Read Online How It Ends by Catherine Lo - Free Book Online Page A

level of host?”
    â€œTenth.”
    â€œCoed?”
    â€œOf course. Would I care about all this if it wasn’t?”
    â€œGood point. Parents home or away?”
    â€œHome.”
    â€œDrag. Okay. Come with me.”
    â€œBut . . .” I gesture toward my closet.
    â€œListen, Annie—I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m pretty stoked you asked me for help. So, for this one night only, I’m opening my closet door to you.”
    My jaw drops.
    â€œI know. But we’re almost like sisters . . . technically. Plus, I want you to go out and have a blast so you’ll take that stick out of your ass and be human around here.”
    Sophie heads off to her room, leaving me staring after her. She turns at her door and looks at her watch. “I’d hurry up if I were you.”
    I race to her room, already envisioning myself in her clothes.
    When my dad calls upstairs for me twenty minutes later, Sophie’s still hard at work. “Hold on, Martin,” she yells down the stairs. “I’m not done with her yet.”
    â€œDone with . . . ”
    â€œI’m making Annie gorgeous.”
    I close my eyes, my stomach fluttering. Patience isn’t one of my dad’s best qualities. I’m expecting him to start nagging that it’s time to go, or threatening me with no ride if I don’t hurry up. He must be as shocked as I am at Sophie’s sudden friendliness, though, because he doesn’t say a word.
    Sophie works her magic for almost another hour, and still, my dad stays silent.
    Finally she steps back and smiles. “Turn around.”
    I look up at her, and it’s suddenly hard to breathe. There’s a softness in Sophie’s eyes that reminds me of my mother. I feel dizzy, as if I’m in the present and the past at the same time. I swallow hard around the lump in my throat, terrified that I might break down in front of her. Then I turn and catch sight of myself, and all those thoughts scatter.
    I can’t believe the girl in the mirror is me. I look
hot.
My usual heavy eyeliner and mascara are gone. With far less makeup than I normally use, Sophie’s managed to give me a natural look that makes me seem more sophisticated and less like a kid playing dress-up. She’s blown out my hair, lent me a pair of low-rise jeans that make me look at least two years older, and finished off the outfit with a black tank top that’s just this side of acceptable for parental viewing.
    â€œSophie,” I breathe. “You’re a miracle worker.”
    â€œI know, right?” She laughs at the expression on my face. “It wasn’t that hard. You’re very pretty.”
    A blush creeps up my cheeks.
Why’s she being so nice to me?
    Sophie races down the stairs ahead of me, calling for Madge and my dad to come see.
    â€œAnnie,” my dad thunders as I ease down the stairs on Sophie’s heels. “You’re gorgeous!”
    Madge actually
smiles
at me. “You look beautiful,” she says before turning to Sophie. “I’m so proud of you, darling. Are those your clothes Annie’s wearing?”
    Sophie shrugs. “I always wanted a sister to trade clothes with.”
    For a moment, I have a flash of how things could be around here. Maybe if I try harder, Sophie and I could be friends. Maybe I could feel more at home here instead of always needing to be at Jessie’s house. Maybe I could have my own home.
    â€œLet’s get going,” Dad says, jingling his car keys.
    â€œActually,” Sophie says, “can I drive her?”
    â€œYou want to drive Annie to her party?”
    â€œYeah . . . and maybe I can borrow the car to go out tonight, too?” Her hopeful eyes are on Madge now. “I’ll just be at Margot’s house. I’ll leave in time to pick up Annie from the party and get her home before her curfew.”
    My dad’s smile is