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to be “gently used” but I wouldn’t have described it that way. When I first brought my little black Subaru home, it looked like it had been around the block more than a few times. The engine needed some work, but Jesse was going to fly up from Los Angeles to fix that.
    Th e afternoon was going to be a game changer. Between the car and my new choice of fashion, I was asking my friends to accept a lot all at once.
    I anticipated Taylor’s judgments, but then again maybe I was being too quick to judge. Maybe it wouldn’t matter to Taylor. I hoped not, but honestly, her attitude was beginning to annoy me. She behaved as if her family’s middle class status placed her above everyone. I could only imagine what she’d say about me now.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    I wasn’t surprised that Taylor didn’t rush out of her house when I pulled up to the curb. The living room curtains shifted a little as someone looked out at the street, but the front door never opened.
    I ’m outside, I texted her.
    S he came rushing out a minute later, but stopped, looking a bit confused, then scowled when Megan and Crystal ran into the back of her.
    I gave her a few seconds to look up and down the street for my Audi then let her off the hook by tapping on the horn.
    “Well, that’s impressive ,” I said, shaking my head. The small, pathetic-sounding squeak that slipped out from underneath my hood was embarrassing, but well worth the look on Taylor’s face.
    The front passenger side window groaned all the way down. When I waved her over, her jaw went slack. It was a priceless moment to see her caught off guard.
    She c losed the distance between her house and my car and leaned over to get a better look. Her gaze shuffled between me and the inside of the car, her eyes growing wider every second.
    Megan’s hand did a lousy job of covering her smirk.
    Taylor stood straight, looked at the others, then stuck her head inside the window again.
    “ Alyx? What the hell? Is there a theme party at Skate Plaza I don’t know about?”
    “ Are you getting in or not?” I asked, blatantly ignoring her question.
    Megan and Crystal climbed in the back se at without any hesitation, but Taylor blinked, as if clicking through her options. She finally let out a long, low sigh, yanked the door open, and got into the front seat.
    She p ushed her hair off her face she said, “So. What happened to your car? When do you get it back?”
    “ I don’t. I sold it,” I said.
    “ Did your parents make you sell it?” Megan asked.
    T aylor’s eye widened. “Oh, my God! What did you do ?”
    I could n’t imagine what she was thinking. Mom and I have never had any kind of disagreement, let alone me doing something horrible enough to justify selling my car.
    The seconds passed, leaning on the question that hung between us.
    I finally shrugged. “Nothing. It was my choice.”
    Taylor ’s brows shot up. “ Excuse me? You traded in your Audi for…” She seemed to be trying to choose her words carefully. “… this? Why ?”
    Her incred ulousness was such a joke. This all coming from a person who had no car, who depended on others for her transportation. You’d think she’d be grateful for any set of wheels. I’d definitely been spoiling her.
    “ Oh, it’s not that bad, Taylor,” Crystal came to my rescue.
    We exchanged looks in the rear view mirror. “Thanks, Crys.”
    “ But why?” Taylor asked again.
    “ Because it was time for a change.”
    “ You should paint it, Alyx,” Megan said. “You know, like white or something. Black is so… black.”
    T aylor leaned into the seat, her back barely touching the fabric. Her internal eww radar oozed from the lines of her frown.
    “There’s nothing wrong with the car, Taylor,” I said. “The carpets and seats were cleaned yesterday. And look,” I pointed to the fragrance tree that hung from the stereo knob. “Strawberry.”
    She tilted her head back and sniffed. “I guess it’s okay. And your clothes do match