The Friend Read Free Page A

studio. Splendor picked up
her towel and followed, making sure to keep a discreet distance. It wasn’t
difficult. Already feeling sore, she walked slowly.
    She watched Piper put on her coat and stride out
the front door. Splendor stood at the window and watched as Piper got into a
nondescript sedan and drove away. Splendor was a little disappointed. She
thought Piper would have had a cooler car. Splendor memorized the license
plate.

    B efore
she showered and dressed to go for her hair appointment, Piper checked Facebook.
She was satisfied to note that the picture she had posted of the low-fat muffins
on the Icing on the Cupcake page had gotten several comments.
    SOMETHING DELICIOUS AND NONFATTENING. NOW, I HAVE NO EXCUSE.
    FINALLY. I WON’T HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY.
    YUMMY.
    MY THIGHS THANK YOU.
    Piper recognized many of the names and photos
identifying the comments. They were customers who came in regularly, people
Piper had known in Hillwood all her life.
    She stopped when she saw the pink teddy bear.
Splendor Wilkins had written CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THESE.
    Clicking onto Splendor’s page, Piper observed that
the post was the only comment that Splendor had expressed since she had
requested Piper’s friendship. But as Piper looked further, she saw that Splendor
now had a list of LIKES . The Icing on the Cupcake bakery, Sunrise Salutation
Yoga Studio, Pompilio’s restaurant, Shaw’s Books, Hillwood Dog Park and the Best
Little Hair House. A surge of uneasiness shot through Piper as she realized that
the LIKES were all the same as her own, and that she was Splendor’s only friend.

    O n her
way home from yoga class, Splendor stopped at Shaw’s Books. A pleasant-looking
man with black-rimmed glasses greeted Splendor as she entered the store.
    “How can I help you?” he asked.
    “I’m looking for a book,” said Splendor. “But I’m
so bad at remembering titles.”
    “Do you know the subject matter or the author?”
asked Tom.
    “Not really,” said Splendor. “But my friend really
liked it and told me she got it here.”
    “Well, if you tell me who your friend is, maybe
I’ll recognize the name and be able to remember what she purchased.”
    “That’s a good idea,” said Splendor, smiling.
“Piper Donovan?”
    Tom nodded. “Oh sure, Piper. She’s in here all the
time. I know she loves books about show business. Last time, I think she bought
Diane Keaton’s memoir. And she also purchased Porch
Lights by Dorothea Benton Frank and What
Happened to My Sister by Elizabeth Flock.”
    “Oh,” said Splendor. “I can’t really afford to buy
all of those right now. But I’ll take that one about the sister.”
    As Tom carried the book to the register, Splendor
wondered if Piper had a sister. She hadn’t noticed any reference to one on
Piper’s Facebook page. Splendor had always wished she had one of her own,
somebody to be a friend and ally in dealing with her mother. At least Piper had
a pet. Splendor didn’t even have that.
    Splendor approached the desk. “While we’re at it,”
she said, “do you have any books about dog training?”

    P iper
settled into the styling chair. She enjoyed her conversations with Kym almost as
much as she liked the way she cut her hair.
    “Your friend was in here the other day,” said Kym
as she pumped to lower the chair.
    “Friend?” asked Piper.
    “I forget her name. Heavyset girl, kinda bad skin,
dark hair. Well, her hair was dark. Now it’s blond.
Like yours.”
    Piper frowned and shook her head. “I can’t think of
anybody like that,” she said.
    “Well, she is certainly thinking of you,” said Kym,
as she fastened a cape around Piper’s neck. “She asked me to cut her hair just
like yours.”
    Piper swallowed. “Did you?”
    “I tried,” said Kym, shaking her head. “But it
didn’t come out like yours. Her texture is much coarser and harder to control.
It looked good enough when she left here, but I think it’s going to be difficult
for her to