Independence Day. Amy Frazier

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      Her new cool friends, thanks to Keri.

      “Parents can be so…gross.” Keri wasn’t helping matters. If she thought Mom and Dad were gross, what would Danny think? Or Baylee Warner? Or Margot Hensley? Or anyone else in Danny’s group. And now Keri’s group by association.

      Gabriella wanted this new crowd to be hers, as well. No such luck with her parents acting whack.

      “Do you hear what I’m saying?” Keri was right in her face. “You have got to, like, prove you’re not just as weird.”

      “As who?”

      “As your parents.” Keri made a face. “Wake up. You need damage control here.”

      As if she needed to be told.

      “This is our freshman year coming up, Gabs. Do you want to be in, or do you want to be out?”

      She’d been so close to being out for the past year since moving to Pritchard’s Neck. Keri had been her only real friend. Now Keri had moved into the winner’s circle as Danny’s girlfriend, and Gabriella knew Keri was trying not to leave her behind.

      What scared Gabriella more than anything in the world was the thought of being left behind.

      “Well?” Keri poked her in the ribs.

      “Do I even have to answer that?”

      “You’d better come up with some answers before we both find ourselves on the outside looking in.” There was something like fear in Keri’s eyes.

      Gabriella knew Keri was on probation. Danny could only bring her so far into his circle. The group had to cast its approval, too. And if the group wanted to test Keri’s loyalty by having her dump a former friend—a friend with even the whiff of geek or weirdo about her—well… The thought made Gabriella queasy.

      “What can I do?”

      “Make sure you’re a whole lot cooler than your family.”

      Gabriella tried to bury herself in the stuffed animals again, but Keri yanked her upright. “The hair’s a start,” she said. “Brilliant even. Danny said so.”

      “The hair will be history by the time school starts. Remember the dress code?”

      “Yeah. Your dad’s dress code. Could it get any worse than your father as principal?”

      “My mom, Fourth-of-July nutcase.”

      “Your dad, dog food.”

      Her dad on the way to the emergency room in Mrs. Weiss’s SUV because his Volvo was AWOL and Mom’s Mini Cooper was too tiny for him to lie on his stomach.

      “Hey, Danny wasn’t in the square, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Gabriella pointed out in weak defense.

      “No, but Kurt Ryan’s dad was coming out of the hardware. And Baylee’s mom works in the E.R. How soon do you figure before everyone knows?”

      Gabriella pulled the comforter over her head. “I wish I was dead.”

      “There’s no time for that.” Keri pulled the cover aside. “You gotta think how to keep far away from all this before you get blackballed.”

      “How are we going to do that?”

      Keri raised one eyebrow, and Gabriella realized there didn’t have to be a we. This was her problem. Keri could wash her hands of it.

      But Keri softened. Maybe it was because they were such good friends, or maybe Keri needed someone lower on the totem pole than her. “For the summer the hair’s a good start. But we gotta keep people thinking you’re out there.”

      Gabriella didn’t feel out there. Not even with her new haircut. She felt miserable. Saddled with a lame family. And in over her head.

      Keri jumped off the bed and began examining her face in her dresser mirror. “A boyfriend would be huge.”

      Gabriella didn’t feel ready for a boyfriend. That Keri had met Danny two weeks ago at the beach and had chased him till he’d given her the time of day made Gabriella’s jaw drop. She didn’t want to think what Keri might’ve done to make Danny so loyal so quick. No, the idea of a boyfriend made Gabriella nervous.

      “Boyfriends take time,” she replied. “I need something quick.”

      “You gotta be fearless. You gotta act as if you don’t care what your parents think.”

      Easy for Keri to say. She was an only child. Her mom treated her more like a girlfriend than a daughter, and her dad treated her like a princess.

      “You suggesting I start smoking and hanging around street corners?” Gabriella asked sarcastically.

      “No,” Keri replied, serious. “Everybody smokes and hangs around street corners. You need to be awesome. A standout. Plus, you don’t need to waste attitude on just anybody. Save it for when you’re hanging around Baylee or Margot or Kurt.”

      “As in?”

      “As in when we’re at the mall together, you might lift a lip gloss rather than pay for it.”

      “Shoplift? I don’t need to steal.” Besides, it was wrong. Just wrong. And Keri should know better. Gabriella’s father might be a principal, but Keri’s was a cop.

      “Nobody needs to shoplift. It’s just for kicks.” Keri narrowed her eyes. “But you’re right. You don’t need to do it. It’s not original. You need something fresh.”

      Something beyond smoking and theft? Gabriella didn’t like the sound of the words fearless or fresh. “Couldn’t I aim for something like best dressed?”

      Keri looked at Gabriella’s outfit. “Not when your mom makes your tops and you buy your jeans at a discount store. We’re gonna take care of that, don’t you worry, but first we gotta come up with a rep for you.”

      Gabriella’s family hadn’t stayed in one place long enough for her to get a reputation. She was always just the new kid.

      “How about smart?”

      “In high school?” Keri made as if to slit her throat. “Look at your sister, the brainy poet. Just another word for nerd.”

      If Isabel was a nerd, was Gabriella? She thought of her dad. Not making the honor roll had never been an option in their family. “Funny?”

      “Funny walks a thin line with stupid. Some people might think what happened in the square this afternoon was funny. Do you want to be known that way?”

      Gabriella absolutely did not.

      “Don’t worry.” Keri flopped on the bed beside her. “I’m going to make you over this summer. I’m not a hundred percent sure how, but by the time school starts, everyone’s going to be asking who Gabriella McCabe is. Hey, maybe not Gabriella!” Keri jumped to her feet. “Maybe СКАЧАТЬ