they’re dressed from head to toe in black. They are both as pale as Elmer’s glue, and they’re both wearing black lipstick and black eye shadow. The only difference is that Nessa has about a dozen piercings and her hair is dyed blue.
Nessa starts laughing. “Oh my God, Cath. Your brother and his friends are trannies.”
“We are not,” Sean says through smeared wine-colored lips.
I am completely numb. It’s like a switch has been thrown and I’m watching everything unfold but I can’t really feel it. I read somewhere that if you get shot, you don’t feel it because your body goes into shock mode and it protects you from the pain. I wish I could help Sean out right now, but I can’t because I’m not here. In thisroom. Dressed in Cathy’s frilly pink blouse and denim skirt. My face made up like a cheap stripper. Listening to Cyndi Lauper.
Cathy storms over to Sean and grabs him in a headlock. “You’re violating my private space, lapdog!”
Sean struggles but he’s no match for his sister. Cathy and Sean are twins, but Cathy got the better end of the deal. She’s smarter, taller, better-looking, more talented, and obviously stronger than Sean.
“Let go of me,” Sean squeals.
“Or what?” Cathy tightens her grip. “You’ll tell on me? That’s a good one. You’re in such deep shit, Sean.”
“Ow. You’re hurting me.”
“You’re going to get a lot worse unless you tell me what the hell you’re doing.” Cathy forces Sean to his knees.
Nessa turns and looks at me. She smirks and raises her eyebrows. I can tell by the expression on her face that she can’t wait to tell everyone she knows all about this. Coop, Sean, and me won’t be able to show our faces anywhere, ever again.
Sean’s eyes are bulging. His whole face is as red as the blush on his cheeks.
Cathy twists Sean’s head farther than I think it’s supposed go. “Careful how you answer. If I find out you’re lying, I won’t stop at telling Mom and Dad — I’ll take an ad out in the
Rockville Herald.
”
“Okay, okay,” Sean coughs out. “I’ll tell you.”
Cathy loosens her grip just a little.
Sean clears his throat. “We were going to sneak into the women’s dressing room at the Community Center. To try and see Mandy Reagan naked, okay? Happy?”
I can’t believe he gave that up so easily. It’s a good thing Sean doesn’t know any national secrets.
“You perv,” Cathy says, letting Sean go.
Sean stumbles to his feet, rubbing his crimson neck.
“Although”— Cathy looks over at Nessa —“it would serve the Virgin Mandy right.”
Nessa and Cathy share a look.
They smile.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Cathy asks.
“What goes around comes around.” Nessa laughs.
“Does your mom still have those awesome wigs?”
Nessa nods. “She sure does.”
“Supreme.”
Cathy turns and looks at Coop, Sean, and me. “All right, you deviants. Today’s your lucky day.”
Cathy starts to circle each one of us. Sizing us up.
“What are you talking about?” Sean says.
“Me and Nessa are going to help you out.” Cathy grins. “We’ll make you up to
really
look like girls.”
“No, thanks,” Coop says. “We already look like girls.”
This makes Nessa and Cathy nearly spit up with laughter.
“Please,” Cathy says. “You wouldn’t fool a blind person.”
“I’m gonna go get the wigs,” Nessa says. “This isgoing to be stupid fun. I’ll be right back.” Nessa turns and rushes out of the room.
Cathy nods. “Yup. We’ll make you guys up real pretty. No one’ll even look twice. And Mandy Reagan will finally get what’s coming to her.”
I have no idea what Cathy has against Mandy, but if she’s on Cathy’s shit list, I don’t envy her one bit. I’d rather not wind up there myself, though I’m afraid this whole situation is going to land Coop, Sean, and me right smack at the top.
“THERE,” CATHY SAYS, putting the finishing touches of blush on my cheeks with a
Nessa starts laughing. “Oh my God, Cath. Your brother and his friends are trannies.”
“We are not,” Sean says through smeared wine-colored lips.
I am completely numb. It’s like a switch has been thrown and I’m watching everything unfold but I can’t really feel it. I read somewhere that if you get shot, you don’t feel it because your body goes into shock mode and it protects you from the pain. I wish I could help Sean out right now, but I can’t because I’m not here. In thisroom. Dressed in Cathy’s frilly pink blouse and denim skirt. My face made up like a cheap stripper. Listening to Cyndi Lauper.
Cathy storms over to Sean and grabs him in a headlock. “You’re violating my private space, lapdog!”
Sean struggles but he’s no match for his sister. Cathy and Sean are twins, but Cathy got the better end of the deal. She’s smarter, taller, better-looking, more talented, and obviously stronger than Sean.
“Let go of me,” Sean squeals.
“Or what?” Cathy tightens her grip. “You’ll tell on me? That’s a good one. You’re in such deep shit, Sean.”
“Ow. You’re hurting me.”
“You’re going to get a lot worse unless you tell me what the hell you’re doing.” Cathy forces Sean to his knees.
Nessa turns and looks at me. She smirks and raises her eyebrows. I can tell by the expression on her face that she can’t wait to tell everyone she knows all about this. Coop, Sean, and me won’t be able to show our faces anywhere, ever again.
Sean’s eyes are bulging. His whole face is as red as the blush on his cheeks.
Cathy twists Sean’s head farther than I think it’s supposed go. “Careful how you answer. If I find out you’re lying, I won’t stop at telling Mom and Dad — I’ll take an ad out in the
Rockville Herald.
”
“Okay, okay,” Sean coughs out. “I’ll tell you.”
Cathy loosens her grip just a little.
Sean clears his throat. “We were going to sneak into the women’s dressing room at the Community Center. To try and see Mandy Reagan naked, okay? Happy?”
I can’t believe he gave that up so easily. It’s a good thing Sean doesn’t know any national secrets.
“You perv,” Cathy says, letting Sean go.
Sean stumbles to his feet, rubbing his crimson neck.
“Although”— Cathy looks over at Nessa —“it would serve the Virgin Mandy right.”
Nessa and Cathy share a look.
They smile.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Cathy asks.
“What goes around comes around.” Nessa laughs.
“Does your mom still have those awesome wigs?”
Nessa nods. “She sure does.”
“Supreme.”
Cathy turns and looks at Coop, Sean, and me. “All right, you deviants. Today’s your lucky day.”
Cathy starts to circle each one of us. Sizing us up.
“What are you talking about?” Sean says.
“Me and Nessa are going to help you out.” Cathy grins. “We’ll make you up to
really
look like girls.”
“No, thanks,” Coop says. “We already look like girls.”
This makes Nessa and Cathy nearly spit up with laughter.
“Please,” Cathy says. “You wouldn’t fool a blind person.”
“I’m gonna go get the wigs,” Nessa says. “This isgoing to be stupid fun. I’ll be right back.” Nessa turns and rushes out of the room.
Cathy nods. “Yup. We’ll make you guys up real pretty. No one’ll even look twice. And Mandy Reagan will finally get what’s coming to her.”
I have no idea what Cathy has against Mandy, but if she’s on Cathy’s shit list, I don’t envy her one bit. I’d rather not wind up there myself, though I’m afraid this whole situation is going to land Coop, Sean, and me right smack at the top.
“THERE,” CATHY SAYS, putting the finishing touches of blush on my cheeks with a
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