Nadine rolls her eyes. "Being seen out is fine, but I'm not sure the company Kaitlin is keeping is the best. Controversy follows Lauren and Ava wherever they go."

"I don't know," Mom says, looking pensive. "Lauren's mom is on a few committees with me and she is a doll."

Nadine's face darkens. This is one argument I don't think she can win.

"Kaitlin, by the way," Mom adds. "They have a date for the Pretty Young Assassins press junket. It's going to be Saturday, February twenty-eighth."

Wow. I can't believe it's time for that already.

"Oh and I saw Liz's dad today," Mom says. "Are you two fighting?"

Nadine gives me a look and I turn away. "No," I squeak.

"I didn't think so," Mom says. "I told him if you two weren't speaking, I would know." She heads to the kitchen. "Have fun tonight!"

Nadine and I are alone again. Awkwardly, uncomfortably alone. I sidestep Nadine and reach for the doorknob.

"I don't care what your mom thinks, Lauren and Ava are a bad influence," Nadine says quietly.

I whirl around. "I don't care what you think," I say boldly. "I don't care how many articles you leave me, I'm not going to stop hanging out with them just because you say so."

Nadine genuinely looks confused. "I haven't been leaving you any articles."

Someone has. They've been leaving them under my dressing room door.

"Kaitlin, I just want what's best for you," Nadine stresses.

"I thought you wanted what's best for you," I point out. "Maybe if you'd stop pushing me around so much and blabbering on about the SATs all the time, I wouldn't have to go out on a work night to blow off some steam. Just because you haven't done anything with your life other than be an assistant is no reason to take it out on me! You've become a real pain, Nadine."

As soon as I say the words I want to take them back. Nadine's face is ashen. I didn't mean it like that. I was just angry, I want to say. But I don't.

"I didn't realize I was being a pain," Nadine says, looking hurt as she emphasizes the word pain. "I'm just trying to be your friend. Friends tell each other when they're about to fall off the edge of a cliff, and that's what I think you're doing. Lauren and Ava aren't going to do that because they like watching people fall. They only care about themselves. Once you've driven your career into the ground, they'll move on to some other starlet. Just like they did when they were friends with Sky. You know that's what happened, don't you? As soon as Sky stopped buying them expensive presents and taking them on vacation with her, they dropped her."