
Emily's eyelids snap open. She yawns, throws the covers off, and pads across thick carpet that makes her feet feel expensive. She drops onto the vanity stool, hums some half-forgotten tune, and drags the comb through her hair like she was born with money in her mouth. Across town Ember peels her lids apart, same damn yawn, but the carpet under her toes feels like sandpaper. She jams earbuds in, cranks the bass, and lets her hips roll while she slaps on eyeliner. Rent's late, utilities are late, but the beat still bangs. At the breakfast table Dana DeArmond cuts her grapefruit and asks about Gia. Then the real subject drops: valedictorian. Emily nods too fast, promises the library, promises straight A's. Anything to keep that smile on Dana's face. Ember eats cold cereal by herself. Mom and dad are already on shift two of three. She opens the same textbook, same goal in mind: top of the fucking class. In the stacks they reach for the same spine. Knuckles clash. Eyes narrow. Books are weapons now. Lauren Phillips swoops in like a redheaded storm. "You're both eighteen; act like it. Try seeing the world from the other side for once." A weird cold wave rolls down both girls' backs. Ember mutters something about crappy AC and storms out. Emily just rolls her eyes and cracks her book. Next morning the shocks hit hard. Ember wakes up inside Emily's silk sheets. Emily wakes up inside Ember's ratty twin bed. Over grapefruit Dana keeps talking. Ember (wearing Emily's face) keeps nodding, tasting privilege for the first time. Meanwhile Emily (wearing Ember's face) stretches out in the empty kitchen and tastes real silence. No one asking anything. She could get used to it. They meet later in a parking lot, freak out, promise to stay put until tomorrow. Don't fuck anything up. Simple. Except nothing stays simple. Gia shows up at Ember's door wearing a grin that says booty call. Emily has maybe three seconds to decide before Gia is pulling her close and reaching under the shirt. She can't scream or they'll think she's lost it, so she lets it happen. Ember's secret tastes like stolen lipstick and cheap vodka. Turns out the girl's life Emily thought was small just got a whole lot bigger.
Emily's eyelids snap open. She yawns, throws the covers off, and pads across thick carpet that makes her feet feel expensive. She drops onto the vanity stool, hums some half-forgotten tune, and drags the comb through her hair like she was born with money in her mouth. Across town Ember peels her lids apart, same damn yawn, but the carpet under her toes feels like sandpaper. She jams earbuds in, cranks the bass, and lets her hips roll while she slaps on eyeliner. Rent's late, utilities are late, but the beat still bangs. At the breakfast table Dana DeArmond cuts her grapefruit and asks about Gia. Then the real subject drops: valedictorian. Emily nods too fast, promises the library, promises straight A's. Anything to keep that smile on Dana's face. Ember eats cold cereal by herself. Mom and dad are already on shift two of three. She opens the same textbook, same goal in mind: top of the fucking class. In the stacks they reach for the same spine. Knuckles clash. Eyes narrow. Books are weapons now. Lauren Phillips swoops in like a redheaded storm. "You're both eighteen; act like it. Try seeing the world from the other side for once." A weird cold wave rolls down both girls' backs. Ember mutters something about crappy AC and storms out. Emily just rolls her eyes and cracks her book. Next morning the shocks hit hard. Ember wakes up inside Emily's silk sheets. Emily wakes up inside Ember's ratty twin bed. Over grapefruit Dana keeps talking. Ember (wearing Emily's face) keeps nodding, tasting privilege for the first time. Meanwhile Emily (wearing Ember's face) stretches out in the empty kitchen and tastes real silence. No one asking anything. She could get used to it. They meet later in a parking lot, freak out, promise to stay put until tomorrow. Don't fuck anything up. Simple. Except nothing stays simple. Gia shows up at Ember's door wearing a grin that says booty call. Emily has maybe three seconds to decide before Gia is pulling her close and reaching under the shirt. She can't scream or they'll think she's lost it, so she lets it happen. Ember's secret tastes like stolen lipstick and cheap vodka. Turns out the girl's life Emily thought was small just got a whole lot bigger.