Future Perfect Read Online Free PDF Page A

big eyes. “Ooh!” she says, waving her pencil. “An idea, I have an idea. Okay, what if everyone brought their own food?”
    â€œFor what?” I say.
    â€œYour birthday party,” she says.
    â€œA party? I don’t have time for that,” I say.
    â€œLiar,” she says. “You’ve been devising intricate plans and writing lists for three months. I know it because I know you and I have seen how you write endless lists when you’re planning and I don’t even understand how they don’t give you panic attacks.”
    â€œI like to be organized,” I say.
    â€œSo, my idea,” she says.
    â€œSo what you’re saying is everyone brings their own food to eat?” I ask. Jolene laughs.
    â€œ Well , that would be an incredible cost savings and possibly also net you some easy clean-up with a tradeoff for the environmental damage factor with all the disposable plates and things. But no!” She slaps her sketchbook down on the desk. “We assign everyone a country and they bring a food from it.”
    â€œWe’re inviting the entire class,” I say. “Are there that many countries?”
    Laura rolls her eyes at me.
    â€œAnd are we that organized?” I say.
    â€œI know you are,” Laura says.
    â€œThe real question is, do I want to be?” I counter.
    Jolene says to Laura, “I would rather not organize a global buffet.” She glances up as Dr. Ellman strolls by. “Organizing buffets is not my strongest skill,” Jolene says innocently.
    Dr. Ellman stops at my chair. “Psst,” she says, leaning over my shoulder. “One of your best qualities is conviction. ” She winks at me and then strolls away with her hands behind her back. Her oxfords are very shiny.
    â€œI don’t even know what that means,” I say. “Why is she telling me this?” I throw my pen down and it bounces across the table and then slides onto the floor.
    â€œI think your best quality is self-assuredness,” Jolene says.
    â€œI think it’s your eyebrows,” Laura says.
    â€œI think it’s your chili,” Hector says. He is not wrong.
    â€œAlso,” Laura says, “feather boas and tiaras! And beads and scarves and masks and dancing.”
    I blink. “What?” Those don’t sound like qualities.
    â€œFor the party?” she says. Sometimes it is hard to follow in her wake. Everything looks easy and effortless for her and Brandon. And they both seem to understand how the world works. They know how to survive outside of this little hothouse of a town. I suspect the rest of us are going to find out the hard way.
    â€œYes of course for the party,” she says.
    â€œWill there really be tiaras?” I say suspiciously.
    â€œYou do love tiaras,” Jolene says to me. She’s smiling. Her eyes are the frostiest blue and her skin is pale and freckled, so she always looks like she is dappled with sunlight. Her bob is a bright knife-edge along the line of her jaw. Laura always says someday she’ll be someone’s yuppie dream mom, in tailored shirts and cuffed shorts and perfect, unscuffed flats.
    â€œI don’t mind tiaras,” I say. “They’re kind of whimsical.” I pause. “My best quality is whimsy.”
    Hector raises his eyebrows at me. “I don’t think you should write that one down.”
    â€œWhat do you mean? I am filled with humor and light!” I argue.
    Jolene is laughing because she knows when I’m joking. Laurafrowns at me because she worries when I joke.
    â€œWhat about pizza?” Hector says.
    â€œNo,” I say.
    â€œYou never listen to me,” he says.
    â€œSo why start now?” Laura asks.
    â€œHector has a point. Everyone likes pizza,” Jolene points out. She picks up the pen and writes “PIZZA” all in caps.
    â€œYes, but it’s my birthday. I care about what I’d like,” I