Dead Is the New Black by Marlene Perez Read Free Book Online

to my room to get ready. I rifled through my closet and despaired at the idea of finding anything remotely stylish. The thought briefly crossed my mind that I could borrow something from Poppy, but then I remembered the Dairy Queen incident and decided against it. I looked at the pile of clothes on my bed. There had to be at least one outfit suitable for clubbing.
    I was just about to give up when a door slammed downstairs, and a few minutes later, Poppy appeared in my doorway.
    "I knew it," she crowed. "You do have a date with a hot guy. Ryan Mendez, huh?"
    "Where's Candy?" I asked.
    "She left," Poppy said. "I knew you'd never spill in front of her, so I told her I had homework. Candy's allergic to homework."
    I breathed a sigh of relief and said to her, "It's not exactly a date. We're going to the Black Opal to investigate."
    "Interesting," Poppy said. "What are you investigating, each other?"
    "Grow up, Poppy!" I snarled, "We're trying to help Mom and Chief Mendez on the case," I said.
    "Is that all you are planning on doing?" she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
    "Please stop it. I'm nervous enough about this. And I have no idea what to wear."
    She studied the pile on my bed with a look of concentration. "No, no, and no!" she said, and a T-shirt, a pair of capris, and a dress floated back into my closet and hung themselves back up neatly.
    One by one, my clothes returned to the closet, until there was a small pile left on the bed.
    Poppy snapped her fingers. "Wait a minute. I think I have a top that will match your eyes perfectly." A minute later, a silky periwinkle top floated into my room. "Here, try this on with this skirt," she said.
    "I just thought of something," I said. "I can't go! I haven't made dinner." Suddenly, I was terrified at the prospect of spending time with Ryan, even though it wasn't a real date. But Poppy caught on.
    "Don't worry about it," she said. "You and Ryan have been friends for ages. You'll have a great time, so stop worrying."
    "Thanks, Poppy," I said. This was the side of Poppy I hadn't seen in a long time. I wasn't sure what had brought out her good side, but I was grateful something had.
    "And I'll handle dinner," she added. She chuckled at my look of horror. "Don't worry, I won't touch your precious pots and pans. I'll order a pizza."
    "What time is he going to pick you up?" she asked.
    "He said seven." What if he didn't show?
    Poppy looked at the clock. It read 5:00. "You'd better get in the shower," she said, shoving me toward the bathroom. "You don't have much time."
    Not much time? It took me fifteen minutes to get ready normally, half an hour when I really worked at it. But that was before Poppy got ahold of me.
    After a long shower, I found Poppy inspecting three outfits she'd deemed worthy of a first date.
    "The Black Opal won't let you in unless you dress to impress," she warned.
    I noticed that the denim skirt I bought last month was the only option from my own wardrobe. She'd paired it with a burgundy boho top with full sleeves and with heels that could double as an assault weapon. There was also a short deep blue dress with a plunging neckline that I vetoed immediately. I wanted Ryan to like me for more than my cleavage. The third outfit included Rose's favorite jeans, the superexpensive ones that fit me perfectly, Poppy's periwinkle top, and shoes I could actually walk in. Naturally, I chose the last outfit.
    Poppy nodded her approval. "Now get dressed and I'll do your hair and makeup."
    As Poppy did her magic, I wondered if all the primping was worth it. "There," she said. "All done. Take a look."
    I stepped in front of the full-length mirror hanging on my closet door. I was speechless. Poppy had worked a miracle. My eyes magically looked bigger and bluer than ever, my lashes were impossibly long, and my hair looked sexily tousled, not the usual flyaway mess. For the first time, I could see my own resemblance to my glamorous mother and sisters.
    "It's a good thing