L. Marie Adeline- S.E.C.R.E.T

Are you seeing double? Who am I? Who is the president? Should I call an ambulance?”
Without waiting for a reply, Angela made her unsteady way to the kitchen phone. I
watched Kit attempt to right herself, wince, and lay back down.
“Cassie,” she whispered.
I crawled closer. “What is it, Kit?”
“Cassie … this floor … is really dirty.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” I said. I was about to take her hand to console her, when I noticed
her fall had caused one of her wristbands to shift, exposing a portion of a shiny gold
bracelet—a S.E.C.R.E.T. bracelet! Covered in charms!
A look passed between us.
“What the—?”
“My ass is just ne, Cassie. And one more thing,” Kit whispered, crooking her nger to
bring me closer. I leaned towards her lipsticked mouth. “Do you … accept your nal
Step?”
“Do I what? With you? I mean, you’re adorable and everything, Kit, but—”
A smile played across her lips as she sat up. “Relax, I’m not a participant. But I have
been asked to nudge you forward. You’re almost there, girl. Now’s not the time to back
down. Not when it’s about to get really fun!”
When we heard Angela returning from the kitchen, Kit collapsed back to the oor,
fake-groaning all over again.
“This is a problem,” Angela said, hands on her hips.
“I know. I mean, who will dance in my place?” Kit asked, an arm dramatically ung
over her eyes. “Who can we get on such short notice?”
“I don’t know,” said Angela.
Was she in on this too?
“I mean, who do we know who’s free tonight? And cute? And could totally t into my
costume?” Kit asked.
“Hard to say,” said Angela, never taking her mischievous eyes off me.
I’d known Kit for years, but I thought she’d always been like this: condent, dynamic,
strong. To be in S.E.C.R.E.T., she must have gone through a time of great fear and selfdoubt.
Yet she showed no sign of that now. Then there was Angela, a stunning example
of physical perfection if there ever was one. Yet knowing what I knew about S.E.C.R.E.T
and how they pick participants, why was I still so surprised to nd that when the pink
boa slipped off her arms, Angela was wearing a bracelet too?
“All righty, then,” said Angela, extending her hand to help me up from where I was
crouched next to Kit. “Upstairs with you, missy. We have some new steps to learn.”
“But … your bracelets? Are you two—?”
“There’ll be lots of time for questions later. Now we dance!” she said, snapping her
fingers like a flamenco dancer.
“Speaking of which, where’s your bracelet?” Kit asked, brushing the dirt o her skin.
She was still in her strapless bra and underwear, causing a few stray pedestrians to stop
and peer into the front window of Café Rose.
“In my purse,” I said.