The great poet John Keats once wrote, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." Keats never knew my mother.I glance down at my watch again. Three hours. That's how long it's been since Ayla left me in the car with a distracted wave and a promise to "be right back with some munchies." Right. I'll bet she bummed dinner off some guy at the bar and didn't bother to get anything for me. Now she's probably passed out somewhere. Or hooking up. Or maybe she can't remember where the hell she parked.I never should have let Ayla go off on her own. I should know better than to trust a woman who can't even remember to pay the rent.For about a millisecond, I consider hunting her down and dragging her drunk ass back here. Forcing her to deal with the cold, and the lack of food, and me. But when we first rolled into this tiny town, Ayla insisted on doing a drive-by of the local bars and I saw the bouncers standing outside. There's no way I can pass for twenty-one. Most people don't even believe I'm sixteen until I produce my driver's license.I drag my fingers through my long, dark hair. It feels greasy. So does my face, which I haven't washed properly in days. But when I lean forward and peer into the car's rearview mirror, the girl staring back at me somehow still looks pretty. I scowl at her. Then I grab a pen and start scribbling in my notebook, the ink making deep indents on the page to match the ones on my forehead.The truth is, I used to like being pretty. I used to feel proud when girls at school wished out loud for my pale blue eyes, when boys stared as I walked past. It felt good, in the same way that spring grass tickles your toes or pearls feel fanciful looped around your neck. Even Gram would sometimes stand behind me, looking at our reflection in the hallway mirror, and say, "You're stunning, Andrea--inside and out." Then she'd beam at me like a proud mama bear, crinkling her nose until we both collapsed into giggles. I can't remember the last time I giggled. I don't even smile anymore. If I feel my lips twitching, I push the smile down, kick it into the dirt. I hide--not just my smile, but everything.The problem with being pretty is, people tend to notice you. And these days, being noticed is the last thing I want.My fingers ache from gripping the pen so tight. I stare down at my messy handwriting in the soft circle of light emanating from the roof of Gram's car, knowing I won't ever share the words I've written. They're just a rant. I've already finished the essay Iwill turn in to my English teacher when spring break is over. It's written in neat, vertical letters and it's full of the fun things I did on vacation, like going to the waterpark and exploring the science museum. I call it my Rough Draft of Lies. I hate lying. But I can't write honestly about the places I've been this week -- or this year. It's remarkable, really, how many secrets I've accumulated in such a short stretch of time.A dull thudding starts in my temples and I begin to feel lightheaded from not having eaten in thirty-seven hours, from the worry that's plagued me ever since we got evicted. Gathering our few blankets, I coil up in the backseat and rest my cheek against my dark green backpack. I lift my head slightly and punch the bag, trying to make the bumpy spots flat. If I can't have food, then I'd like a good night's sleep tonight. In a real bed. Not in the back of Gram's Buick, with its stiff leather seats that remind me too much of her hands the day I found her.Inhale. Exhale.It's so quiet that the smallest sounds are amplified. Like my breathing. And the lone moth repeatedly throwing itself against the windshield, attracted to the red glow of the dashboard security light. The thwp- thwp of its wings beating against the glass makes my own limbs ache in sympathy. Maybe I should shoo it away--or put it out of its misery. The frost will claim it tonight anyway. But that would mean unknotting myself from my own fragile cocoon, and I'm not that selfless. As time ticks by, the only thing keeping me remotely warm is my increasing anger. The bars must be closing, so where the hell is Ayla? My stomach rumbles and I press my fingers against the hollow of it. I stare out the window at the ink-blotted sky, where the moon hangs like a sentry between heaven and earth. Even if Ayla keeps pretending, I know we're in trouble. Just like I know the sixteen cents in my pocket will buy me exactly nothing at the 24-hour gas station across the road. I also know there's a dumpster on the other side of this lot. My eyes flick toward it.Before the thought has a chance to warp into an actual plan, bright lights blind me, a sharp wind whips into the car, and pointy-nailed fingers poke my shoulder. I shield my eyes, hoping it's not a cop. Instead, I see Ayla's gorgeous, flushed face blocking out the moon."Wake up, wake up!" Her voice is giddy and high-pitched. She definitely scored dinner or she'd be growling and swearing at me. "Come on, Bones, we got a place to stay." Bones. This is what she calls me instead of Andrea--the name Gram chose when I was born. I wish I could say Ayla's nickname for me is a term of endearment, but I know better.Tugging off the blankets, I sit up and squint into the cold darkness. My lungs protest the frigid air, causing me to cough. A rainbow halo is smeared around the one lit parking lamp near the street. There's a man under it, smoking a cigarette. He's tall and strong-looking, not the cleanest sort. He doesn't look at me. Just at Ayla in her tight black skirt and shimmery top."That's Judd." Ayla smirks, like he's some knight in shining armor. "We're going to crash at his place."She leans in to gather her belongings, which are strewn across the front seat of the car. I steal another glance at Judd, and he smiles. It's uneven and awkward, an expression I can tell he avoids. Huh, I think. We have something in common.In the hazy lamplight I see that Judd's hair is dirt brown where it's not receding from his forehead. His face is long and fierce, like the skin has been stretched too tight. He might have been decent-looking at some point, but he's at least ten years older than Ayla and he seems... haggard. I don't bother pointing this out. I know Ayla's giddiness is a ruse. She's playing Judd, using him for what we need. She's a parasite. And so am I, by default.Yes, I used to like being pretty. But if it means ending up like Ayla, I think I'll pass.

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Excerpted from All Out of Pretty by Ingrid Palmer
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.