Double Take by Melody Carlson Page A

called—but it’s been almost twelve hours and I am totally desperate. Madison, you have got to come down here. I mean it. Seriously, I cannot do this without you. You must come immediately!”
    “I . . . I can’t.” Anna took in a breath. This had to be Vivian, the best friend who wanted Madison to come stay with her.
    “You mean you won’t ,” Vivian snapped. “You’re supposed to be my best friend and that’s the best you can do? You are useless.”
    “I am sorry.” Anna didn’t know what else to say.
    “Please come.” Her voice softened. “I’m begging you.”
    “I’m sorry. I cannot come. It’s impossible.”
    “I am dying here, Madison. You have to come!”
    “Dying?” Anna felt alarmed.
    “It is so freaking boring! I want to drown myself in the pool right now. Please come, Madison. It’ll be fun. I promise.”
    “I can’t.” Anna was standing in the doorway to the closet. She needed to get off the phone and find something to wear. “I have a date with Garret and—”
    “Are you insane? Why are you going out with that lowlife? You said you were going to take a long break from him. It’s been like one day. What is wrong with you?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Why do you sound so weird? Seriously, Madison, you do not sound like yourself. Are you sick or something?”
    “I . . . I’m well. I just need to get dressed.” Anna was tempted to ask Vivian for some fashion advice but suspected that would be a mistake.
    “Fine! Be that way. Next time you want me to do something for you, you can just forget it. I am so over you, Madison!”
    “I am sorry,” Anna said again.
    “If you’re sorry, why don’t you—”
    That was it. No other words came out, just silence. Anna looked at the phone to see that the little screen was dark. She shook it and looked again. Still dark. Was it broken? Or had she done something wrong?
    She shrugged and set it down, then turned toward the television, where several women were all talking at once in agitated voices. The women looked little older than Anna, but in the next picture, they were all smiling and they all wore dresses similar to those in Madison’s closet. Anna watched as words came across the screen— The Real Housewives of New York City . She moved closer to the television, studying how these real housewives looked. Certainly nothing like the wives in Anna’s community. But then she knew that everything was different here. This was how people in New York dressed.
    She returned to the closet, finally picking out a sleeveless dark blue dress in a shiny fabric. This would be an acceptable color in her community. Almost all shades of blue, many shades of purple, and some subdued red tones, as well as pastels (on younger women) were common. Dark blue was quite respectable for most any age and any occasion. Of course, that was nearly all that would be respectable about this garment.
    Anna looked through some of the drawers to find very interesting sorts of undergarments, hosiery, and other things. She picked a pair of black stockings, hoping that would help make up for the length of the dress, then she found a pair of black shoes. After a few minutes, she managed to dress herself, but when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn’t help but laugh. She did not look right. Her white cotton undergarments peeked out from beneath the dress, and the black stockings and shoes . . . well, she was no expert, but she knew they were all wrong too.
    Still wearing this outfit, she studied the television, hoping to get some fashion direction, but now there was a woman dancing around in undergarments—very skimpy undergarments that were red as blood. Anna blinked then stared. She was shocked that someone would want to be on television dressed like that—for all the world to see. But now she realized that if she was going to dress like a modern Englisher girl, she would need to wear Madison’s undergarments as well.
    Starting over, she