Read Online A Tale of Two Pretties by Lisi Harrison - Free Book Online

driving us, Mrs. Gregory,” Claire said.
    Marsha smiled, turning a sharp left that made Claire’s bangs fly up. “It’s the least I could do after all the times Massie
     has given Kristen a ride. Where is Isaac, anyway? Has he been sick?”
    The only sounds came from the radio. Claire normally loved holiday music, but once Christmas was over, it felt staler than
     neglected fruitcake.
    “He’s on vacation,” Massie finally answered.
    “Visiting family?” Ms. Gregory pressed.
    “Yup,” she said, turning to the window.
    The sound of Kristen pulling her hoodie zipper up and down filled the silence. Marsha hummed along to the radio. Claire’s
     phone buzzed with a new text.
    Massie: Please tell me no one we know will be at Marshmallows.
    Claire stifled a giggle. She could hear Kristen thumbing a response from the front seat.
    Kristen: Operation middle-class makeover is officially under way!
    Massie: Ugh.
    Claire: Cheap… [she quickly deleted the word in favor of a more appealing one] Affordable clothes r cute! u’ll see.
    Kristen: Style is style, no matter the budget.
    That seemed to please Massie because she put down her phone and swiped her lips with Chai Latte–flavored Glossip Girl, signaling
     that she was ready.
    Kristen’s mother pulled into a parking spot and everyone tumbled out of the Focus, except for Massie, who stopped to read
     a text.
    Claire peered over her shoulder. Landon had sent her a picture message of a pair of bare feet half-buried in white sand, with
     the outline of a sea creeping toward him and a bottle of Vitamin Water at his feet.
    Landon: Here’s what I’m doing right now in Bali. You?
    Massie removed her scarf and coat. She spread the scarf over the car seat and then propped herself up on her shoulders as
     if she had been casually resting upon it the whole time.
    Kristen knocked on the car window. “You coming?”
    “Just a sec.” She pulled off her sunglasses, undid her bun, and re-glossed. Then she hit a button and the window rolled down.
     She handed Claire her iPhone. “Can you take a shot of me? Shoulders up. No car interior. Go!”
    Claire exchanged a quick, confused glance with Kristen but then shrugged and snapped the image. Massie’s facetransformed into the sunny embodiment of girl-without-a-care-in-the-world. It was a great pic, if Claire said so herself.
     She couldn’t wait to show Cam how she’d used the angle to make Massie’s neck appear longer.
    Massie took the phone and sent it to Landon with a message:
Spa day
.
    Sometimes it amazed Claire how easily deception came to Massie. Or rather, how hard she was willing to work at making it look
     easy. Instead of pitying or judging her, Claire admired her. There was no one else like Massie Block. No matter how much she
     had—or didn’t have—she could always be counted on to make a regular day memorable.
    “Let’s go.” Claire smiled, hooking her arm in Massie’s and leading her to Marshalls.
    “Ehma-blind.” Massie recoiled when the fluorescent lights hit her in the face. “This place is lit like Seven-Eleven.”
    Kristen rolled her eyes. “You get used to it. Shoes are to the left and straight ahead is the juniors department.” She led
     Massie and Claire down the main aisle while Mrs. Gregory headed over to the housewares section.
    “Everything’s bunched together.” Massie looked helplessly at Claire. “The fabrics can’t breathe.” Her face was pinched, like
     she was about to cry.
    “Poly-blends don’t need to breathe,” Kristen explained patiently. “They’re special that way.”
    “Oh,” Massie said, cautiously reaching for a gold sweater and then snatching her hand back like it had nipped her flesh. “It’s
     so… shiny! Like it’s been sprayed with pesticides.”
    Claire shrugged. “You’ll get used to it.”
    “Gawd, I hope not.” Massie stroked her forearms as if to say,
I’ll never let you suffer like that.
    Claire pointed at an accessories rack. “Look at those