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through her. She felt her mouth wanting to spread into a smile, and she had to consciously stop it from doing that. Colin looked up at her then.
    “I just wish . . .” He stopped and chewed his lip.
    And beneath the table Lucy was sticking her left hand in her purse. “What do you wish?”
    He hesitated. Then shook his head.
    “Make one,” she said. “It might just come true.”
    And obedient boy that he was, he had made a wish. She saw it light up the star in her palm.
    A few minutes after that, he stood and said he was leaving. He gave her a hug. His arms shook as he let her go.
    Now Lucy sat alone, watching through the window as Colin walked across the parking lot. There was a group of junior boys sitting at the next table staring at her. She could feel their eyes on her skin. She turned and saw one of them lick his cone in a way Lucy could only imagine was supposed to be seductive.
    Lucy ignored them. There was still one little thing left to do—she dropped the golden Wish Star on top of the sundae, scooped it up with her spoon, popped it into her mouth, and crunched down. She closed her eyes and then heard the sweet tones of Colin’s voice as though he was whispering in her ear.
    “Lucy seems so sad now,” his voice said. “I just want her to be okay.”
    Lucy pressed her lips together. His own heart was freshly broken, but that was what he’d wished for. She was, she realized, nothing like Colin. Not anymore, anyway. Breaking his heart had only been hard before she’d done it. And now that it was over, she barely felt anything at all.
    He’d wished for her to be okay.
    Well, lucky boy, it looked like his wish had already come true.

Thirteen

    W hen Lucy got home, Olivia’s blue convertible was parked out front with Lucy’s three sisters sitting inside. As soon as they saw her, they started to clap, their applause growing louder and turning to cheers.
    Olivia flipped on the stereo, sending loud dance music into the air. Liza shimmied her way out of the car. “Well, little bunny, you’re a full-fledged Heartbreaker.” Liza grabbed Lucy’s hands and twirled her around. “Now you’re really one of us.”
    Gil pulled Lucy in for a hug. “I promise it was worth it,” she whispered.
    “How did you guys know . . . ?” Lucy said slowly.
    Gil smiled. “We’re sisters. When one of us breaks a heart, we all gain power, and we all feel it in our own.”
    Olivia popped the trunk, then motioned for Lucy to come over. Inside was a pile of sleeping bags, duffels, and a tent. On top of it all was a black leather guitar case. Olivia lifted the lid, and Lucy stared at a guitar, dark wood inlaid with swirls of silver and gold. Lucy ran her hand over the smooth wood, then plucked a string. Even from inside the case she could tell it would sound amazing.
    “That’s yours,” Olivia said.
    “It is?”
    “Think of it as a little congratulations present,” Olivia said. “The first time is never easy.”
    “Oh my goodness. Thank you,” Lucy said.
    But Olivia just waved her hand. “Not that there’s anything wrong with the guitar you had,” Olivia said, her lips curving into a smirk. “But if you’re going to be playing at the festival, you might want something a little prettier. . . .”
    “What?” Lucy’s head was spinning.
    “You’re playing at SoundWave,” Liza said. “In the New Voices tent.” She shrugged like it was nothing, but she was fully grinning now. “It’s going to be a lot easier for me to get at Beacon if I meet him as a friend of a fellow performer rather than just some groupie. Not that I’d ever be just some groupie , but, y’know . . .”
    “You’re serious,” Lucy said. “You’re serious?”
    Liza nodded. “You remember Paisley, our DJ friend? He set it up. He knows one of the bookers.”
    “It’s not like you don’t deserve it, though,” Gil said. “He just played her the recording he made when you sang at Pete’s that first time. And, of course, she loved