Free Birthday Vicious by Melissa de La Cruz

and games.
    â€œCan we play something? Do you have Monopoly?”
    â€œNo.” Lauren felt herself frowning. This wasn’t good. Sadie was getting distracted by all the childish stuff. Why didn’t she want to go through Lauren’s closet, like any normal, self-respecting seventh grader? Maybe Sadie needed a nudge in the right direction. “Do you want to try on some of my shoes? I think we’re around the same size, and I have, like, four dozen pairs. Some are still in their boxes.”
    Sadie’s face fell. “Can’t we play some games? I hate shoe shopping. My mother has to make me go at the start of every school year, and I’m still getting over that.”
    â€œI know—how about a spa makeover? You should see my bathroom.” Lauren headed off down the stairs, hoping Sadie would follow.
    Her phone began to buzz. Lauren picked it up hopefully.Maybe one of the Ashleys had some juicy gossip. Maybe Lili was calling to dish about why Ashley was being oh-so-mysterious about her party, or A. A. was calling to complain about Lili’s crazy camping plan. Maybe it was Ashley herself, calling to thank Lauren, yet again, for picking up the fabulous gift.
    Anything but Sadie, romping around upstairs like a little girl in a toy store. Lauren made a mental note to give those games, most of them still shrink-wrapped and brand-new, to charity.
    â€œHello?” Lauren answered. It was Ashley, calling to find out if she was done with her mom and if she could meet them at the boutique tout de suite .
    â€œYou’re missing all the fun,” Ashley cooed.
    Maybe Ashley just wanted a bigger audience as she tried on her five outfits. Maybe she just wanted someone else to tell her she looked wonderful in everything she put on. It didn’t matter.
    Lauren shut off her phone and made a quick decision. She turned to Sadie, with the too-sweet smile she’d seen Ashley give people when she wanted them to do something she knew they didn’t want to do.
    â€œListen, that was my dad, and I kind of forgot I promised him I would go pick up something for mymom that he ordered at Graff’s.” God, it was so easy to lie when you got into the habit!
    â€œReally?” Sadie asked, looking completely disappointed. “But I brought Felicity!” she said, pulling out a much-loved California Girl doll from her oversized bag.
    â€œNext time, I promise.” Then she said the magic words that were sure to squelch any more protests from Sadie. “And don’t worry, Dex can drive you home.”

10
A. A. DISCOVERS THE WISDOM THAT IS BEYONCÉ
    A. A. DIDN’T MIND PLAYING SOCCER in the rain and mud, but on a wet afternoon like this, most of the other girls in her ad hoc league made their excuses and didn’t show up to the game at the Jackson Playground. Normally this would get on her nerves, but as it turned out, she had something else to do anyway.
    Last night at dinner, Lili had talked Ashley into a shopping trip after school for her birthday party outfits. Lili had argued that the Ashleys needed to do this together so they could make sure all their outfits coordinated without clashing. Plus, Ashley had been talking for ages about needing five different dresses. It was only a few weeks till the party. They needed to start shopping now .
    Ashley had been a little reluctant at first, which was unexpected. Lili was right, Ashley was acting a bit odd about her party. But once they hit the shops, Ashley soon regained her shopaholic form.
    They’d changed out of their uniforms at school and were downtown by three thirty, and by four A. A. was tired of trying on clothes. The other girls never seemed to weary of this, but they were way more indecisive than A. A.—she’d found a great dress in the first twenty minutes! A hot pink number with a leopard print—kind of out there for her, but A. A. liked how loud it was. Her mother always said there was nothing