Free Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer

completely out of character for someone who has never even touched me before.
    â€œWhere did you guys disappear to?” I ask, feeling strangely shy. The week apart has made things tense. Do I even know these girls anymore?
    â€œWe went to New York to buy furniture for the house,” Maddy says.
    â€œFor the whole week?” Liar. “Why didn’t you call? I was worried.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” says Maddy. “We were just so busy. And we wanted to make the house nice for you. As a surprise.”
    I glance at Agnes. “So you got the house?”
    â€œOf course,” she says. “I told you I would. Now help us finish packing. We’re moving in tonight.”
    I shake my head. “I can’t. I’m going to a party.”
    â€œSeriously?” Agnes furrows her brow. “Why would you want to go to a party here ?”
    â€œI’m not going to a party here . It’s at Yale and it’s supposed to be good,” I say.
    Agnes looks skeptical. “Who are you going with?”
    â€œPeople.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œNobody you know.”
    I glance at Maddy. She looks troubled—no, it’s more than that—she’s … angry. Why? Just because I’m going to a party without her? When she notices my gaze, she tries to regain her composure and says, “Why don’t we move your stuff for you? You can come to the house after the party. We’ll pick you up.”
    â€œThe thing is … I’m not sure I want to move,” I say, annoyed that they packed my things without asking me first. “I kind of like it here.”
    Agnes looks at me like I’ve said something amusing, then tosses Maddy’s Pucci-printed headband into an unsealed box.
    â€œDon’t be mad at us, Sarah,” Maddy says, throwing Agnes a nervous glance.
    â€œI’m not mad,” I say. But I am . They abandoned me for an entire week. Did they think they could make it all better just by coming back? And then to lie to me on top of everything. Buying furniture? Do I look that dumb? I have a life here now. I’m making new friends. I’m going to a naked party. I don’t need them.
    â€œYou’ll love the house, Sarah,” says Maddy. “It’s really spacious and it’s got a fireplace in every room. It’s almost completely furnished and Hope is already settled in, and she loves it. You’ll have your own room, which is twice as big as this one …” Maddy trails off, probably sensing I’m not impressed. She’s right; I’m too angry to be impressed. “Don’t you want to be with us?” she asks.
    Again those words: be with us . She’s good at guilt-tripping, but I’m not falling for it this time.
    â€œI don’t know,” I say. “I can’t discuss it now. Keiko and Amber will be here soon.”
    Agnes rips off a piece of sealing tape. The sound is loud and aggressive. She finishes taping up a box and says, “Forget it, M. Let her do what she wants.”
    Maddy looks deflated.
    And then I start to feel bad. Her wounded look always gets me. The poor girl has had such a tragic life. And she actually believes she’s going to die young. I can’t help but worry I just shaved off a few more hours.
    Still, I don’t back down.
    â€œOkay,” Maddy finally says. Her tone is curt. She turns away from me toward Agnes, and an awkward silence fills the room. Then Maddy turns back around and flashes me a wide grin. I’m not sure what to make of it.
    Before things have a chance to get any weirder, I grab my jacket and leave the room.
    The naked party turns out to be a bore, with all the ugly guys naked and all the cute guys fully dressed. I keep my clothes on and pay the five dollars, while Keiko and Amber strip down to nothing and get in for free. They’re surprisingly fit. They must work out constantly.
    Toward the end of the night, I meet a guy