The Best Friend by Melody Carlson Page A

Your beautiful auburn hair.”
    Lishia touched her hair. “Oh, that.”
    â€œOh, that ?” Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “What on earth did you do to it?”
    â€œIt’s just hair, Mom.” Lishia let exasperation seep into her voice. “It’s not like I went out and got a tattoo.”
    â€œBut why would you do that? Your hair was gorgeous. Everyone said so, honey.” Mom frowned, then shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
    â€œI wanted a new look,” Lishia explained.
    â€œBut you don’t look like yourself.”
    â€œI’m still me, Mom.” Lishia took a big bite out of the apple and rolled her eyes.
    â€œDid you and Riley go to church today?” Mom looked suspicious.
    Now Lishia realized she needed to handle this more gently. “Riley isn’t really into church anymore.”
    â€œShe doesn’t go to church?” Mom frowned.
    â€œNot since middle school.” Lishia sighed. “But I’m hoping I’ll be a good influence on her. Maybe I can talk her into going to youth group or something.”
    Mom looked brighter. “Yes, that’s a wonderful idea. You can use your influence to get Riley to go back to church.”
    â€œUh-huh.” Lishia took another bite of the apple.
    Mom looked slightly concerned now. “Just make sure Riley’s not influencing you more than you’re influencing her, Lishia.” She reached over and touched Lishia’s hair, then frowned again. “Your hair was so pretty before. I don’t understand why all you girls think you have to become blondes. Really, they’re becoming a dime a dozen. In my opinion, they look cheap.”
    â€œThanks a lot, Mom.”
    â€œSorry, honey. Just speaking my mind. You’re still a pretty girl.” She cocked her head to one side. “But come to think of it, I’m guessing it wasn’t cheap. How on earth did you pay for it?”
    â€œRiley paid.”
    â€œWhat?” Mom looked mad.
    â€œI’m going to pay her back.” Lishia picked up her bag, trying to make her exit.
    â€œOh, Lishia!”
    â€œI’ve got homework, Mom.” Lishia kept going, ignoring Mom’s continued blabbing on about money and debt and how she expected more from Lishia—blah, blah, blah. Seriously, did Mom honestly think that her lectures worked? Or maybe she didn’t care—it was simply a form of punishment in itself. Not for the first time, Lishia wished she wasn’t an only child. If there were a few siblings around, her parents might be forced to share the “loving discipline” a bit more. As it was, Lishia usually got all of their parental attention lavished onto her.

    News of the birthday party bust was all over the school on Monday. As far as Lishia could tell, the rumors about Gillian getting caught in the buff and arrested were true too. “How did you fare?” Lishia asked Todd when he caught up with her on her way into the cafeteria.
    â€œI had to answer some questions on Sunday morning,” he quietly told her. “They stopped by my house just as the cleaners arrived.”
    Lishia giggled. “How did you explain that?”
    â€œI acted like I was really miffed, like I couldn’t believe my friends would actually do this to me. I told them that I’d spent the night at Dayton’s, which was true. They knew I wasn’t home since they’d checked my house several times throughout the night.”
    â€œSeriously?”
    â€œThat’s what they said.”
    â€œBut didn’t they still suspect you had something to do with it?”
    â€œSure. But I used your line.”
    â€œMy line?”
    â€œAbout the surprise party.”
    â€œOh, dear.” She shook her head as she picked up a tray.
    â€œThey pushed me for names, but I played dumb. I mean, hey, it was a surprise party—how was I supposed to know who did