9781250209153

6
On Saturday, Dad and I get up early to take my car to the Sledd Brothers
Auto Shop. They promise us the bumper is an easy fix, but with the amount
of business they’ve had lately, it’s going to take several days before I get
my car back. My parents will have to drop me off at school until then.
When the mechanics tell us the estimated cost, I feel weird knowing that
Irene’s insurance policy will pay for it.
The rest of the day is devoted to getting ready for the Homecoming
dance. Mom and Daphne chirp about it all afternoon, bombarding me with
ideas for how to do my hair as if I know what the hell they’re talking about.
Finally, Thora takes pity on me and sets up a hair and makeup station in the
basement. She hangs my suit on the door for “inspiration,” queues up music
on her portable speaker, and brews a fresh pot of coffee to keep us in the
zone. Daphne plops down beside her, offering input, and I sit still and silent,
letting my sisters take the reins.
Thora and Daphne move effortlessly through Girl World. They speak a
common language I’ve never understood, with shimmery words like
contouring and bandeaus and bralettes. It’s their birthright, this ability to be
like any other girl. I’ve never had the same birthright, and I’ve understood
that since long before I heard the word gay.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons I liked Tally: She had no qualms about
moving through both worlds. Now I have to straddle the two without her.
I breathe easier when Thora and Daphne agree on a hairstyle and
reassure me of how stunning I’m going to look. Daphne hands me a coffee
and smiles a giddy, ecstatic smile. Her own coffee looks too big for her little