Business as Usual (Off The Subject) Read Free

like yourself , which Reed will probably find comforting in this situation.”
    She has a point. If you look up the definition of overprotective big brother, you’ll find a picture of Reed. “Tell me again why I’m wearing a wig instead of just fixing up my normal hair.
    She looks at my hair piece and adjusts it slightly. “Because it’s fun. You’ve been moping since your break up with Brandon. Maybe this will help shake things up a bit.”
    I bite the inside of my lower lip to keep from confessing what really happened with Brandon. Caroline would never understand. As far as she knows, he got back with his ex-girlfriend from high school, who decided being a lesbian wasn’t for her after a brief affair with a girl from her chemistry class. It’s entirely true, except it happened after I broke up with him…
    Nevertheless, she’s right. I’ve been miserable about it for two months, throwing myself into school and my work with the Middle Tennessee Children’s Charity, which is headquartered here in Hillsdale. The charity is why I’m here tonight, backstage at the community theatre. There’s a mutually beneficial partnership between my university, the charity, and the local community, and I’m the student liaison this semester. I helped set up this fundraiser—the production of a comedic play, with students and locals filling all the parts in the cast and crew. Caroline is a senior fashion design major, so she’s helping with the costumes.
    While my friends are already aware of my proposed expansion of the charity’s summer camp program to include middle-school children, I haven’t told anyone about my plans to transform it from a glorified babysitting service into something special. The university has given me an independent study course for my work with the charity and I’ve used my time to model a program that will not only engage and challenge the middle-school kids, but possibly change their futures.
    I’m not looking forward to my small acting role in the play, but when I look in the mirror, I like what I see. Caroline is forever saying that clothes can change how you feel about yourself. Turns out a wig can do the same thing. I love the way I look, but I’m worried it’ll be too much for my brother to take. “Which one of us is going to prepare Reed for my costume?”
    Her lips twist as she tries to hide her conspiratorial grin. “Maybe it should be a surprise.”
    I tilt my head to the side. Caroline has even covered my dirty blonde eyebrows with black mascara. I don’t look anything like a natural blonde. “Good idea. He might not even realize it’s me.”
    She shakes her head with a laugh. “Trust me, he’ll figure it out. I suppose I should warn him or he’s liable to rush the stage when you walk out and throw his coat over you.”
    “The sad thing is, I wouldn’t be at all shocked if he did.” There’s a hint of bitterness in my voice.
    Caroline, who was packing up her makeup, pauses and meets my eyes in the mirror. “You know he loves you, Lexi.”
    Guilt pricks at me. I’ve never, ever doubted Reed’s love for me. If not for his sacrifice, I would be stuck in Boston taking a year off to regroup from the “incident,” as my parents call it. When I called Reed in tears, telling him about their plan for me, he was quiet for a long moment, so long I thought we had been disconnected. Then he asked in a soft voice, “What do you want to do, Lexi?”
    “I want to go back to school—” my voice broke “—I need to go back to school.”
    “You will. I promise. I’ll fix this.”
    He stormed into the house an hour later and got into a historic shouting match with our parents. He told them they needed to put what was good for their daughter before their worries about themselves. Reed’s a stubborn guy and he refused to back down, even when our father threatened to disown him. Hours later, my brother found me in my room, where I’d retreated from all the hysterics. He sat on the