Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Behind Melody’s back, Belle mouths “dressing room oh my God” to me. Once she’s shut away in the dressing room, I ask, “What was that?”
“I don’t have a hairdresser’s cape but this is an old black dress that I hate so it’s perfect for this project.”
“It looks new.”
“Because I hated it so I didn’t wear it again.” She speaks slowly as if I’m too dumb to understand, but I get exactly what she’s saying. She’s rich enough that it doesn’t matter if a dress gets ruined. Her closet is probably full of black dresses.
Sure enough, Belle bursts out in the black dress and declares, “I could live in the dressing room. It’s as big as our apartment, Brad.”
“If we ever can’t make rent, we’ll shack up here, then. You won’t mind, will you, Mel?”
She gives me an odd look as if she can’t quite make out whether I’m kidding or being mean and honestly, I don’t know either. It’s not that I’m jealous of Melody’s position here; it’s that I feel out of place and awkward, which I hate.
“So what’s the plan?” Belle asks, snapping Melody out of her inspection of me.
I let out a sigh of silent relief. Melody may not be good at trig, but I have a feeling she’s good at reading people. I tug my hoodie up over my head, shove my hands in my pockets and watch as the process of coloring my sister’s hair unfolds in front of me.
Melody pulls on a pair of black gloves, sections my sister’s hair, and starts rubbing some red goop into it. “Remember to use dark towels when you wash your hair because otherwise the dye will get all over them. I thought my mom was going to murder me the first time I got my hair colored. Now all I have are dark towels because I would forget. I ruined so many,” Melody tells her.
“We have dark towels, don’t we, Brad?” Belle meets my eyes in the mirror.
I can’t remember but I put it on my list of things to get her.
“And shampoo. You’ll want to get the colorfast stuff. It’s a little more expensive but it makes the color last.”
Christ. Everything in this world costs money, but I learned that a long time ago, which is why I started hacking. My mom needed a new washing machine. Whatever Birdie needs, she’s going to get, whether it’s towels, shampoos, or shoes.
The two start talking about favorite hair colors and styles so I decide to leave them to bond alone. I haven’t seen my sister this happy in a long time. I wonder how much I would need to pay Melody to do this for Belle every month.
Melody didn’t tell me to stay in her room so I start to wander. There’s one door across from Melody’s that reveals a large bedroom. It has an air of vacancy as if no real person has stepped foot across the threshold. Down the hall are two more empty bedrooms.
I come across a large loft space with a desk and sofa. Below I see a family space with dark leather sofas arranged in front of a fireplace and big screen television. There’s a walkway that leads to another set of doors, which are locked. I presume her parents—the senator and his wife—sleep in there. The grand staircase leads into a big entryway. My boot heels echo on the tile but no one comes out to greet me.
I find myself in the back of the house in a room overlooking a paved patio, a pool and some gardens that I can make out because of the lights dotting the landscape. I don’t know how long I’ve stared out into the dark, but a soft sound rouses me.
I know it’s Melody without turning around.
“Done already?”
“It’s been an hour,” she says. “Your sister is watching Clueless which I found tragic. Every girl should watch that before the age of thirteen.”
“Tragedy averted then, since she’s twelve.”
“Oh shit, really?” I can see a faint reflection of Melody in the glass. She claps a hand to her mouth. “They talk about sex in the movie.”
I huff out a laugh. “She’s been sneaking romance novels from my mom’s bedroom for a while. I doubt anything that’s said in that movie will be a shock to her.”
Melody reaches my side and nudges me. “I brought you a chocolate shake. Belle said that they were your favorite. And don’t tell me you don’t want it. Sarah labored over this so you can’t let her effort go to waste.”
I take the ice cream treat and down a bit of it.
“How is it?” she asks.
The ice cold cream and the bitter of the chocolate hit my tongue at the same time. I feel like Melody is like this—bitter and sweet at the same time and even knowing that, I can’t stop myself from sliding a hand around her neck and pulling her close. “You be the judge,” I tell her moments before sealing my mouth around hers.