and puffy and the tip of her nose looked purple.
“What’s wrong with my Versace exercise suit?” Kendra turned around as if she were chasing her own tail.
“I think its super-cool,” Nina promised.
“Of course
you
do,” Massie hissed.
“It looks so good on you, Mrs. Block.” Nina oozed charm. “How do you stay so fit?”
“Nina, you are so sweet.” Kendra blushed. Her smile was wide and sincere, despite her recent injection of Botox. “We converted our horse shed into a gym, so I’ve been working out a lot lately. I have a trainer coming over in ten minutes to teach a Pilates-cardio-kickboxing-Ashtanga-yoga class. You can join us if you like.”
Massie shot Alicia a desperate glance.
“Uh, thanks, Mrs. Block, but Nina—”
Alicia was cut off.
“I would love to.” Nina clapped her hands together. Then her expression changed to one of regret. “But I don’t have any workout clothes here.”
“Oh, that’s no big deal.” Kendra bounced over to Massie’s closet and tugged on her feather boa to turn on the light. “Borrow anything you’d like.”
Massie couldn’t stand it when her mother treated strangers like family.
“That would be great. Thanks, Mrs. B.” Nina stood up and walked over to the closet.
“Oh, please sit down,” Massie offered in her sweetest voice. “Let me get something for you.”
Massie stepped into her closet and pulled out an old sweat-stained wife-beater and a pair of tight Adidas sweats. They were blue with white stripes running up the sides. She quietly reached for a Prada shoe box off one of her shelves and pulled out a pair of squeaky scissors and quickly cut a hole in the butt.
“Here you go.” Massie held out the clothes for Nina. “Sorry I can’t give you any sneakers—I’m a size five and you’re a six.”
“That’s okay, I’ll wear my boots. It’s good for my calves.” Nina stepped out of her black slip in front of everyone and slid on the pants.
Dylan, Kristen, and Alicia saw Nina’s butt cheek sticking out and started laughing. Massie lifted her index finger to her mouth and slowly shook her head.
Kendra didn’t notice. She was crouched down beside Claire, examining her face.
“Claire, we have to get you to a doctor.” Kendra sounded alarmed. “Your face is all puffy and red. You’re having a reaction. Do you have any allergies?”
Claire hesitated and avoided Massie’s eyes. “Uh, sometimes I can be allergic to dogs but—”
“Bean!” Kendra said.
The dog shot out from under Massie’s bed like a hairy bullet and ran out of the room.
“I’m sure I’m just catching Dylan’s cold,” Claire promised.
“Uh, no offense, Claire, but I don’t look like a Sharpe. You have something else.”
Massie elbowed her in the ribs. “It’s not Bean. That’s impossible.”
“Is my mom here?” Claire asked Kendra.
“She went to some crafts fair down at the church. Why? Are you having trouble breathing? Is your throat locked? Can you swallow?”
“I’m okay,” Claire whispered softly. “Just a little hot and itchy.”
“Then we’ll deal with this after my class. Ready, Nina?”
“
Sí.
” Nina doused her neck in musky perfume and skipped out of the room behind Kendra.
Massie could feel the weight of her hanging jaw.
“Sorry.” Alicia threw her red Coach weekend bag over her shoulder and shrugged. “I won’t bring her again. I promise.”
You better not,
Massie wanted to say, but she couldn’t speak. She felt like someone had filled her entire body with gooey Marshmallow Fluff. It was hard enough to watch Nina and her mother bonding, but Claire’s Bean allergy? Massie couldn’t believe her luck. Now Claire would have to leave.
Massie paced around her room, tidying. She placed three crystal bowls filled with pretzel crumbs and melted Junior Mints outside her bedroom door so Inez could take them to the kitchen. While she straightened her bed, Massie tried to think of something positive about Claire leaving
“What’s wrong with my Versace exercise suit?” Kendra turned around as if she were chasing her own tail.
“I think its super-cool,” Nina promised.
“Of course
you
do,” Massie hissed.
“It looks so good on you, Mrs. Block.” Nina oozed charm. “How do you stay so fit?”
“Nina, you are so sweet.” Kendra blushed. Her smile was wide and sincere, despite her recent injection of Botox. “We converted our horse shed into a gym, so I’ve been working out a lot lately. I have a trainer coming over in ten minutes to teach a Pilates-cardio-kickboxing-Ashtanga-yoga class. You can join us if you like.”
Massie shot Alicia a desperate glance.
“Uh, thanks, Mrs. Block, but Nina—”
Alicia was cut off.
“I would love to.” Nina clapped her hands together. Then her expression changed to one of regret. “But I don’t have any workout clothes here.”
“Oh, that’s no big deal.” Kendra bounced over to Massie’s closet and tugged on her feather boa to turn on the light. “Borrow anything you’d like.”
Massie couldn’t stand it when her mother treated strangers like family.
“That would be great. Thanks, Mrs. B.” Nina stood up and walked over to the closet.
“Oh, please sit down,” Massie offered in her sweetest voice. “Let me get something for you.”
Massie stepped into her closet and pulled out an old sweat-stained wife-beater and a pair of tight Adidas sweats. They were blue with white stripes running up the sides. She quietly reached for a Prada shoe box off one of her shelves and pulled out a pair of squeaky scissors and quickly cut a hole in the butt.
“Here you go.” Massie held out the clothes for Nina. “Sorry I can’t give you any sneakers—I’m a size five and you’re a six.”
“That’s okay, I’ll wear my boots. It’s good for my calves.” Nina stepped out of her black slip in front of everyone and slid on the pants.
Dylan, Kristen, and Alicia saw Nina’s butt cheek sticking out and started laughing. Massie lifted her index finger to her mouth and slowly shook her head.
Kendra didn’t notice. She was crouched down beside Claire, examining her face.
“Claire, we have to get you to a doctor.” Kendra sounded alarmed. “Your face is all puffy and red. You’re having a reaction. Do you have any allergies?”
Claire hesitated and avoided Massie’s eyes. “Uh, sometimes I can be allergic to dogs but—”
“Bean!” Kendra said.
The dog shot out from under Massie’s bed like a hairy bullet and ran out of the room.
“I’m sure I’m just catching Dylan’s cold,” Claire promised.
“Uh, no offense, Claire, but I don’t look like a Sharpe. You have something else.”
Massie elbowed her in the ribs. “It’s not Bean. That’s impossible.”
“Is my mom here?” Claire asked Kendra.
“She went to some crafts fair down at the church. Why? Are you having trouble breathing? Is your throat locked? Can you swallow?”
“I’m okay,” Claire whispered softly. “Just a little hot and itchy.”
“Then we’ll deal with this after my class. Ready, Nina?”
“
Sí.
” Nina doused her neck in musky perfume and skipped out of the room behind Kendra.
Massie could feel the weight of her hanging jaw.
“Sorry.” Alicia threw her red Coach weekend bag over her shoulder and shrugged. “I won’t bring her again. I promise.”
You better not,
Massie wanted to say, but she couldn’t speak. She felt like someone had filled her entire body with gooey Marshmallow Fluff. It was hard enough to watch Nina and her mother bonding, but Claire’s Bean allergy? Massie couldn’t believe her luck. Now Claire would have to leave.
Massie paced around her room, tidying. She placed three crystal bowls filled with pretzel crumbs and melted Junior Mints outside her bedroom door so Inez could take them to the kitchen. While she straightened her bed, Massie tried to think of something positive about Claire leaving
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