I shook my head so hard my ponytail whipped my cheeks. “They can’t close the library!”

“Well, it’s obviously not up to me, sweet pea. Your dad has a town selectman council meeting tonight where they’re making the final decision. I just wanted to warn you.”

I groaned. Mom got my love of the library about as much as she got my love of space.

“You should spend more time hanging out with actual kids instead of a librarian, anyway,” said Jade, picking up another shade of dark polish. “What about navy?”

“Fine. One. You want a color, Abigail?”

But I couldn’t pay attention to things like nail polish when the only place I really felt at home these days was in danger of closing. And what about Harriet? Where would she go? What if I never saw her again and the last thing I ever did was lie to her?

I could feel a lump rising in my throat, and let’s just say I did not want to be the weirdo crying at Target. But seriously? First Blair, and now this?

“Oh, Abigail. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you that right now. I didn’t mean to ruin our trip.” Mom bit her lip. “I’ll buy you that book, okay?”

“It’s not—” I shook my head. How could I explain it wasn’t one book? It was all the books. It was past and current and future books, books that gave me hours away from my current, stupid life. Books that were there when nothing else was.

“Isn’t that Sophie and Lex?” asked Jade. My head snapped up.

What were the odds? I mean, really. We were close to two hours away from home. Not exactly light-years, but still. Yet there they were, looking at the hair products, giggling at something.

“What a surprise! Go say hi,” said Mom.

Crap. I either had to stand there and awkwardly explain to my mom and sister that I didn’t really have any friends for a reason I still hadn’t figured out, or go over to my two “best friends” who hadn’t so much as texted me all summer and were apparently having a Target bestie day. Like, would you rather have Kylo Ren or Voldemort standing in front of you?

I walked over to them cautiously, trying to keep my voice down so Mom and Jade couldn’t hear.

“Um. Hey.”

They saw me and froze. Lex even dropped the bottle she was holding and had to quickly bend down and get it, and when she did that, she knocked a whole bunch of shampoos off the shelf.

“Hi, Abby,” said Sophie, biting her lip. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m with Mom and Jade,” I said.

“The Tarjay extravaganza,” said Sophie, smiling, not in a mean way. Of course she knew we did this every year. She’d even come with us before.

“What have you guys been up to?” I asked nervously.

They looked at each other and then back at me. I willed for a lightning bolt to strike.