Can True Love Survive High School? Read Online Free PDF Page A

now?”
    Britta turned, her eyes shining, her face calm and happy as if she'd been hypnotized.
    “Already?” she said. “It's still early.”
    “No, it isn't,” Holly said. “It's almost midnight.”
    “Oh. I guess I'd better go,” Britta said to the guy.
    “Wait,” he said, taking a pen and a scrap of paper from his pocket. He handed them to Britta, and she scribbled something down.
    “Who was that guy?” Holly asked Britta at the door.
    “His name is Ed Reyes,” Britta said in a gushy, awestruck voice. “And he's the most wonderful guy who ever walked the earth.”
    “What?” Holly glanced back at the guy, who waved to Britta. “He looks pretty average to me.”
Possibly even below average
, she thought, but she kept this to herself.
    “He's amazing,” Britta said. “Holly, I think I'm in love.”

5
    Touched
    To: mad4u
    From: your daily horoscope
    HERE IS TODAY'S HOROSCOPE: VIRGO: When you play with guns, there's always a chance you'll shoot yourself in the foot.
----
    O h, Papa, I know what you're thinking. I can read minds now, remember?” Mads stood spotlit on stage at the Carlton Bay Playhouse, eyes closed, rubbing her temples in her best—or rather, worst—imitation of a girl reading someone's mind. She was doing a scene from
Touched
. In the front row sat M.C., Audrey, and the director, Charles Huang, and a few other people associated with the theater. Backstage, other auditioning actors watched as Mads chewed the scenery.
    “You're wondering why the cows won't give up any milk,” Mads said. “You're wondering if you're going to lose your dairy farm. But Papa, if you'd only listen to me! I know why the cows have gone dry. It's the Visitors, Papa. They scared the cows. The Visitors from the Great Behind!”
    Her eyes popped open dramatically and she threw her arm into the air as if pointing meaningfully toward the sky. The actors backstage tittered. M.C. called from her seat, “
Beyond
, honey. The line is `Visitors from the Great Beyond.'”
    “Oh, sorry,” Mads said, even though she'd done it on purpose. It was her third mistake so far. The audition was going even worse than she'd planned. “Should I try it again?”
    “That won't be necessary,” Charles Huang said. “Just finish the scene and you'll be done.”
    Finally. Mads spat out the last few lines. “Did you ever hear of ESP, Papa? Because I think I have it. I think I have Extra-Sensory Perspiration.”
    More giggling from backstage. Mads took a bow. “Thank you, Madison,” Charles said, not bothering to correct her. “Nice job. Next—”
    Mads left the stage and sat beside her mother. “You stank,” Audrey whispered. “I told you she would suck.”
    “Honey, what happened up there?” M.C. asked. “I've never heard you make so many mistakes before.”
    Mads shrugged. “Stage fright, I guess.”
They'd have to be insane to cast me now,
she thought with satisfaction.
I don't have to do the play, and I still get to go to Stanford with Holly! My life is golden!
    “Anyway, I'm out of here,” Mads said, gathering up her bag. She'd brought her bike to the theater, knowing that M.C. would be there all afternoon watching boring auditions. Mads had done her part; she didn't want to hang around any longer.
    “Be careful on the roads, honey,” M.C. said. “Do you want to go with her, Audrey, or stay?”
    “Stay,” Audrey said with grim determination. She wanted to see every actress auditioning for Little Mariah. Audrey wanted that part, and she needed to reassure herself that the competition wasn't good enough to override her obvious advantage of being the playwright's daughter.
    “Fine, bore yourself to death,” Mads said. She started up the aisle. The theater door opened, casting a shaft of blinding sunlight into the darkened auditorium. Mads reached for the door, passing the two people who'd just come in. She looked back at them. It was Jane Cotham— and Sean! What were they doing there?
    “Hey, kid,” Sean said