Free The Last Changeling by Chelsea Pitcher Page B

them feel worthless.
    I caught Keegan’s gaze and held it. “I’m sorry.”
    He laughed. “I’m not.” His eyes were glued to me, but I got the impression he was talking to Kylie. “Bad things happen to everyone. You either care about what other people think or you realize their hang-ups have nothing to do with you.”
    Kylie sniffed, raising her head to face the group. “People hate you and they haven’t even met you. But it’s better than the alternative.” She ran her hands through her hair, the dark strands shining in the fluorescent lights. “Because when you’re hiding, all you do is hate yourself.”
    â€“––––
    After the meeting, Kylie caught up with Lora on the school’s front lawn. “Come shopping with me,” she entreated, glancing at me as she wheeled down the walkway. “Unless you have plans.”
    â€œI do not,” Lora replied, eyeing me as well. I blinked back at her, unprepared for the sudden onslaught of sunlight. “But I have to tell you,” she continued, “I’m developing an aversion to crowds.”
    Kylie laughed. Keegan snuck up behind her and put his hands over her eyes.
    â€œDon’t!” She sped away, nearly running into a pack of Unity’s elite. Alexia Mardsen towered above the pack, surrounded by a halo of cigarette smoke.
    For a moment Kylie froze. Then, lifting her head, she looked into the eyes of Unity’s queen bee and glared.
    Alexia took a long, exaggerated drag on her cigarette and exhaled. I couldn’t help but watch the movement of her lips. The girl made our cheerleaders look like band geeks. With her pale brown skin and black, wavy hair, it wouldn’t have surprised me to learn she’d descended from the Amazons. To date, I’d heard she was part Black, part Puerto Rican, and part Japanese, but I couldn’t have said for certain. Anytime someone asked her what she “was,” she made up a different answer to toy with them.
    The only labels she liked were on her clothing.
    â€œJust passing through?” she said to Kylie, stubbing her cigarette out on a tree.
    Kylie held her gaze before moving on. Keegan hissed dramatically.
    Alexia just smiled, like they were entertaining her.
    â€œWhat was all that?” Lora asked when we’d gained a good distance from the pack.
    â€œParty politics,” Keegan said. “We have a long-standing rivalry with the Populari.”
    Kylie giggled, returning her attention to us. “One of the many reasons we don’t go shopping in crowded malls.” She flashed a mischievous smile. “We have better places to be.”
    â€œSiberia?” Keegan offered.
    â€œThrift store shopping—”
    â€œSpelunking—”
    â€œIn Old Town.”
    â€œYes,” Keegan said stuffily, “rejected rags from the seventies look just like the fall line from Dolce and Gabbana.” He stuck out his hip in a surprisingly good impression of Alexia.
    â€œIgnore the nonbeliever.” Kylie linked arms with Lora. “It totally works if you have imagination . And if we don’t find what we want, we just make it.” She ran her fingers over her skirt.
    â€œYou made this?” Lora asked.
    â€œShe makes everything,” Keegan said. “She’s a witch! Burn her!”
    Kylie laughed. “So you wanna come?”
    â€œI’d love to,” Lora said. “Lend me a minute?”
    â€œSure.” Kylie nudged me in the side before leading Keegan away.
    â€œYou don’t have to ask me,” I said, watching the twins race along the walkway. I really didn’t want to spend the evening without Lora; I still had the acute fear that sh e was going to disappear. But I knew I’d reach a new level of psycho if I insisted on tagging along.
    â€œI know,” Lora said. “We just haven’t discussed—”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œAnd I