Cass’s stepmom had hired a cosmetologist to come in and do makeup and hair for the party. I stared at my reflection and barely recognized the girl with the haunted, smoky eyes. I normally didn’t wear a lot of makeup, and I never put so much effort into my hair. The stylist had done an intricate updo and she’d put a gloss on it that made the blonde strands shine. The cobalt blue dress cut in the Grecian goddess style did wonders for my pale skin tone, but also made the dark circles beneath my eyes more obvious. For the past week I’d had the same dream about Ian’s death. Every single night. No matter what, I always woke up in the same place, and I always felt a sickening sensation…like I was just waiting for Laria to show up. But she was surprisingly absent, as was Peter and even the blonde woman who had appeared from time to time. I felt like it was the calm before the storm. At school this week, three of my teachers had asked me to stay after class, and each repeatedly asked if everything was okay at home because I’d been quiet and withdrawn.
