“You’ve got it all wrong.” Lili sounded really worked up. “You always get everything wrong.”

Everyone fell silent at the razor-sharp tone of Lili’s voice. “Rrow,” Madeline whispered.

The car rolled over a speed bump and out the school exit. Someone had draped spiderwebs over the gates and affixed devil horns to the large, many-armed cacti lining the path. Madeline turned up the winding roads that led toward the mountain. A sports car with round, xenon-bright headlights passed them going the other direction.

The girls began to chatter about the dance—Madeline and the disastrous Freddy Krueger, Laurel’s burgeoning crush on Caleb. “And how about you?” Madeline nudged Emma. “You disappeared for a while. Did you find someone fun?”

“Definitely not,” Emma said quickly. She wanted to forget the whole Ethan thing ever happened.

“What did you think about the dance, ladies?” Charlotte asked, swiveling around and looking at the Twitter Twins. “Was being on the court everything you hoped for and more?”

“Of course,” Gabby said automatically, lifting her sash from her chest and admiring it lovingly. “All eyes were on me. I felt like a princess.”

Lili let out an irate squeak. “There were eight court girls, Gabriella. Not just you!”

Gabby shrugged. “You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t think I do.”

“What’s wrong with you tonight?” Gabby wrinkled her nose. “You sound like Mom when you call me Gabriella.”

A small, frustrated noise came from the back of Lili’s throat. “As if you don’t know?”

Everyone laughed awkwardly. Madeline cleared her throat. “Um, girls?” But the Twins ignored her.

“If you’re going to be a mega bitch, maybe you shouldn’t come tonight,” Gabby said primly.

“You know what? Maybe I don’t want to come. Maybe I don’t want to spend another minute with you,” Lili growled. She pointed at a Super Stop gas station at the next intersection. “Pull into there.”

Madeline gripped the wheel, but she didn’t put on her turn signal.

“I’m serious!” Lili screeched. “Pull frickin’ over!”

Emma stiffened. Lili was more unhinged than ever.

“Whoa.” Madeline set her jaw, veered into the next lane of traffic, and wheeled into the gas station. Several cars waited at the pumps. Two teenage boys in death-metal T-shirts loitered near the entrance, smoking cigarettes. Inside, Emma could see brightly colored soda bottles, racks and racks of candy, and grayish hot dogs spinning slowly on a grill.

As soon as the car slowed, Lili pushed Gabby out the back door. Then she climbed out herself, giving Gabby another shove. Gabby wheeled backward into a green trash barrel. “What the—?” she screamed.

Lili’s eyes were wild. Her Lady Liberty toga was slipping, showing the scalloped, lacy edges of her bra. A bearded, greasy-haired truck driver filling his truck with diesel stared. So did the smokers by the door. “You know I like Kevin! I told you a million times!”