UT would give a scholarship to someone who’d spent the year on the bench. Plus, her mom was plotting to send Shane to New York for the qualifying round of some international piano competition that no one under the age of ninety-eight would be interested in. Because of all this, her parents were too broke to send Izzy to Costa Rica. Since then, she’d been dodging her friends at school and online.
Now she felt a faint glimmer of hope. Emergency meeting? Maybe she wasn’t the only one. If her parents could overspend, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Piper’s had, too.
Ten minutes later, she pulled Brittney into the empty space in front of Piper’s house. Today, she didn’t dare curse at the car the way she sometimes did. Who knew how much longer she’d have a car to curse at?
She found her friends up in Piper’s room. Mei lay sprawled across Piper’s rumpled bed, flipping through a magazine. Cassidy perched on the back of an armchair, her feet on the seat, her elbows propped on her knees. Piper stood before the closet doors, along the top of which she’d hung a half-dozen hangers of clothes. Two suitcases lay open at her feet.
“What’s up?” Izzy asked, sitting on the edge of the bed beside Mei. “What’s the big emergency?” She hadn’t yet told them her news. Her throat tightened just thinking about it, and she was glad she’d been able to talk without her voice sounding all funny.
“Piper’s having wardrobe malfunctions,” Mei said dryly.
“It’s a disaster! I have no idea what to pack.” Piper gestured to the hanger on one side of her and then to the other. “What do you think—the flutter cardigan or the silk-screened hoodie?”
“That’s your big emergency?” Izzy stood up. “You don’t know what to bring?”
“It can’t all be about saving the world, you know.” Clearly Piper heard the annoyance in Izzy’s voice and just chose to ignore it.
Ever since devising IKC, Piper had been inhabiting her own little universe. Not that Izzy blamed her. It wasn’t like she’d want to be a pig-kissing Internet sensation, either. But really, right now, there was only so much giddy joy she could take.
“I mean, it’s Paris!” Piper was saying. “Probably the most fashionable place on earth. Nothing I own is going to look right.” She crossed to the bed and flopped down backward on it, barely noticing that Mei had to roll out of the way to avoid being squashed. “I’m doomed.”
Izzy shoved her hands into her back pockets. “You get to go to Paris. I seriously doubt anyone’s going to notice what you’re wearing.”
Mei looked up from her magazine and cocked her head to the side as she studied Izzy.
Izzy didn’t meet her gaze but paced over to the closet, trying—really trying—to consider her friend’s clothing options past the haze of her own resentment. So far, not happening.
“You’re right,” Piper muttered. “Nothing I own is cool enough for Paris—it all shouts small-town reject. Mom said she was going to give me a spending allowance. Maybe I can shop there.”
The spending allowance pushed Izzy right over the edge. She whirled around and glared at Piper, and her words came out in an angry rush. “I can’t believe you expected us to drop everything and run over here for this big
emergency
and all you’re worried about is what to pack. Why are we supposed to even care what color beret you wear?”
As soon as the sentence left her mouth, Izzy clamped her lips shut, wishing she could take it back.
Cassidy’s head snapped up. Mei’s gaze became more interested. Slowly Piper raised herself up onto her elbows.
“Wow,” Piper whispered, her eyes wide. “Where did that come from?”
“I—” But, damn it, how could she explain? “I’ve just been in a rotten mood lately.”
Piper smiled brightly. “I know what’ll cheer you up. This morning on Facebook, I noticed that a certain sexy eco-guy has posted new pictures on his
Now she felt a faint glimmer of hope. Emergency meeting? Maybe she wasn’t the only one. If her parents could overspend, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Piper’s had, too.
Ten minutes later, she pulled Brittney into the empty space in front of Piper’s house. Today, she didn’t dare curse at the car the way she sometimes did. Who knew how much longer she’d have a car to curse at?
She found her friends up in Piper’s room. Mei lay sprawled across Piper’s rumpled bed, flipping through a magazine. Cassidy perched on the back of an armchair, her feet on the seat, her elbows propped on her knees. Piper stood before the closet doors, along the top of which she’d hung a half-dozen hangers of clothes. Two suitcases lay open at her feet.
“What’s up?” Izzy asked, sitting on the edge of the bed beside Mei. “What’s the big emergency?” She hadn’t yet told them her news. Her throat tightened just thinking about it, and she was glad she’d been able to talk without her voice sounding all funny.
“Piper’s having wardrobe malfunctions,” Mei said dryly.
“It’s a disaster! I have no idea what to pack.” Piper gestured to the hanger on one side of her and then to the other. “What do you think—the flutter cardigan or the silk-screened hoodie?”
“That’s your big emergency?” Izzy stood up. “You don’t know what to bring?”
“It can’t all be about saving the world, you know.” Clearly Piper heard the annoyance in Izzy’s voice and just chose to ignore it.
Ever since devising IKC, Piper had been inhabiting her own little universe. Not that Izzy blamed her. It wasn’t like she’d want to be a pig-kissing Internet sensation, either. But really, right now, there was only so much giddy joy she could take.
“I mean, it’s Paris!” Piper was saying. “Probably the most fashionable place on earth. Nothing I own is going to look right.” She crossed to the bed and flopped down backward on it, barely noticing that Mei had to roll out of the way to avoid being squashed. “I’m doomed.”
Izzy shoved her hands into her back pockets. “You get to go to Paris. I seriously doubt anyone’s going to notice what you’re wearing.”
Mei looked up from her magazine and cocked her head to the side as she studied Izzy.
Izzy didn’t meet her gaze but paced over to the closet, trying—really trying—to consider her friend’s clothing options past the haze of her own resentment. So far, not happening.
“You’re right,” Piper muttered. “Nothing I own is cool enough for Paris—it all shouts small-town reject. Mom said she was going to give me a spending allowance. Maybe I can shop there.”
The spending allowance pushed Izzy right over the edge. She whirled around and glared at Piper, and her words came out in an angry rush. “I can’t believe you expected us to drop everything and run over here for this big
emergency
and all you’re worried about is what to pack. Why are we supposed to even care what color beret you wear?”
As soon as the sentence left her mouth, Izzy clamped her lips shut, wishing she could take it back.
Cassidy’s head snapped up. Mei’s gaze became more interested. Slowly Piper raised herself up onto her elbows.
“Wow,” Piper whispered, her eyes wide. “Where did that come from?”
“I—” But, damn it, how could she explain? “I’ve just been in a rotten mood lately.”
Piper smiled brightly. “I know what’ll cheer you up. This morning on Facebook, I noticed that a certain sexy eco-guy has posted new pictures on his
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