Free Haven by Kristi Cook Page A

you going to wear?”
    I shook my head. “I have no idea. I don’t know what we’re going to be doing. Jeans, I guess? And a sweater.”
    Cece nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, that green cashmere one in the closet.”
    Patsy had gotten it for me at a little boutique in SoHo. I think it still had the tags on. “Boots?” I asked her.
    “Yeah, but not those sheepskin ones. Do you have any knee boots, maybe?”
    I jumped off the bed and hurried to the closet. In seconds I returned carrying a black leather pair with high wedge heels and silver buckles.
    Sitting there cross-legged on the bed, Cece squealed. “Oooh, perfect! God, why have you been hiding these?” She stroked the leather appreciatively. “Now, what about your hair?”
    “What about it?” I asked with a shrug.
    “Well, it’s just that maybe you could, you know, try something a little more . . . um, sophisticated?”
    Okay, so my hair wasn’t the height of fashion. I kept it long, since it was easier to put into a ponytail. “Unless there’s a salon here at school, I’m pretty much screwed,” I said.
    “Oh, no, you’re not!” Cece jumped up and reached for her cell.
    “Wait! Who are you calling?” She was already pressing buttons.
    “Kate. She’s great with hair! I mean it, you’ll look like you stepped out of a magazine and—oh, hey, Kate. What’re you doing right now? Oh, good. Yeah, maybe. Hey, can you come over and bring your hair scissors? Violet has a date tonight and she desperately needs you to do something with her hair. Nah,I’ll let her tell you. Trust me, you’re not going to believe it.” She flashed me a grin. “And bring Sophie—we’ll give Violet a makeover. Sure, call Marissa. I know . . . that’s exactly what I was thinking. Okay, bye.”
    I let my breath out in a rush. Well, there went my privacy. I didn’t know why it mattered; they’d have found out anyway. I knew Cece and her friends well enough by now to know that there were no secrets between them.
    And a makeover sounded kind of fun. It was one of those things that normal girlfriends did together—if they weren’t busy with fencing tournaments, or generally avoiding large groups of people who might become friends and therefore star in their depressing visions.
    Hanging out with the girls, going on a date . . . a week at Winterhaven, and already my life was changing—for the better, I hoped. Not bad, I thought, smiling happily to myself.
    Not bad at all.
    “Okay, open your eyes.”
    I did, and just sat there blinking at my own reflection. Sophie had lined my eyes with some dark, smoky liner and brushed my lids with plum-colored shadow. My eyes had never looked so bright green, so exotic. I don’t know what else she did to my face, but my cheeks shimmered and my lips lookedalmost pouty. I could have easily passed for nineteen.
    And my hair . . . it was still the same boring light brown, but now angled bangs hung across one eye and the bottom of my hair flipped up and out just below my shoulders.
    “Wow!” Marissa said, behind me.
    “Wow is right,” Cece agreed. “So, what do you think?”
    Everyone looked at me anxiously. A slow smile spread across my face. “I like it.”
    Kate’s eyes met mine in the mirror. “I can’t wait to see everyone’s expression when you walk into the dining hall!” she said with a grin.
    Sophie nodded enthusiastically. “We’ll have to touch up everything after dinner, though. Before you go out. Where are you going, anyway? There’s a movie tonight, a seven and a nine fifteen. Or maybe to the café?”
    I shrugged, unable to look away from my own reflection. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”
    “But he told her he wants to show her something,” Cece said with a giggle.
    “Hey, no fair. I want to see too.” Marissa actually smiled at me. Thank God. I was finally breaking down that barrier of hers. “You think he’ll at least buy you a coffee before he whips it out?” she added, wiggling her dark eyebrows