Change Places with Me(8)

Too bad Evelyn didn’t have that perfect jean jacket.

“I always wanted to share my things with you,” Evelyn said, adjusting the waistband of a silky navy-blue skirt on Rose. “I had a feeling you would look great in them.”

“I guess I got stuck on those old, drab clothes for a while,” Rose said.

“I tried to get you to come shopping in Spruce Hills—”

“I was stubborn, wasn’t I?” Rose laughed, that strange laugh that felt like someone else’s.

“That you were,” Evelyn said.

Before first period the next day, Rose walked over to Astrid and Selena, enjoying the lively swish of a silky skirt, and a light-gray blouse, and cowboy boots. A second skin that fit like the first one. It made her feel better; she’d had a bad moment that morning. The red light had lasted longer instead of immediately fading. But now it felt as if it had never existed.

“I’m seriously dying to go to a Halloween party,” Selena was saying. “I’ve got my costume and everything—a leather jumpsuit and love beads, like the girl singer in the Cadaver Dogs.”

“You’re not gonna wear anything if you don’t have anywhere to go,” Astrid said gloomily.

Selena glanced at Rose. “What do you want?”

“Just saying hi,” Rose said, and got a great idea. “I heard you guys talking about Halloween. Why don’t you come to a party at my house? You know, you and a bunch of other kids.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow.

“I could have a party,” Rose repeated. “I mean, if you can’t have a party at your own houses—”

“There is that,” Selena burst out. “My mother’s so worried about her precious furniture! She says she doesn’t want a bunch of kids running around breaking things.”

“As if we were still two years old.” Astrid sighed.

“Why doesn’t she get House-in-a-Can?” Rose suggested. “The inflatable furniture would be great for a party.”

“My cousin bought it after seeing a video,” Selena said. “The couch exploded. They were cleaning up pieces weeks after.”

“You don’t have to tell her your whole life story,” Astrid said.

“And your mom’s too cheap to throw a party,” Selena said, “even with all that alimony. I don’t know how she gets to collect from more than one ex-husband! She must have some insane lawyer!”

“You don’t know when to shut up, do you?” Astrid said.

“So,” Rose said cheerfully, making light of the moment, “what about Saturday night at my place?”

Astrid and Selena exchanged a look.

“Where do you live?” Astrid said.

“How big is it?” Selena said.

Rose described her living room and how she lived across from Belle Heights Tower.

“Hey,” Selena said, taking a step closer to Rose and touching her hair, “I like those boots—they look ancient. And your hair’s really cute.”

“Thanks! I just had it done.” Rose also explained about the clothes.

“My mother’s stuff is hideous,” Selena said. “It would be like wearing a granny nightgown in public.”

Rose didn’t mention that just a few nights ago she’d slept in a granny nightgown. Since then she’d switched to a big T-shirt.

“This party could actually be fun!” Selena said.

Nick Winter came by to talk to Selena. “Did you give Dylan that picture of me with bedhead?”

Selena smiled shyly. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

“That idiot posted it.” Nick looked over at Rose curiously, as if he knew something was different but couldn’t place it. “You’re that girl, right?”

“Which girl is that?” Rose replied, trying not to get distracted by the diamond in his tooth and everything else about Nick Winter that was so gorgeous.

“You always looked like a farmer girl.”

Amazing, all these years in the same schools and he didn’t even know her name. Well, he could start with her new one. “Rose Hartel,” she told him.

As he turned to leave, he said, “You don’t look like a farmer girl anymore, Rose Hartel.”

Promising.

“Why don’t you sign out and have lunch with us?” Selena said to Rose. “We can plan this party.”

Rose tried to get Kim to come out, too.

“With Selena and Astrid? Are you kidding?” Kim said. Today she had on a tie-dyed parachute dress. It looked homemade.

“Why, what’s wrong with them?”

“Um, let’s see, how about everything?”

“Astrid and Selena are the most popular girls in tenth grade, and everybody wants to hang out with them. Does that mean there’s something wrong with everybody?”

“Yeah, there is.”

“Well, then I’m happy to have something wrong with me, too!” Actually she felt honored. Lots of kids hung around Selena and Astrid, but today Rose had actually been asked to lunch. “I’ll let you know where we are. You can meet us if you change your mind.”

Kim looked hard at Rose. “I’ll be here—maybe checking out today’s crossword puzzle. I’m a natural, remember?”