Projection Read Free Page B

“I am seriously considering flunking out of high school just so I never have to wear one of those again.”

CHAPTER THREE
    From her bedroom window , Gretchen surveyed the backyard. It was transformed to the point that she didn’t recognize it, and she’d lived here her entire life. An enormous white tent covered most of the lawn; inside, hot pink and orange floor pillows lay strewn Moroccan-style around low tables covered with rich purple linens. Giant gold lanterns festooned the ceiling; potted plants lined the walls. Even the pool had been filled with floating candles and covered with a translucent dance floor. Gretchen knew exactly what Mom was going for: the illusion that you could dance above a cloud of fireflies.
    It didn’t look
real
. Gretchen tried to stop smiling but couldn’t. Tearing herself from the window, she slipped her dress over her head and smoothed her hair one final time, then ran down the staircase and out the sliding glass doors to get a closer look.
    Mom was inside the tent supervising the last-minute adjustments, having changed from her white linen suit intoblack tank dress with a high slit up one side—all the better to show off all the hard work she’d been doing with her private trainer, a tattoo-covered guy named Rick who came to the house three mornings a week. She’d switched out her diamond studs for gold hoop earrings. One wrist was stacked with thick gold bangles. The anklet rested just above the strap of her black, high-heeled Louboutin sandals.
    “This is unbelievable!” Gretchen whispered.
    Mom squeezed her hand without looking at her. “I’m so glad you like it!” Her forehead creased with concern. “Do you think your friends will get it?”
    Gretchen positioned herself in front of her mom’s distracted gaze. “Mom,
I
don’t get it. I can’t believe you did all of this. I mean, it’s just an eighth grade graduation party. I don’t know how you can possibly top this when I graduate from high school.”
    Her mother offered a brittle smile. “It’s not
just
an eighth grade graduation party. Of course, that’s what the invitation says, but it’s not why I did this.” She placed her hands on Gretchen’s shoulders. “This is a very special time, Stretchy.” Mom hadn’t called her by her family nickname in a while, maybe a month. Her black eyes bored into Gretchen’s own. “Good. I have your attention. You’re not a little girl anymore. You’re going into high school, becoming a teenager. Things are going to start happening to you. Things you can’t even imagine.”
    Gretchen’s cheeks flushed. “Uh, Mom, maybe you forgot, but I got my period, like, almost a year ago. So if you’re about to give me the ‘you’re becoming a woman’ speech, you’re a little late.”
    Her mom laughed and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “That’s not where I was going with that, but thanksfor the reminder.” She dropped her hands from Gretchen’s shoulders and straightened her dress, as if the conversation were over. Her eyes wandered back across the tent.
    “Then what did you mean?” Gretchen insisted. “What’s going to happen to me?”
    “Not to worry. Tonight is just the beginning. Now, if you’ll excuse me, darling, I need to go inside to start greeting our guests. Have fun and make the most of it!”
    By seven o’clock the tent was overflowing with people. It seemed like the entire eighth grade and their parents had shown up, even though Gretchen was pretty sure her mom hadn’t invited all of them. But it didn’t matter. The only crasher she cared about was Ariel Miller. Unfortunately Ariel had a habit of showing up in places where she wasn’t wanted—or invited. Like last year, for example, when Molly Carson had thrown a party at the bowling alley, and Ariel had conveniently shown up to go bowling at the very same time, as if it were all some big coincidence.
    If she crashes this party, I am personally going to be the one to kick her out.
    But