Chapter 7: Do you say anything other than cool.
Stephen looked at herself in the mirror, surprised by the transformation. Hannah walked to her side and gently placed her hands on her shoulder.
"Are you ready to be my woman on the inside?"
"No, for sure no," Stephen said, trying to adjust her beret.
"Stephen, it's going to be fine. My entire life has been a chameleon," Hannah said, her tone reassuring. "Sometimes you have to pretend to be someone else to get what you want."
Stephen studied her reflection. "Don't you ever worry that you'll lose yourself?"
"Don't be dramatic. All I'm asking you to do is disassociate from your body and be someone you're not so these popular kids will invite you to be in their group."
Stephen turned to her. "Are you in therapy?"
"God, no way!" Hannah replied with disdain.
"Cool," Stephen said with a dry smirk. "Oh, and we're not concerned that NK will realize we're manipulating him?"
Hannah scoffed. "Narcissists are too busy thinking about themselves to realize they're being played," she said, adjusting Stephen's skirt upward. Stephen immediately tugged it back down.
Getting a girl's attention requires weeks if not months of work, Stephen thought. But according to Hannah, getting a boy's attention requires walking past them once, looking vaguely slutty.
She entered the garden right at two, just as Hannah promised NK and Nick would be passing by. She walked with a deliberate, calm confidence, each step slightly provocative.
NK and Nick stopped in their tracks when they saw her.
"Who's that? Is she new?" NK asked, watching her make every other girl nearby look invisible.
Nick shrugged, eyes following her. "I don't know, but she's making that uniform work."
They both stared a moment longer before NK flicked his hair back and walked on, Nick chuckling as he followed.
Meanwhile, Hannah stepped into the garden reluctantly. Green isn't even my favorite color, and farming was definitely not on my second-year book list—but neither was being a social pariah, she thought.
Wearing the green top and junk suit required for farm work, she pulled her hair into twin ponytails and spotted a girl gently adding fertilizer to the soil.
Hannah smiled as she stepped forward. Priea's an easy target, she thought. And I'm incredibly charming when I want to be.
She stood behind the girl. "Priea?"
Priea turned, her long blonde hair unrestrained.
"Yeah, we've met before. You called me a human Birkenstock."
"Cool," Hannah said smoothly. "I just want to say I'm so excited to be working at the farm. I've always been intrigued by what you do here."
Priea stared at her, suspicious. "You should talk to Andrew. He's in charge of the, uh... volunteers."
"Oh, um, I was hoping I could learn from you, you know... farm queen?"
"Yeah, I'm busy planning the menu for the ring ceremony," Priea replied, picking up her tools. "And for the record, ass-kissing won't get you anywhere on this farm. It's honest work."
She called out to someone across the field. "Hey, Andrew! Show Hannah the ropes."
Shoe-faced, veggie motherfucker, Hannah cursed silently as she walked to Andrew.
Back at the library, Stephen sat on the window ledge pretending to read a book while hiding her phone inside it. She noticed NK approaching and quickly texted Hannah:
What do I do if he talks to me?
You can only say 'cool,' and you can say it three times.
NK tapped the book she held. "I love Salinger."
"Cool," Stephen replied, keeping her face neutral.
"I studied him at Yale," NK added.
"Cool."
"I just did their literary arts summer program."
"Cool," she said for the final time.
NK smirked. "Do you say anything other than 'cool'?"
Stephen tilted her head slightly. "So cool."
He chuckled, intrigued.
Meanwhile, Hannah was playing it cool with Andrew.
"So Priea is cooking the ring ceremony dinner?"
Andrew looked toward the barn Priea had just entered. "Yeah, it's her big break in the culinary world."
Hannah followed his gaze. "What is that?" she asked, pointing toward the barn.
"It's a greenhouse. Clearly," Andrew said with a shrug. "Where Priea grows her... special crops. Flown in from all over the world."
Later, Stephen sat in the "Calm Your Mind" parlor, surrounded by cozy chairs and snacks. She casually crossed her legs, absorbed in her phone.
NK and Nick walked in and took the chairs in front of her.
She didn't even glance up.
"Who are you chatting with?" NK asked, amused by her focus.
"My ex-girlfriend is mad that I hooked up with my ex-girlfriend."
NK blinked, surprised. He exhaled slowly and stood. "Can I see your hands, please?"
She sighed and held them out lazily. "Is this okay?"
He nodded and scribbled an address on her palm. "I'm having a party this weekend—a little pre-homecoming celebration. Make your exes jealous."
Stephen gave a non-committal, "I'll think about it."
As he walked past her legs, he added, "Cool."
Nick lingered a moment, his usual charming smile playing on his lips. He leaned closer. "Just don't think too hard."
He paused a few steps later and looked back. "Bring your swimsuit floaty. It's gonna be lit."
Stephen looked up toward the balcony where Hannah was silently cheering. Stephen smiled and gave a subtle cheer back.