The Girl Who Invented Romance by Caroline B. Cooney

Author:Caroline B. Cooney [Cooney, Caroline B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-81885-0
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2012-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

8

I was sound asleep on top of the covers. School had exhausted me. I had not even undressed, but was sprawled over my homework and had a pencil poking me in the side. I answered the phone groggily.

“This is important,” said Megan. “You’re going to get a call at ten o’clock, Kelly, and you and I have to sort out the details so you don’t screw up. Do you remember Blaize?”

Nobody named Blaize came to mind.

“I dated him in eighth grade,” said Megan, as one referring to ancient civilization. “He’s from Prospect Hill. There’s a big dance Saturday night and his girlfriend broke up with him and he called and asked me to go with him but I can’t—I’m far too busy—so I gave him your number. I promised Blaize that you are good company, a great date, pretty, slender, interested in sports.”

“I’m slender, anyway.”

“Do you have a formal gown or do you need to borrow one of mine?” Megan sounded so crisp. Perhaps she had a checklist in front of her. Steps to Take When Fixing Up Your Friend with Blaize.

“I need to borrow one of yours,” I admitted. Megan has been to so many formal dances, she has a wardrobe of gowns the way I have a wardrobe of T-shirts.

“Fine. Tomorrow after school we’ll do the dress part. Now. On this date. Be sure to joke a lot. He’s a bad dancer, so don’t force him to dance. Be very relaxed. He’s into sports but he didn’t make varsity in basketball so don’t mention basketball.” Megan went on and on. I was dazed. How could I be relaxed when I had to memorize a forty-point checklist?

“Blaize is good stuff, Kelly. You don’t want to mess up.”

My hands were sweaty and my cheeks were feverish and I hadn’t even talked to Blaize yet. I promised Megan that I would be slender, pretty, interested in sports (except basketball) and full of jokes.

A person needs a snack to consider this kind of thing. I headed for the kitchen and was immediately joined by Mom in her robe and Parker in his pajama bottoms. The sound of one person opening the refrigerator always brings the rest of us.

“What did Megan want?” said Mom.

“She’s fixing me up with her old friend Blaize, who needs a Saturday night formal dance date because his girlfriend walked out on him.”

“Perfect for your romance game!” cried my mother. “Can’t you see a whole life together built on the coincidence of Blaize’s girlfriend dumping him and you appearing in his life that very week?”

It sounded pretty darn similar to the coincidence of Ellen, Dad and Mom. “How do you know about my board game?” I said.

“I vacuum in there. You leave it out.”

“You snoop,” I said indignantly.

“She isn’t a snoop, Kelly,” said Parker. “You’re messy. And there is nothing romantic about the dance. This poor guy Blaize gets dumped. He feels lower than low. He calls the only other girl he can think of and what does Megan do? Passes him on to a stranger like a helping of mashed potatoes at the table.

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