Free Invasion of the Boy Snatchers by Lisi Harrison Page B

Claire said.
    Massie pressed Play on her CD player, and “Lose My Breath” by Destiny’s Child came blasting through her speakers. “Well, then, get off your butt. Everyone will be here in ten minutes.” She started shaking her hips to the beat of the song. “I’m Beyoncé.”
    Massie lifted Claire’s ugly metal tripod and started singing into one of its legs as if it were a microphone.
    . . . After I done everything that you asked me
Grabbed you, grind you, liked you, tried you
Moved so fast baby now I can’t find you . . .
    Claire ran across the room with an armful of sweaters and started dancing with Massie’s mannequin. When she thought Massie wasn’t looking, she tossed the sweaters under the bed.
    “I saw that.” Massie laughed. “I’m fine with it if you are.” She lifted a pile of Claire’s socks and underwear and ditched them on the floor of her closet.
    “Fine.” Claire shrugged. She lifted the arm of Massie’s mannequin and sang into the fingers . . .
    . . . Can you keep up?

Baby boy, make me lose my breath

Bring the noise, make me lose my breath . . .
    Bean was running from Massie to Claire, back and forth, trying to stay a part of the action. When the song ended, Massie hopped over the bags and played it again. She danced across her room, stacking Claire’s binders and books on her desk, singing as loud as she could. It was so much more fun pretending to be Beyoncé when someone else was in the room. She didn’t feel as freakish as she did when she danced in front of the mirror alone.
    Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open. Massie heard herself shriek. But her expression quickly changed to one of agitation when she saw Todd and Tiny Nathan dancing and playing air guitar on Massie’s Hermès riding crops.
    She marched over to the boys and tore the crops from their sticky hands.
    “Where did you get these?” Massie shouted.
    “In the back of your closet.” Todd yawned casually.
    Massie drew back the crop and slapped him twice on the butt, the same way she’d hit her horse, Brownie, when she needed him to giddyap.
    “You’re dirtier than I thought.” Todd gave a devilish grin.
    “Get,” Massie said as she pushed Todd out of her room, “outta here.” She shoved Tiny Nathan and slammed her door behind them.
    “Gawd.” Massie tossed the crops on her bed. “How ah-nnoying.”
    “Sorry ’bout that.” Claire was obviously embarrassed by her brother.
    “It’s not your fault.” Massie lowered the stereo. She looked around with a satisfied grin on her face. They had stacked all six boxes in the corners and covered them with Massie’s colorful silk robes. Nothing had been unpacked, but a walkway had been cleared, which gave the impression that order had been restored.
    “Now I’ll never find my pjs,” Claire whined.
    “Here.” Massie tossed a pair of burnt-orange satin pajamas at her. “Wear these. They’ll look good with your coloring.”
    Claire smiled and quickly started changing.
    “Oh, and wrap this around your waist.” She handed Claire a folded brown Dixon. “It will transform those simple satin pajamas into evening wear.”
    “Uh, okay.” Claire slipped her legs through the mesh tube and wiggled it up and around her waist.
    Massie stepped into her closet and opened her “delicates” drawer. She sifted through a rainbow of silks and satins until she found her wine-colored boy shorts and the matching baby-doll top. When she was dressed, she climbed up on top of her desk, being careful not to knock over Claire’s books, and pulled a gold brooch that looked like the sun out of the cork. She stuck it to one of the straps of her top and jumped down.
    “Bean, let go.” Claire was sitting on the floor trying to pull one of her striped socks out of Bean’s mouth. She finally gave up when she started sneezing uncontrollably and needed both hands to cover her nose.
    “Ew, are you catching Dylan’s cold?”
    “I hope not.” Claire was hunched over with her hand