Claire Read Online Free

expression softened.
    “Of course. What did you
think
it meant?” Claire heard her own voice but hardly recognized it. Was she acting kind or cruel? Sensitive or manipulative? Compassionate or competitive? Or had she evolved into some deviant species that was an enigmatic combination of them all? Wait until Layne heard about this. She’d be begging to draw her blood and analyze her hair and—
    “It sounded to me like you didn’t like it, like because
ew
usually means ‘ew’ as in ‘gross,’ or ‘disgusting,’ or ‘that’s so awful’ or whatever, so I thought maybe you didn’t like it, which was kind of depressing, because usually we like the same things.” Sari picked at the pink heart on the left leg of her shorts.
    “I
love
it.” Claire used every ounce of her acting training to sound convincing.
    “Prove it.” Amandy pulled the elastic out of her ponytail. Her dark brown hair, which was always semi-damp, fell to her shoulders.
    “How can I
prove
it?” Claire’s heart beat harder.
Could Piper hear it? Could Bean?
    “
You
buy the dress.” Amandy smirked.
    “But Sari found it first. That would be unfair,” Claire tried. “To
her
.”
    “Hi. I’m Louise. Everything okay over here?” asked a short, round, brown-haired woman wearing a maroon knit cardigan over black wide-leg trousers. Both items gave off a polyester sheen under the track lights. She clasped her plump hands and grinned, trying to look patient while she waited for an answer.
    “We’re fine, thank you,” Claire finally offered.
    “Will you be purchasing these items?” Louise gestured toward the register in the center of the store.
    “Well?” Amandy said.
    “I can’t take your dress,” Claire insisted to Sari.
    “Sure you can.” Sari handed it to her. “Yours is super cute. It reminds me of a Miu Miu dress I saw on Bluefly.”
    “But it’s not the right color. I wasn’t getting it for the pageant.” Claire bit her thumbnail. An old Kelly Clarkson song came on over the loudspeaker.
    “I can make it work.” Sari piled her hair on top of her head and winked. “It’s EW.”
    “Is mine EW?” Amandy asked.
    “Super EW!” Sarah said.
    “Does this mean you will
not
be purchasing the dresses?” asked the saleswoman.
    Sari tossed the Good & Plenty dress over Claire’s shoulder and grabbed a fresh Miu Miu knockoff from the rack. “No.” She beamed. “It means we
will
.”
    “Lucky for you all of the dresses you chose today are twenty-five percent off.”
    Claire smile-sighed.
    “Except yours.” Louise pointed at Claire. “That’s still fifty-nine ninety-five. You have wonderful taste. It’s the most expensive piece in the Barn fall collection.”
    “Totally worth it.” Claire beamed, knowing her friendship with SAS was more valuable than money. All she’d have to do was walk Piper ten more times and she’d have her savings back.
    Her pride, however, would be gone for good.

THE LYONSES’ HOUSE
KISSIMMEE, FL
    Tuesday, August 4 2:22 P.M.
    “Pull the rake closer,” Claire instructed Todd. “And wipe the sweat off your forehead—it’s giving me glare.”
    Todd lifted the bottom of his red T-Odd Jobs tee and wiped his face. “Better?”
    Claire lifted her camera. She took five action shots of her brother in their front yard as he fake-raked a pile of palm fronds off their otherwise spotless lawn.
    This photo would represent “gardening” in the T-Odd Jobs free downloadable wallpaper series—a little something he wanted to leave for his customers after he moved. It was his way of “giving back” and showing them how much he valued their business. And it was Claire’s way of recouping some of the money she’d lost on the Good & Plenty dress.
    “We got it,” Claire announced, consulting her shot list. “Moving on.”
    • Car Washing/Ride Pimping
    • Pool De-Bugging
    • Garage Organizing & Uncool Toy Removal
    • Wardrobe Consulting
    • Face Painting
    • Doggy Day Care
    • Gardening & Flower