"Good, because I’m taking Ashley with me." Aiden blinks and his face contorts in  half-dozen different ways before he settles on one. Fury, directed at me.

"Well, I’m not just going to leave you on your own all Winter Break," Talise reasons, her temper still under control. My temper, on the other hand, just blew a hole through the roof. Really? Do you really not trust me at all, Talise. You of all people should know that not having the psychology book’s perfect personality doesn’t make you a diseased freak. Why is introversion treated as a sickness while extroversion is merely a cute thing to smile at?

"Well, I don’t want to go." I stomp across the attic while Talise lies back on her bed. "Why can’t you leave me alone for a week? What’s the big deal?"

"I just want to make sure—"

"That I won’t kill myself or something? Why does everyone think that? I’m fine, okay? I don’t need you to watch me. I just really don’t want to go." I really don’t want to sleep in the same room as Spencer after our falling out. God, I really don’t want to have to be that close to her and watch her hang out with Aiden and kiss him and—

"Just come with, Ashley." Eyes storming softly, she pleads with me. "Come to the dark side, Ashley."

"You’ve never even watched Star Wars before," I remind her irritably.

"That was from Star Wars? I thought it was from Lord of the Rings or something. Anyways, just come Ashley. There will be plenty to do." I stare up at the poem-plastered ceiling. Yeats stares back. Talise tapes her favorite poems up everywhere. Who knows what she’ll do once we run out of room?

And maybe what they say is true
Of war and war’s alarms,
But O that I were young again
And held her in my arms.

In Las Vegas, there will be volcanoes and lions. There will be pirates and water fountains. There will be Spencer and blond hair and the only blue eyes worth looking at—even if they never look at me.

"Fine."

Our carpeted stairs lead from the second floor top the first. Just as I put my foot down on a cool tile, my mother pounces. "So, Tali!" Alarmed, I clap my hands over my ears which earns me a look of disdain from my mother. "What do you think of David?" She stretches out the name "David" like a gossiping teenager.