Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

the roof deck, sealed in plastic wrap, her name stuck to it. Someone had noticed that she hadn’t eaten. And, of course, everyone would realize that she was in hiding.
    The sight of the plate of food, wilted and solitary, made the suppressed tears well up in her eyes. Tally’s
    throat burned as if she’d swallowed something sharp, and it was all she could do to get back to her room before she burst into loud, jagged sobs.
    When she got there, Tally found that she hadn’t forgotten to bring the plate. She ate while she cried, tasting the salt of her tears in every bite.
    Her parents came by about an hour later.
    Ellie swept in first, gathering Tally into a hug that emptied her lungs and lifted her feet off the ground.
    “Tally, my poor baby!”
    “Now don’t injure the girl, Ellie. She’s had a tough day.”
    Even without oxygen, it felt good inside the crushing embrace. Ellie always smelled just right, like a mom, and Tally always felt like a littlie in her arms. Released after what was probably a solid minute, but still too soon, Tally stepped back, hoping that she wouldn’t cry again. She looked at her parents sheepishly, wondering what they must be thinking. She felt like a total failure. “I didn’t know you guys were coming.”
    “Of course we came,” Ellie said.
    Sol shook his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like this happening. It’s ridiculous. And we’ll get to the bottom of it, don’t you worry!”
    Tally felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Finally there was someone else on her side. Her father’s middle-pretty eyes twinkled with calm certainty. There was no question that he would sort everything out.
    “What did they tell you?” Tally asked.
    Sol gestured, and Tally sat down on the bed. Ellie settled beside her while he paced back and forth across the small room.
    “Well, they told us about this Shay girl. Sounds like she’s a lot of trouble.”
    “Sol!” Ellie interrupted. “The poor girl’s missing.”
    “Sounds like she wants to be missing.”
    Her mother pursed her lips in silence.
    “It’s not her fault, Sol,” Tally said. “She just didn’t want to turn pretty.”
    “So, she’s an independent thinker. Fine. But she should have had better sense than to drag someone else down with her.”
    “She didn’t drag me anywhere. I’m right here.” Tally looked out the window at the familiar view of
New
Pretty
Town
. “Where I’ll be forever, apparently.”
    “Now, now,” Ellie said. “They said that once you’ve helped them find this Shay girl, everything should go ahead as normal.”
    “It won’t make any difference if the operation happens a few days late. It’ll be a great story when you’re old.” Sol chuckled.
    Tally bit her lip. “I don’t think I can help them.”
    “Well, you just do your best,” Ellie said.
    “But I can’t. I mean, I promised Shay that I wouldn’t tell anyone her plans.”
    They were silent for a moment.
    Sol sat down, taking one of her hands in his. They felt so warm and strong, almost as wrinkled as a crumbly’s from days spent working in his wood shop. Tally realized that she hadn’t visited her parents since the week of summer break, when she’d mostly been anxious to get back to hanging out with Shay full-time. But it was good to see them now.
    “Tally, we all make promises when we’re little. That’s part of being an ugly—everything’s exciting and intense and important, but you have to grow out of it. After all, you don’t owe this girl anything. She’s done nothing but cause you trouble.”
    Ellie took her other hand. “And you’ll only be helping her, Tally. Who knows where she is now and what’s happening to her? I’m surprised you let her run off like that. Don’t you know how dangerous it is out there?”
    Tally found herself nodding. Looking into Sol’s and Ellie’s faces, everything seemed so clear. Maybe cooperating with Dr. Cable would really be helping Shay, and would set things back on course