Unfortunately, when the audition had ended, Brody was Brody again, which was just sad for everybody.

Good actor or no, Brody Dixon would not get away with what he’d done to the girls of Ford. Nessa would make sure of it. Of course he was the guilty one. Only someone like him, who thought it was “nice” of Mr. Rhodes to give her the lead role, who didn’t see that she deserved it in every way, could do something as horrible as rate the girls. She couldn’t think of anyone else in school with a pile of ashes in place of a heart.

Nessa was a frickin’ Gryffindor. She knew she had courage. She knew she had heart. And she was going to protect her best friend, Eve Hoffman, who had definitely not figured out how awesome she was yet. And she was going to help Sophie Kane, too, because even though she didn’t trust Sophie, nobody deserved to be treated the way all the girls had been treated.

Nessa was going to put on her cape and teach them that you need to show the world a brave face, whether you feel brave or not.

Plus, a little revenge would be nice.

18

EVE

Sophie Kane had announced she would come over on Saturday. Saturday was Shabbat, and Eve had resisted, but Sophie texted her, This is what works for me.

Eve relented. Only at two, can’t do earlier. For some reason, she couldn’t find it within herself to say no to Sophie Kane.

Did Eve’s parents have to choose to live in a town where they were the only Jewish family? She could hear her mom’s answer: “People get sick and need help everywhere. There’s a perfectly fine Conservative synagogue twenty minutes away.”

When her family got home from synagogue, Eve sat in the kitchen with her mom and waited for Sophie.

“Who is this girl again?” her mom asked as she brought over a bowl of apple slices to the table.

“Her name is Sophie Kane.”

“She’s number two!” Hannah hollered from all the way down in the TV room.

Of course Hannah had the list memorized.

“How can you even hear us in here?” Eve’s mom shook her head but smiled. “You two have a class project? You and this Sophie Kane?”

Eve nodded, perhaps too enthusiastically.

By the time the clock read two-thirty P.M., Eve was getting nervous.

“Mom, I’m sure she texted me if she’s just late or not coming. Maybe I should just turn on the phone.” Sitting in the kitchen, Eve’s powered-down cell phone lay plugged in next to the microwave, and she stared at it as if it could transmit information to her through telepathy.

“You know, honey, it’s your choice if you want to turn it on,” her mom said. “You chose to not use your cell on Shabbat. I didn’t force you.”

This made her feel even more guilty, because her parents were so cool about the whole thing.