Perfectly Normal

By Amy Martin

Book 1 of The Perfects series.

Mean Girls + Freaky Friday + Sabrina, The Teenage Witch = The Perfects

The Perfects rule Ridgeview High, and nerdy Rachel Lord is obsessed with everything about them--their perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect boyfriends, perfect lives...

But after Rachel gets into an accident while searching for a missing friend, she wakes up in the body of Dani Maguire, her former best friend who dumped her for the Perfects long ago. As Rachel struggles to live her life as Dani, she finds out the life of a Perfect isn't so perfect after all. And as she learns the long-buried secrets responsible for her out-of-body experience, Rachel discovers she is more powerful than she could have ever imagined...and that power beats perfection every time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amy Martin
• Release date: Sep 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370843367

Amy Martin

Amy Martin wrote and illustrated her first book at the age of ten and gave it to her fourth grade teacher, who hopefully lost it in her house somewhere and didn't share it with anyone else.The first book she published as a grown-up, In Your Dreams,was a semi-finalist in the Young Adult category of the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Competition. She has published four books in the In Your Dreams series, and she is also the author of The Perfects series.Amy lives with her husband and a ferocious attack tabby named Cleo. When not writing or reading, she can usually be found watching sports, drinking coffee, or indulging her crippling Twitter habit (and, sometimes, doing all three at once).

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Perfectly

Normal

Perfectly Normal

Copyright © 2017

Amy Martin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, with express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Photo credits: pixabay.com (user: darksouls1)

Other books by Amy Martin:

In Your Dreams (4 book series)

The Perfects (4 book series)

Want to be the first to know about Amy Martin’s new releases? Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, check out her website at www.theamymartin.com, or sign up for her mailing list.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

About the Author

Chapter 1

Nothing exciting ever happens in Ridgeview, Missouri. Nothing.

Well…nothing has for a very long time, anyway.

Years ago, waste from the Manford Chemical Company leeched into the ground and into Rocky Ridge Lake at the edge of town. The plant shut down and to avoid spending years in court, Manford bought up all the houses in the nearby neighborhood. People who lived in the Rocky Ridge subdivision either moved to other parts of Ridgeview or left town.

The Rocky Ridge Incident is, without a doubt, the biggest thing to ever happen in Ridgeview—it even made the national news. But Ridgeview eventually settled back into being the kind of place where a high school football game on Friday night counts as the height of excitement and a water main break flooding the cafeteria at the middle school is the talk of the town for days.

Then Janey Douchette, Dani Maguire, and I all disappeared on the same day in the middle of our senior year.

And things got a whole lot more interesting in Ridgeview, Missouri.

Wednesday, January 26

I’ve known Ellie Stengel for twelve years, which is a good thing because she’s so bundled up against the cold I can only tell who she is by her wide hazel eyes and the few wisps of purple hair peeking out from underneath her knit hat. After I gather the last of my first and second period books from the bottom of my locker, I turn to her and pull her rainbow scarf down to her neck so it’s no longer covering her mouth.

"And how are you this morning?" I ask, my cheery tone a definite contrast to her grumpy face.

I despise winter. Remind me again why we didn’t apply to colleges in Florida?

Because Florida’s gross and humid and we don’t have the money to go to school out of state?

Ellie points at me with a gloved index finger. Oh, yeah. That’s it.

I clasp my books to my chest as we shift our conversation over to Ellie’s locker. The planets aligned this year and the administration finally assigned us to the same homeroom, so our lockers are close together.

Have you heard from Janey this morning? I ask as Ellie peels off layers and hangs them up. Eventually, she’s down to a black wool sweater and blue jeans. I happened to wear my gray wool sweater today with jeans, so my outfit resembles a faded copy of hers.

Nope. Ellie bends down and retrieves some books and folders from the bottom of her locker, placing them in the crook of her arm. What’s up?

I shake my head and some of my always-uncontrollable brown hair gets stuck in my lip gloss. Nothing, I say, brushing the errant strands away. It’s just weird is all. I texted her last night before I went to bed and I never heard back from her. She almost always texts back right away. And I didn’t hear from her this morning, either. I thought I’d ask if she wanted a ride since the weather sucks but she didn’t answer.

Ellie stands up, gently squeezes her soft guitar case inside her locker—she plays three musical instruments and has been in both marching band and jazz band for the past four years—and slams the door. "Well, you know you’re never going to hear from her in the morning," she points out as we make our way down the hall to our homeroom. To say our friend Janey Douchette isn’t a morning person would be the understatement of a lifetime. Most mornings, Janey rushes into homeroom and takes her seat with only seconds to spare.

Yeah. But, I mean, she always gets back to me if I text her at night. Always. Same with you, right?

Yup, Ellie says, her stub nose turning up a bit with concern before she tries to set my mind at ease. She probably just fell asleep or got caught up doing homework or something. You’re too paranoid.

Probably, I say as we enter our homeroom. Mrs. Markham, who has been teaching business classes here since the dawn of time, peers over her bifocals and nods at us from the desk in the front of the room.

Rachel. Ellie. How are you both this morning?

Good, thanks, I say.

Good. Cold, Ellie grumbles, which elicits a tinkly giggle from Mrs. Markham.

"Well, it is January, as you may recall."

"Yeah. But why does January have to be so…January?" Ellie says, and Mrs. Markham laughs even harder as we take our usual seats in the back of the room. I’m about to ask Ellie if she finished reading our history assignment last night, but before I can, the Perfects enter the room.

Lexi Grayson. Alissa Lofton. Dani Maguire. They’re the Perfects—Ridgeview High School’s ruling triumvirate. As always, they’re joined by Luke Nostrand, Dani’s boyfriend and quarterback of the football team, who follows behind them as if he’s their private security. Lexi and Alissa also have boyfriends, of course, but their boyfriends—football players like Luke—are in different homerooms and so we’re not currently blessed with their presence.

On this morning, as on every other morning, conversations become a little quieter when the Perfects walk in. The room and everyone in it appear to fade to black-and-white as if to magnify the vibrant colors of their clothes, the highlights in their hair, the lipstick on their lips. The Perfects give off the impression that they’re a little taller than everyone else, but I know for a fact Dani Maguire and I are the same height. Maybe the illusion is thanks to the shoes. While everyone else wears big-box store hiking boot knockoffs or discount store plastic boots lined with synthetic fur, the Perfects sport matching faux leather, high-heeled lace-up boots with real-looking fur peeking out the top.

Every day, I half expect the three of them to strut across the front of the room in slow motion, a breeze coming from…somewhere…to blow their locks out behind them into a perfect hair-halo like something out of a bad movie. But since this is real life, they instead glide toward their seats quickly with some sort of unstated purpose as if they own the room.

Which—figuratively, anyway—they do. The Perfects basically run Ridgeview High, wielding only slightly less power than the faculty and administration. Lexi, Alissa, and Dani hold three seats on the Ridgeview High Student Council, with Lexi being president. They’re always princesses on the royal courts, and each of them has been queen of something at least once. Alissa is captain of the dance team, Dani is captain of the cheerleading squad and president of the senior class, and Lexi is president of the school’s spirit organization. Anyone who wants anything done around here knows they’ll need to go through the Perfects, one way or another.

After surveying the room as if to ensure everything and everyone are up to their high standards, the Perfects and Luke sit in their usual seats, Lexi and Alissa in the front row near the windows and Dani and Luke right behind. I wait for Janey to rush into the classroom as she normally does after the Perfects make their grand entrance.

But Janey doesn’t show up. Ellie notices the concern on my face and whispers, I’ll text her, as the bell goes off. We’re treated to several minutes of announcements over the school’s public address system, and then we’re left with five minutes to move around and talk before the first period bell. Ellie checks her phone and announces, Nothing from Janey yet, but it hasn’t been very long as Dani slinks to the back of the room and takes the empty seat next to me.

Hey, guys, she says, smiling as she tosses a few of her honey blonde curls.

Ellie leans forward in her desk so she can see around me. What? she huffs.

Dani ignores her and keeps her pale blue eyes trained on me. That calculus homework last night was a bitch, huh?

Here it comes, Ellie mutters loudly enough only I can hear her. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Lexi and Alissa sitting sideways in their desks, mouths covered as they whisper and giggle to each other while keeping a close eye on Dani.

Yeah. It was kind of tough, I guess, I say with a shrug.

It wasn’t tough—not for me, anyway. I like math and always have. And Dani knows it.

Yeah… Dani fidgets in her seat and examines the blush-colored nail polish that perfectly suits her tanning bed-kissed skin tone. Can you help me with the last few problems? The ones after number five really got me.

Sure. We’ll talk in study hall, okay?

Dani clasps her hands together and stands up, smoothing down her blue plaid skirt. You. Are. A. Lifesaver. I’ll hit you up then. She glides back to her seat as the bell rings, and Ellie groans.

What? I ask, gathering up my books and folders.

"You know what. We’ve been through this, Rachel. Dani’s not coming back. We’re seniors now. If she didn’t grow out of this whole ‘Perfects’ stage years ago, she’s not going to no matter how much you let her use you."

Ellie and I walk down the aisle toward the front of the room. She’s not using me. She’s asking me for help, I say.

She doesn’t need help. She’s as smart as you are. Ellie steps aside to allow me to pass into the bustling hallway ahead of her. Or, at least, she used to be smart before she started hanging out with the dipshit twins. Maybe her IQ’s dropped by association.

You’re being too hard on her, I say, but I don’t sound too convincing, even to myself.

"I tend to be hard on people who turn their backs on me. She ignores Janey and me just because Lexi and Alissa do. The only reason she doesn’t ignore you is because she needs your calc homework. You shouldn’t put up with it."

I’m grateful Ellie mentions Janey because it gives me the opportunity to change the subject. Hey, has Janey texted you back? I ask.

Ellie reaches into her messenger bag for her phone. Not yet. Her forehead wrinkles. She must be sick or something.

Or maybe she’s late and she’s checking in at the office, I offer, taking up Ellie’s positive stance of a little while ago. I’ll text her again before second period. If we don’t hear from her, we can try to call her at lunch.

Sounds like a plan. We’re outside Ellie’s Spanish classroom, so she waves and says Later, before leaving me alone for the trek to my English classroom at the end of the hall. But as I attempt to ease back into the flow of student traffic—the student population at Ridgeview long ago outgrew the main building—I plow into Luke Nostrand, the force of our collision sending my books, notebooks, and folders to the ground.

Oh, wow. I am sooo sorry, I say to the floor tiles and not to Luke as I drop to my knees and shove some papers back into one of my folders. At the edge of my vision, Luke’s hands scoop up my books. He’s obviously kneeling next to me but I’m too embarrassed to look.

You’re fine, he says, his voice deep and soothing. Don’t worry about it. The hall’s sort of a zoo during class change.

I turn my face toward his and smile. Like most people my age in Ridgeview, I’ve known Luke since grade school, and he’s always been a nice guy. And it’s his nice guy demeanor that makes his status as Dani Maguire’s boyfriend perplexing to me. If I’d plowed into Dani, she would have helped me pick up my stuff because of our history, but she probably would have sighed and rolled her eyes the whole time while doing it. And if I were Ellie or Janey or anyone else, she would have laughed, said Watch it, loser or something similar, and continued on her merry way down the hall.

But Luke’s still the same easy-going Luke he’s been forever, despite dating Dani and her superior attitude for nearly two years. I suspect Dani’s with him mostly because of his status as one of the most popular guys in school. Dani’s been all about status and not much else the last few years.

I get to my feet and Luke hands me the textbooks and folders he’s retrieved from the floor. We’re in the same English class, so we walk down the hall together toward our classroom, something we never do because I’m usually with Janey and he’s with his friends.

I’m surprised you’re not with Janey, Luke points out as if he can read my thoughts. You guys are always together.

I’m surprised he would have noticed Janey and me at all, but I don’t let on. She must be sick or something. I haven’t talked to her since after school yesterday.

Well, I hope she’s okay, Luke says, slowing a bit so I can walk ahead of him into the classroom.

Ellie and I are going to try to call her at lunch. I’ll tell her you said so.

And if Janey isn’t already sick, she’ll fall over dead at the news Luke Nostrand, of all people, hopes she’s okay.

Luke pushes some of his dark blond hair out of his blue eyes and nods at me before walking to his usual seat across the room. Maybe Luke stays with Dani because he’s hoping one day they’ll make impossibly beautiful children—blond, blue-eyed, athletically-trim children with round faces and dazzling smiles. Somehow, some way, the genetic sweepstakes winners of the world always manage to find each other.

I push any thoughts of Dani and Luke—and Janey, for that matter—out of my head so I can focus on my morning classes, although I keep checking my phone as I walk from classroom to classroom between periods to see if Janey has gotten back to me.

She hasn’t. The text I send her after second period goes unanswered, just like all the ones I’ve sent since last night. And when I meet up with Ellie at our lockers before lunch, she shakes her head to indicate she hasn’t heard from Janey, either.

This is weird. She must be really sick, I say.

Ellie finishes gathering up her books for her afternoon classes and slams her locker. Let’s go to the lobby. It’ll be quieter.

We rush down the hall toward the school’s main entrance, which is near the cafeteria but far enough away we won’t be forced to yell at Janey over the noise. Ellie leans up against the trophy case just inside the front doors and hits a button on her phone to dial Janey’s number, but after a few seconds, she mouths voice mail.

Hey, girlfriend, Ellie says. It’s Ellie. Rachel and I are worried. It’s not like you to miss an exciting day at Ridgeview High School.

I snort at Ellie’s sarcasm.

So, hit one of us up, okay? And tell us if you want us to get your homework or anything. We can stop by after school to check on you if you want.

Ellie raises her eyebrows at me as she makes her last statement since I’m her ride home today—she usually catches a ride with me in the afternoon if she doesn’t have to stay after school for anything. I nod to indicate going by Janey’s house is fine by me.

So, we’ll talk to you later, okay? ‘Bye.

I’m trying not to be freaked out about this, but I’m getting kind of freaked out about this. Is that weird? I say as Ellie drops her phone back in her bag.

No, she says, and my worried reflection stares back at me from the glass shielding the trophy case, because I’m kind of freaked out, too.

Chapter 2

After school, Ellie and I trudge out to my car in the senior parking lot, which is right next to the faculty lot in front of the school. Thankfully, we don’t have far to walk because snow started falling right after lunch and now the conditions are practically at white-out level.

I can barely see, Ellie yells at me over the top of my used Chevy.

No kidding. I hope school’s called off tomorrow.

I unlock the doors with my keychain and we get in, Ellie immediately muttering Heat, heat, heat, heat…

Working on it, Your Highness, I say, firing up the engine and cranking the heat and the defrosters to their highest settings.

Have I mentioned how much I hate winter?

I believe it’s come up once or twice.

Ellie sticks her tongue out at me as hot air shoots through the vents. She lowers her scarf from her chin and breathes in the warmth. Ahhh…that’s what I’m talking about.

Do you want me to take you home so you can get warm or do you still want to go to Janey’s? I ask, laughing at her dramatic display.

Ellie sobers up. Janey’s—definitely.

Neither of us has heard from her all day, so despite the weather we’re sticking to our plan to stop by and check on her. Luckily, Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park is only a few blocks away from the high school in the northwest part of town.

I put the car in gear and check my mirrors before slowly easing out of my parking space, but I nearly have a heart attack when a black SUV comes out of nowhere and whizzes past my bumper, a horn bleating and then dying away. Twisting in my seat, I catch a middle finger extended out the window on the driver’s side, and the license plate LEXI 1 leaves no doubt as to who’s behind the wheel.

Is it wrong to hope she plows into something on the way home? Ellie asks, staring in the same direction. I don’t want Lexi to get hurt, mind you—I just want to witness that stupid tank of hers crushed into a worthless pile of metal.

Was I seriously about to hit her? I whip my head around and check my mirrors several times before I begin easing out of the parking space again so I don’t risk anyone else taking me by surprise. I mean, she came out of nowhere…

Not even close. And she was going way too fast considering the parking lot hasn’t been plowed yet.

I drive at a crawl towards Tilletson Street, feeling my back tires slide a little bit in the slushy snow. A line of cars waits to make the turn out of the parking lot, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to inch forward rather than putting my foot down on the gas.

Do you ever wonder what it’s like being one of the Perfects? I ask Ellie.

If it means acting like Lexi, it must be sheer hell. I can’t imagine being that much of an ass all the time.

But that’s just it. I lean forward to turn the heat down because now it’s roasting in here, and when I look over at Ellie, she nods in agreement. "Lexi doesn’t think she’s being a jerk. She’s just being…her. Don’t you ever wonder what it must be like to live life like that?"

Without regard for basic human decency? No, thanks.

We creep up another car length in line. Without caring what anyone thinks about you, I explain. And knowing ninety-percent of the time, people believe you’re amazing, no matter what you do. I spend half my life analyzing my next move and being self-conscious about screwing things up. I wonder what it would be like to be so free.

Ellie laughs. "You are obsessed with the Perfects, you know that?"

Oh, I am sooo not.

Yes, you are. Ever since Dani dumped us, you’ve always wondered what it was like in their twisted little world.

I purse my lips and focus my attention out the windshield, but my cheeks burn with Ellie’s words and what I’m guessing is her harsh stare.

How much of your calc homework did you let her copy from you in study hall?

I didn’t let her copy anything, I fire back. I sat with her and explained how to do the problems and helped her while she worked on them. Ellie opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. And she thanked me, too, before you ask.

Ellie narrows her eyes at me as I pull the car forward, look both ways, and accelerate out onto Tilletson Street as quickly as I can under the conditions. My car fishtails a bit, and Ellie grabs the dashboard as a worthless measure of added protection as I straighten my back tires and move us forward at about five miles an hour. I hope our momentary car drama will be enough to distract Ellie from berating me about Dani.

No such luck.

I just don’t get why you can’t let it go. Dani made it clear in eighth grade we weren’t good enough for her anymore. Janey and I got over it—why can’t you?

I sigh. Because I miss my friend, I say to myself. Because I miss her laugh and her energy and all the trouble she used to talk us into during sleepovers. Because I’m sad all the plans we made for The Most Awesome High School Experience Ever never happened—at least not for the two of us together.

Because I’m jealous my former friend gets to live this life full of magic, with everything out loud and in color, while my life is nothing but a boring black-and-white silent movie.

Can we not talk about this anymore? I beg. A few more months and we’ll be done with Ridgeview and off to college and we’ll never have to deal with Dani Maguire again unless we run into her around town on holidays.

Except I heard she applied to Riverton.

Seriously?

Ellie and I applied early decision to Riverton University which, along with the town of Riverton itself, sits on a bluff high above the Missouri River about an hour from Ridgeview. We found out two weeks before Christmas we’d been accepted. Now, we’re just waiting for news on scholarships.

I can’t room with you if you’re just going to talk about Dani all the time, Ellie says quietly.

Are you for real right now? I say, struggling to control both the car and my emotions. Now who’s obsessed? I don’t talk about Dani Maguire all the time, but even if I did, you’d dump me as a roommate over it? You’d seriously trash our friendship over Dani, just like Dani trashed our friendship?

It’s not the same thing and you know it. Ellie’s voice has an edge to it.

Whatever, I huff, wanting this conversation to end. It’s a big campus. Even if Dani goes to Riverton, we’ll probably never run into her. And I swear I’ll find someone else to obsess about, okay?

My promise coaxes a smile from Ellie. "Okay. And I’m sorry to keep pointing out the whole Dani thing, but I worry about you sometimes, you know? The way you talk, it’s like you’re convinced your life is totally horrible