Courtney, later that night, rapped lightly on Serena's bedroom door across the hall. She poked her head into the soft pink room and found Serena on the bed with a pile of tissues. Her eyes were red and her nose pink.

Courtney closed the door behind her and sat next to her friend on the crimson and white quilted spread. "What's going on?"

Serena shook her head violently, causing her dark curls to bounce and tears to spill into her lap. "I was just worrying about what to ...