Piles of clothes, damp towels, out-of-date magazines, and empty shopping bags covered the carpet like moss on a forest floor. As she dangled her foot in the air, looking for an empty spot to place it in, Gretchen was reminded of when she used to walk across tide pools at the beach, searching out rocks sturdy enough to step on. It was strange enough being Jessica, but it wasn’t until she walked into Jessica’s room that she began to consider she might be in over her head. For starters, she had never been in Jessica’s room alone. She felt like an intruder. As she caught sight of a dirty bra lying on the floor, she thought of how Jessica was alone in her room right now. She cursed herself for not taking a few minutes to tidy up and to make sure that nothing embarrassing was lying around. Not that she had anything to be embarrassed about. Compared to Jessica’s, her room was spotless enough to be in a catalog. At the foot of the bed, she caught sight of Mr. Pants. She almost smiled. For the past few years, Jessica always made sure to put the worn little bear away when Gretchen came over.
