The Boy Project (6 page)

Today promises to be just as bad as yesterday. Tabbi wrote the same dumb words on Evan's hand. Again. I couldn't face lunch with them. Again. So here I am in the library. Again. Actually, I
had
to come here because Jonah Nate's not letting me forget my promise. Every time he saw me this morning, he said, “Do you have my book, Kara? You
promised
.” Unfortunately, he seems to reserve his loud-whispering for the library.

The last time he cornered me about the dreaded book, we were in the hallway right in front of Maybelline and The Sponge.

Maybelline
said, “What book, Kara?
How to Be Popular in Ten Easy Steps
?”

Unfortunately, Jonah Nate is deaf to sarcasm. “No!” he yelled. “A book about a Civil War submarine!”

This made it worse, not better, because Maybelline and The Sponge grabbed each other and giggled. “Keep reading books like that, Kara. That'll improve your social life,” sputtered Maybelline.

“Except that she doesn't have one,” added The Sponge.

Then they walked off holding each other up. Apparently, my borrowing a book from Jonah Nate is the funniest thing either of them has ever heard.

It's okay to be furious with someone for saying something that's basically true, isn't it?

I took my anger out on Jonah Nate. “You'll have your precious book by the end of lunch. Do NOT ask me about it again!”

So. I'm poring over this book, wishing I'd just gone ahead and read it last night. But last night I kept finding better things to do. Like creating a bead, button, and fishing line curtain to hang across the door of my room. I really got into making it, probably because whenever I'm concentrating on transforming something boring (like fishing line) into something amazing (like a beaded curtain), my problems (like Tabbi and Evan) seem far, far away.

I guess every girl needs some way to escape her problems. Julie runs from hers. I mean, she runs every morning no matter what. But I've noticed that she also goes running if she's just had an argument with Mom or something.

She's lucky that she's picked a way to escape that actually does her some good! All of those hours escaping have netted her a MVP award and a bunch of shiny track trophies. Unfortunately for me, you don't win room-enhancing trophies by escaping into a good book or a craft project. On the other hand, the beaded curtain is technically room-
enhancing. Plus, getting away from the idea of Tabbi and Evan for a few hours was great. But now it's back to reality. And reality wants his precious book back. Better get to reading.

Okay, I just finished reading all about Lieutenant Dixon and his soul mate, Queenie Bennett. I know Lieutenant Dixon is dead. But if he weren't, here's what his information would look like:

Even though researching a dead person in the stillness of the library is creeping me out a little bit, this stuff has raised some serious questions that need to be included in my research.

Question 1: What if the person destined to be your one and only true soul mate dies before you have a chance to get married?

Queenie Bennett and Lieutenant George Dixon were destined for each other! The gold coin she gave him acted like a powerful mini shield when it was in his pocket. It stopped a bullet! Clearly, the coin was protected by Queenie's love.

Over a hundred years later — when they pulled the
Hunley
out of Charleston Harbor — that gold coin was still next to Dixon's body. If that's not true love, I don't know what is.

Question 2: Can a person have more than one soul mate?

Seven years after Dixon died, his true love married someone else! What if the question “Who is my one and only soul mate?” has a multiple-choice answer . . . and more than one answer is correct?

Question 3: What if the universe got out of whack and your one and only true soul mate was Lieutenant Dixon or some other person from a century or so ago and you NEVER even had the chance to find him?

It makes my head hurt to think about it. I mean, there are so many more possibilities for finding your soul mate if life works like it does in
Prada and Prejudice
, which is a book about a girl who stumbles into nineteenth-century England and then falls in love with someone there. It's hard enough trying to find potential soul mates among my current classmates, never mind the entire world population, past and present. I'm giving Jonah Nate his book back right now!

Tabbi asked me if I wanted to walk to Burger King with her and Evan after school to get a milk shake. I didn't.

There's nothing like a little trip to the mall to lift a girl's spirits, even if the goal of the trip is to get new running shoes for her sister the track star. Because guess what else there is at the mall besides impact-resistant shoes with flexible cushioning?

Cute guys that you can't see at your school! Cute guys who could possibly be your soul mate! Hey — you never know. I took notes on one who works at A&F.

See, I was in there checking out tops while Julie was trying on shoes. Suddenly, I felt this hand on my arm. I turned around and the guy of my dreams was saying, “Can I help you?”

I wanted to say, “Yes, you can!” But instead I mumbled that I was just looking, and hurried out of the store because I could feel my face turning red. But I felt something else, too — an all-over tingle — especially when he touched my arm. What if that's a feeling that
only
your one and only true soul mate can give you?

Bebe Truelove dished out another helping of worthless advice today along with an ad for breath spray. Here's the e-mail I just received:

To: Kara M

From: BebeTruelove

Subject: Tip #2

Dear Soul Mate Seeker,

A guy likes a girl who listens to him when he talks. When having conversations, remember that your ears are just as important as your mouth.

Tip #2: Be a good listener.

Good Luck in Love,

Bebe

Try Sweetene Herbal Breath Spray!

Going out for a romantic dinner? Be prepared for close conversation with Sweetene Herbal Breath Spray. Just a few sprays of this natural solution, developed by our top lab technicians, will keep your breath fresh and fabulous! Click here to order now!

♥
Sweetene
♥

(Must be 18 years of age to order.)

See why I think this advice is worthless? When I dragged Tabbi over to Evan's table, I hardly talked at all. I was an excellent listener! I listened to Evan. I listened to Tabbi. I listened to Tabbi talk to Evan. And look what it got me. A front-row seat at the
Best Friend Steals Crush
show.

So Mr. DeLacey has a sub today. Chip caught my arm as I was coming in the door. (It didn't create an all-over tingle.) “Operation Class-List Swap?” he suggested. He wiggled his mediocre eyebrows. I couldn't help laughing.

But I wasn't sure it was a good idea. After all, the last time I participated in one of his pranks, it cost me these things:

1. the guy of my dreams.
   
2. the ability to tolerate my best friend's conversations.
   
3. my chance for total happiness.
   

Right. I really had nothing left to lose. I gave Chip the thumbs-up.

He sat in the last seat of the last row so he could be the one to switch the list out before carrying it up to the sub. We'd started with normal-looking names like Candace B. Fureal. Moved on to Marcus Absent (totally appropriate) and ended with our joint favorite: Monk E. Butts. (Okay, there were some better ones, but we
knew
we'd get in trouble for using those.)

I pretended to be getting something out of my desk when Chip walked up to the front to turn in the list so that no one would notice me trying not to laugh. Nobody did. When I thought about how successful I was at going unnoticed, it was kind of depressing. . . .

At the beginning of sixth period, Tabbi left the woodwind section during warm-ups to come sit with me in brass. We often use this time to catch up because no one can hear what we're saying with the horns tooting, drums banging, and woodwinds squeaking all at once. Anyway, Tabs wanted to know what was wrong. I've been trying to act normal around her, but it's hard. Knowing it's not her fault that Evan likes her instead of me somehow doesn't help.

I can't even blame him for that. There's a lot to like about Tabbi! She's loyal. And she always gives straight-up answers for whatever questions you ask. She has great hair. It's thick and blond, but she has the confidence to wear it short. I guess Evan sees these great things, too.

But why couldn't he see all the great things about
me
? Like how I make almost all A's. I mean, I could be the money-earner and he could live a life of leisure as my soul mate! He'll never get that with Tabbi. Trust me.

And how I'm good at creating things. I mean, not many people have the imagination to turn an Altoids tin into a mini suitcase with masking tape, shoe polish, and a piece of wire. And I love to laugh! I'd laugh at all of his crazy comments and stupid jokes. Why couldn't Evan have seen this? Why? Why? Why?

I decided to tell Tabbi the truth. But not all of it. I told her it was hard for me to not have a boyfriend, especially now that she did.

“One day the right guy is going to see how great you are.” Tabbi hugged me. And I appreciated it. But I wish we'd been paying more attention to the podium. Because Mr. Waldorf stepped up and everyone fell silent and put down their instruments just as Tabbi added, “Don't worry, Kara, you'll get a boyfriend soon.”

“I'm
sorry
!” Tabbi said as I climbed up the metal steps and through the folding door.

I couldn't answer her. I knew I'd cry, and I was humiliated enough already.

By this time tomorrow the whole school will know that I want a boyfriend. I'll look desperate. And okay, I am desperate. But does
everybody
have to know?

As soon as I stepped off of the bus, my cell rang. It was Maybelline! That girl has rotten timing.

“Hey, Kara. This is Colleen. I heard you left school upset and I just wanted to know what's wrong. All those A's not helping you get a boyfriend?”

Click.

After Maybelline's
call, I went straight to Mom's craft corner, which is down in the basement along with our old sofa, old TV, and old everything else. You know, stuff that isn't good enough to keep upstairs but is too good to throw away. I felt like breaking something, and there's a lot of old junk stashed with the craft supplies. I grabbed a loop of wire and twisted it, twisted it, twisted it until it looked like an angry blob. But the blob also kinda looked like a fish. So I added fins and threaded a blue bead on for an eye.

In the end, the fish looked really cool! And you know what? I felt a lot better. Mom always says that creating is a form of healing. I think she's right!

Just got a text from Tabbi.

Plz 4giv me.

She's probably afraid to call. I'm glad. I don't want to talk to her. But I do forgive her.

So just before I turned out the lights, after I knew her mom had taken her phone away (she's waaay strict about bedtime), I texted Tabbi back.

OK