’s a total tool.”
“You didn’t like him?” Victoria asked her sister, the first words she’d uttered since she’d stomped into the car.
Alex snorted. “What was there to like?” She kept talking as she spun the steering wheel with one hand. “He’s spent the entire time he’s been here talking about his frat and his boat. Neither of which is that interesting.”
One of her fake pink nails clipped the steering wheel and wiggled, loosening. Alex frowned at it.
“He was probably trying to impress you,” Victoria muttered.
Alex rolled her eyes. “Ugh, are youstillin your mood, Vicky?” she teased, and watched as Victoria recoiled at the childhood nickname. Victoria crossed her arms again, tighter now. I noticed she looked thinner than normal. Thinner than Alex even.
“The thing is, he’s exactly the kind of guy Sam would go for,” Alex said, shaking her head. “She’s so needy. She would date a serial killer if he showed her enough attention.”
“That’s kind of bitchy, Alex,” Victoria said. “She seems to really love him.”
“I’m not saying she doesn’t; she just has terrible taste. Isaac is annoying. Even Mom thought so.”
“Mom didn’t say anything bad.”
“Oh, come on, Vic. You didn’t see her clutching at her pearls when he said his family went to Vegas last summer for vacation? She thinks he’s vulgar. And Dad hated him on principle.”
Alex pulled the Volkswagen into a spot near the front of the mall and took her time reapplying lip gloss before getting out. She spread her mouth as wide as she could, making sure the gloss made it over every inch of her pouty lips. Victoria watched her carefully before reapplying her own.
The mall was packed, the way it always was on a Saturday. Hordes of teenagers separated into small groups, whispering to one another andswinging their bags, getting side glances from the store associates before they even walked through.
“I need Starbucks before we do anything else,” Alex insisted. She dragged us toward the coffee shop at the entrance so we could all order.
Hours passed as the four of us walked easily around the mall, sipping our drinks and wandering in and out of the stores. I was careful with my money, knowing I just wanted to get something new for the party, but the Hopelys bought something in nearly every store they went into.
When we got to Victoria’s Secret, I was excited. I had only ever been in here with my mom, and I’d been too embarrassed then to try anything on. Now I stood by Cassandra, who seemed more comfortable. I mostly lingered by the clothes racks while Cassandra flipped through overpriced lacy patterned bras. Alex found a lacy padded one she insisted I try on.
“God damn, Dearling,” she said, shaking her head when I came out of the dressing room to show her. “Where did thatrackcome from?”
She was staring at my cleavage and gawking.
“I wish I had bigger boobs,” she complained, attempting to push hers up.
I gave her a half-hearted smile. I hated it when anyone else brought up my chest. I had tripled my bra size over the last year, going from a B to DD overnight. All of my baby tees suddenly looked slutty, and tank tops gave me real cleavage. Other girls in our class had gotten bigger boobs this year too, but most of them had curves to fill them out. Mine had just grown onto the lean frame I’d always had, completely unsupported. It made me look older than my years. Too sexual. I had the same body type as my mom, but everyone assumed hers were implants.
I ended up buying the bra, mostly so we didn’t talk about it anymore.
We went to a few more stores before Cassandra and I insisted on getting pizza. It was the only lunch option I could afford after the Victoria’s Secret purchase. Alex and Victoria agreed and stood in line in the food court, but they complained about the smell and grease. Standing in front of us were two tall boys. They kept turning back to look at us, then whispering to each other. Finally, the more attractive of the two, with floppy brown hair and dimples, turned to Alex.
“Are you two twins?” he asked boldly. He was addressing both Alex and Victoria, but only looked at Alex.
She surveyed him for a moment, taking her time to look at him up and down. “No,” she said finally, “she’s my little sister.” Victoria scoffed at the wordlittle,but Alex didn’t care. She was staring up at the guy, who was so tall that he would have towered over Will.
“Oh,” the guy said, smiling. “But you guys look different.”
He followed it up quickly with “You’re really pretty, though. By the way.”
Alex’s smile widened and she turned reflexively toward her younger sister, basking in the compliment. Victoria seemed to take this as a slight. She shook her head. “This issoannoying,” she whispered to us.
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Cassandra responded, ignoring Victoria’s frustration.
I nodded. I could admit he was pretty hot. I watched Alex.
“Thanks,” Alex said, her posture straightening. Her mouth had turned into a small smirk. As I watched her, she pulled down her Hollister tank top a little to show off her cleavage.
