Amalia's California Diaries by Ann M. Martin
Author:Ann M. Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504052689
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2017-07-27T00:00:00+00:00
11:12 P.M.
Long night.
Where to begin?
Okay. Start at the good part.
Mami drives me to Ricoâs. But because she came home late from work, Iâm the last one at the rehearsal.
I notice Justin hanging out with Bruce at the snack table (âthe trough,â as Mr. Chavez calls it). I see Maggie playing keyboard, ignoring him. This is not good. I make a mental note to talk to her later.
Then I see Rico. Heâs grinning.
I assume heâs told everyone about Christinaâs offer. But no one seems excited.
Suddenly he jacks up his amp and strikes a loud TWWANNNNNG! on his guitar.
âYo, listen up, everybody! Amalia has a big announcement!â
Heâs left all the glory to me. (I love Rico. Even if he is a guy.)
I jump onto the platform and grab Maggieâs mike. Sheâs giving me this curious look.
Everyone bursts into wild applause when I tell them about the gig.
I save the part about the money for last.
When they hear that, theyâre screaming. Jumping on me. Hugging me. Lifting me off the ground.
âI said 500, not 500,000!â I shout.
No one cares. I could have said 50, and theyâd be happy.
Rico starts playing âFor Sheâs a Jolly Good Fellow.â His parents announce theyâre getting ice cream and snacks to celebrate. Iâm feeling fantastic.
Then I look at Maggie.
Sheâs still at the keyboard. Sitting. Her brow is all wrinkled.
When she sees me, she smiles. But Iâm not fooled.
Somethingâs wrong.
I wait until snack break to approach her. By that time, weâve settled into rehearsal and played through a few songs.
While everyone is pigging out, Maggieâs off in a corner with a bottle of spring water.
I ask her if sheâs OK.
Fine, fine.
I want to say something about her eating, but this isnât the right time. So I remark that she seems to be ignoring Justin.
She shrugs. She says theyâre still friends, just her crush on him is over. No big deal.
We sit. She sips.
Finally I ask how she feels about the Homecoming Bash.
Her face tightens up. âGreat news,â she says quietly.
âDonât knock me over with your excitement,â I say.
I mean it as a joke. But Maggie doesnât smile. She tells me the date is too soon. She doesnât feel ready.
I remind her she knows the numbers cold.
She tells me itâs not just a question of knowing. The songs need rewriting. The bridge to âSlow Down,â the second
verse of this, the third verse of thatâ¦
I assure her theyâre fine and no one will notice.
âI notice,â she replies. âTheyâre my words. I canât sing them if they stink. I have enough trouble singing anything these days. Iâm straining above middle C. Maybe Iâm getting a node on my throat. Iâll be lucky if I have a voice by the Homecoming Bash.â
âMaggie, you just need to relax,â I say.
âEasy for you to say. You donât have to make a fool of yourself before the whole school. Youâre not tired all the time because you canât eat right. You donât have to worry about looking fatââ
âYouâre not fat!â
Once again, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG thing to say.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Evelina by Fanny Burney(26505)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt(18087)
Who'd Have Thought by G Benson(16134)
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell(15083)
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda(14602)
A Web of Lies 27 by Bella Forrest(13525)
Fallen Heir by Erin Watt(13154)
The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air Book 1) by Holly Black(12002)
Shadow Children #03 - Among the Betrayed by Margaret Peterson Haddix(11586)
Twisted Palace by Erin Watt(10815)
Warriors (9781101621189) by Young Tom(10281)
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli(10022)
Caraval Series, Book 1 by Stephanie Garber(9875)
La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman(9862)
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo(9654)
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera(9450)
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han(9296)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell(8771)
A Girl in a Million by Betty Neels(8358)
