“My grandmother said she has something for me.”

Natalie twists her nose in disapproval.

“You can borrow one of mine as backup, if it ends up being hideous. Want me to do your makeup now? We have a bit of time.”

She doesn’t even wait for my reply before snagging a hulking makeup case from the bathroom vanity and sweeping me over to the bed. I cringe, eyeing my jeans, but I dutifully sit.

There’s that sense again, like I’m Natalie’s latest pet. A Chihuahua tucked into her purse, until I fall out of fashion and she moves on. But the glow of her interest right now is intoxicating. That I could touch, even for one night, the things she has and takes for granted.

In a whir of brushes that dip into palettes, swirl, tap, and then swish over my skin, Natalie renders me her doll. As she’s finishing off my lids with a finger glimmering with a rose-gold shimmer shade, she deploys the question, casual yet loaded.

“You really like Ben, then?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess. He’s nice,” I say.

“I don’t know if he’s nice.” She practically snorts. “But he is fun. A good time.”

I think for a moment she must be confused, describing Luke, not Ben. But she’s not done.

“Look, elephant in the room—I know Bramber told you everything. Or maybe Ben himself.”

Did she…just give Bronte and Amber a smushed-together couple name?

Natalie barrels on. “For my dad’s sake, I can’t be friendly with him. Not in public. That’s exactly the kind of thing that could screw him over if there were a recall, or during his next election campaign. But Ben and I, we’re cool. We don’t hang anymore, but I know you’ll have a good time.”

Even when she’s sincere, Natalie throws me off kilter. “Okay, go look at yourself,” she instructs, effectively ending the conversation.

In the bathroom, I take in the final look. Natalie has transformed me into a bombshell: my green eyes sparkle; my mouth quirks into a sultry crimson pout. It’s an out-of-body experience, the girl in the mirror someone I barely recognize. I finger my dark waves self-consciously.

Friendships like this feel like a test. Was her giving her blessing on Ben really a trap to ensnare me? Was I supposed to say Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly go out with him if it hurts our friendship! or thank her profusely for her permission and forge on?

“Come on, let’s go,” Natalie says. “Coach will murder me if I’m late.”