The Wrong Path_Smashwords Read Free

over Claire’s arm as she took the hangers Claire held out to her.
    Claire grinned impishly. “Amazing.”
    They giggled and headed back to the changing rooms. Annabelle pulled on the skirt and the top, surprised at how good the outfit looked on her. Claire certainly had an eye for fashion, right down to knowing Annabelle’s size without even having to ask. And she had an uncanny ability to put clothing together that always looked polished and perfect, as if it had been designed to fit together.
    Once the girls had bought and paid for their clothes—and they had all bought at least one new outfit, and Claudia had even grabbed some new accessories—they made their way through the mall to the food court.
    As they walked, she caught sight of a boy and a girl around their age sitting on a bench drinking coffee. They were dressed in dark clothes, the boy in black pants covered in chains and zippers and a black t-shirt with a long-sleeved black shirt underneath, and the girl in baggy black pants and a shredded burgundy tank top over a skintight long-sleeved black shirt. The boy had his back to Annabelle and her friends as he talked to the girl, blocking their faces from Annabelle’s view.
    What kind of courage, Annabelle couldn’t help marveling, did someone have to possess to be able to dress like that? How were they able to walk around with their heads held high amidst all the stares and sneers? She didn’t think she could do it. While she was pleased to be part of the group everyone was envious of, she didn’t think she could handle being one of the outcasts—one of the ones who were noticed because they stuck out , not because they stuck in .
    Still, a part of her couldn’t help but admire their strength.
    “What do you think, Annabelle?” she heard Claire’s voice ask, breaking into her thoughts.
    Startled, she tore her eyes away from the boy and girl and back to her friends. They were clustered together in a v-formation, Claire at the helm, several steps in front of her. She had become so distracted by the couple she’d fallen behind and lost track of the conversation.
    As they waited expectantly, she frantically thought back to what her friends had been discussing. She was fairly certain she had heard Claudia say something about The Roux, which meant they had been talking about where to eat.
    “The food court,” she declared, relieved she had been paying at least a little bit of attention to her friend’s chatter. They often saw other students in the food court, and since that was generally the main entrance, there was a high probability she would see Trevor if he showed up. “Never know who you’ll see out there, right?”
    Claire grinned approvingly. Apparently Claire had wanted to eat at the food court as well. “Exactly,” she agreed, taking a few steps back to link her arm through Annabelle’s and bring her to the front of the group. Annabelle tried to sneak another look at the couple to see if she recognized them, but with Claire holding onto her and the other girls behind her, there was no way for her to do it without drawing too much attention. She tried not to be disappointed that her curiosity about their identity hadn’t been satiated when they rounded the corner to the food court.
    They all ordered from the same place in the crowded cluster of restaurants so they wouldn’t have to split up, as was customary. Claudia looked annoyed they hadn’t gone with her choice, but at the sight of the tables full of boys who all turned their heads to stare at them, her features smoothed and lifted into a flirtatious smile. They chose a table on the outer edge, closest to the points of entry to the food court, giving them maximum visibility to anyone who should enter. Claire sat facing the hallway so she could see people as they streamed in, and to Annabelle’s surprise, she was pulled down into the chair beside her. Claudia, of course, sat on Claire’s other side, leaving Erin to sit beside