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through the crowd to get to me.
    “You’re leaving?” Kasey asked. “What happened?”
    I looked around before I stopped. Lydia was gone.
    “Nothing,” I said. “Do you think maybe Keaton could drive you home? Otherwise I’ll come back and get you at one o’clock.”
    “What?” Immediately, she was suspicious. “Where are you going, Lexi?”
    “Nowhere. Away.”
    “Why?” She pursed her lips, clearly not looking to take any of my nonsense.
    “Because you’re a coward and a freak, that’s why,” Lydia said, popping out behind me.
    “I just…” I gestured around the room, which seemed overpoweringly jammed with bodies. “There are too many people here.”
    My sister followed me all the way out to my car, exhaling loudly through her nose to convey how annoyed she was. I pulled my gray hoodie over the shirt she’d made me wear—black and gauzy, with ruffles around the neck—and slipped into the driver’s seat.
    “When is this going to end?” she asked, her voice breaking. “When are you going to let it go?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “Now get back inside. It’s about to rain.”
    Kasey stared at me, on the verge of protesting. Then she stormed back up the front walk.
    I watched her go, thinking, You have no idea how lucky you are.
    The Sunshine Club ended up being an evil cult designed to feed on its members’ free will and life energy, but it started out as a scheme to become beautiful and popular. And maybe the craziest thing was—it had actually worked, kind of. Sure, the paranormal perks were gone, but the charm, the poise—all of the things that grew better with practice—that stuff stuck.
    As for the club’s evil supernatural roots, for the most part the other girls had managed to convince themselves and everyone around them that the whole thing was just a mild case of mass hysteria. The longer they told themselves that, the more they believed it. And why not? Let’s be realistic—the alternative was crazy.
    A few of us didn’t make it out unscathed—me, Zoe, Megan, Lydia. And poor Emily Rosen was being home-schooled and treated for PTSD. But for the lucky ones, that magic too-good-to-be-true popularity pill wasn’t actually too good to be true. It was just…true.
    Of course, all that could change. Their perfect lives could end in death and destruction if I didn’t find a way to stop Lydia.
    I kicked off my ballet flats and pressed my bare foot against the brake pedal, relishing the feel of its hard rubber ridges beneath my toes.
    “Oh, snap. Did I wreck your party?” Lydia materialized in the passenger seat. “Is Alexis scared? Is she running home with her tail between her legs?”
    “Shut up,” I said, on edge but relieved that she’d followed me instead of staying inside.
    She made a pouty face. “Waaaaah. Lexi wants to be alone. Lexi hates herself. Well, join the club. I hate you, too.”
    I turned the key and buckled my seat belt.
    Lydia made an irritated noise and faded out of sight.
    Until she’d attacked me—and then Kendra—I’d thought she wasn’t a very powerful ghost. But now I had to be constantly on guard. Because apparently it’s not hard for a weak ghost to get strong—
    And dangerous.

I DROVE AWAY FROM THE L AIRDS ’ upscale neighborhood toward the empty highways that led out of town, stretching the speed limit in my rush to get away from civilization.
    On the seat next to me, my phone lit up with a text message. The word mom flashed onscreen. I figured I’d better reply before I ended up grounded, so I pulled onto the shoulder.
    K SAID YOU LEFT PARTY ARE YOU COMING HOME?
    NOT YET, I texted. GETTING COFFEE.
    A second later, her reply came through.
    :-/
    “What’s wrong?” Lydia asked, fading in. “Tired? Dejected? Suicidal? Don’t let me stop you if you had any, you know, plans. ”
    I took a deep breath, shut off the engine, and stared out the window. I was surrounded by farmland, no cars or houses in