9781250209153

There’s no venom in her tone; she merely sounds tired. The way I only
let myself get with my sisters or Danielle. The way I never let myself get
with Tally.
“Well, it’s … it was annoying,” I repeat feebly.
Irene draws a deep breath. “Can we press pause on the I-hate-your-guts
game? The banter is juicy and all, but it’d be nice to let my guard down.
Especially after last night.”
My chest constricts again. “Fine.”
“So what else did you and Honey-Belle talk about? Did she show you
her vintage Furby collection?”
I hate the way we’re talking like casual friends. I hate knowing what she
looks like when she first wakes up. I hate that she’s still wearing her glasses
in front of me.
I want to tell her that Honey-Belle said she talks about me all the time. I
want to ask her what it means. What any of this means.
But I can’t go there. I can’t. Tally made out with another girl in front of
me last night, and then Irene and I shared a bed, and I don’t know how to
process any of it.
“We made plans for the double date,” I say with a shrug. “It sounds
ridiculous, but whatever.”
“It won’t be that bad. Hopefully we’ll get a good movie out of it.” She
drops her head back and watches the scenery fly by like she doesn’t have a
care in the world. “But you’re driving.”
I’d thought Irene’s reputation might take a hit after Charlotte’s antics, but if
anything, people at school seem even more obsessed with her. Some of
them—mostly the cheerleaders and their followers—insist that Irene is a
victim in this situation. “It’s nobody’s truth but her own!” I hear one girl
ranting to her friend. “How dare anyone judge her journey?!” Other people,
led by the soccer girls, are convinced that Irene is manipulating the whole
school for the purpose of securing a SAOY nomination. “Like, does she
think we’re some kind of convenient identity she can just shrug on and off