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monstrosity?”
    “Your mother doesn’t need permission to shop. I showed her the witch because I knew she’d love it.”
    “Well, I’ll never invite anyone over again, except Lenni. And I pray nobody I know drives by.”
    Dad walked to the doorway and dropped a kiss on top of my head. “Love you, kiddo.”
    I walked to my room and slammed the lamps onto my dresser. I fell on the bed and stared at my posters. Dizzy, the lead singer of my favorite band, glared at me from her world of stage lights, leather dresses, and spiked hair. What I wouldn’t give to trade places with her right now. I dreaded school. Just when I thought the situation between me and Bianca had reached the height of misery, things changed for the worse. Guilt sloshed through my insides. What terrible person makes light of the circumstances surrounding a child’s death? Even if I found the nerve to ask Bianca’s forgiveness, she would never accept my apology.
    No way around it, tomorrow I was toast. Right now, I had an even more pressing concern—how to shower with a haunted, redheaded mermaid in the room.
    I yanked the thumbtacks from the first two posters in my collection. The rock star shot me a dejected expression as I rolled her up. “Sorry, Dizzy,” I whispered, securing the posters with rubber bands and storing them in the closet.
    Pulling the sheet from my bed and dragging it behind me, I headed for the bathroom. I held the tacks in my mouth and smoothed the fabric over the bathroom wall, covering the mermaid mural. I tacked it in place. The navy-blue cloth concealed the mermaids, leaving only a few bubbles visible around the edge. No longer able to see the redhead, I relaxed.

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
    I walked as slowly as possible to Lenni’s house and still arrived in plenty of time. She met me at the door and stepped outside for a hug before letting me in, chattering all the while. Mrs. Flemming’s stilettos looked dangerous sitting on the floor beside the coffee table. I sank into the sofa, nodding as Lenni prattled on about today, tomorrow, and the entire week. Nerves on edge, I waited for her to bring up Bianca. Somehow, she rattled off the plans she had for each day without mentioning her.
    “Oh, duh, how could I forget? Doodle-doodle-doot .” Lenni waved her hands rapidly in front of her, signifying a leap back in time. “Okay, on Wednesday evening, Bianca is coming over so we can work on our lines for drama class.”
    There it was. The hairs on my arms and the nape of my neck stood up. A chill skittered down my spine. I braced myself for the hiccups.
    “Okay, girlies,” Mrs. Flemming called, entering the room. “Let me slide on these ankle twisters and we’ll be ready to roll.” She slipped the red heels onto her pedicured feet like Cinderella gliding into glass slippers. “And away we go,” she sang, picking up her matching red purse and ushering us out the door. “Neal already left for work, so we won’t be blocked in this morning.”
    She turned off the car alarm. Lenni and I slid into the roomy backseat.
    “Where to?” Mrs. Flemming lowered her voice an octave and pretended to tip a chauffer’s hat.
    “To school, driver. On the double.” Lenni leaned in close to me. “I can’t wait to see Ian first period. He’s so cute. Sits right behind Bianca.” She sighed. “He stares at her the entire hour. Once, he had the nerve to ask me if she was interested in him. As if!” Lenni tugged her seatbelt over her chest.
    Hic!
    “Wow, that one sounded painful.”
    “Yeah, didn’t feel too great either.”
    Lenni’s phone vibrated. She read the text, smiled, and texted back. I wondered if it was Bianca.
    “Turn up the radio, Mom, I love this song!” She pumped her palms to the rhythm. Rolling her shoulders, she glanced at me from the corner of her eye and tossed her hair.
    “I’m glad the windows are tinted. Other drivers might think you’re having a seizure.” Mrs. Flemming snickered.
    I tried tossing my hair,