Free Charisma by Jeanne Ryan Page B

me so we both face our reflections. “There’s something kind of different about you.”
    â€œMust be the glow of lust. Or this smoky blue shadow?”
    She squints. “It’s bigger than that. You seem, um, sparklier somehow. Even your voice sounds different, huskier.”
    I rumble two octaves below normal, “You’re making me self-conscious.”
    She scoops up a fingertip of eye shadow and rubs some on each lid. “Maybe the confidence you’re getting from exposure therapy shows up in your looks.”
    Or maybe gene therapy does. I take a deep breath to stop the quivering in my belly.
    We go back to sorting clothes while I think about texting Jack. Maybe it had nothing to do with Charisma. It
could
be explained by the fact that I’m really into him. Just like how Chloe glowed over her new boyfriend yesterday. Crushing on someone can change a person drastically. It’s what all the songs are about.
    By bedtime, Evie and I agree on every acceptable clothing ensemble for the “new me.” We’re debating nail polish when my phone buzzes with a broadcast text from Chloe: WATCH THE KBLB NEWS STREAM! EVEN BETTER THAN THE RAVE!
    I show Evie the message. She frowns. “That’s it? No clue as to what?”
    I roll my eyes. “She assumes if she tells folks to watch, they will.”
    Evie opens a bottle of Scarlett Secrets nail polish, which she begins applying to her pinkie. “You going to check it out?”
    â€œNah.” I point to the polish. “Um, even I know that that shade of red is only for toenails, unless you live in Jersey.”
    Before she can argue, my phone buzzes again. It’s Chloe. YOU WON’T BE SORRY!
    I laugh and turn on my computer. “Okay, now I’m curious.”
    Evie paints her nails while I find the site. Front and center beams a video of Chloe. I take the laptop to my bed so Evie can watch too. Chloe is the person-on-the-street interviewee for a local music festival. She delivers a breathless rundown. Afterward, the reporter asks her to come back tomorrow.
    Evie blows on her nails. “How come you never told me Chloe was so photogenic?”
    I examine the still-shot. “I never thought about it before.”
    But now I do. If I’m more sparkly, Chloe’s downright blinding. And she bloomed with something extra yesterday. It could be that things with her halfback have exploded into something bigger than she let on. Well, whatever it is, it’s working for her. And things are working for me too. I have plans with Jack. Plans!
    So let Chloe take on the planet with her new video fame. It’s all good. In fact, there isn’t a thing for me to complain about, except maybe that half of my wardrobe now lies in the donate pile. And I have to wait until tomorrow to see Jack. But a little anticipation isn’t the end of the world. Not by a long shot.
    Beloved Docent at Local Zoo Loses Battle with Unknown Illness
    by Jenna Dawson,
The Gig Harbor Herald
    Long-time resident Stephanie “Steffie” Wong, who headed up the primate labs at Nova Genetics, died Saturday after a brief illness. In her spare time, she volunteered at local zoos, teaching children about animal habitats and conservation efforts. She was considered a world expert on primate behavior and worked with Nova Genetics to test ground-breaking work in gene therapy in the most ethical manner possible. As she frequently reminded students at her tours, “We share over ninety-nine percent of our DNA with chimpanzees. Treating other primates ‘humanely’ means acting toward them with compassion and dignity, the way they treat each other.” As such, she was a vocal advocate in demanding that medical testing that utilizes non-animal methods always be the first choice.
    Stephanie is survived by her parents and sister, and a memorial service is planned for later this week. In lieu of flowers, her family requests donations be