Free Burned by Sara Shepard

and Mike cups filled with rum and Diet Coke. He was wearing his Rosewood Day blazer, a striped tie loosely knotted around his neck, and a pair of seersucker shorts that looked suspiciously like boxers.
    Hanna accepted the drink, then started through the crowd. A lot of kids from Rosewood Day were here, as well as people from Doringbell Friends, Pritchard, and Tate. A couple of blond bombshells from Villa Louisa were doing shots with James Freed and a few other boys from the lacrosse team. Maybe it was something about the hot, humid air, or maybe it was the smell of the coconut sunscreen everyone was wearing, but suddenly Hanna was reminded of the parties they’d attended in Jamaica—especially that crowded dinner the night they met Tabitha. They’d all been sitting at the table, drinking and having a good time, when Emily had grabbed their arm. “It’s Ali ,” she’d said, and there was Tabitha on the top step, looking eerie and familiar in that yellow dress....
    Jesus . Why was she thinking about it again ? She grabbed Mike’s arm. “Let’s dance.”
    “Aye, aye, captain,” Mike said.
    They hit the dance floor and started moving to a Wiz Khalifa song. Hanna shook her arms and legs like a dervish, trying to purge the negative thoughts from her mind. A Lil Wayne song came on next, and then there was a medley of stuff from Madonna’s latest album. By the time someone put on vintage Nirvana, she was slightly winded from dancing and much more relaxed.
    “I’ll get more drinks,” Mike said. Hanna nodded woozily and wandered out to the balcony, where kids were staring at the moon. A hand touched Hanna’s bare shoulder, and she turned, thinking Mike was back. Instead, it was Naomi. Hanna instantly inhaled a heady whiff of her fruity Kate Spade perfume.
    Hanna brightened. “What’s up?”
    “Hey, girl,” Naomi chirped. “Good to see you here.”
    Hanna smiled but didn’t answer, not wanting to seem too eager. It still baffled her that Naomi was being nice . They’d hung out at the welcome soiree a little and had gotten breakfast this morning, which had instantly upped her cool-girl cred—a few girls had said hi to her in the corridors afterward. Naomi had even asked if Hanna wanted to tan this afternoon, but Hanna had had her jewelry-making class. Hanna kept waiting for Naomi to prank her, ditch her, or laugh in her face, but so far, so good. Naomi had finally woken up and realized Hanna was cool.
    “I don’t know how you dance in those shoes.” Naomi pointed to the high, strappy gladiator heels on Hanna’s feet. “They’re incredible. Are they from Salt and Pepper?”
    Hanna flinched. Actually, the shoes were from Salt and Pepper, but the store was in the slightly down-market section of the King James Mall— definitely uncool. The only reason Hanna shopped there was because their knockoffs were so good people often couldn’t tell the difference.
    “Um, my mom bought them for me,” she mumbled. “I don’t know where she got them.”
    “C’mon, Han,” Naomi said in a knowing voice. “I saw those in the store window.” Then she leaned closer, a conspiratorial look in her eye. “I almost bought them myself, actually. Shopping there is my little secret. It’s such a great store, but everyone would make fun of me if they knew. Look—I’m wearing Salt and Pepper shoes, too.”
    She lifted her foot to show off a pink kitten heel that Hanna did, indeed, recognize from the store’s shelves. “It is a pretty great store.”
    “Are you kidding? It’s the best!” Naomi’s eyes gleamed. “We can’t tell anyone about it though—it has to be our little secret. Otherwise everyone will go, and there will be nothing good left.”
    “Definitely,” Hanna said in a mock-haughty voice, secretly thrilled that she and Naomi were in on something together.
    “Not even Riley,” Naomi went on. “And definitely not your stepsister. Got it?”
    “Got it.” Hanna ran her fingers over the plastic ridges