True Places(55)

Brynn held it against her and spun to show Iris. “What do you think?”

Iris shrugged, then Brynn’s expectant look registered. “Maybe if you put it on.”

“Just what I was thinking.”

Brynn shut the door of the room and stripped down to her bra and panties. Iris turned away.

“It’s okay when it’s just girls.”

Brynn’s phone buzzed somewhere in the crumple of clothes on the floor. She retrieved it.

ROBBY (via text): Thinking about you all the time. When can I see you?

BRYNN: In a flash. (winking emoji) “Iris. Take a photo, okay?” She showed her how to frame it and what button to push, then climbed onto the bed. She leaned back on her elbows and crossed her legs at the ankle. Demure but not too demure. She glanced at her boobs. Why was she so flat? She adjusted her pose so her forearms pushed in against her boobs, giving her maximum but still pathetic cleavage, and tossed her head, spilling her hair over one shoulder.

Iris stared with her mouth open.

“Take the photo, Iris.”

She held the phone awkwardly, like it was about to detonate.

“Just push the button already.”

Iris complied. Brynn took the phone from her and reviewed the photo, evaluating her body, the pose, her underwear. Stalking herself. “Not bad. You show promise.” She cropped it so her face wouldn’t show.

BRYNN (via Snapchat): Testing, testing . . . 1, 2, 3 . . .

Iris was looking over her shoulder. “I don’t understand.”

“You will. Eventually.”

“Who’s Robby?”

“Never mind.”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

Brynn smiled.

“Aren’t you going to the dance with Sam?”

“Sam’s just a friend.”

Iris thought about that. “You said he was hot.”

“I did. He is.”

“That means you want to have sex with him.”

“Whoa . . . who told you that?”

“I figured it out.” She looked at her feet. “I watch TV sometimes. Nature programs, mostly. But some other ones. People our age are very interested in sex.”

Brynn laughed. “No kidding.” She considered Iris in a new light. “You remembered Sam.” Iris’s cheeks turned red. “Iris! You kill me!” Brynn wanted to explore this further, especially the nature programs, but had other things on her mind at the moment. “You can’t tell.”

“Tell what?”

“About the photo. It’s private.”

“Okay.”

“Private means you can’t tell.” Brynn tossed the phone on the bed, picked up the dress, and slipped it on. “Zip me, Iris, okay?” Iris obeyed. Brynn did a quick 360 in front of the floor mirror beside the wardrobe; even without heels and an updo, she looked seriously hot. Her phone buzzed again.

ROBBY: Niiiice. Who’s there with you?

Brynn laughed. “Your chance, Iris.”

“My chance?”

“Hang on.” Brynn flung open the wardrobe doors, remembering from playing hide-and-seek as a kid that Grammy stored her off-season clothes here. Sure enough, front and center was the absolutely perfect thing: a short fur coat.

She showed it to Iris. “Put this on. And take off your jeans.”

Iris’s eyes were wide. “What animal is that?”

“I’m guessing mink, but this isn’t a biology lesson. Well, not precisely.” She smiled at her joke. “Quick now. Off with the jeans. Don’t worry, you’re so short, the coat will totally cover your butt.”

Iris slowly removed her jeans. God, the girl was skinny. Her calves were no bigger than Brynn’s biceps. Brynn helped her into the coat. It did cover her butt—barely.

Brynn had an idea.

“Wait here, Iris. We’re going to have some fun, okay?”

Brynn stole into her grandmother’s bathroom and returned with black eyeliner, a comb, and some hair ties. Iris was sitting on the floor in the mink coat, her bare legs tucked underneath her. She looked like a woolly caterpillar.

“I’m just going to color on your face a little and put up your hair, okay?”

“Why?”

“Why not, Iris? Don’t you see that most girls wear makeup? It’s not evil. It’s not wrong. Right now this is just for fun. Don’t you want to have fun with me?”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

Brynn knelt in front of Iris and instructed her to close her eyes. She applied a thick circle of eyeliner along Iris’s lower and upper lashes and made her eyebrows, which were naturally thin and pale, into swatches that would do Jake Gyllenhaal proud. She didn’t go full unibrow, though. She wasn’t mean. Satisfied with Iris’s face, Brynn tied a ponytail on the top of Iris’s head, allowing the hair to fall in all directions. Iris pushed the strands from her face.

“Perfect! Let’s snap it!” Brynn took a photo before Iris could protest, or see herself in the mirror, and posted it on Snapchat.

BRYNN to LISA, KENDALL, OPHELIA: #posterchild #fosterfail #gotpants?

BRYNN to SAM: Check this out Grammy Tinsley called from the hallway. “Brynn, dear, why don’t you come show everyone?”

What a fabulous idea. She ran to lock the door in case Tinsley was thinking about coming in. “Be down in a sec!” She went to Iris and gave her an irresistible smile. “Grammy wants us to show our outfits.”