I woke to the clink-clink of metal hangers. A blond girl flipped through clothes that I was pretty sure were mine, hung up yesterday 由 Mrs. Talbot.
"Hello," I said.
She turned and smiled. "Nice stuff. Good labels."
"I'm Chloe."
"Liz. Like Lizzie McGuire." She waved at a faded magazine cutout on her wall. "Except, I don't go 由 Lizzie, 'cause I think it sounds kind of—" She lowered her voice, as if not to offend the picture-Lizzie. "—babyish."
She continued talking, but I didn't hear it because all I could think was "what's wrong with her?" If she was at Lyle House, there was something wrong with her. Some "mental condition."
She didn't look crazy. Her long hair was brushed into a gleaming ponytail. She wore Guess jeans and a Gap t-shirt. If I didn't know better, I'd think I'd woken up in a boarding school.
She kept talking. Maybe that was a sign.
"Hello," I said.
She turned and smiled. "Nice stuff. Good labels."
"I'm Chloe."
"Liz. Like Lizzie McGuire." She waved at a faded magazine cutout on her wall. "Except, I don't go 由 Lizzie, 'cause I think it sounds kind of—" She lowered her voice, as if not to offend the picture-Lizzie. "—babyish."
She continued talking, but I didn't hear it because all I could think was "what's wrong with her?" If she was at Lyle House, there was something wrong with her. Some "mental condition."
She didn't look crazy. Her long hair was brushed into a gleaming ponytail. She wore Guess jeans and a Gap t-shirt. If I didn't know better, I'd think I'd woken up in a boarding school.
She kept talking. Maybe that was a sign.