Prologue: The Situation Being Like It Is

"How about this one?"

Bailey sighed as her friend London Tipton yanked an outfit off the sales rack in front of her, holding it up for Bailey's inspection. The outfit was beautiful- a ruffled blue top with a black, lacy skirt, exactly the sort of thing Bailey would have picked for herself (if she'd had the kind of money London did), but she couldn't muster any sort of enthusiasm over it... all she could think of was how the shirt was nearly the same shade as Cody's eyes, and how his face would light up when he saw how pretty she looked wearing it, and how he would entwine his fingers with hers and say-

"Bailey! Bailey!" London called, waving the shirt in her face. "Wake up! I said, how about this? I always think the peasant blouse look is particularly appropriate for you..."

Ignoring London's insult- or was it a joke?- Bailey bit her lip, suddenly holding back tears. Cody wouldn't do any of those things if he saw her in that dress, because he was no longer her boyfriend. "I don't know, London..." she murmured. What was the point of dressing up when the only guy she wanted to impress had just dumped her?

London tapped her designer heel impatiently. "Bailey, how many times do I have to explain this? Retail therapy only works if you buy something, specifically something cute to wear, so you can boost your pathetic self-esteem and hook a hot guy who will make you forget all about what's-his-name!"

"Cody." Bailey reminded her sadly.

"You're really missing the point here."

"Sorry."

London hung the outfit back on the rack. "And don't think I don't see those watery eyes, Farm Girl. I thought we both agreed that the 'sobbing-into-a-half-gallon-of-Häagen-Dazs' phase of the breakup was history."

Bailey blotted her eyes with her sleeve. "It is."

Seeing her friend's misery, London groaned, rolled her eyes upward, and placed an arm around Bailey's shoulders. "I know it's only been three days since you and he... you know, but the ship is leaving tomorrow, and I think you should try and make some good memories of Paris to take with you. Who knows if you'll ever be here again? And by here, I mean: among the best shopping in the world!" She rubbed Bailey's arm supportively. "But if you really want, I'll go with you to that loofah place. For a little while."

Bailey sniffed and mustered a slight smile. "You mean the Louvre?" It was certainly a sacrifice for London to offer to tear herself away from shopping in Paris (one of her favorite pastimes) to visit the famous museum, and Bailey appreciated it more than she could say. "I'd really like that, London. Thanks."

London nodded. "You're welcome. Now come on, pick something pretty." she encouraged, waving an arm at the endless selection of fashionable clothing in the boutique. "We don't have all day- visiting hours at the hospital start at one and I promised Zack I'd drop by."

In shock, Bailey dropped the patterned vest she'd been idly fingering. "Zack's in the hospital? What happened?"

"Oh, no, no." London hastened to reassure her. "Zack's fine."

Bailey exhaled, relieved, and returned the vest to its hanger. "Wait. So who are you visiting?"

"Um... What's-his-name." London said reluctantly.

"Cody?" Bailey gasped. Her knees were suddenly weak and her hand shot out, grabbing a nearby clothing rack to steady herself as the blood drained from her face.

"I don't think you're grasping the concept of the name thing-"

Bailey silenced the heiress by grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "London, focus! Cody! Is he hurt? What happened to him? When? Oh, god, is it bad?"

"He was in a traffic accident. Yesterday. I don't know how bad it is... Bailey I'm gonna throw up!"

Bailey stopped shaking the girl but didn't release her shoulders. "London... Yesterday? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

London did look a little queasy. "No one wanted to tell you... the situation being like it is."

Bailey was stricken. "We may have broken up, but we're still friends... we still care about each other... I think." she said softly. "Of course I would want to know if he was hurt. I'd want to help him any way I could."

London placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder- it was impossible not to notice that Bailey was trembling. "We're skipping the Louvre and going right to the hospital, aren't we?"

Bailey could only nod mutely.