1269_UgliesFreeBook

UGLIES 409
had realized there was no convincing Shay that her personality
had changed. To Shay, her new attitude was simply the
result of growing up, moving on, leaving all the overheated
emotions of ugliness behind.
“You weren’t always this way, Shay,” David said.
“No, I used to be ugly.”
Maddy smiled gently. “These pills won’t change the way
you look. They’ll only affect your brain, undoing what Dr.
Cable did to the way your mind works. Then you can
decide for yourself how you want to look.”
“Decide? After you’ve messed with my brain?”
“Shay!” Tally said, forgetting her promise to remain
silent. “We’re not the ones messing with your brain!”
“Tally,” David said softly.
“That’s right, I’m the one who’s crazy.” Shay’s voice took
on the tone of her daily round of complaining. “Not you
guys, who live in a broken-down building on the edge of a
dead city, slowly turning into freaks when you could be
beautiful. Yeah, I’m crazy all right . . . for trying to help you!”
Tally sat back and crossed her arms, silenced by Shay’s
words. Whenever they had this conversation, reality
became a little unhinged, as if she and the other New
Smokies might really be the insane ones. It felt like Tally’s
horrible first days in the Smoke, when she hadn’t known
whose side she was on.
“How are you helping us, Shay?” Maddy asked calmly.
“I’m trying to get you to understand.”