“My gran would freak if she saw this place,” Tully said, looking embarrassed. Rhodies the size of hot-air balloons covered the side of the house. “She owns this house, you know.”

“Does she visit you?”

“Nah. It’s easier to wait.”

“For what?”

“My mom to forget about me again.” Tully stepped over a mound of newspapers and around a trio of garbage cans, then opened the door. Inside, the smoke in the room was thick.

Tully’s mom was in the living room, lying on the sofa, with her eyes half opened.

“H-hello, Mrs. Hart,” Kate said. “I’m Kate from next door.”

Mrs. Hart tried to sit up, but obviously she was too weak to manage it. “Hello, girl from nex’ door.”

Tully grabbed Kate’s hand and pulled her through the living room and into her bedroom, then slammed the door shut. She immediately went to her stack of records, pulled out Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and put it on the turntable. When the music started up, she tossed Kate a Tiger Beat and dragged a chair over to the vanity. “You ready?”

Kate’s nervousness came swooping back. She knew she’d get in trouble for this, but how would she ever make friends or become popular if she didn’t take a few risks? “I’m ready.”

“Good. Sit down. We’ll do your hair first. It needs some highlights. This is exactly what Maureen McCormick uses.”

Kate looked at Tully in the mirror. “How do you know that?”

“I read it in last month’s Teen magazine.”

“I’m guessing she goes to professionals.” Kate opened the Tiger Beat and tried to concentrate on the article (“Jack Wild’s Dream Date—It Could Be You!”).

“Take that back. I read the instructions twice.”

“Is there any chance I’m going to end up bald?”

“Hardly any. Now be quiet. I’m reading the instructions again.”

Tully separated Kate’s hair into strips and began spraying Sun-In onto the pieces. It took almost an hour to get it done to her satisfaction. “You are going to look like Marcia Brady when I’m done.”

“What’s it like, being popular?” Kate hadn’t meant to ask the question; it just slipped out.

“You’ll see. But you’ll stay my friend, won’t you?”

Kate laughed at that. “Very funny. Hey, that sort of burns.”

“Really? That can’t be good. And some of your hair is falling out.” Kate managed not to make a face. If going bald was the price of being Tully’s friend, she’d pay it.

Tully reached for the blow dryer and turned it on, blasting Kate’s hair with heat.

“I got my period,” Tully yelled. “So at least assface didn’t knock me up.”

Kate heard the bravado in her friend’s voice and saw it in her eyes. “I prayed for you.”

“You did?” Tully asked. “Wow. Thanks.”

Kate didn’t know what to say to that. To her, praying was like brushing your teeth before bed, just something you did.

Tully clicked off the dryer and smiled, but she looked worried again. Maybe it was the smell of burning hair. “Okay. Take a shower and rinse it out.”