Seiko threw a sharp look in Dani’s direction. “Hey!”
Daniella nudged me in the side. “At the very least, she disproves the stereotype that all Asians are smart.”
Seiko frowned. “What does that mean?”
Dani moved back to Eden’s desk. “I rest my case.”
Kyla took over. “Back to the topic, you can’t date whoever you want when you’re a PIP. We have a standard and an image to maintain, and we can’t be attached to just anyone. You must have a boyfriend at all times, and you must choose a boy who isn’t in the current rotation from the list.”
I had no intentions of dating anyone and falling in love, so being forced to date someone was going to be a problem for me. But there was no time for that. “I have to pick a boy from the list like I’m picking an outfit from a catalog? What if I don’t like any of them?”
Seiko smirked. “Oh, you will like these boys. They’re all eights or higher. And if you don’t like any of them, you can have a little nookie-cookie on the side. Just don’t let anyone know about it.”
Eden ran her fingers through my hair. “Just for the record, do what you want, but be discreet about it. We can’t have people thinking it’s easy to get into a PIP’s pants. We’re supposed to be unattainable, you know, that fruit at the top of the tree that’s hard to get.”
“Okay. Is that it?” That had to be it. It was too much already.
“Nope,” Kyla replied. “We’re called Perfection in Pink for a reason. Don’t worry—we don’t expect you to dress in pink from head to toe. Monochromatism is such a fashion no-no. Your outfit has to be at least ten percent pink every single day, even on weekends and times we’re not together. After all, you are a PIP twenty-four seven. And you must dress to your assigned style every single day. Be true to it.”
My head was swimming from information overload. “My assigned style?”
“Yes,” Eden answered. “We each have an assigned style that doesn’t include wearing jeans and T-shirts every day.” She tugged on my sleeve. “My style is classic. Seiko is preppy. Kyla is bohemian chic, and Daniella is sporty. We change things up every year or whenever I feel like it.”
My shoulders drooped. “Oh, then maybe I’m not such a great fit. I’m not going to be able to buy a whole new wardrobe to match the style you give me.”
The way they looked at me, I might as well have been a sick kitten who’d gotten run over by a car after being struck by lightning.
Kyla wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “That’s okay. We’ll figure something out.” Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “Oooh, I know. Let’s pick out an outfit she can wear tomorrow. Lennox, this is your chance to stand out in the crowd. It’s only been two days. You can still make a change. Jeans and fitted tees aren’t going to cut it.”
Seiko patted me on the back. “Don’t worry. We’re going to hook you up.”
The four of them dashed into Eden’s closet and rummaged through things to find something suitable for me. The easiness they had around each other reminded me of when I used to have friends back in Vermont. We were like sisters, and whenever we were together, we had the time of our lives. After Piper died, I changed, and the only one who could stand to be around me anymore was Abby. Even though I moved away, the two of us texted all the time and Facetimed a few times a week.
Within a minute, a complete outfit was laid across Eden’s bed—a pink tank dress with a leopard-print wrap belt and a trendy denim jacket.
“Go in the bathroom and try it on,” Eden urged.
I gathered the garments and headed for the bathroom connected to her room.
“What size shoe do you wear?” Eden asked before I closed the door behind me.
“Seven.”
She made a face. “I wear eight, but we might be able to make it work. I’m thinking boots.”
I nodded and closed the door. After a few seconds, I pressed my ear against the door, but I couldn’t hear a thing. They were either whispering or not talking at all.
The dress was a little snug in the ass and boob areas, but it was workable. The jacket and the belt definitely helped.
When I emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, the girls gave me their stamp of approval.
Kyla sat me down at Eden’s vanity, where a curling iron had been warming up. She ran a brush through my hair. “We can definitely work with this,” she called over her shoulder. I couldn’t tell if she was talking about my hair or me all together.
As she worked, the others watched, talking a mile a minute. “You know, Lennox,” Daniella said, “if you’re really interested in being a PIP, you should know what the rules are first.”
I watched the others in the mirror.
Dani locked eyes with Eden. “Should we show her the commandments?”
Eden chewed on her bottom lip. “Sure. Why not?” She went over to a short file cabinet and pulled her charm bracelet off her arm then used a key on the bracelet to unlock the cabinet, and she pulled a sheet of pink laminated paper from the top drawer. It was all so official that it was ridiculous. They were really serious about the PIP shit.
Eden handed me the stiff page. I tried not to laugh as I read each item listed.
The PIP Commandments
Nails must be manicured and pedicured at all times in a preapproved shade of pink. We get our nails done every Wednesday after track practice.
All outfits must be at least ten percent pink
Be true to your assigned style at all times
Only date boys from the list
Meet at Eden’s locker by 7:45 each morning
Be a member of the track team
Be present at every meeting
PIP business always comes first
Always be perfect
Do NOT eat the cafeteria food
Wear your “P” charm at all times
Post a selfie every morning #PIP
Take our secrets to your grave
The last one was the most interesting of all. What secrets do they have?
I held the sheet out once I was done reading. “Wow, thirteen PIP commandments. Even God could only come up with ten.”
Kyla tugged a section of my hair a little too hard, and Seiko snatched the page from me and said, “You think this is a game? We told you, this isn’t a joke. If you can’t take it seriously—”
“Seiko, relax,” Eden said as she took the page from Seiko and placed the sheet back in her file cabinet. “It was just a little humor.” She locked the drawer back and turned to me. “So what do you think?”
It was all comical to me, but I knew what they wanted to hear.
“I think I would be perfect for this. I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Eden sat on the edge of her bed, toying with her charm bracelet. “I understand. Anyway, we’ll be sending out formal invitations to girls we are interested in within the next couple of days.”
A knot formed in my stomach. How many other girls are they looking at? Did they invite others over? Did they give them outfits and curl their hair? Probably. I suddenly felt a little less special.
Kyla pulled my hair again, and I bit my tongue. Maybe she wasn’t doing it on purpose. “It’s not as easy as us just picking you. There will be a trial. Some tasks you have to complete. You must accomplish all those things before you can be in.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “A trial like sororities do? Just to hang out with you guys?”
Kyla yanked my hair, and that time I knew for sure that she was doing it on purpose. I pretended not to notice.
She wrapped a lock of my hair around the barrel of the curling iron. “We told you. This is not just some clique. We’re a family. This isn’t something that’s going to break up after we graduate from high school. We’re going to be connected for life. We’ll be bridesmaids in each other’s weddings and best friends forever. That’s why we’re very careful about who we choose. We have to know she can handle this huge
responsibility.”
I sat up straight. Obviously, I shouldn’t have said the last part out loud. Get serious, Lennox. “Right. I get it. Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll have no problem doing it. I’m down for anything.”
Eden smiled slyly in the mirror’s reflection. “We’ll see about that.”
Once Kyla was done with my hair, Eden placed the outfit they’d chosen in a garment bag, and the girls drove me home.
“Hey,” Eden called as I climbed out. “If you’re really serious about becoming one of us, make sure you wear that outfit tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Standing on Gary’s porch, I watched them pull off, wondering what they were saying about me. I stood there until Kyla’s Range Rover was out of sight.
Those girls were right where I wanted them. They had no idea that I didn’t need Eden’s outfit. They didn’t know about my closet full of Valentino dresses, shoes from Yves Saint Laurent, and Dolce & Gabbana bags—all tokens from my parents to make sure I didn’t fall apart after their divorce.
Whatever they were thinking about me, they were wrong. I wasn’t Lennox McRae, the poor, naïve girl who desperately wanted to be part of them. I was the vengeful girl who had to be a part of them so that I could destroy them from the inside out.
4
Piper
Mom always painted our nails on Sunday afternoons when we were in elementary school. It was part of our girl-time ritual. While Dad was either golfing or working on a case, we would slice cucumbers and put them on our eyes and give ourselves whipped-cream facials, then Mom would paint our nails.
I always chose one color, usually purple or yellow, depending on the mood I was in. Piper, on the other hand, always had to be different. That was part of the reason she was dead.
She had to have each nail a different color. On one hand, she would ask Mom to paint her name, and on the other, she would want stars and flowers. It drove Mom bananas, but she would do it to make Piper happy.
Mom often said to me, “You always make this easy for me, Lenny. You make everything easy.”
I felt bad for her because Piper was a lot to deal with, so I tried my best to be extra good.
After Mom was done painting our nails, she would tell us to sit really still with our palms down on the table so our nails could dry. Being still was impossible for Piper. She could never resist scratching her face or reaching for another potato chip. She would ruin her nails, and Mom would have to fix them.
Piper was impatient and impulsive, but not me. I could sit there for an hour if I needed to. Even after Mom told me that my nails were dry and I could get up, I would wait a little longer just in case. Unlike my sister, I was patient. I would wait for as long as it took.
Although Piper was two years older than me, I always had to be the big sister. But I loved Piper, so I didn’t mind. I hadn’t even realized that something was different about her until I was in the first grade and she was in the third.
We were walking home from school one afternoon. A group of us always walked in the same direction. Piper walked ahead of me with the only friend she had, Nicki Ladd. They walked with their arms around each other, huddled close, telling secrets. I wanted to hear, but Piper would tell me when she got home. She told me everything. The world of third grade was very fascinating to my six-year-old mind. I loved hearing about who had a crush on whom and how girls who had been best friends the week before had become sworn enemies.
We were about two blocks from our house when the sounds of screeching tires made me turn around. Two cars came racing down the street. I recognized one as the car that belonged to Matthew Peters, who lived next door. Everyone watched in astonishment like we were watching a NASCAR race. When the cars zoomed past us, the drivers blew their horns as they hurtled down the street.
A strange howling sound started, and it only took me a second to realize that it was Piper. She never liked loud noises, especially when she wasn’t prepared for them. She was crouched on the sidewalk with her face against her knees, covering her ears. Nicki had taken a step away from her as everyone else crowded around to watch.
Piper sounded like a wounded animal, but it was a noise I was used to. I didn’t understand what everyone was looking at. Lots of people were afraid of loud noises.
That was when it started—the laughing and the pointing. One boy from Piper’s class was the loudest. “Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. You get front-row seats to Piper’s Freak Show.”
Piper’s Freak Show?
He waved his arm over my sister like he was a ringmaster at the circus. “Come one, come all. It’s a one-girl show.”
I pushed my way through them to my sister. “Piper, get up,” I told her. “The cars are gone.”
But she wouldn’t get up. She kept sobbing and shaking her head. It was the kids who were making it worse with all their noise.
A red-headed girl who lived down the street stood beside Nicki. “When there’s a fire drill, she has to wear these ginormous earphones and walk with the principal.” They laughed even harder.
“Shut up!” I shouted at them. “Stop laughing at her.”
They stopped for a few seconds but then started right up again.
The boy from Piper’s class poked me in the shoulder. “You shut up. What are you? Like four?”
The others laughed as if he’d said the funniest thing in the world. I turned to Nicki, who was taller than all of them. “Tell them to stop.”
But she was even farther away from Piper by then, staring at her and shaking her head. “I have to get home. Mom told me to come right home. We have to go somewhere.” Then she took off running down the sidewalk.
The others grew bored with watching and finally went on their way. After a few minutes, I was able to get Piper back on her feet and walking. She cried all the way home. What would have happened if I hadn’t been here? Is this what Piper goes through every day at school? I realized that outside of our house, my sister didn’t have anyone but me, and I had to take care of her.
***
When I went inside, the curtains were open. Sunlight flooded the living room. From upstairs, I could hear Mom moving around. I exhaled. It was a good day. Mom jogged downstairs wearing a tiny pair of denim shorts and a tank top. I wished she would put on something else. It wasn’t that she didn’t look good. It was just so different from the way she used to dress—nice slacks and pretty blouses—and I wanted my old mom back.
“Hey, honey. How was school?”
“Great.”
“Making friends?”
“Yeah.”
I followed her into the kitchen, where she rummaged through the junk drawer. “I’m going to order dinner so it’s here by the time Gary gets home. He does so much for us that the least we can do is have a nice meal prepared for him after he’s been working all day, huh?”
I nodded, even though I didn’t really care. Gary seemed like a nice-enough guy, but I wanted out of his house. It would never feel like it was ours, because it wasn’t.
Mom never cooked anymore. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her go near a stove. She’d become an expert on ordering healthy gourmet meals and putting them on pretty plates and setting the table like it was part of a furniture showroom. I gave her credit for that because it was a lot more than she had done back in Vermont. I’d survived solely on pizza, cereal, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
I rested my backpack and the garment bag on the kitchen table. “Mom, what did you do all day?”
She removed two bottles of wine from the rack and examined the labels.
“I went to yoga, got a blowout, and did a little reading. Nothing major.”
That was what I was afraid of. Mom was getting too comfortable, thinking her life was one long vacation. “Don’t you think you should be looking for a job?”
She shrugged and placed the red wine back in the rack. “I’ll get around to that. There’s no rush.”
“But there should be. Mom, what happens if you
and Gary break up, we have to move out, and he doesn’t take care of you anymore? What are we going to do then?”
Mom glared at me. “Gary and I are not going to break up, and I’ve told you I’m going to start looking for a job. I just had a lot to do today.”
I knew aside from being comfortable, Mom was afraid of getting out there. She had been a stay-at-home mom since the day Piper was born. Before that, she had been a paralegal. That was how she met Dad. But that was a long time ago.
“Maybe you can get a job as a receptionist or something,” I suggested. “You know, something to make your own money. Even if it’s just part time.”
She sighed and looked over the menu. “I’m not in the mood for your ungrateful attitude today. We have everything we need here and then some. More than what we had in Vermont. Why can’t you just relax and enjoy it?”
She was wrong. We had so much more in Vermont.
“I’m just a little worried. What if we have to go back to Vermont or move far away? I won’t be able to go to Bainbridge anymore, and I really like this school.”
Mom’s shoulders drooped. “Don’t worry, honey. No matter what happens, we will make a way.” She jutted her chin toward the garment bag on the table. “What’s that?”
“Oh, it’s an outfit one of the girls let me borrow.”
Mom raised an eyebrow. “One of what girls?”
“One of the girls I met at school.”
She yanked the garment bag from the table and pulled the zipper down, running her fingers over the dress inside. “Nice. Chloe. Why’d she give you this?”
“She didn’t give it to me. She let me borrow it to wear tomorrow.”
Mom folded the garment bag roughly over her arm. Her mood was about to flip like a light switch. “You’re not going to be caught dead in this dress, Lennox. You tell your new friends that you’re not some charity case. You have a closet full of designer clothes that your father and I bought you over the summer so you could look nice at your new school. You’ve always had nice things, so I don’t understand why you’re pulling out your rattiest clothes to wear around. We’re new here, and we need to make a good impression. I won’t have people thinking we don’t belong.”
Piranhas in Pink: Piranhas in Pink Book One Page 4