Spectacle (A Young Adult Novel) by Angie McCullagh

scooped David up and took him into her room where he sat on her dresser and watched her change. She picked out a tight tank top, a fitted cotton jacket with big rolled cuffs and black leggings. She wore the giant hoop earrings she always had on and her wedge boots.
    She was ready to rock.
     
     
     

24. Bad Scene
    E ATING A BOWL of ramen noodles, Emily stood at the counter flipping through Shape magazine (Melissa’s). It was boring. Energy drink ratings. Healthy meal recipes. Workouts. And the cover model looked like she’d gotten lost on her way to a Cosmo shoot.
    Darkness pressed against the windows like waxed paper, raindrops occasionally pelting the glass. Kristen was staying at her friend Karissa’s, so Emily was alone.
    When she finished her noodles, she flicked on the stereo and found some Chairlift. She wanted to call Trix, just to see what she was doing, to alleviate the loneliness a little. But Trix had been acting so weird. Plus, she didn’t want to have to tell Trix she wasn’t allowed in the house.
    Emily set the magazine back on the stack of unopened mail and decided she would go online for a while.
    She was taking the stairs two at a time when someone knocked on the front door. Less of a knock really, and more of a fist pound.
    She paused, not knowing if she should answer.
    “It’s me, Em!” Trix’s muffled voice called. “Let me in, I’m getting soaked out here!”
    She strode to the door and pulled it open. Even though she wasn’t supposed to, she had to invite Trix in. Trix, who was dripping like a kitten that’d been found face first in a mud puddle. Maybe she was there to talk about things and explain why their friendship had seemed so strained lately. Or maybe they’d just hang out like old times, fighting over music and forgetting about the tension between them.
    Trix pulled off her ratty leopard-print coat and let it slide to the floor. She grabbed a hank of her hair and squeezed. “It’s dumping.”
    “I know.”
    Water streaked Trix’s face like tears, dripped of her lashes. “Let’s invite some people over.”
    “No!” Emily said. “God, my dad—”
    “What he doesn’t know … ”
    “I can’t invite people over.”
    “Well,” Trix said. “You can’t, but I can.”
    Emily heard a rustling outside the door and another pound. She swallowed hard and swung it open. A couple of guys from school, Isaac O’Leary, Adam Williams, Marjorie King, and three freshman girls stood there. Isaac wore a gorilla mask pushed up on top of his head and one of the girls had a devil’s ear headband. Emily glared at Trix, trying to imperceptibly shake her head.
    Trix pretended not to see. The look on Emily’s face when Isaac, Adam, and Marjorie had come in was classic. “Just, you know, an intimate gathering. A pre-Halloween soirée.”
    Emily considered turning them away, into the dark rain. But then, how lame would that make her seem? So, okay, Trix plus six kids. She could get away with that, probably, clean up really well after they left. Keep the curtains closed so Claudia wouldn’t notice.
    Emily said, “I don’t have beer or anything. Like, 7Up is the hardest stuff in the house.” She wasn’t about to get into her dad’s microbrews.
    Everyone looked at Adam who held a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
    Defeated, she stood back and let them enter. She pointed to the family room off the kitchen, but grabbed Trix’s arm. “Are you that desperate?” she hissed.
    Small flames burned where Trix’s eyes should’ve been. “I want word to get back to the Trifecta of Farkette Dunces that fun was had by all, and they weren’t invited.” That was Trix’s excuse, and she was sticking to it.
    Emily’s hand flew to her mouth. “How many people did you tell?”
    “A few others. Don’t worry so much. It’ll be fine.” She shook free of Emily’s grip, wanting to tell her to grow up, and followed the others to the back of the house.
    Emily could hear beer cans popping open. The