“Kim. Come on. There’s so much buildup.”

“I thought you wanted a fun night in.” Kim flapped the hot dogs, puffing meaty air toward Heidi. “Just me and you. Like old times.”

Heidi smoothed her flyaway hair. She was thirteen but looked eleven and was pushed around all the time. She liked this new feeling of freaking someone out—especially Kim, who was the daring one. Who’d found this mysterious online woman in the first place. Heidi needed to go to Boston tonight, needed to watch Kim bravely charm an adult woman, so that, one day, she could flirt with one herself. She took a breath. “You mean you’re chicken.”

“Not really.” Kim’s bottom lip popped out.

“You think you’re so tough,” Heidi said. “But you’re not, are you?”

Though they’d been best friends for nearly a year, Heidi had never spoken to Kim so boldly. She stepped forward, molding a face of intimidation. Kim rolled her eyes but said, “Fine, whatever you want,” and shuffled into the shadows to make arrangements on AIM. Heidi loomed over her as Kim typed with one hand, massaging her hot dogs with the other.

Heidi couldn’t still her heart as they stepped into the snowy night, passing the decorative rock engraved with the name of the apartment complex—Stony Court—and crossing the parking lot toward Mass Ave. Ever since Kim had first mentioned LisaParsonsTwo, Heidi had lain in bed each night imagining their correspondence: the bleak white dialogue box, filled alternatingly with Kim’s blue screen name and Lisa Parsons’s red screen name. Kim had been vague about what they discussed, but Heidi was certain their chats brimmed with eroticism and romance. She’d begged Kim to let her see, but Kim had called her a certified perv and only shared choice quotes. Tonight Kim’s seduction skills would finally be on view. Heidi was so sick of her dreary life, mildewing into antique rugs at her dad’s house, laboring over math worksheets.

“Don’t let that woman drive you anywhere,” Heidi’s father had said of Kim’s mom, Nancy. “Not even to the corner store. And if she starts in on the marijuana, tell her your father doesn’t like funny business. If she doesn’t listen, step into another room. Then call 911.”