Final Girl by Michelle Schusterman (beach books .TXT) 📕

I didn’t want to do the same thing right now. So I stuck out my hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Cooper.”

Her eyes widened. Then she burst out laughing.

“No, I’m Rachele!” she exclaimed. “Or, wait—oh, you were kidding! Jamie keeps talking about how funny you guys are. Mrs. Cooper,” she said, still giggling. “Yeah, as if. Come on in!”

I exchanged a glance with Oscar and was relieved to see he looked as confused as I was. We’d known Jamie and Hailey for about three months now, and I was pretty sure they’d never mentioned anyone named Rachele.

We followed her inside, and Oscar coughed loudly—to cover his surprise, I assumed. I had to consciously close my mouth before Rachele saw me gaping again. Because I’d never been in an apartment like this.

It wasn’t particularly large, but the massive windows, high ceilings, and mirrored cabinets gave the impression of a ton of space. The wood floors were polished so much I could see my own reflection, and the sofa and armchairs were so bright-white I found it hard to believe anyone had ever actually sat on them. A massive rectangular chandelier hung overhead, hundreds of strands of crystals catching the sunlight streaming in from the windows. I spotted the kitchen on the other side of the room and was momentarily surprised at how small it was . . . and then I realized it was a bar, complete with a sink, a small refrigerator, and a shelf lined with all sorts of bottles, along with fancy-looking glasses in all shapes and sizes.

“I think the kids are in Jamie’s room,” Rachele said, already heading down the hallway to the right. “Make yourselves at home!”

I waited until she was out of sight before turning to Oscar. His eyes were bugging out of his head.

“What?” he said, gesturing around. “What?”

I giggled. “So I guess your place in Oregon isn’t like this?”

“Um, no?” Oscar pointed at the wall of windows. The view was overwhelming; we were high enough to see all the way across Central Park to the buildings on the other side. “This is . . . I mean, is your house anything like this?”

I snorted. “No. It’s bigger, but it’s . . .” I pictured the scratchy blue carpet, the beige couch we’d had since I was six, the wallpaper along the staircase that was so scuffed up that the diamond pattern was indistinguishable in some places. “Well, kind of a dump, compared to this. Although weirdly enough, I do have that exact chandelier in my bedroom.”

Oscar’s lips twitched, but he nodded solemnly. “What a coincidence. I’ve got that statue in my bathroom.” He pointed to a large figurine on the fireplace mantel of a woman riding a horse. “Right on top of the toilet . . . wait.”

There was a second of silence as we both realized the statue-woman was completely naked. Then we started laughing. The silent kind, where you’re trying so hard to hold it in, tears leak out of your eyes instead. I heard footsteps and swatted Oscar’s arm, trying to get myself under control, too.

“You’re here!” Hailey squealed, flying across the room and tackling me in a hug. As soon as she pulled away, I wiped my eyes and cleared my throat.

“It’s only been two days since—oof!” Oscar winced as Hailey threw her arms around him. My rib cage ached in sympathy. Hailey’s hugs were no joke.

“Hey, guys,” Jamie said. He and Rachele joined us, and although he was smiling, I couldn’t help noticing he looked a little more subdued than usual. Like he was nervous.

“Hi!” I said a little too brightly, purposefully turning away from the statue. “Your apartment is amazing.”

“Really amazing,” Oscar added, his voice cracking a bit. Giggles bubbled up in my throat again, and I pressed my lips together, horrified. I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting Jamie’s and Hailey’s feelings. Not that Oscar and I had said anything mean about their apartment . . . but somehow, I knew that if they’d heard what we’d been saying, they wouldn’t find it as funny.

Jamie’s cheeks were pink. “Thanks. So, you guys ready?”

“What’s the rush?” Rachele exclaimed. “Oscar, Kat, do you guys want a drink? Snack? We’ve got carob bars—they’re gluten-free—and I think there’s some prosciutto rolls in the fridge . . .”

“That’s okay,” I said quickly. Jamie’s expression was even more awkward now, and even though I wasn’t looking at Oscar, I had the strong sense he was trying to hold back more laughter. Probably because I was, too. “We should really start filming. But thanks!”

“Any time!” Rachele followed us to the front door. “Well, I hope I get to spend more time with you guys later. Between the show, your blog, and everything Jamie and Hailey have told me, I feel like I know you both so well!”

She waved, then closed the door, leaving the four of us out in the hall.

“She’s really nice,” Oscar said as we headed for the elevator. “So, um . . . who is she?”

Now even Hailey looked a little uneasy. “She’s our nanny.”

“Oh! I didn’t . . .” I hesitated. A nanny? I thought that was only for really little kids. But saying that out loud seemed rude.

Oscar broke the awkward silence. “Like Mary Poppins?” he joked, and Jamie and Hailey looked even more uncomfortable. Oscar cast me a worried look as Jamie pressed the down button for the elevator. “I was just kidding . . .”

“You guys never mentioned her before,” I said lightly. “She seems really cool!”

“She is,” Jamie replied, not quite meeting my eyes. “Our parents hired her a few years ago, when things started getting really busy at both their jobs. They’re not home a lot.”

“It probably seems so dumb to you guys,” Hailey added, stepping onto the elevator. “You’re both traveling all over the world, doing all this crazy stuff, and our parents don’t even trust us to make our own dinner or get to school by ourselves.”

“It’s not dumb!” I said quickly. “Besides, my dad can be really strict, too. Remember what