Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin Page A

depressing home life. “Why are you so interested in Amanda all of a sudden?”
    â€œShe’s a character,” I said, trying to tone down my enthusiasm. “That’s all.”
    Squinting into the sunlight, Mimi stared off at the Olympic Mountains. “The weather’s supposed to be nice this weekend. Maybe we could go on a hike somewhere. I could probably borrow my mom’s car. We could even go to Forks and do the Twilight tour.”
    I bit my lip, considering this. Mimi wasn’t actually that bad. But was I really ready to commit to a friendship with her?
    â€œI’ve got family plans,” I finally said.
    â€œNo big deal,” Mimi said, though it obviously was. She dug into her backpack, trying to hide the fact that I’d hurt her feelings. “You know, I think I’m going to head back in. I need to print something in the computer lab.” She hopped down off the wall. “See you around.”
    I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know what. How did you tell a person that they were just a nobody ? How did you tell a person that you didn’t want to be just a nobody by association? Was I wrong to want something better for myself? Was I wrong to want to swim with the big fish?
    Hadn’t I been raised to aspire ?
    I stayed where I was until the bell rang, watching Amanda hold court. Her smile permeated every aspect of her being, from her glittery green eyes, to the tilt of her head, to the laid-back stance of her body. She was, indeed, Girl Wonder.

I t was Friday night—James Henry’s birthday. In just a few minutes we’d be leaving the house to meet Milton and his mother at a restaurant called Tres Amigos. Crazily, they’d accepted my brother’s last-minute invitation. When I’d found this out, I’d tried to convince my mom that I had tons of homework to do. She’d informed me that staying home was not an option.
    â€œTime’s up, kiddo,” she said, knocking on the bathroom door. “We need to leave pronto. I’m sure you look fine. This is Seattle. Anything goes.”
    â€œI’m ready,” I said, stepping out into the hall.
    â€œOh dear,” she said, staring at my face. “You look—”
    â€œScary?” James Henry suggested, coming up behind her.
    â€œI think I look nice,” I said defensively. “And you just said anything goes .”
    â€œThat’s not exactly what I—”
    â€œWe’re going to be late!” Dad shouted from the kitchen. “Let Charlotte make a fool of herself if she wants.”
    Gee, Dad—glad you’ve got my back.
    I gave myself one last once-over, and frowned. So maybe I had gotten a little carried away with the black eyeliner and the bloodred lipstick. Maybe the new boots I’d picked up after school today were just a hair on the I’m-going-to-kick-the-shit-out-of-you side. I was trying out a new look, an I-go-to-a-scary-school-so-don’t-mess-with-me look.
    The horn honked. There was no time to wash off the makeup. I wiped my lips on the back of my hand. There. That was better. I slid on my sunglasses, popped a piece of gum into my mouth, and joined my impatient family in the car.
    Tres Amigos sat on the shore of Lake Union. The lights of the boats glittered like phosphorous in the inky darkness. An energetic vibe permeated the restaurant. Everyone seemed to be in a jovial thank-God-it’s-Friday mood.
    Milton and his mom had already arrived. After introductions were made, Mrs. Zacharias said, “There’s a half-hour wait. I put down our names on the list.”
    â€œI’m so sorry we’re late,” Mom said. “Traffic…”
    â€œIt’s Charlotte’s fault,” James Henry chimed. “She took forever getting ready.”
    My face flushed. Milton raised an eyebrow. “It’s dark out,” he said. “You can probably take off your sunglasses now. Or are you