So, really, my comment was not intentionally mean-spirited, it was just part of the teasing that went on with Austin and me. Only it sometimes caught other people in the middle of our fun . . . like the comment he made to Kael. (The comment that I swore to myself I wouldn’t obsess over until later, when I was alone.)

“She’s nineteen, okay? And she’s going to actual nursing school.” Austin lifted his plastic cup to his mouth, pouring out the last drops of the Añejo he had been downing the whole night.

“I’m sure she is.” I rolled my eyes at Austin. “And the next Barbie will be—”

It took me a moment to register that everyone was looking over my shoulder to something behind me. MPs, I thought for a split second. Damn. We’re busted. I turned around to face the officers, to give them some sort of excuse or attempt some type of negotiation. Only when I turned around, I saw that it wasn’t the MPs at all. It was the girl in the ruffly shirt, and she had heard every word I’d said.

I was the one who was busted.

The girl’s face fell. My face fell. We stood there in silence. Caught. Two deer in the headlights.

I had insulted her, insinuating that not only was she in high school, but that tomorrow night, my brother would be making out with someone else. Which not only made my brother seem like a total douchebag, it was rude as all hell to her.

Her eyes welled up with tears.

“Sorry . . .” I said. “I’m so sorry. It wasn’t anything against you, I just meant—” She looked so young when she pouted like that, her bottom lip quivering. Damn. I didn’t want to give her a half-assed apology or make something up to make her feel better. But I couldn’t tell her that she really did look like she was in high school and I sure as hell couldn’t tell her that, in all likelihood, my brother would be making out with someone else—if not tomorrow, then the day after.

I stood in the doorway for a second, not facing the group, contemplating apologizing to her again—and thinking of how to smooth things over with Austin, too, even though he wasn’t likely to be that annoyed with me. He knew my sense of humor better than anyone. And he gave as good as he got.

But Austin spoke first.

“Nice, Kare. Real nice.” He moved toward the girl and put a comforting arm around her. “This here is my sister, Karina,” he said, squeezing her shoulder. “Karina, this is—”

She cut him off. “You can call me Barbie,” she said through her breaking voice.

The room erupted with laughter. Big, bold, sidesplitting laughter. Score one for Barbie. And who could blame her? Certainly not me. I let myself exhale.