Double Trouble Read Free Page A

dinner party for a bunch of boring town businesspeople, and I’m supposed to help her get ready.”
    â€œBummer,” I said. “I hope your mom doesn’t have you scheduled for anything next Saturday, though. Because it’s my birthday, and you’re all invited to help me celebrate.”
    â€œYour birthday? Really?” Megan glanced at me. “I didn’t know that was coming up.”
    I shrugged, not bothering to remind her that up until a week or so ago, she wouldn’t have cared. “Yeah,” I said. “With the move and all, I haven’t had a chance to make any plans.”
    â€œI can fix that.” Lavender suddenly looked a lot friendlier. “Party time!”
    I laughed and high-fived her. “Pretty much what I was thinking.”
    â€œWhat kind of party are you having, Cassie?” one of the minions asked.
    â€œI haven’t thought about it yet. Any ideas?”
    â€œSure,” Lavender said immediately. “Boy-girl party, cool DJ. Finger food.”
    â€œDancing?” a minion said.
    â€œNaturally,” Lavender replied.
    Megan smiled. “Sounds like the perfect place to wear that cute new dress I got when we were shopping last week.”
    â€œTotally,” Lavender agreed. She glanced at me. “Make sure to tell the DJ there should be lots of slow songs, right?”
    The second minion giggled. “Perfect!”
    Before I could say anything, Lavender suddenly frowned.
    â€œWait,” she said. “Don’t you live over on Granite Street?” She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe you shouldhave the party somewhere else.”
    Okay, obnoxious. But she had a point. Our new place in Aura was so tiny that Caitlyn and I had to share a bedroom, something we hadn’t done since we were six. At first we’d both been horrified. I’m kind of type A when it comes to cleaning and organizing, while Cait’s more like type P, for pigsty . But so far it had actually been okay. At least mostly.
    â€œMy cousin had her Sweet Sixteen at that big hotel in Six Oaks,” one of the minions said. “The ballroom there is really swank!”
    Megan nodded, looking interested. “Did she get it catered?”
    Yikes. This was getting out of control.
    â€œHang on,” I said. “Don’t forget, it’s my sister’s birthday, too.”
    â€œYour sister?” Lavender’s nose wrinkled even more dramatically. I wanted to warn her that her face might freeze that way, but it didn’t seem like the right moment.
    â€œYes, my twin sister, remember?” I shrugged. “Whatever we do, I have to run it by her.”
    And call me crazy, but I had the feeling Caitlyn wasn’t going to go for Lav’s idea of a swanky slow-dance party. Not that it mattered. I definitely didn’t have the funds to throw a party like that, and I doubted I’d be able to talk Mom into it either.
    Lavender looked unimpressed. “Anyway,” she said, “what do you guys think about our chances against the Tigers tomorrow? You know, with Brayden out of commission . . .”
    We were still talking about the football team a few minutes later when we headed for the exit. Lavender pushed open the heavy front door, letting a blast of AC out with a whoosh.
    â€œUgh,” I said as the late afternoon heat smacked me in the face. “Remind me to move to Alaska soon, okay?”
    Megan laughed. “Funny, Cass.”
    â€œI’m not joking,” I said, smirking to show that I was. At least sort of. “This kind of weather makes my hair go all kinky. It would only be tolerable if I had a pool.”
    Lavender shrugged. “Megan has one.”
    I wasn’t surprised. Megan was totally the type of person whose house would have a pool. Probably a fancy one with a waterfall and a slide.
    â€œYeah.” Megan dug her lip gloss out of her purse. “Normally my parents would have shut it down