GROW UP GINGER

A story about leaving and being followed.

Written by Juliana Resende

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No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the prior written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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CHAPTER THREE — Getting Ready

The living room looked like a department store had exploded.

Clothes draped over the couch and the armchair and the back of every dining chair. Three pairs of shoes lined up in front of the TV. Megan twirls in front of the full-length mirror in a sparkly dress, considering herself critically.

“What do we think? Too much? Or just right?”

“It’s perfect,” Olivia said. “You’re aiming for the center of the universe, right?”

“You know Megan doesn’t settle for less,” Bonnie said.

“Exactly!” Megan declared, mock-dramatic. “I plan to shine brighter than the disco ball tonight.”

I held up a simple dress against myself, laughing. “What about this? Am I doing this party thing right?”

Bonnie wrinkled her nose. “Way too underdressed. You’re new here. First impressions matter.”

“She’s right,” Olivia said. “New Venice parties are intense.”

“Especially this one,” Megan added, grinning. “You might even meet someone interesting.”

“Right. Because that’s why I came.”

“Oh, don’t play coy. Everyone deserves a little excitement.”

Megan’s expression got that slightly sly cast it always got when she had information she hadn’t given me yet. “Speaking of excitement, there’s this guy I know. You’d probably like him.”

“Megan. I barely know anyone here. Can we stick to surviving the party first?”

“Fair enough,” she laughed. “But you never know. Tonight might surprise you.”

We finished getting dressed as the sky outside dimmed. I put on the blue dress, and Bonnie did my eyeliner, and Olivia twisted my hair up and let half of it fall down again in a way that was probably very deliberate even though she made it look careless. In the mirror I looked older than I felt. Or younger than I was trying to be. I couldn’t decide which.

“You’re going to break someone’s heart tonight,” Megan said behind me, and I caught her eye in the mirror.

“Hopefully not mine,” I said.

She laughed.

I should have listened to her better. To both of us.

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