Read Online Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn - Free Book Online Page A

greedy-ass funeral director. No one else would have eaten all those spam musubi. I knew that in my bones.
    â€œScott,” I said, trying to get us back on track, “this isreally no big deal. It’s a small party. In a large space. And very well-ventilated, I’m sure.”
    â€œAnd you need the glamour for . . . ?”
    I shrugged, schooling my features into as passive an expression as possible. “She wants me to look nicer than usual. That’s all.”
    He studied me for a long moment, then finally nodded and reached into his pocket. “This one will work.” He held out a wooden token about the size of a nickel. His features had relaxed, which meant he’d bought my lie. Anxiety Ball pressed against my internal organs again, as if to scold me for deceiving one of my oldest friends.
    â€œWhen you’re ready to use it, hold it in your palm and visualize what you want to look like,” he said. “But remember, it only lasts for three hours. And keep it safe: it’s for you and only you to use.”
    â€œOf course.” I nodded, trying not to make my sigh of relief too obvious. Scott tended to keep a tight rein on the glamour tokens so people wouldn’t use them for nefarious purposes. Like, say, disguising themselves as someone else and robbing a bank or something. The fact that he trusted me with one made me feel even guiltier. “Thank you.” I accepted the token and slipped it into my pocket. “And you know, Aveda’s always saying she’d love to have someone with your talents on staff. Maybe the two of you could talk about—”
    â€œNo.” His normally carefree smile was tight. “Not in a million years. And for the record, I think you look fine the way you are.”
    I ran a self-conscious hand through my curls and smiled back, an awkward silence descending between us.
    â€œYou are a fool for not hitting that, darling,” Lucy always said whenever Scott joined us for a beer at The Gutter. Once again she was way invested in my non-sex life. “You know I feel the same way about cocks as I do about cauliflower: weird shape, kind of gross. But this one is right in front of you and it can be quite relaxing to—”
    Wait! Relaxing . . .
    I met his clear blue eyes.
    Sex!
chirped Soothing Inner Voice.
Sex relieves stress!
    Okay, so there was that comfortable sibling vibe to consider, but maybe if I focused hard enough, I could produce a sexy response to Scott’s theoretically sexy abs. We were two sexy twenty-something adults now, and if I could get myself to feel that special, sexy way, maybe we could have a dog-hair-free quickie on this sexy countertop, thereby dissipating my unsexy Anxiety Ball and sending me on my way to this stupid party and—
    Oh my God. What was wrong with me? One unexpected task from Aveda and I was ready to re-create awkward prom night sex, potentially trash a longstanding friendship, and scar my baby sister for life should she hear any of our tepid cries of pleasure.
    Besides, I was getting nothing. No sexy feelings at all, no matter how hard I stared at his abs. Dead-Inside-O-Tron was cranked up to eleven.
    â€œYou could use the glamour to mess with her.” Scott smiled, dissipating the momentary awkwardness between us. “Make yourself look like someone even more famous. Maybe Angelina Jolie could be at this party, steal Aveda Jupiter’s thunder.”
    I let out a laugh that was supposed to sound tossed off but came out strangled.
    â€œNo,” I said, as Anxiety Ball delivered one last kick to my gut. “My game plan is to be as un-thunder-worthy as possible.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    â€œI’M AFRAID MR. SPARKY was unsalvageable.”
    â€œDarling, that is tragic. Isn’t it tragic, Evie—er, Aveda?”
    â€œWhat?” I snapped to attention. “I thought the porcelain unicorn’s name was Mr.
Sparkly
? With an L?”
    Letta