“Jamie, it went so well, like, better than I ever could have imagined! I was so anxious about starting a scene, but I started one about a girl rooming with her sister who’s a professional villain in a New York apartment, and the words just flew out of me, and Dawn stepped out and played my sister, and she made it hilarious, and it just got better in the B and C and D beats. I don’t know what happened. I, like, fell into it and let it happen instead of trying to consciously make it happen, and I can see why you love this so much because when things go well, they go so well! And everyone was laughing! Jamie, Timothée Chalamet and I had like, a fifteen-minute conversation afterward about Dad and Dad’s movie and me—I mean you!” I correct. “And Duck Waterfall! And he took a picture with us for his Instagram, Jamie!!! He hasn’t posted it yet, but if he does, it can blow up Dawn’s Duck Waterfall Instagram! Dawn is so stoked, and I haven’t felt so happy and relieved and energetic since my last ballet performance … so thank you for letting me do this. I needed it. Dawn and I went to this hipster ice cream place called Ulor’s afterward to celebrate! I have Timothée’s number, if you’re interested in him in that way, or in a friendship way. I did my best to talk like you do, and I think I really nailed it, it’s the most in character as you I’ve ever felt! It’s in your phone when we switch back!”

I wait with bated breath for her reaction, leftover joy radiating in my chest.

“Jamie?” I ask. Did the line go dead?

I hear her inhale. “Dude, that’s great. Good for you. You’re a natural performer. Just like with ballet. You’re funny too.”

“Well, not funny like you,” I tell her.

She doesn’t respond.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy. You sound…” She sounds like me before the switch. Angry. Inherently.

“Dawn took you to Ulor’s,” Jamie interrupts. “Dawn took you to number one on her top twenty Instagramable ice creams of SoCal list after knowing you for forty-eight hours?”

Top twenty Instagramable ice creams list? “Yeah? What have you been up to? I have Dad locked down for Tuesday.”

“Mom’s locked down too. I ordered us matching outfits off Amazon.”

“Oh cool … when did you do that?”

“Just now when I bought my plane ticket.”

“Okay…”

Why does this feel so uncomfortable? This is the opposite of how this conversation was supposed to go. “What is going on over there, Jamie?” I demand.

“I gotta go, it’s late. I’ll email you details and time stuff for Vegas,” she says. The line goes dead.

70. A Girl Is Inferior

JAMIE

September 6, Sunday Night

New Jersey