Before I Fall

I crack the door a little and there she is, her big puffy jacket zipped to her chin, looking pissed.
I’m happy to see her, anyway. She looks so normal, so familiar.
“What happened last night?” I say.
She frowns for a second. “Yeah, sorry about that. I couldn’t call back. I didn’t get off the phone
with Siope until, like, three A.M.”
“Call back?” I shake my head. “No, I meant—”
“He was freaking out over the fact that his parents are going to Acapulco without him.” She rolls
her eyes. “Poor baby. I swear to you, Mila, guys are like pets. Feed ’em, pet ’em, and put ’em to
bed.” She leans forward. “Speaking of which—are you excited about tonight?”
“What?” I don’t even know what she’s talking about. Her words are all running past me, blurring
together. I’m holding on to the towel rack, afraid I’ll fall over. The shower is on way too hot and
there’s thick steam everywhere, clouding up the mirror, condensing on the tiles.
“You, Mahone, some Miller Lite, and his flannel sheets.” She laughs. “Very romantic.”
“I have to shower.” I try to close the door, but she wedges her elbow in at the last second and
pushes into the bathroom.
“You haven’t showered yet?” She shakes her head. “Uh-uh. No way. You’ll have to do without.”
She reaches into the shower and turns off the water, then grabs me by the hand and drags me into
the hallway.
“You definitely need some makeup, though,” she says, scanning my face. “You look like shit.
Nightmares?”
"Something like that.”
“I have my MAC stuff in the Tank.” She unzips her coat and I see a white tuft of fur peeking out
from her cleavage: our Cupid Day tank tops. I suddenly have the urge to sit down on the floor and
laugh and laugh, and I have to struggle not to have a fit right there while Dinah's shoving me into
my room.
"Get dressed,” she says, and pulls out her cell phone, probably to text Mani we’re going to be
late. She watches me for a second and then sighs, turning away.
“Hope Austin doesn’t mind a little BO,” she says, and as she giggles over this, I start pulling on