Playing with Fire Read Online Free Page A

“Paula.”
    “Well, what if she has too much to drink?”
    “Paula is very careful. She knows when enough is enough. And besides, if I had any concerns, I'd simply call a cab. You don't need to worry.” Then she turns and walks away. What can I say?
    Shortly after Mom leaves with Paula, Olivia arrives, and I try not to laugh at her weird outfit—a lacy and somewhat fluffy white dress, topped with a black leather motorcycle vest and accented with short black boots. It's straight out of the eighties and totally unlike her. Even her hair is pulled high on her head in a wild bun/ponytail with blond strands sticking out in all directions.
    “You look great,” I tell her.
    She just laughs as she checks her image in the big mirror by our front door. “I look ridiculous,” she says. “But it's all about the music.” Then she points at me. ‘YOU look great.”
    I shrug as I study my rather ordinary image, compared to hers anyway. My shoulder-length, curly brown hair is actually being pretty cooperative tonight. Not too frizzy.My hazel eyes look almost brown thanks to the black turtleneck I'm wearing. And I must admit that my silver dangly earrings look pretty cool. I thank her for the compliment, then we get in her car and head over to Garrett's to pick him up.
    “I'm so glad you two are coming along tonight,” Olivia says as she drives across town. “I really appreciate the moral support.”
    “I think it'll be interesting,” Garrett says in a slightly sly tone. ‘Tve never been to a sweet-sixteen party before.”
    “Ugh,” says Olivia. “I never wanted to have one myself. I think they're a waste of time and money.”
    “I think it's just a way for parents to show off,” I say. But then I check myself since that sounds pretty judgmental. “Although this could be different. You never know.”
    Garrett laughs. “Then you don't know Amanda Brow, do you?”
    “And you do?” I challenge him.
    ‘“Well, not personally, but I know
about
her.”
    “What do you know about her?”
    “She's a pretty wild girl,” he tells us. “And she wants her party to be the hot topic at school next week.”
    “Oh, Garrett,” teases Olivia, “you're such a gossip.”
    “Just saying what I heard.”
    Amanda Brow's house is in a pretty upscale neighborhood. Almost as nice as Olivia's. There are very few cars when we arrive, and after Olivia parks in front, Amanda's mother comes over and tells her to park in the back. “The caterers and workers are parking back here,” she says, as if we're the cleanup crew. I'm tempted to point out that Olivia is lead singer for the band and almostfamous, but I control myself as Olivia wedges her car back into an alleylike driveway that I'm sure is for their hired help. Like, whatever!
    Then as we're walking to the front of the house, Amanda's mother waves us toward the back entrance. And she continues to tell other people where to park, where to take things, and what to do. I think maybe she was an army general before she married Amanda's dad, who I happen to know is big time into real estate.
    The rest of the band is already there and partially set up. Cameron has on what looks like a fifties sports coat, and his sandy hair is slicked back in a way that makes him look older and kind of cool, in a slightly geekish way. The other guys are dressed similarly, except for Jack, who looks the same as always. Olivia joins them and does her part in the setup, and Garrett and I park ourselves in a couple of chairs that we managed to scavenge from the dining room. Hopefully, Amanda's mother won't freak. She seems to have her hands full getting everyone into place, acting like this is actually a post-Oscar Awards party. It officially begins at seven thirty, and while a number of Amanda's parents' friends are here, I have a feeling most of the younger guests won't be here any sooner than eight, and I haven't seen a sign of Amanda anywhere.
    “You kids can start playing.” Mrs. Brow glances at her