bad batch of makeup, Crystal?â Lacey asks in a small voice.
âI havenât.â Crystalâs frowning. âDid you contact Naked Makeup about it, Lacey?â
âI did. They havenât had any complaints from other vendors,â Lacey says. âNot even vendors with product with the same lot numbers. I sent in Nite Sprite Creme samples to corporate for testing.â
âWill you send in the lip gloss too?â Crystal runs the bracelets up and down her arms.
âI could.â Lacey presses her palms flat on the counter. They stop trembling. âBut if itâs the hotsauce ingredient â¦â Lacey trails off.
âCapsicum,â Junie inserts.
âYeah, capsicum,â Lacey says. âCorporate wouldnât test for that.â
âWeâre convinced someoneâs sabotaging Lacey.â Amberâs screwing lids on the mini bottles. âTo, like, put her out of business. We donât know for sure, but Sherry thinks maybe someoneâs adding capsicum to our lip gloss. Sheâs done some detective work in the past and sheâs trying to figure it all out.â
Junieâs eyes flash.
I try to add that Junieâs working on the case withme, but Amber barrels over me. She never worries about Junieâs feelings. Probably because theyâre cousinsâshe knows Junieâs stuck with her.
âIf I were you, I wouldnât keep sending tainted makeup to your headquarters,â Crystal says. âTheyâll start getting very anxious about what youâre selling and question whether they should shut you down to keep their name clean.â
Crystal leans in, looking closely at Junie again. âCross your fingers that it ends soon and you donât have any more incidents.â She straightens. âIâll keep my ears open and let you know if I hear anything.â
âThanks,â Lacey says, all choked up.
âWeâre gonna keep working hard, hooking people up with Naked Makeup because we totally believe in the product line.â Amberâs unrolling lavender ribbon and cutting it into lengths of about six inches. âWeâre gonna find out whoâs doing this to Lacey and stop them. Itâs our duty as cosmeticians.â
Lacey hugs Amber.
âWhatâre you working on?â Crystal picks up a strip of ribbon.
Amber points to the miniature bottles. âSilky Soft Hand Lotion. Hands love it. Itâs the perfect product for introducing shoppers to Naked Makeup.â Amber is positively glowing. She believes in this productfrom her highlighted head all the way down to the tips of her painted toenails.
âWeâre decorating samples to give away.â Laceyâs hands are steady now as she picks up a bottle.
âJunie and I can help after school! Weâll walk around the mall with a basket, handing them out,â I say. âWeâll reach more customers than if the samples are just sitting here at the kiosk.â
Amber and Lacey squeal at the same time.
Junie nods, which goes to show how far sheâs advanced socially. Not too long ago, she wouldâve chosen math homework over giving away free samples of lotion.
âI gotta boogie,â Crystal says. âI left Suze in charge and you know what a pain she is if Iâm gone too long.â
âSeriously,â Amber says.
Suze isnât part of the Amber-Crystal-Lacey trio.
âThanks for the coupons,â Lacey says. âAnd for the moral support.â
âNo prob.â Crystal waves and her bracelets tinkle and sparkle.
Amberâs gazing at me like this is science class and Iâm a bug under a microscope. âWeâll do your makeup before we send you out to represent Naked Makeup.â She turns her scientific gaze to Junie. âYou can help Sherry in a few days. Your face needs to heal.â
Junie flushes red like a tomato. Which makes her face look even less desirable for