3:59

EIGHTEEN

11:30 A.M.

JOSIE GRABBED A HAND TOWEL OFF THE RACK and wiped a hole in the steamed-up bathroom mirror just big enough to see her reflection. Her hair was turbaned up in a blue bath towel, still hidden from view. A discarded bottle of hair dye and plastic gloves were shoved in the garbage can, next to a cardboard box that showcased flowing golden tresses that looked as much like Jo’s as Josie could remember.

Picking a color out of the bazillions of choices at CVS had been a challenge. Candle Glow or Desert Flower? Medium Ash Blond, Medium Champagne Blond, Medium Golden Blond. They all just looked blond to Josie, and in the end, she tried to pick the one that looked the most like Jo’s professionally colored and highlighted hair. Golden Sunset may have sounded like a bad chick flick, but as a hair dye, Josie hoped it would give her dirty blond hair the bright, shimmery look she was after.

It had to be right. Had to. In just a few hours she’d be going through the mirror.

Josie took a deep breath. Moment of truth.

She bent over and untwisted the towel, then whipped her head back and checked out her new look in the mirror.

Even though her hair was still wet, Josie could see the change immediately. The golden color shimmered in the harsh bathroom light. Her face seemed brighter and more alive. She ran her fingers through her hair, all soft and satiny. No mistaking it now; she was definitely a blonde.

Picking out hair dye might have been complicated, but mimicking Jo’s bouncy ’do was going to be a whole other shit show. Josie’s styling routine consisted of brushing out her wet hair before bed, then hoping that when she woke up it hadn’t dried with some bizarre cowlicks that made her look like Alfalfa’s big sister. Which it usually did—thus Josie’s wide array of headbands and ponytail holders.

Jo, on the other hand, must have spent an hour every morning doing her hair so it fell in those buoyant, lively spirals around her face. Just like Madison. Ugh. Maybe that’s what boys liked? Josie clearly hadn’t a clue.

She pulled a plastic shopping bag out of the bathroom cupboard and dumped her haul on the counter. Velcro rollers, round brush, some sort of spray gel. Did girls really do this every morning?

Twenty minutes later, Josie had managed to get most of her hair dried and twirled up in rollers. She looked a little bit like a blond geisha with huge mounds of hair piled up on her head. She did one last pass with the hair dryer, then carefully pulled the fat rollers out of her hair and ran her fingers through to loosen the curls.

Then she stood in front of the mirror and stared.

She looked exactly like Jo.

Someone gasped, and Josie turned to find her mom standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide and she looked terrified. Like she’d seen a ghost.

“I dyed my hair,” Josie said lamely.

Her mom continued to stare.

“Um, do you like it?”

Without saying a word, Josie’s mom reached out her hand and caressed Josie’s cheek with her fingertips. Her mom had been so distant lately, since before Josie’s parents had separated, cold and closed and work obsessed. It was the first time in months Josie felt an actual sense of connection to her mom. It reminded Josie of a better time, before things had gotten so strained within their family.

Fighting back a lump in her throat, Josie reached out and hugged her mom.

Her mom sank into the embrace, and they held each other for a moment, then without warning, her mom pushed away.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Her face looked pinched as if she was in pain.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“I’m fine,” her mom repeated. Then she spun around and disappeared into her room.

Ugh.

3:59 P.M.

Josie held her breath as the mirror began to ripple.

Finally.

It was finally happening.

She’d get twenty-four hours as Jo—an entire day to put things right with Nick. All she had to do was make the time to let him know that she was there for him, whatever he needed to talk about. If she’d only done that before, maybe Nick wouldn’t have turned to Madison.

Josie squeezed her eyes shut, pushing the image of Nick and Madison from her mind. Instead, she imagined the weight of Nick’s arms around her waist, the pressure of his lips on her own. And what else? Josie’s eyes flew open. She’d never thought to ask Jo how far she and Nick had gone. Whatever. She didn’t care. If she was only going to get one day, she wanted it to be memorable.

As before, as soon as the rippling dissipated, Josie grabbed her backpack and launched herself through the mirror.

“Your hair looks good,” Jo said as soon as Josie landed.

Josie smiled. “Thanks.”

“Daddy’s asleep.” Jo didn’t make any move toward the mirror but stood resolutely in front of it. Like Josie, she carried a bag on her shoulder, though hers was a designer tote bag, not a beat-up school backpack. “And Teresa will be up in a few hours to begin breakfast. I’m usually downstairs at six thirty sharp, so try not to be late.”

“And your mom?” Josie was looking forward to a normal family meal, just like it used to be back home.

Jo tilted her head. “Sleeping,” she said after a pause.

“Okay.” Josie waited for Jo to step through the mirror but still, she hesitated.

“I left you a cheat sheet on my desk. Where to go, who people are. All the details.”

“Me too,” Josie said. “Anything else?”

Jo opened her mouth to say something, then pressed her lips together and shook her head curtly.

Josie’s turn. “Mom’ll be at the lab until late, but she usually texts to say when she’ll be home. I left my phone on the dresser.”

Jo nodded. “Me too.”

“So I guess . . .” Josie’s voice trailed off.

“Yeah.” Jo took a deep breath. “Okay. Here I go.”

She stepped gingerly, like a skater testing the ice on a frozen lake, unsure whether the next step might send her crashing through into the frigid depths below. She stuck her arm into the mirror first, clenching and unclenching her fist as if she was testing the air, then sort of jumped into Josie’s room.

Jo turned and smiled. Which is when Josie remembered the necklace that still hung around Jo’s neck.

Without thinking, Josie shoved her head through the mirror. “The necklace!” Josie said as soon as she emerged into the clear air of her room. She reached out her hand.

“Oh, right.” With painful slowness, Jo removed the necklace and dropped it into Josie’s palm.

Josie pulled back through into Jo’s room and clasped the necklace on right away, then gave Jo the thumbs-up.

Suddenly a look of concern passed over Jo’s face. She grabbed a pen and paper off of Josie’s desk and scribbled something quickly, holding the note up just as the image began to blur.

“Don’t go out—” Josie read out loud, trying to decipher the letters through the rippling mirror.

But that was all she saw. The portal was closed.