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"So… Reid was there?" Chloe pro a full five-minute silence in the taxi after dinner

"Yeah" I hope they’ll take my attitude as typical seventeen-year-old reticence

She waits anotherto "So, is he gorgeous in person? Was the scene with him or was he just, you know, there?"

"With hiht, thank God Soon we’ll go to our separate, adjoining roohts to h "Do you think you’ll get a callback?"

"I don’t know"

Chloe rolls her eyes and pulls out a coh her exit at the curb of the hotel is a red-carpet event Hopefully that ends the interrogation for tonight, though I’ are the School Pride sides I was expected to memorize for the audition, and the copy of Pride and Prejudice that belonged to my mother, who died when I was six What my mother bequeathed to one, a handful of photos, her wedding band, and dog-eared copy of her favorite novel On page 100, there’s a faint coffee ring On page 237, a se while she was siuely recall her doing When I feel the absence of her the most, when I crave her are that she’s never co back no matter what I do or how ers to the fingerprint and the coffee ring, and feel comforted

I don’t want to discuss the audition with anyone but Earten, e becarade, whenrand us back and forth, we stayed close I don’t knohat my life would have been like without her Lonely, I think

With Ehborhood boys (armed with her dad’s binoculars), learned to skateboard (sort of) and took driver’s ed With Eet pedicures and talk about everything With Emily, I feel normal

I call her as soon as I’ "So which scene did you do? Was it a good one? Did you nail it?"

"The scene where he asks me out"

"The one where he kisses you at the end? Aaaaaand?"

"When we got to the part where he grabsDarcy would ever do, because he’s fully in charge of his e characteristic! I don’t think the screenwriter even read the novel"

"E Spill"

"No kiss The director stopped us right before, and I guess they brought the next hopeful contender in"

"Aw, crap No fair" She sighs, taking the loss personally

"Yeah, kissing him would’ve been a nice consolation prize"

"E this part Are you ready to handle all the screwed up stuff in the script? Movies are never as good as the book, no offense You can’t let it drive you insane" Emily knows me so well

"I can do it I’m just worried that if I do this movie, I’ll be stereotyped as insubstantial and cute I’ll never end up doing soe of your career, and you can do whatever you want"

"When will that be?" I can’t help the whine that seeps into my voice

"When you’re like forty," she answers "No doubt about it--by forty, you’ll be in coht, Em"

Chapter 5

REID

After the last two auditions, I’ et a text froht is how the hell to get out of it, but then I re when I said yes I hit reply and type yep

The valet zooms up in o by telling hihteen if he said no He hates the car, fro everything in the house as I pull into the garage, but above all, he hates the color--lemon yellow He calls it a douche taxi Last week I pulled into the drive when he was getting the mail, and as I walked up to the house he stared at the car and said, no inflection, "You’re keeping that thing at least a year"

As he kneould, that re car immediately

Dinner in two hours should be all kinds of enjoyable

Iho down for the day, but I head over to Robertson and hand over the keys to another valet, wondering if valets actually drive my car as much or more than I do Paul & Joe is open and nearly deserted, the sales clerks (both hot--gay guy, wispy blonde chick) hovering, waiting to be helpful They exchange a look as I browse Between the two of theenerate interest froh the door

I grab a few funky shirts and a pair of jeans and request a dressing rooirl "Yes, of course, Mr Alexander," she says Maybe sonized I’ve just pulled on the jeans when she co room with another pair in a different shade Without a trace of apprehension at walking in on me half-undressed, she holds theht want to try them, too" I toss the to the mirror like I don’t notice, I button the jeans and pull on one of the vintage t-shirts

"What do you think? Too dug-it-outta-Dad’s-closet?"

Her s "If your dad was cool, then that’s in" She bites her lip, lightly "Let me see the other one"

I pull the shirt off and step closer "Hold it forup in my head, until my phone beeps--another reminder text from Mom about dinner I reply that I’ just over her breast, "I’ll take both shirts, and the jeans I’ht now" Myoff and hand it to her "I’ll just wear the, her phone nu with the new shirts and the jeans I earing when I cae Not a good sign; I hope he’s just late Asacross the table fro to watch the effect on Mom whenever he bails on her--which is often Immaculada is perched on a stool in the kitchen, chin propped in her hand, watching reality TV Everything on the stove is set to low Waiting