I STOOD IN front of the bathroom mirror, studying my reflection. Black leggings, way too tight. They looked like something Violet would wear. A short-sleeved black- and-yellow-striped top, which was supposed to be loose but which was, in fact, also too tight. I turned sideways, sucking my stomach in. Ugh. I had wire-and-mesh wings jutting from my shoulder blades. The costume looked stupid. No—I looked stupid. Bumblebee meets giant marshmallow.
I picked up the antennae headband from the counter. Mom had said she would put the antennae on a hood, instead of a headband like the twins had, but I guessed she’d forgotten. I held it in my hand. A black velvet-covered plastic headband. A girl’s headband. With antennae.
I couldn’t do it.
My heart was racing, and I felt like I might lose it or explode or something. Without letting myself think about what I was doing, I opened the cupboard under the sink and shoved the headband behind the extra shampoo bottles and toilet-paper rolls.
I never wanted to see it again.
In the living room, the twins were posing while Eva snapped pictures. “You guys look adorable,” she told them. Their costumes were basically the same as mine, except that they had gauzy yellow tutus flaring out from their skinny hips.
I cleared my throat. “Um, I’m ready to go.”
Eva turned to look at me. “Wolf! Um, did you want to…” She gestured at the twins, standing side by side with their arms in the air like they were flying. “Shall I take one of all three of you?”
“No, that’s okay,” I said, at exactly the same time as my mother said, “Yes, Eva, take one of them all for the website!”
Eva lifted her camera, but I held up a hand in front of my face. “I don’t really want to be on the website.”
“Oh come on,” Mom said.
“No. Not in this…” I gestured down at myself. “Not in this costume.”
“Why not?”
“I look stupid,” I said. I was glad Tess and Hazel were at school.
“You look fine,” Mom said. “Just get one shot of the three of them, Eva.”
“Jade…” Eva put the camera down on the coffee table.
“Or no, wait. I’ll put my costume on and we’ll do one of the four of us.” She headed for the back door. “It’s in the van. I’ll be right back.”
“What about Curtis?” Eva asked. “No costume for him?”
Mom paused in the doorway, looked back over her shoulder and made a face. “He’s more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy.”
“Me too,” I said, but Mom was already gone.
Eva looked at me. “You okay, kiddo?”
“Yeah.” I couldn’t look at her. “Fine.”
“When I was your age, there was no way I could have done what you’re doing,” she said. “Seriously. I was way too self-conscious. So kudos to you, Wolf.”
“Not like I have much choice,” I muttered.
“Sure you do. Jade’s not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do.” She tilted her head. “Right?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. I guess.”
Eva looked like she was about to say something else, but Saffron tugged on her arm and she turned away. I sat down on the couch, holding a cushion against my stomach. The shirt was so snug that you could see the indentation where my belly button was.
A minute later Mom came flying back in. She was wearing black-and-yellow-striped tights, a short black skirt and a black top with long dangly sleeves. Wire-stiff wings fanned out behind her, and two long black antennae stuck up from the top of her head.
“Yowza,” Violet said. “That’s quite the outfit, Jade.”
Mom spun around, showing off. “What do you think, Eva?”
“Gorgeous. And you’ll certainly attract attention,” Eva said.
“That’s the idea,” Mom said. She held her arms out. “Come on, kids. Photo time.”
The twins were at her side in a heartbeat. I stood up, crossed the room and positioned myself behind them, so that I’d only be visible from the chest up. Mom smiled at me. I gave her a halfhearted smile back.
At least she hadn’t noticed that I wasn’t wearing the antennae headband.