Elegy. Tara Hudson

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СКАЧАТЬ Jillian must have seen the small, insulted O that Chelsea’s mouth made, because she darted forward.

      “Amelia has touch issues,” Jillian said defensively, leaning around me. “You know, like a phobia.”

      “Oh.” Chelsea gave me a smile that was equal parts polite and weirded-out. Kaylen, however, looked intrigued.

      “Really?” she asked. She sat up straighter in her chair. “How does that work, exactly? With Joshua, I mean.”

      My mouth started flapping open and closed like a fish’s. How did I even begin to answer that? Luckily, before I had to craft some believable lie, Jillian faked a loud yawn.

      “Bor-ring,” she grumbled. “New subject, guys. Please.”

      I could have kissed her. Instead, I gave her a sly wink of gratitude.

      “Okay,” Kaylen said. “No more phobia talk. How about a game of truth-or-dare?”

      Jillian and I shouted no at the same time, almost as loudly as Chelsea, Mya, and Elyse cheered yes. With the rest of the party on her side, Kaylen grinned triumphantly.

      “Four against two. It’s totally happening.”

      I groaned loudly and glanced at Jillian. She shrugged, as if to say, No use fighting this. I sank into my plush seat, waiting until the very last minute to join the other girls in the cross-legged circle they’d formed around the coffee table. Once there, I folded my arms and prepared myself for the inevitable questions from Kaylen. But to my surprise, Mya jumped in with the first challenge.

      “Truth or dare, Jilly?”

      Obviously Jillian hadn’t expected that, either. She blinked a few times and then said, “Uh . . . truth, I guess.”

      Mya exchanged meaningful looks with Chelsea and Elyse before turning back to Jillian. “Are you in love with Scott Conner?” Mya asked bluntly.

      Jillian blinked even faster, as did I.

      I knew that Joshua’s quiet friend Scott liked Jillian; his feelings were written all over his face, every time he looked at her. But I had no idea that Jillian might feel something for Scott in return, especially not after her misguided crush on Kade LaLaurie this winter.

      Now, watching the red stain of a blush creep up her neck, I knew it must be true: Jillian liked Scott back.

      “No,” Jillian muttered, after far too long a pause. “Of course I don’t like Scott. He’s like . . . a brother to me, or something. And he’s not even that cute. I’m mean—floppy hair is over, right?”

      Instead of answering her, the other girls whooped and laughed in triumph.

      “Liar!” Elyse crowed. “You do! You totally like him.”

      Chelsea pointed an accusatory finger at Jillian. “You’ve got a crush on your big brother’s bestie. Admit it.”

      “No,” Jillian spat. She chucked an M&M at Chelsea, who caught it deftly and popped it into her mouth. Somehow, this offended Jillian even more. She folded her arms over her chest and scowled at her friends.

      “Fine. So I sort of like Scott, okay? I didn’t used to. But after we got back from Christmas break, he just . . . he started to look better to me. Cuter. Funnier.”

      I heard what Jillian didn’t say: that Scott Conner, compared to a creep like Kade LaLaurie, looked like Prince Charming. Not that Scott needed the comparison—he’d always been a nice guy. But now, Jillian actually valued that quality. I couldn’t wait to tell Joshua.

      Jillian’s girlfriends, however, continued to tease her mercilessly. And for once, she couldn’t seem to muster up any sharp comebacks. So she scowled harder and flopped angrily against the footrest of a theater chair.

      “Traitors,” she hissed halfheartedly, after the last bit of laughter quieted. Then she turned to Kaylen. “Don’t think you’re going to get out of this, just because I’m embarrassed now. Truth or dare, Kaylen?”

      Kaylen flashed everyone a smug half grin. “I always take the dare. You know that.”

      “Oh, I know.” Jillian grinned back, but her smile wasn’t a happy one. “That’s why I already have your dare picked out.”

      “Bring it, Jilly.” Kaylen curled her fists and flexed her arms into a strongman position. “I’m not afraid.”

      When I saw Jillian’s smirk, I wondered whether Kaylen should have been.

      “Okay, if you’re so brave, then why don’t you go get us another bottle of your mom’s wine?”

      Kaylen had already started to beam confidently, when Jillian added, “And one of her old pageant tiaras. A big one. Which you will wear for the rest of the night.”

      The other girls started cackling, but Kaylen paled faintly. I would bet anything that those tiaras, with all their sharp edges and cold sparkle, represented the worst of Kaylen’s fears. Just the thought of stealing one had her broken out in a visible sweat.

      Despite the jealousy I’d felt toward Kaylen, despite the fact that she’d thrown herself at my boyfriend last fall, I suddenly wanted to protect her. To keep her from risking her mother’s wrath, and from having to see another tiara again, if she didn’t want to.

      “Jillian, I think that’s one too many dares.”

      I spoke as quietly as possible, but the other girls heard me. As Kaylen watched me, something in her eyes shifted from desperate to hopeful.

      “Actually,” I went on, keeping my eyes trained on Kaylen’s, “I know that’s one too many dares. Kaylen will probably get caught stealing the tiara. And if she has to steal something, I’d rather have the wine.”

      Faced with a choice between the humiliation of their queen bee and more booze, the crowd quickly chose the latter. As if to demonstrate, Elyse grabbed the bottle from Chelsea’s hand and tilted it back, draining the last few ounces.

      “More wine, more wine,” she began to chant softly, once she’d finished off the bottle.

      As Kaylen pushed herself up from the floor, her feigned look of boredom barely hid her obvious relief.

      “Okay, okay,” she said, moving toward the doors. “I’ll get us another bottle.”

      “Two,” Jillian called out, just before the doors clicked shut. Then she whipped around toward me.

      “Thanks a lot, Amelia,” she said, dragging out my name sarcastically.

      I shrugged, unbothered by the fact that I’d spoiled Jillian’s plans. It was just too bad if she momentarily hated me for it. I’d lost too many friendships to let Jillian ruin one of her own. Besides, Kaylen might be needy and a little self-absorbed, but that didn’t mean she deserved cruelty.

      There was enough of it in the afterlife, I’d learned.

      Oblivious to my motives, Jillian turned back to her friends, effectively cutting me out of the conversation. I shook my head and smiled.

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