Giovanna wears a new cream T-shirt, but it’s so not her color. With her milky-white skin, she should be wearing deep reds, icy pastels, and dark blues. I hand her a magazine. “Page eighty-two,” I say, pointing to the headline highlighted on the cover. “The article on skin tone and colors.” Giovanna nods gratefully.

That girl is lucky I’m here to help her.

As she opens the magazine, Giovanna knocks a card off her desk. She quickly bends over, picks it up, and stuffs it inside her notebook. I saw Jade and Jasmine with the same cards, too. They are from Emmy. I think she’s having a birthday party. I might be the only girl in class who is not invited.

Not that I want to go to her party, anyway. I have nothing in common with most of those girls.

Still. You’d think she’d invite me. I’m always going out of my way to help everyone. Just the other week I suggested Emmy should wear skinnier jeans.

She frowned and turned away without even thanking me. But I was just trying to help. Like this morning, when I complained to Aunt Karen that she needed to make her freshly squeezed orange juice more carefully. There was too much pulp swimming inside the glass, so I couldn’t drink it. Aunt Karen told me I was too picky.

Maybe some advice is best left unshared.

I’ll need to think about that.

Like, my fashion magazines always make fun of out-of-style celebrity fashion. But maybe what’s funny in magazines is sort of mean face-to-face.

I look away from Giovanna. Kyle is back from his outside-the-room lookout post and Trevor has taken his place. Kyle opens Soda’s cage, lifts up the rodent, and tosses it at Jasmine.

Ugh! I can’t imagine anything worse than a rodent in my hair.

Kyle laughs. He still has Soda—he was only pretending to throw it. That’s a good thing for Jasmine.

And I suppose it’s a good thing for the rodent, too.

I turn my attention back to Giovanna. She stands up to adjust her shirt, which is tucked into her jeans. It really should be untucked. I open my mouth to tell her, but then bite my lip and instead say, “I really like your shirt. Is it new?”

Giovanna smiles brightly. “It is. Thanks!”

Her smile makes me smile, too. Then I notice the invitation to Emmy’s party sticking out of her notebook, just slightly. I avert my eyes, but my smile vanishes.

My notebook is stuffed with new assignments from Maggie. There are way too many. Last night I needed Aunt Karen’s help in finishing them. Mom and Dad were too busy, as usual. I finished so late I didn’t have a chance to check out my favorite fashion blogs online, and I always have time for that.

“I keep thinking we’re missing something big,” says Giovanna to me.

“Like nail polish? We can talk that if you want,” I say, hopeful.

Giovanna frowns. “No, I mean we’re missing something big in class. There’s something happening soon. But I can’t remember what.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” I say. “Maggie’s got everything under control.”

An eraser lands on my desk, only inches from my arm. Seth grabs it. “Sorry,” he blurts out. He smirks and then whips the eraser at Kyle, who bumps into Danny’s desk as he tries to duck. Danny looks up, annoyed.

I think Maggie has everything under control, anyway.

“Well, let me know if you want to talk about nails. Or jewelry,” I say to Giovanna, looking at her small golden stud earrings that cry out, Starter earrings. “I have some suggestions,” I say, but then catch myself and force a smile. “Not that you need any,” I quickly add.