Page 163 of Wanting What's Wrong

She shakes her head, grinning. “Nope, I did all this on my own. Go me. Booked the hotel and everything. I evenspoke on the phoneto get myself a room. Terrifying, but I did it. Foryou. Then, the flight was delayed and I missed your show anyway.”

“Thanks?”

“I should think so. I was worried when I your phone was going right to voicemail and you didn’t answer any of my texts. So knowing how important this was to you, I figured you’d have found a way to get here. I brought youthese.”

She reaches down and grabs her backpack off the floor, depositing it on the counter in front of us. Then, with a dramatic flourish, she unzips it and brings out…

“Barbies?” I say, deadpan. “You…shouldn’t have.”

She laughs. “I know, right? I love the dress this one is wearing. You’ll probably want to change it up, bring it off one shoulder or whatever. But it’s got potential, right?”

“Right. Yep, I could do that.” I stutter, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but honestly… Barbies?

“I knew you’d love them. I found them in this amazing thrift shop at home. Reminded me of all the times we took the Chatbury bus into town and snuck off to all those resale stores in search of your precious Barbies. You want to take them up to your room right now, or—?”

I shake my head. “No, you hold on to them for now. Jackson might be a bit surprised to see me, you know, playing with dolls.”

She laughs. “What? He knows all about your Barbie collection.”

“He does?”

“Of course! How would you hide something you’ve been doing since you guys met when you were six? You have a whole collection. That’s how you met your brother. You had a backpack full of Barbies…you don’t remember? Well, that and the Andes Mints…”

“Wait, I have a brother?”

“Girl.Jackson. You really did hit your head hard, huh?”

“Jackson? What are you…? No, he’s my b…boy…” In a daze, I stand from the counter, stumbling a little. I feel her hand on my arm but I shrug it away, shaking my head. “Jackson’s my…”

Brother.

Oh my fudging golf.

I stare at my best friend as I back away, feeling my whole face start to heat. Flickers of warm and cold memories snap and flash like strobe lights in a dark room.

She’s saying something, telling me to come back, but I can’t. I want to leave. If Jackson is mybrother, then what we did wasagainst the rules.

Fudge. Fudge.Fudge.

“Tina,” I say in a daze. “I wouldn’t do this. It wasn’t me, it was Tina.”

“Whatwas Tina? Who is Tina?”

My eyes snap up to hers as it all comes flooding back in such a deluge, the world turns gray. I’m spinning. Nauseous. My temples pound.

The party, the pool, the hospital.Oh heck, the hospital.

“Rosaria…” I’m so embarrassed I can barely say the words. “She wassinging.”

“Who was singing?”

“Tina. She was singingSimply The Bestso loud and inside my head, I kept thinking I was Tina. Not Mina…”

“Tina Turner?”

“No, Tiname! I’m Tina. She’s… I made her up but now she’s real and she’s ruinedeverything.”

I put my face in my hands. How did this happen? Why did Jackson let it…happen?

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