So Into You [The Jane Austen Academy Series #2] by Cecelia Gray Page A

the sidelines—dressed as the two members of The White Stripes in all-white jeans and tees with dark eye makeup. Kat even had on a shaggy black wig like Jack White.
    "Seems like we’re not the only ones who know about Bergie’s taste," Emma said grimly.
    A passing boy frowned at the four of them. "Are you . . . Marilyn Manson?" he asked.
    "We’re KISS," Emma informed him. She smiled at Ellie, although with all the makeup it only looked eerie and creepy. "Remember, we only need to impress the judges, not anyone else."
    "I trust you," Ellie said. And she did. Emma always knew everything—especially when it came to people.
    "Ellie!"
    Ellie craned her neck at the sound of Lizzie’s cry behind her.
    "Ellie, is that you? And Emma—and oh my God—Knight and Tran?" Lizzie’s eyes grew wider and wider as she swept the quartet. Ellie noted her adorable muslin gown—the same dress she’d worn to the Jane Austen–themed welcome back dance last month.
    "You do know the theme is rock stars, right?" Emma asked.
    Dante stepped beside Lizzie, resplendent in his Jane Austen–themed dance outfit from last month, too, and slipped his arm around her waist.
    "Phoning in the costumes, are we?" Emma looked them over. "I recognize a repeat when I see it."
    "We are classic rock," Lizzie explained sheepishly. "Very . . . very classic."
    "Translation—we were too busy doing other things to find costumes," Dante said, dipping his head to press a kiss to Lizzie’s collarbone.
    "Not that," Lizzie said, her eyes widening. "We were not doing that. What happened was Bergie dragged me into her office. Accused me of breaking into her cottage! Said she could tell. So she kept me there all day interrogating me. Dante and I had to find last-minute costumes."
    "What did you say to her?" Ellie asked, trying not to look at Emma.
    "I told her if I had broken into the cottage—not her cottage, by the way—I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to leave evidence behind."
    "Hey!" Emma blurted.
    Lizzie frowned. "Was it you?"
    "Long story, tell you later," Ellie mumbled. Because directly behind them, Edward and Lucy turned into view. They were both dressed as Lady Gaga—Edward in a dress of faux-meat over sneakers and Lucy in the infamous dress of clear plastic bubbles.
    "Gaga duet!" Tran said. "Nice!"
    "Do you like it?" Lucy asked nervously. "It’s not too much? See, Edward, I said it was too much. But he’d already made the costumes—both of them—before I even came so I wanted to wear them, but still—too much, right?"
    "It’s not too much." Edward rubbed her shoulders encouragingly.
    "It’s pretty perfect," Ellie admitted. "That’s so great you made both of them already."
    "Why did you need two costumes?" Tran asked, looking between the meat dress and the bubble dress.
    "You know," Edward said, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing nervously at Ellie. "One for the road."
    "Wasn’t Gaga’s hair blonde when she wore the bubble dress?" Lizzie asked coldly, with a glare at Lucy’s black hair and blue streak, before she dragged Dante away toward the refreshments table.
    "Yeah, this costume would be much better on a blonde," Emma added. "Come on, Ellie. Let’s hit the dance floor. Boys—we could use some drinks, please."
    She turned away from Lucy with a flounce. Ellie felt a blush somewhere beneath all the caked-on makeup as she avoided Edward’s eyes and turned to follow, swallowing any guilt about ignoring them. They even had to dress as the same person—showing how much they were joined at the hip.
    "I don’t like her," Emma announced as she swayed to the music, her black wig shaking like a dog’s tail with every move. "She’s a—"
    "She’s never done anything to us," Ellie interrupted.
    "You see," Emma said, shaking her head. "That’s why we’re going to win. Because good things should happen to you. You’re just such a good person."
    Only Ellie didn’t feel like a good person—because inside, deep down, she hated Lucy even