The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts Page A

but I don’t want to take the chance and find out. I lower myself by my arms, feeling the muscles straining against my shirt, and drop down to the next ledge. From there I lower myself again and drop down the last ten feet. I hit the ground with a thud and freeze, hoping that Gazer doesn’t hear it and come to investigate.
    It’s not until I’m on the ground that I realize that I’m not getting back inside the way I came down. Why didn’t I think of that before? My fingers close around my keys; if I’m quiet enough, I might be able to sneak in as long as Gazer actually goes to bed tonight. There have been nights when he falls asleep in his chair, his book resting in his lap.
    Leave it to me to make things more difficult.
    Not much I can do about it now.
    Earlier I typed Paige’s address into my phone to get directions. I head off toward the train. She’s a good forty minutes away. I’ll get there a bit late but it’s better than nothing.

    “You’re late.”
    Jesse stands in the living room, a glass of beer in his hand. His eyes are watery and he’s not standing very straight. I wonder how much he’s already had to drink tonight.
    When I arrived, there were so many teenagers hanging around that it seemed pointless to knock. I followed the noise and it led me around to the backyard, where dozens of kids were hanging out, talking loudly amongst themselves. Most of the school must have been there; I recognized a lot of faces, but there were some I didn’t. Paige must have invited most of the city’s entire population of underage kids.
    She lives in a very fancy area of town. I’ve never been here, never had any reason to visit. You won’t find gutter rats hanging in the alleys here. You won’t find dealers on the street corners and young girls wearing fishnet stockings and short skirts. Instead, you find large houses and gated communities with landscaping that is maintained by hired help. Paige’s home is gigantic, a massive brownstone mansion with a huge yard and a pool surrounded by fake Greek statues. There’s even a waterfall, man-made of course, that spills directly into a pond surrounded by rose bushes and expensive-looking patio furniture. It’s impressive. I’ve never known anyone who owns their own pool before.
    After gawking for a few minutes, I turned and went in through the back door, which led to a kitchen, bigger than anything I’ve ever seen before. Another door went into the living room and that’s where I found Jesse.
    “Sorry,” I say to Jesse. “I had some problems.”
    “We should deduct some of that off your paycheck,” he says. His words come out a little slurred but I’m not sure if it’s an act or not. His eyes look very alert and not drunk at all. I can’t help thinking I’m being led on for some reason. But why?
    “You made it,” Paige says. She rushes over to stand beside me, a group of girls following behind her. I recognize most of them from school but most of their names elude me. I’ve spent so much time trying to be invisible; now I’m wishing I’d spent a bit more time so I wouldn’t feel so stupid.
    Now that the girls are here, Jesse slips away. I watch him go across the room and pull out his phone. He quickly makes a call. I can’t see what he’s saying but he looks over at me a few times, not even trying to be discreet.
    That should be my first warning sign but I choose to ignore it.
    “Here.” Paige thrusts a beer into my hand. I accept it, but decide not to drink. It wouldn’t do me much good to get hammered tonight. It’s best to keep my inhibitions at a steady level. Who knows what kind of secrets I might reveal if I get sloshed. I look down at the amber liquid in my glass and wonder. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. I’ve never been drunk before. Alcohol never factored into my plans.
    I take a sip. The liquid burns my throat in a good way. But I stop at that. I’m being paid here for a service. Heaven forbid Trevor sneaks in if