why don’t you just go out with him?”
“I told you, I’m exploring other opportunities right now.” She piles her hair up on her head and makes a face in the mirror. “Opportunities named Dylan Harrington. Plus, Eli drives a pickup that must be at least fifteen years old.”
I try not to picture Eli in my head. How cute his canine teeth were when he smiled. How easy he was to talk to. I can’t do this again. I shouldn’t. “Let me introduce you to a new word. It’s called ‘no.’ As in no more Alicia. Not after what happened.”
Ava turns back to the closet. “Eli’s nothing like that, I can tell.”
“You sure couldn’t tell last time,” I say.
“Maybe it’s good to try it again,” Maya adds. “You know, get back on the horse and all that.”
I turn to her. “The last guy Alicia dated ended up dead. If the date had been twenty-four hours later, I might have been with him.”
“Stop being so dramatic,” Ava says.
“I don’t want you going out with Eli,” I say. “Not as Alicia.”
“Don’t worry so much. It’s fine.” She tosses her phone to me, and it lands in my lap, the text from Eli still on the screen. “Besides, I’m not going out with him. You are.”
“No. I’m not.” I toss the phone back to her.
She taps the screen a few times, then looks up at me. “I already told him that Alicia would love to see him again.”
“Then you’ll just have to tell him the truth.”
“Look, you’ve had a rough week. You could use a nice night out. Just do it one last time, and if you still want to quit, then fine, I’m with you. Think of it as your big farewell,” Ava says, sensing my resolve crumbling. “Just stay in public places. Nothing’s going to happen, I promise. What have you got to lose?”
That question hits me in the gut, just like she knew it would. Because she’s right. There’s not much left to lose.
I’m calm as I sit watching the restaurant from the front seat of my car. Alicia doesn’t worry about this stuff. She knows that all guys want her and all girls want to be her, and acts accordingly. I take out a small mirror from the clutch that Ava loaned me and check to see that the heavy eyeliner and lip gloss she helped me apply are still in place. As I move, the big, diamond-encrusted pendant around my neck catches the fading light. I actually hate this pendant—thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds set into a big gold
A
is a stupid gift for teenage girls, and as proof, I lost mine a few months ago, and Dad had to get it replaced—but it’s Alicia’s trademark, so I’m wearing it.
My phone vibrates on the seat next to me, and I jump a little, but it’s only Ava and Maya texting to see how it’s going. I answer that it isn’t yet and shut off the ringer completely. I’m thinking that I don’t even remember what Eli looks like,when I see him walking toward the restaurant wearing a leather jacket and jeans. I take in his slightly floppy hair and easy smile and have to admit I was wrong—I’d recognize him anywhere.
I get out of the car and carefully smooth down the skirt that is way too short for Lexi but for Alicia is just perfect. I’m not a skirt person, but Alicia is. Plus it goes with the ridiculous high heels that Ava picked out. One thing’s for sure—nobody would ever mistake me for Lexi at the moment. I can’t help but notice that if the zombie apocalypse should happen sometime during this evening, Alicia would be one of the first people caught and converted into a walker, because no way can I run in all this stuff.
I walk slowly and carefully toward Eli, aware that his eyes are on my body as I approach. I’m not in any hurry because guys always wait for Alicia.
“Hey,” I say as I get closer, inwardly congratulating myself on the casual spin I manage to put on that one word. Like I just happen to be walking by this particular restaurant and am pleasantly surprised to find him here too. As he approaches, I wonder if he’s
“I told you, I’m exploring other opportunities right now.” She piles her hair up on her head and makes a face in the mirror. “Opportunities named Dylan Harrington. Plus, Eli drives a pickup that must be at least fifteen years old.”
I try not to picture Eli in my head. How cute his canine teeth were when he smiled. How easy he was to talk to. I can’t do this again. I shouldn’t. “Let me introduce you to a new word. It’s called ‘no.’ As in no more Alicia. Not after what happened.”
Ava turns back to the closet. “Eli’s nothing like that, I can tell.”
“You sure couldn’t tell last time,” I say.
“Maybe it’s good to try it again,” Maya adds. “You know, get back on the horse and all that.”
I turn to her. “The last guy Alicia dated ended up dead. If the date had been twenty-four hours later, I might have been with him.”
“Stop being so dramatic,” Ava says.
“I don’t want you going out with Eli,” I say. “Not as Alicia.”
“Don’t worry so much. It’s fine.” She tosses her phone to me, and it lands in my lap, the text from Eli still on the screen. “Besides, I’m not going out with him. You are.”
“No. I’m not.” I toss the phone back to her.
She taps the screen a few times, then looks up at me. “I already told him that Alicia would love to see him again.”
“Then you’ll just have to tell him the truth.”
“Look, you’ve had a rough week. You could use a nice night out. Just do it one last time, and if you still want to quit, then fine, I’m with you. Think of it as your big farewell,” Ava says, sensing my resolve crumbling. “Just stay in public places. Nothing’s going to happen, I promise. What have you got to lose?”
That question hits me in the gut, just like she knew it would. Because she’s right. There’s not much left to lose.
I’m calm as I sit watching the restaurant from the front seat of my car. Alicia doesn’t worry about this stuff. She knows that all guys want her and all girls want to be her, and acts accordingly. I take out a small mirror from the clutch that Ava loaned me and check to see that the heavy eyeliner and lip gloss she helped me apply are still in place. As I move, the big, diamond-encrusted pendant around my neck catches the fading light. I actually hate this pendant—thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds set into a big gold
A
is a stupid gift for teenage girls, and as proof, I lost mine a few months ago, and Dad had to get it replaced—but it’s Alicia’s trademark, so I’m wearing it.
My phone vibrates on the seat next to me, and I jump a little, but it’s only Ava and Maya texting to see how it’s going. I answer that it isn’t yet and shut off the ringer completely. I’m thinking that I don’t even remember what Eli looks like,when I see him walking toward the restaurant wearing a leather jacket and jeans. I take in his slightly floppy hair and easy smile and have to admit I was wrong—I’d recognize him anywhere.
I get out of the car and carefully smooth down the skirt that is way too short for Lexi but for Alicia is just perfect. I’m not a skirt person, but Alicia is. Plus it goes with the ridiculous high heels that Ava picked out. One thing’s for sure—nobody would ever mistake me for Lexi at the moment. I can’t help but notice that if the zombie apocalypse should happen sometime during this evening, Alicia would be one of the first people caught and converted into a walker, because no way can I run in all this stuff.
I walk slowly and carefully toward Eli, aware that his eyes are on my body as I approach. I’m not in any hurry because guys always wait for Alicia.
“Hey,” I say as I get closer, inwardly congratulating myself on the casual spin I manage to put on that one word. Like I just happen to be walking by this particular restaurant and am pleasantly surprised to find him here too. As he approaches, I wonder if he’s
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