It wasn’t a big lie. It wasn’t an end-of-the-world-or-at-least-their-friendship lie. This morning, when Ashley asked Lili if she and A. A. were both wearing their bikinis under their school uniforms, Lili had said, “Um, yeah.” Though what she really meant was, of course A. A.’s wearing her bikini. Because Lili had other plans. Ever since that horrible hike with Max, when he accused her of being super uptight and too high maintenance, Lili had been thinking. Was she too rigid? Too stuck in a rut? She’d taken a few tentative steps to mix up her game, buying some vintage clothes and breaking with the Ashley-mandated bag and shoes. But why not push herself a little further out of her comfort zone? As soon as the fleet of eco-buses arrived at Stinson Beach, the Ashleys sprinted to the public restrooms to get changed. They weren’t the only ones ripping off school uniforms: A lot of the other girls had brought a change of clothes with them to school every day that month in case Congé was announced.
