My nerves jangled just thinking about climbing into the backseat of Ben’s car when he came to pick me up for school. When I’d returned Emily’s call the day before, she’d sort of brushed off the whole party incident, even though I could tell she was disappointed in me for losing control of myself like that. But she’d said nothing about Ben’s thoughts on the matter, and I couldn’t ask. She did assure me that I hadn’t said anything embarrassing, which eased my mind somewhat.To offset my disgrace, I wore my best outfit, spent a half hour on my makeup, and styled my hair to perfection. I looked normal. Strong. In control. Too bad I didn’t feel it, too.Ben’s Acura slid into place against my curb a few minutes later than usual. With my breakfast in my throat, I took my spot next to Emily in the backseat.“Good morning,” she said, leaning into me as if she was checking for the aroma of nicotine. Or alcohol. “How are you feeling?”“Fine.” I glanced at Ben, who was fiddling with the vents.
