Sara Shepard - Toxic

But then again, maybe Hanna shouldn’t think of it as luck. She was fabulous and cool, too. After all, ever since the news had broken that Hanna was part of the Burn It Down cast, her phone had been ringing off the hook. The local news wanted to do a profile on her life. Main Line Living magazine wanted to feature her closet in an article about fashionistas in the Philadelphia area. She had a ton of new friends on Twitter, and the owner of Otter, Hanna’s favorite boutique, had contacted her asking if she wanted to be in the runway show for the fall line. Hanna , a model. Maybe she totally deserved to be hobnobbing with Hailey.

And clubbing tonight was the perfect way to forget about Ali. After hitting a dead end at the Turkey Hill, Hanna and the others had decided to revisit the case this weekend, as they all had exciting plans tonight they couldn’t postpone. Not that Hanna was sure there was anything to revisit. It wasn’t like Fuji had gotten back to them with DNA results. And though Spencer had shared the Freudian slip by the woman behind the convenience store counter, Hanna wasn’t sure it was actually a clue that she knew anything. Maybe she assumed all blond teenage girls bought water at gas stations.

And the chalked A message at the studio? It had probably been all her imagination. That Ali Cat sign she’d just seen? What ever.

She slid into the back of the limo next to Hailey, who was wearing a similarly short dress and high heels. Her eyes were heavily made-up with a winged, cat-eye effect, and her lips glimmered with shiny pink gloss.

“Hanna, this is my driver, Georgio,” she said, gesturing to the limo driver behind the wheel. “He’s an up-and-coming male model. This is just his side job.”

“She flatters me,” said the man behind the wheel in a sexy Italian accent. He wasn’t much older than Hanna, with wavy dark hair and seductive eyes. Hanna bet he had great abs, too.

The limo pulled away from the street, and Hailey gave Hanna a mock-slap. “So thanks for meeting me!” she gushed. “When I sent you that text about coming up, I didn’t know if you’d be into it.”

“Are you kidding?” Hanna said as the limo halted at a stoplight. “I never miss a chance to come to the city. And a premiere party sounds great.”

“I figured we’d have more fun here than boring old Philly,” Hailey said, rolling her eyes. “I mean, what is there to do there except look at the Liberty Bell?” She snorted and undid the latch of a compartment in the center console, unveiling two mini bottles of champagne and two small crystal flutes. “C’mon! We gotta pregame!”

Hanna grabbed a glass and took a sip. Hailey offered another glass to Georgio, but he refused, reminding her he was driving. “Party pooper!” she bellowed, and she and Hanna laughed.

Streets whizzed past as the car descended downtown. Hanna stared out the window, taking in the lighted stores and crowded streets. As the fizzy champagne bubbles played on her tongue, her phone buzzed inside her clutch. Hanna checked the screen; the first text was from her mom. Did you get into New York okay?

Hanna leaned back into the leather seat. Last night, after she’d received Hailey’s invite, she’d regaled her mom with stories about the actress, painting Hailey as a sweet girl who had good, clean fun. Ms. Marin had allowed Hanna to come to New York for a few hours.

In limo right now, drinking Perrier, Hanna wrote back. It wasn’t like her mom would ever know the truth.

The next text was from Aria. At gallery, freaking out. I wish you could be here.

Hanna’s new friend regarded her curiously. “Who are you texting?”

“My friend Aria.” Hanna beamed. “She has an art opening tonight. We’re all really proud of her.” She wished she could make a brief stop at the gallery, but Aria had told her the guest list was überstrict—she’d had to pull strings even to get her parents on it.

Hanna began to type a reply text, but Hailey made a face. “Don’t you, like, talk to Aria all the time?” Her voice was high and thin. “This is our night together, isn’t it?”

Hanna dropped her phone to her lap, surprised. She’d figured she’d be part of a huge Hailey entourage. How special was it that Hailey wanted her all to herself, though?

“You’re totally right,” she said, tapping a quick Good luck! You’ll be great! text to Aria and then slipping her phone back into her Lauren Merkin clutch.

Hailey opened a compact and applied red lipstick to her lips. “I am so excited to blow off some steam,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but the movie we’re working on is a total grind .”

Hanna stared down at her nails. She found the experience amazing, even the boring parts where they had to sit around while the camera people got the lighting right. “Is anything bothering you in particular?” she asked.

“Hank and his minions, obviously,” Hailey groaned. “That dude has had it out for me since day one. He’s, like, always insulting my performance. Haven’t you noticed?”

Hanna pretended to be fascinated with the giant Whole Foods out the window. If only she could covertly hint that, perhaps, Hank had a point. But she had no idea how to say that without sounding mean.

Hailey sighed dramatically after Hanna didn’t reply. “I just wish they’d fire him and find someone new. Between you and me, I wasn’t sure if he and I would mesh from the start. I took the film, though, because I thought it would be a good opportunity. Working with some of the actors, doing a more serious role—it seemed like the right thing to do. That’s my whole philosophy in life, really— never pass up an opportunity. You never know where it’s going to take you.” She leaned back in the leather seat. “It’s how I got my big break, you know. A talent scout spotted me in the mall and asked if I wanted to do a commercial for Barbies. I was like, Uh, I’m ten! Barbies were for babies. But I did it anyway, and look where it got me.”

“Totally,” Hanna agreed, then squeezed Hailey’s hand. Maybe Hailey’s performances would improve as the movie went on. They had to.

Then she thought about the weird situation at the set the other day, after everyone had gone home. Okay, maybe BreAk a leg hadn’t been intended for her, but Daniel had definitely been spooky. She was about to ask Hailey what she knew about Daniel when her friend rose up in her seat and squealed, “We’re here!”

The limo pulled along the curb on an unassuming block on the Lower East Side. Low-slung buildings hunched around them, the Williamsburg Bridge twinkled in the distance, and the street was strangely light on traffic, but bass thundered from somewhere nearby, and the scent of Asian spices wafted through the air. A spotlight shone on a line in front of a velvet rope; hipsters, drag queens, divas, and statuesque model-types waited on the sidewalk. Hanna looked around for a sign that said this was, indeed, the Kill or Be Killed after-party, but then she figured no event as exclusive would have to announce itself like that.

Hailey blew a kiss to the limo driver and swung out of the car, careful to keep her long, thin legs pinned together. She pulled Hanna out with her, and the two tumbled up to the bouncer, an intimidating-looking guy with squinty eyes, pale blond hair, and a black patterned tattoo near his left eye.

“Sven, my boy!” Hailey bleated, throwing her arms around his burly neck.

The bouncer grinned and lifted the rope. “For you and your gorgeous friend.”

Hailey flounced in, and Hanna followed her, feeling everyone in the line glaring. “Who is that with Hailey?” came the whispers. “Where do I know her from?” “She’s got to be famous.”