Perfectly Ridiculous by Kristin Billerbeck Page A

Europe after this trip.
    â€œI called your parents and told them to come and take the room while I was gone. You should see the dump they’re staying in. Your parents sure do love you, Daisy.”
    â€œThat was so thoughtful! You try to be tough, but I know you’re all mushy inside.”
    â€œCut that out! My parents are paying for the room. They’ll never know the difference.”
    I giggle at this. “Well, come on in and see your luxury accommodations. If we’re worthy of the house, that is, and not relegated to the car.”
    â€œCool! It’s not that loft up there, is it? I always wanted a loft. It’s so cool.”
    â€œI’ll have to sleep on the floor. There’s only one cot up there, and again, that’s if we get to stay in the house. Libby’s husband Hank is pretty cool, so I doubt he’ll let us sleep in the car.”
    â€œWhere’s the bathroom?”
    I pause at this. “It’s . . . um, it’s outside.”
    â€œAs in an outhouse! You never said anything about that on the message.”
    â€œBut there’s the loft—so cool, remember? You always wanted one!”
    She’s not buying it. “Is it clean?”
    â€œI’ll clean it for you. Actually, I’ll clean for everyone. Apparently, that’s one of my duties this week: cleaning the outhouse.”
    â€œGross.”
    â€œBut here’s the good news, and the really awesome part is that you didn’t even know this when you came. Okay, the guys working this mission week as translators? They make Max look like a troll.”
    â€œReally?” This grabs her interest.
    â€œBut we can’t really talk to them in front of Libby. She thinks we’re all sex-starved teenagers.”
    â€œDidn’t you tell her about the purity play your parents put on, and that we’re the good girls?”
    â€œShe’s not the type to believe anyone’s above temptation. And I gotta admit, wait until you see the vampire, Leo, and you might understand her fears.”
    â€œLibby sounds delightful. Wait. What? Vampire?”
    â€œYou’ll see what I mean. I’m just warning you so you can play it cool. Trust me, it won’t be easy.”
    Claire sweeps her gaze around the room. “I like this place. It’s like we get to see Buenos Aires as it really is, not how they portray it to be downtown. I wanted to go home with a real experience like this.”
    â€œI guess you got your wish then.”
    â€œThat’s why I was so bummed we never heard anything from Max. What is up with that?”
    I shrug. “I haven’t the slightest. He was supposed to come back and bring me candy for the kids, and nothing. Well, maybe he implied he’d come back, but he’s not one to promise things and not come through. And yet, not a word.”
    â€œYou have terrible taste in guys.”
    â€œThanks for the support. I’m working on that, you know. Had a bit of an epiphany about it.”
    â€œGlad to hear it. You needed one. Some guy calls himself a Christian and you buy it without a shred of evidence.”
    â€œI’m trusting.”
    â€œYou say trusting, I say ignorant.”
    I do my best to hide my emotions from Claire. The last thing I need is to hear another sermon about the art of being dumped internationally. We all know I could have stayed home for the privilege.
    â€œSo what’s on the agenda here?” Claire looks around the sparse room again. “I love the way everything is so pieced together and natural. Somehow it’s more homey than a designed home where everything is perfect.”
    I nod. “My house is pieced together.”
    â€œBut that’s more tag sale. This is more authentic.”
    We both laugh.
    â€œSo now we wait for Libby to come back and tell us what to do next, and we try to look really busy,” I say.
    â€œWell, look at the cobwebs in that corner. I’ll