Dirty Secrets

Part 64

After she showered and dressed, Lyla slipped out onto the porch, Pop-Tart in hand, and scanned the front yard. Good news. The line of salt spanning the driveway hadn't completely dissipated and Clover was nowhere in sight. The only activity, a pair of goldfinches pilfering seeds from the neighbor's echinacea flower heads.

Lyla pushed her damp hair behind her ear, bit into her pink-frosted Pop-Tart, then checked her phone for the time. 7:36.

Darcy's car stopped at the end of the driveway, startling the finches. Lyla shouldered her book bag and called to her dad. "Darcy's here. See you later."

"Bye," he replied, poking his head out the door.

When she got into the car she was struck by her friend's appearance. "So what happened to roll-out-of-bed-ten-minutes-before-school Darcy?"

Darcy shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"Wow. Makeup and everything. For school?"

"Did I overdo it with the fragrance? I overdid it, right?"

With her mouth full of toaster pastry, Lyla nodded.

"Okay, here's the thing," Darcy said, steering the car away from the curb. "Julian Barber asked me to the Fall Dance."

"Homecoming?"

"No, not Homecoming, it's some other Fall Dance. Some football awards thing. I think. So... Julian Barber asked me."

"You don't need to keep saying his full name," said Lyla. "I know which Julian you mean."

"Okay. Geez. So Julian asked me to the dance kinda last minute. Maybe Victoria backed out. I don't know. I know he was seeing Fallon for a while. But anyway, I'll take it."

"There's a point, right?"

"Okay. So here's the thing. I need to pick out a dress. Obvi."

"Right?" She finished her breakfast.

"But on the other track, Richie just got dumped."

"By Ash?"

"Yep. Caught him cheating."

"That's the problem with super hot guys," Lyla sighed. "They have the whole menu to pick from." She licked the strawberry stickiness from her fingertips.

"Soooooooo... Richie called me. Again kinda last minute."

"I get it. You want me to hold Richie's hand so you can go shopping without feeling like the most selfish friend in the world."

"Which I kinda am. Plus, to be honest, you're not the most helpful human when it comes to fashion."

"Oof. What part of that wasn't rude?"

"So, he's gonna pick you up after school."

"Think you coulda maybe asked me first?"

"What? Like you got big plans?"

"I might. You never know."

Darcy gave her the side-eye as they pulled to a stop in front of the hospital.

"You owe me," Lyla said sharply.

"Right, right, right," said Darcy dismissively.

"Seriously. You totally owe me for this." She unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed open the door. "And tell Richie not to be late. If I come out here and don't see his car, I am not waiting around."

Darcy stared at her blankly.

"The whole Keenan's crazy mother who wants to murder me thing? Remember?"