Naturally, I hardly got any sleep.

After tossing and turning the entire night, I dragged myself up to get ready for the day. Contrary to the pretty girl I saw in the mirror yesterday before the party, I flinched at the reflection of a messy face with pale skin and the dark shadows beneath my eyes, even though I was still in the same dress that Avery made for me.

I spent several minutes running a comb through the bird’s nest on my head before Avery knocked on the ...