Na noite seguinte, Hanna estava parada do lado de fora do vestirio dos meninos, p uxandopara baixo seu vestido justo

que ela tinha colocado depois do ltimo sinal. Em todas as direesdela, os alunos saiam apressados para pegar seus nibus depois da aula, corriam para atividades ousubiam em seus carros para ir ao Shopping King J ames.O celular de Hanna tocou e ela rapidamente baixou o volume. Era mais uma me nsagem deIsabel, lembrando a Hanna para ela ir mais cedo ao comcio do pai dela na Cmara Municipalnaquela noite para conhecer e cumprimentar alguns dos doadores. D, como se ela j no soubessedisso. Ela ajudou a organizar a coisa toda. E ela chegari a l quando quisesse. A misso em suas mosera a nica coisa em sua mente agora.Os aroma s de meias sujas e spray corporal Axe flutuaram para o corredor. Vozes abafadas e ossons dos chuveiros ecoavam. Acontece que os meninos da equipe de pista cober ta tinham vindo deum treino cansativo que envolvia correr em volta do estacionam ento gelado. Mike tambm estavana equipe de pista coberta para se manter em forma para o lacrosse. A operao Conseguir Mike deVolta estava prestes a comear.A porta az ul abriu com um rudo e dois alunos do segundo ano em jaquetas emergiram, dandoolh ares estranhos a Hanna quando passaram. Ela olhou para eles de volta, ento se apr oximou daporta novamente. Foi uma genialidade colocar na academia uma aula de pole dancing. A voz bartona erouca de Mason Byers soou. Voc j viu as meninas que esto participando? Cara, nem me fale James Freed respondeu. Eu nem mesmo me mexi da ltima vez queeu estive l, eu s assisti elas o tempo todo. Aquela menina que o Mike est saindo est participando disse Mason.Hanna franziu o cenho. Colleen estava participando de pole dancing a gora? No show detalentos da oitava srie, Colleen havia vestido um traje da Letnia e danado os passos dos seusancestrais nativos. Hanna e Mona tinham tirado sarro d ela por meses. Eu sei. James deu um grunhido estranho de garoto. No toa que ele est transandocom ela. Ele riu. Voc sabia que Bebris significa castor em Leto?Espera. Os caras acabaram de dizer q ue Mike estava transando com ela, no foi? Hanna sentiuuma pontada aguda. Ela e Mike no tinham feito isso, e eles namoraram por mais de um ano.Mais dois caras saram do vestirio, e Hanna espi ou l dentro. James e Mason estavam fora devista, mas Mike estava em seu armrio. El e estava de cueca, seu cabelo preto emaranhado emolhado sobre sua cabea, pequenas gotas de gua caam sobre seus ombros largos. Ele sempretinha sido musculoso assim? Hanna ergueu seus ombros. Est na hora. Ela caminhou at o vestirio cheio de vapor. Elanunca tinha entrado no vestirio dos m eninos antes e ficou desapontada ao descobrir que ele noparecia muito diferente d o das meninas, alm de uma cueca protetora de testculos jogada no chode um dos corre dores. O lugar cheirava a talco e meias suadas e a lata de lixo estava transbord

andocom garrafas de Gatorade vazias.Ela andou na ponta dos ps sobre o cho de azule jos cinza at que ficou a poucos metros dedistncia de Mike. Em suas costas havia um a cicatriz em forma de lua crescente que ele tinhaadquirido ao cair da bicicleta quando era pequeno. Eles mostraram um ao outro todas as suascicatrizes numa tar de na casa de Hanna, eles despiram suas roupas ntimas, mas no foram maisadiante. E m alguns aspectos, Hanna tinha muito medo de ter relaes sexuais com Mike elanunca tinha dormido com ningum antes, e fazer isso com ele parecia ser especia l. E apesar de Mike sempre falar sobre o quo louco por sexo ele era, Hanna se perguntava se ele tambm tinha tido umpouco de medo.Hanna estendeu as mos e cobriu os olhos de Mike. Boo.Mike pulou, mas depois relaxou. Ooooi disse ele, arrastando a palavra. O que vocest fazendo aqui?Ao invs de dizer qualquer coisa, Hanna comeou a dar beijin hos na parte de trs do pescoode Mike. Mike se inclinou contra ela, sua pele nua e quente contra seu vestido apertado. Eleestendeu a mo pra trs e passou os dedos pel os cachos de Hanna. De repente, ele se virou, abriu osolhos e a encarou. Hanna Mike pegou a toalha do banco e cobriu seu torso nu. O que diabos?Hanna agarrou o colar que Mike tinha usado desde que sua famlia reto rnou da Islndia epuxou-o para mais perto. No seja tmido. Apenas continue. Essa no uma das suas fantasiassexuais?Mike se afast ou dela com os olhos arregalados. Voc enlouqueceu? Ele no notou ovestido apertadssimo ou os sapatos com um super-salto alto de Hanna que faziam seus tornozelosdoerem. Ao invs disso, ele estava olhando para ela como se ela estivesse sendo loucamenteinapropriada. Voc tem que ir embora.Hanna enrijeceu. Voc parecia estar gostando alguns segundos atrs. Foi porque eu pensei que era outra pessoa. Mike puxou uma camiseta sobre sua cabea evestiu suas calas rapidamente.Hanna se ap oiou nos armrios, sem sair do lugar. Olha, Mike, eu quero voc de volta, ok? Eue o meu namorado terminamos. Eu sei que voc tambm me quer de volta. Ento, pare de agir comoum idiota e me beije!Ela complet ou isso com uma pequena gargalhada, para que ela no parecesse completamenteagress iva, mas Mike apenas olhou para ela sem entender. Voc me ouviu no shopping na outranoite, eu tenho uma namorada agora.Hanna revirou os olhos. Colleen? Por favor. Voc no se lembra de que enfiaram a cabeadela na boa e velha pri vada quatro vezes na sexta srie? E Mike, ela uma nerd do teatro. Voc esttotalmente destruindo sua popularidade por namorar ela.Mike cruzou os braos sobre o peito.

Na verdade, Colleen tem um agente para a coisa doteatro. Ela esteve em audies para vrias coisas importantes na TV. E eu no me importo compopularidade. Yeah, certo. Ela fcil ou algo assim?

Hanna foi sur Who the hell are you? Emily wanted to groan. You know who I am. Emily. Emily? Cassie looked at Heather, Sophie, and Lola, who were now pee ring curiously at her, too. Ring any bells, girls? I didn t invite anyone named Emily, Lola said, slightly slurring her words. Me neither, Sophie and Heather piped up.Cassie rolled her eyes. Did my brother invite you? I told him we were way over capacity. You invited me! Emily exclaimed. It s Emily Fields! Santa! It was as if a light went on over Cassie s head. She smiled. Santa? I didn t recognize you without your beard! Guys, it s Santa ! Santa! Heather whooped. Wassup? Hey, Santa, Sophie said. You should have worn your hat la looked annoyed. How were we supposed to know it s you? Hang on a sec. Cassie shot up and disappeared into a back room. Moments later, she appeared with another lawn chair and plunked it down next toher. Here you go, Santa. Hang out with us. What can I get you to drink? Emily blinked at the empty chair, then stared at the two inches of orange juice left in her cup. Um, how about a vodka and Red Bull? Excellen t choice. Cassie winked. Those used to be my favorite. I know , Emily wanted to say. She sat in the lawn chair, suddenly feeling kind of amazi ng. Just like that, the party had gotten much, much moreinteresting.

Chapter 7The Cool Crowd More vodka, anyone? Cassie raised a bottle of Absolut in the air and shook it. A bit of liquid sloshed in the bottom. Me, me! Lola raised her hand. So did Heather a nd Sophie. Instead of topping them off, Cassie made a beeline for Emily, gluggin g a good threeshots worth into her cup. I ve barely seen you take a sip, Santa! It was about an hour later, and although the party was still raging inside Cassie s hous e, the elves and Emily had formed a little VIP section in Cassie sbackyard, which had a big deck and a couple of heat lamps to fend off the cold. It was peaceful out there, though, with the stars in the dark sky making achandelier over their heads and the heat lamps providing a soothing warmth on their skin.The elves tal ked about the best college ragers they d ever been to, how lame the Devon Crest Ma ll was, and tales about the previous Santa at SantaLand, whose name was Fletcher , and who d apparently tried to make out with all four of the elves on the same da y. That dude was dying to get some, Cassie moaned, hand over her eyes. He didn t even care who it was. Remember that prissy-looking brunette girl who actually fell for h im? Lola snickered. I m convinced those two snuck off somewhere. Yeah, right. Cassie sni ffed. She wouldn t have gone for him. Even she wasn t that stupid. Nasty, huh, Santa? Lol a giggled, tapping Emily with her foot. Emily nodded. Speaking of gross guys. Cassi e propped her feet on the deck rail. I can t believe what an asshole Colin s being to night. He hasn t said one word tome, not even thanks for inviting me to your party . Do you think I should try and talk to him, or should I just let it go? Forget him . Heather waved her hand as if to sweep him away. We re in the same boat. Lola slumped down in her chair. I saw Brian disappear up the stairs with Chelsea. I guess tha t was his way of telling me it sover between us. At least he didn t break up with you i

n a Facebook post. Sophie lit a cigarette. I ll never forgive James for doing that t o me. That s a Yale boy for you. Cassie clucked her tongue. And you should never go out with someone from your dorm. Emily peered at Sophie. You go to Yale? Sophie shrugged . Yeah, but probably not for much longer. Cassie snickered. Oh, please. Sophie was v aledictorian at Prichard. She probably still does her homework the night it s assi gned. And the extra-credit. Nuh-uh. Sophie s braids bounced as she shook her head. I ve totally sli pped. Okay, Daddy does your homework, Cassie corrected. Are you still going to be a doctor, just like Daddy wants? Heather teased.Sophie blew a smoke ring. My grades this semester ble w. I probably won t be able to get into the premed program if I keep this up. My p arents aregoing to murder me when they find out. She said this toughly, but when she turned her head away there was a petrified look on her face.Heather must hav e sensed her fear, because she snickered and said, Poor little Sophie, under all that pressure. You were bound to crack sometime. Sophie whirled back around and sl apped the arm of her chair. At least my parents notice when I m a fuckup. Who s your dad spending all his time withthese days? One of The P ussycat Dolls? Cassie let out a loud guffaw. Heather raked her fingers angrily thr ough her pixie-short hair. Ha frickin ha, she said in a small voice, suddenly sound ingsober. Your dad knows The Pussycat Dolls? Emily asked, mostly to cut the tension .The elves turned their attention to Emily, almost like they d forgotten she was t here. Actually, no, Heather snapped. But he s a music producer andknows a lot of othe r artists. Knows them intimately , Lola said meaningfully. He brought one of the runners-up on American Idol to Heather s graduation party and was all over her. You should have seen Heather s f ace! Heather kicked her chair. Tell the whole world, why don t you? Like your life is so perfect? How s your brother? What rehab facility is he in these days? Lola s face paled. She didn t elaborate, but Emily remembered the name Rocco from the conversa tion Lola had had on her cell phone behind thegingerbread house earlier today. A silence fell over the group. Sophie puffed on her Marlboro Light, staring into the middle distance. Heather tapped her foot against the porch rail. Emilyshifte d her butt in the uncomfortable lawn chair, wishing she could find the right wor ds to say to make everything better. This reminded her of the dynamicbetween Ali , Emily, and her old friends at the end of seventh grade, especially when Ali hi nted at a secret she knew about one of them but the othersdidn t. Maybe there was some deep-seated animosity within this group, too.But in a strange way, hearing the elves secrets was also kind of reassuring. Like Emily, the girls were human. Fallible. Vulnerable. They had secrets Amight glom on to, if A were still around . It made her feel less alone.Cassie stretched in her chair. So what do you think , Santa? Do all guys suck? Emily pulled her hands inside her down coat. Pretty much . That s why I m into girls. All four heads whipped up. There was a long tip of ash a t the end of Sophie s cigarette, but she didn t flick it away. Yeah, right, Cassie sai d. It s true. Emily tried to sound nonchalant. I dated this girl named Maya in the fal l. It felt weird saying it out loud bragging about it, almost. But if therewas a gr oup she could tell this to without judgment, it was probably the elves.Cassie s ey es were wide. Are you out ? You could say that. Emily didn t bother adding that A had outed her against her wish es. What did your parents say? Sophie gasped. They freaked, Emily admitted. But they ve c ome around, I guess. Whoa. Heather crossed her arms over her chest. Maybe I should tr y saying that to my parents. That would probably get them in the same room at thesame time. Cass ie leaned forward and blinked curiously at Emily. What would you do in my situati on with Colin? If Colin was a girl, and she wasn t speaking to youand acting all w

eird, would you confront her or would you just blow her off? Emily sat back, amaze d Cassie was asking her for advice. I would talk to him, she decided. But I wouldn t be too clingy about it. Act like you don treally need him, like he needs you. If only she had done that wit h Ali when she d had the chance.Cassie nodded thoughtfully. Yeah, that s what I was t hinking, too. She cuffed Emily on the shoulder. A loud screech of feedback sudden ly sounded through two invisible speakers on the back porch. Then a song by JayZ blared out, and Lola got up andstarted twisting her hips. Oh my God, I almost f orgot, she said, pausing mid-twirl. I brought something for us. She disappeared into the house, returning a few seconds later with a crumpled paper bag that she upe nded on the ground. Cone-shaped fireworksspilled out. We had these left over from the summer. I thought it would be fun to set them off tonight. Sweet. Cassie grabbe d a rocket-shaped one from the bag without hesitation, placed it on the concrete , and lit the wick. Sparks flew off the longstriped tube, and everyone stepped b ack. Emily s heart thudded hard. She would always associate fireworks with The Jen na Thing