CHAPTER I Mary: February 2005 | t's a typically slow South Florida Sunday, and Mary’s staring into the mirror, trying to wipe the morning cobwebs away from her dark, sleepy eyes. She's a pretty girl, tiny —just five feet three inches tall—but tanned and athletic, with curly black henna-streaked hair.* Her ; bedroom’s a playland of pinks and pastels, stuffed animals, and A boy-band posters. But Mary’s a teenager now. Fourteen years old. { She even has a boyfriend. He’s cute and popular. Joet is the heart- j throb of her school, and Mary’s feelings for him are new to her, ; powerful, hard to untangle. She’s thinking of Joe as she presses | the Play button on her iPod. | The MP3 player's on shuffle. There’s no telling what song will } * Mary’s name, some identifying details, and dialogue have been changed. ¥ val " Joe's name, some identifying details, and dialogue have been changed. a | a 3 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019119