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only thing remotely cool was the
necklace around my neck. It didn’t help my nerves to worry about being expelled
to the outskirts of loser-hood, without a group to call my own. Thank God, Stevie
was my friend. Without her I’d be banished, especially if Mike talked to me at
school. Jenny would be on the warpath.
    I spit out toothpaste and bolted down the stairs before Cody
left without me.
    Cody was waiting. “You’re lucky. Mike left before I got to
him.”
    Magic meowed loudly from the bottom step.
    Shoot. I haven’t even fed the cat, I thought.
    “No worries. I fed him. I gotta admit, I kind of like this
kitten,” Cody said. “He reminds me of Mom’s old cat. You remember don’t you? He
was white, exactly like this guy. Same eyes too.”
    I gave him a dirty look. He was listening to my thoughts, no
matter what Nana’s said. I did not need him snooping around in my head on top
of everything else. I glanced at Cody’s too handsome face. He had on freshly
pressed jeans and a wrinkle free t-shirt. His hair was damp and slightly curly
from his shower. He’d probably been up for an hour. I looked like a mess.
    Magic purred.
    I glanced down at him.
    He looks exactly like Mom’s old cat, I thought.
    Cody reached down to scoop Magic into his arms. Magic purred
again.
    “He does look like Mom’s old cat,” Cody said.
    I burst into tears. My brother was reading my mind. How could
things possibly get any worse?
                                               

CHAPTER
FOUR
    Cody rammed his car into a spot in the high school parking
lot. He turned to me as he shut off the ignition. “You sure you’re okay?”
    “Fine.” I grabbed my backpack from the floor by my feet
without meeting his eyes. I tried not to think too hard, in case he tuned in.
    He pulled his neatly organized backpack from the backseat.
“Whatever, Sydney. I didn’t think turning sixteen meant you were going to
become an even bigger freak.”
    He got out of the car and slammed the door, waiting for me to
climb out. Poor Cody. He kept his life in order and dealt with the chaos in our
family by pretending nothing unusual was happening. He seemed to think that if
he stayed active and fashionably unwrinkled, he could keep away the family
crazies.
    “You okay. Really?” His expression was impossible to read,
but he sounded worried.
    “I’m fine. Go away.”
    “Sydney,” screeched a voice from behind me. ”What the heck
are you wearing?”
    I swiveled around as Stevie ran towards our car. She wore a
short, frayed jean skirt with black fishnets. Her tank top barely held in her
boobs. She jiggled as she hurried towards us, but her spiky black hair didn’t
move an inch.     
    “Hi, Cody, you big jock.” She twirled around. “Hey. Is my
butt hanging out of this skirt?” She feigned talking to me, but kept her eye on
Cody. The skirt barely covered her rear end.
          Cody definitely looked to see if it did, and then
averted his eyes and pretended he hadn’t looked and walked away from us. “See
you later, Lamesters,” he called.
          Stevie watched him go.
    “Yummy,” I heard her say.
    I gawked at her. “Yummy? Stevie. That is gross.”
    “What are you talking about?” Stevie asked, scowling at me.
    “You just said Cody was yummy.”
    “I did not.” She gave me a funny look and then tilted her
head. Shoot. Was I reading her thoughts too?
    “And what are you wearing? Overalls? Did we just land back in
the 1990’s?”
          “It’s a long story, Stevie. I got up late.”
          She squinted at me. “You always get up late. But you
usually manage to look a tiny bit cool. Wrinkly and in need of a good shower,
but cool.” She gestured to my outfit. “Sorry sweetie, but outside of your
necklace, this is not in any way a cool look.”
          “I know,” I groaned.
          Stevie shook her head then reached over and tore the
sleeves on my t-shirt. She reached