Free You First by Cari Simmons Page B

weird.”
    â€œWeird? Weird how?”
    â€œWell, Mrs. Avila doesn’t know you, and you don’t even really know Lauren yet, so . . .”
    â€œOkay,” Gigi said. “How about this? You tell Lauren to meet us at the mall, and we can get your mom to drive. Then Lauren’s mom can just take us all home.”
    Gigi was pleased with herself for coming up with such a perfect solution. Finn, however, was not as impressed.
    â€œIt’s just that . . . if we do it your way, then it pretty much changes the plans I made with Lauren,” Finn said carefully. “Plus, my mom wasn’t thinking she had to drive anywhere tonight, and my dad’s working a double, so she’d have to take Logan with us too.”
    Gigi let out an exasperated sigh. “What if I just walk over to your house? Or do you think that would be weird too?”
    â€œDude,” Finley said. “You sound like you’re mad at me or something.”
    â€œI’m not,” Gigi replied . . . though if she were honest, she was a little annoyed by Finn’s resistance. “Look, you’re the one who said I should think about coming. If I can’t get a ride with you, I can’t come.”
    â€œHold on,” Finn said. She must’ve muted the phone, because Gigi didn’t hear anything for the next minute or so. When she clicked back on, she said, “Okay. Momsaid you can come here. Only she said you have to call your mom first, to get permission, and then you have to make sure you’re at my place by four thirty, because she doesn’t want you walking over in the dark.”
    Gigi wasn’t sure why Ms. Marian didn’t just come get her, but she didn’t say that to Finn. Instead she said, “Okay. See you in a bit.”
    Next, she tried calling her mom, but her cell phone went straight to voice mail. So did the line at Dress for Success. Frustrated, Gigi headed up to her room to pick out an outfit for the evening.
    It had grown progressively cooler over the week, but the mall was notoriously overheated during the fall and winter. Layers were likely Gigi’s best bet. She rummaged around in her dresser until she located a lime-green-and-navy argyle sweater vest she hadn’t worn in a while. It was a teensy bit short, but she figured she could layer it up with a longer button-down underneath and go for a retro vibe. Navy leggings and a cropped jean jacket would complete the look.
    Gigi tried her mother again but kept getting voice mail. A quick look at the clock revealed that she only had about fifteen minutes before she had to leave for Finn’s. How could she get her mother’s permission if her mother refused to answer a phone?
    The minutes ticked away. Gigi spritzed her curls with a little water to help them plump back up, then changed into her mall outfit. She grabbed twenty dollars from the hamburger-shaped bank in her room, tucked the bills into her wristlet, pulled on her Sperrys, and headed back downstairs.
    It was four ten; in five minutes, she was going to have to leave. She made one more attempt to reach her mom, and when she got her voice mail for the twelfth time, she decided to leave a message: “Hey, it’s me, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to the mall with Finn. Love you! Bye.”
    When she got to Finn’s house, Ms. Marian answered the door. “Hey, cutie,” she said. “Come on in. Just watch your step.”
    Gigi’s eyes widened as she took in the front hall. Nearly every inch of the floor was covered with stuff: stacks of books, piles upon piles of clothes, mountains of sports equipment, and tons of Logan’s old toys. No wonder Ms. Marian couldn’t come get her. Their house was a mess, and it looked like Ms. Marian was working hard to tame it.
    â€œDon’t mind all this,” Ms. Marian said. “Just getting ready for tomorrow’s wee-cycle sale.”
    â€œTomorrow’s