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headed out the front doors into a blast of freezing cold air. “It’s not just a stone,” he said. “It’s a … plate for tiny cakes.”
    “A tiny cake plate?”
    “Yes, it’s called a … plakette,” he said. “To go with your tiny violin and everything.”
    Laughing, Cassie reached over with her slender fingers, bracelets jangling, and snatched the stone. “Aw, I had a Barbie dollhouse with tiny plates and tiny cakes.” Her heel hit an icy patch on the sidewalk and she slipped, grabbing Hayes to catch her balance. The stone flew out of her hand, was lit for a brief second by the gleam of the building’s landscaping floodlight, and then disappeared into a two-foot pile of snow that had been shoveled against a bush.
    An awkward silence. I could see the tiny shadowy depression left in the snow precisely where thestone had fallen through, and I was about to dig down through the snow to rescue it.
    “I’m so sorry!” she said. “I hope it didn’t have sentimental value or anything?”
    Hayes laughed and waved the whole thing off. It was just a joke, ha-ha. We all laughed. Ha, ha, ha. Not wanting to look foolish, I left the stone in its snowy grave.
    Cassie pulled keys out of her purse. “Anybody need a ride?”
    I wanted to say I don’t take rides from people who snatch birthday gifts, no matter how small, from other people’s hands, but I kept my mouth shut while Hayes and Fin both said yes at the same time.
    The sun had gone down and the temperature had dropped with it.
    “We
all
want a ride,” Fin said, looking at me pointedly, shivering. I tried to give him a look back, but he was already getting into the car. “Come on, Minerva.”
    I love Fin, but he tends to put comfort above principles. I pretended that I wanted to walk — even though the Dead Sea salt itch was still working its way out the bottoms of my feet — and headed off before anybody could see my face.
    I walked a block, composing a new song in my head.
    Drive on by. I’m fine.
    I don’t mind being
    Left on the side of the road.
    I’d rather be cold
    Than go with your flow.
    Can’t throw away my soul—
    It’ll sink like a stone.
    When I opened my backpack to take out my songwriting journal, I saw the box with the necklace and the cards, and an angry black thundercloud of vermin, locusts, and murderous rage flew out.
    The Kenneth Chip storm followed me all the way home.

4
MOM
    “W HERE WERE YOU? I’ve been worried.” My mother pounced. “You didn’t answer your phone.”
    “Fin took me to Pan Asia Café for my birthday.” The first in a string of lies.
    “But I’m cooking a special dinner.”
    “I only had sushi. I’m still hungry.” I stomped the snow off my boots, took off my coat, tried to smile, and told her I was going upstairs to get one little piece of homework done so I could relax.
    “Where’s your sweater?” she asked.
    I looked down at my green dress. “Oh … I left it in my locker. It was really hot in my last class.I think the heater was stuck in the high position or something.”
    She smiled. “Well, take good care of it. That is an expensive sweater, sweetie.”
    “Yep. Will do.”
    I didn’t tell her about the audition because I figured I wouldn’t make it and didn’t want her to worry in advance — she would assume Get Happy was a scam — and I had no idea how to bring up the fact that my dad had sent the gift, because she would freak. Little lies buy a little time.
    As I took my backpack up to my room, my phone buzzed. Text from Fin. Call me!
    He started talking as soon as I called. “I’m sorry about the Cassie thing, but you did really good, and I think we’re all — ”
    “Fin, I can’t talk about this,” I whispered. “I’m freaking out.”
    “Why? You’re going to make it!”
    “Not about that. About this whole Kenneth Chip thing.”
    “I can’t believe I forgot about that!” he said. “I’m sorry. Hold on.… I’m getting my laptop.”
    “Wait, Fin — ”
    He