The Shimmers in the Night Read Online Free Page B

“It’s a bus. Not a personal taxi service.”
    â€œSo my goal is like an early Madonna, sleazy gutterslag kinda look,” said Hayley.
    â€œNice,” nodded Cara. “Yeah. I can see that. But let me ask you this. Did you pack your swimsuit?”
    Hayley stopped popping her gum and snapped her fingers. She swished by Cara, down the hall to the bathroom (where everything was fluffy and/or made of conch shells and beach glass and a really bad poster showed two sets of footprints turning to one in the sand, along with some motto about Jesus carrying you) and grabbed a threadbare Speedo dangling off the shower rod.
    â€œGood thought. Kudos,” she said.

    By the time they were getting into the car, Hayley was already irritated with her mom, who proceeded to grill them all the way to school—driving, as usual, like she was under the influence though all she was drinking was coffee—on the names and family histories of other kids on the team. Mrs. M was what you might call an extrovert. Extreme. She was sure to talk to everyone and bustle around everywhere, Cara thought. There was no way she’d fly under the radar.
    â€œRule Number One,” said Hayley as they pulled into the parking lot. “If you absolutely have to talk to people, at least do me one favor. Or all my work on the popularity situation will be wrecked. Do not constantly remind people you’re my mother. In fact, if you don’t refer to it a single time, that’d be awesome.”
    â€œ Hay ley!” chided her mother with a smile, as though her daughter was joking.
    â€œKeep the relationship, like, under wraps,” said Hayley as they pulled into a parking space. “Because if you keep trying to tell humiliating baby stories about me, I’ll have to end my suffering. All your years of bringing me up will be totally wasted in a tragic teen suicide.”
    â€œHoney, people already know I’m your mama,” protested Mrs. M. “I mean”— Ah main —”I hate to break it to you, but that little kitty’s already out of the bag.”
    â€œWhat I’m saying is, don’t rub it in ,” said Hayley. “Let them forget a bit. You know what I’m saying?”
    She popped her door open and shrugged her miniature backpack over her shoulders.
    â€œHi, guys,” said Jaye as Hayley plucked her larger bag from the trunk.
    Jaye was Asian-looking from her mother’s side, pretty and slim; she stood with her duffel bag placed neatly on the ground beside her, light-blue iPod buds in her ears. Jaye could be timid, unlike Hayley; she was comfortable with her two best friends but not too great at reaching out to other, new people.
    But what all the approving parents didn’t know—when they patted her on the back to reward her for being an A student and also for not wearing shiny purple lip gloss like Hayley—was how independent she could be, despite the shyness. She was the type you could depend on to know things like CPR without ever bragging about it. Recently she’d tried out for the school play because her mother had thought it would be a good way to conquer her shyness; she’d done it even though it terrified her, and she’d gotten a small role.
    Her parents were well-dressed and reserved: her dad was an engineer, and her mother ran a plant nursery. Compared to Mrs. M, Jaye’s parents were distinctly unembarrassing.
    â€œGod, you’re so lucky to be solo,” said Hayley, apparently thinking the same thing. “I still can’t believe my mom’s tagging along. I’m having orphan fantasies.”
    â€œWell,” said Jaye, and shrugged, “if you ignore them for long enough, sometimes they go away.”
    She and Hayley laughed, and then stopped and both looked at Cara guiltily.
    â€œOh, wow,” said Jaye. “Slowly remove foot from mouth. I’m so sorry.”
    â€œIt’s all right,” said