walls. They looked at each other and grinned.
Emily bit her lip. This was such a perfect friend moment, it made her feel kind of melancholy and nostalgic.
Maya’s eyes turned down in concern. “What’s wrong?”
Emily took a deep breath. “Well…you know that girl who lived in your house? Alison?”
“Yeah.”
“She went missing. Right after seventh grade. She was never found.”
Maya shivered slightly. “I heard something about that.”
Emily hugged herself; she was getting cold, too. “We were really close.”
Maya moved closer to Emily and put her arm around her. “I didn’t realize.”
“Yeah.” Emily’s chin wobbled. “I just wanted you to know.”
“Thanks.”
A few long moments passed; Emily and Maya continued to hug. Then, Maya backed off. “I kind of lied earlier. About why I want to break up with Justin.”
Emily raised an eyebrow, curious.
“I’m…I’m not sure if I like guys,” Maya said quietly. “It’s weird. I think they’re cute, but when I get alone with them, I don’t want to be with them. I’d rather be with, like, someone more like me.” She smiled crookedly. “You know?”
Emily ran her hands over her face and hair. Maya’s gaze felt too close all of a sudden. “I…,” she started. No, she didn’t know.
The bushes above them moved. Emily flinched. Her mom used to hate when she came to this trail—you never knew what kind of kidnappers or murderers hid in places like this. The woods were still for a moment, but then a flock of birds scattered wildly into the sky. Emily flattened herself up against the rock. Was someone watching them? Who was that laughing? The laugh sounded familiar. Then Emily heard heavy breathing. Goose bumps rose up on her arms and she peered out of the cave.
It was only a group of boys. Suddenly, they burst into the creek, wielding sticks like swords. Emily backed away from Maya and out of the waterfall.
“Where are you going?” Maya called.
Emily looked at Maya, and then at the boys, who had abandoned the sticks and were now throwing rocks at each other. One of them was Mike Montgomery, her old friend Aria’s little brother. He’d grown up quite a bit since she last saw him. And wait—Mike went to Rosewood. Would he recognize her? Emily climbed out of the water and started scurrying up the hill.
She turned back to Maya. “I have to get back to school before Carolyn’s done with swimming.” She pulled on her skirt. “Do you want me to throw down your clothes?”
“Whatev.” At that, she stepped out of the waterfall and waded through the water, her sheer underwear clinging to her butt. Maya climbed up the slope slowly, not once covering up her stomach or boobs with her hands. The freshmen boys stopped what they were doing and stared.
And even though Emily didn’t want to, she couldn’t help but stare too.
11
AT LEAST SWEET POTATOES HAVE LOTS OF VITAMIN A
“Her. Definitely her,” Hanna whispered, pointing.
“Nah. They’re too small!” Mona whispered back.
“But look at the way they puff up at the top! Totally fake,” Hanna countered.
“I think that woman over there has had her butt done.”
“Gross.” Hanna wrinkled her nose and ran her hands over the sides of her own toned, perfectly round butt to make sure it was still perfectly perfect. It was late afternoon on Wednesday, just two days until Noel Kahn’s annual field party, and she and Mona were lounging on the outside terrace at Yam, the organic café at Mona’s parents’ country club. Below them, a bunch of Rosewood boys played a quick round of golf before dinner, but Hanna and Mona were playing another type of game: Spot the Fake Boobs. Or fake anything else, as there was lots of fake stuff around here.
“Yeah, it looks like her surgeon messed up,” Mona murmured. “I think my mom plays tennis with her. I’ll ask.”
Hanna looked again at the pixieish, thirtysomething woman by the bar whose butt did look suspiciously extra-luscious for
Emily bit her lip. This was such a perfect friend moment, it made her feel kind of melancholy and nostalgic.
Maya’s eyes turned down in concern. “What’s wrong?”
Emily took a deep breath. “Well…you know that girl who lived in your house? Alison?”
“Yeah.”
“She went missing. Right after seventh grade. She was never found.”
Maya shivered slightly. “I heard something about that.”
Emily hugged herself; she was getting cold, too. “We were really close.”
Maya moved closer to Emily and put her arm around her. “I didn’t realize.”
“Yeah.” Emily’s chin wobbled. “I just wanted you to know.”
“Thanks.”
A few long moments passed; Emily and Maya continued to hug. Then, Maya backed off. “I kind of lied earlier. About why I want to break up with Justin.”
Emily raised an eyebrow, curious.
“I’m…I’m not sure if I like guys,” Maya said quietly. “It’s weird. I think they’re cute, but when I get alone with them, I don’t want to be with them. I’d rather be with, like, someone more like me.” She smiled crookedly. “You know?”
Emily ran her hands over her face and hair. Maya’s gaze felt too close all of a sudden. “I…,” she started. No, she didn’t know.
The bushes above them moved. Emily flinched. Her mom used to hate when she came to this trail—you never knew what kind of kidnappers or murderers hid in places like this. The woods were still for a moment, but then a flock of birds scattered wildly into the sky. Emily flattened herself up against the rock. Was someone watching them? Who was that laughing? The laugh sounded familiar. Then Emily heard heavy breathing. Goose bumps rose up on her arms and she peered out of the cave.
It was only a group of boys. Suddenly, they burst into the creek, wielding sticks like swords. Emily backed away from Maya and out of the waterfall.
“Where are you going?” Maya called.
Emily looked at Maya, and then at the boys, who had abandoned the sticks and were now throwing rocks at each other. One of them was Mike Montgomery, her old friend Aria’s little brother. He’d grown up quite a bit since she last saw him. And wait—Mike went to Rosewood. Would he recognize her? Emily climbed out of the water and started scurrying up the hill.
She turned back to Maya. “I have to get back to school before Carolyn’s done with swimming.” She pulled on her skirt. “Do you want me to throw down your clothes?”
“Whatev.” At that, she stepped out of the waterfall and waded through the water, her sheer underwear clinging to her butt. Maya climbed up the slope slowly, not once covering up her stomach or boobs with her hands. The freshmen boys stopped what they were doing and stared.
And even though Emily didn’t want to, she couldn’t help but stare too.
11
AT LEAST SWEET POTATOES HAVE LOTS OF VITAMIN A
“Her. Definitely her,” Hanna whispered, pointing.
“Nah. They’re too small!” Mona whispered back.
“But look at the way they puff up at the top! Totally fake,” Hanna countered.
“I think that woman over there has had her butt done.”
“Gross.” Hanna wrinkled her nose and ran her hands over the sides of her own toned, perfectly round butt to make sure it was still perfectly perfect. It was late afternoon on Wednesday, just two days until Noel Kahn’s annual field party, and she and Mona were lounging on the outside terrace at Yam, the organic café at Mona’s parents’ country club. Below them, a bunch of Rosewood boys played a quick round of golf before dinner, but Hanna and Mona were playing another type of game: Spot the Fake Boobs. Or fake anything else, as there was lots of fake stuff around here.
“Yeah, it looks like her surgeon messed up,” Mona murmured. “I think my mom plays tennis with her. I’ll ask.”
Hanna looked again at the pixieish, thirtysomething woman by the bar whose butt did look suspiciously extra-luscious for
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