Parallel Parking (19 page)

1. When you love someone, his/her opinion of you means everything.
   

   True
   False
   

2. Your honey hates your friends. You:
   

   a
   dump your friends.
   

   b
   dump your honey.
   

   c
   try to help them all get along.
   

   d
   keep them apart as much as possible.
   

Scoring:

1.
a-2, b-2, c-2, d-3, e-1

2.
a-3, b-1, c-2

3.
True-3, False-1

4.
a-3, b-1, c-2

5.
a-3, b-1, c-3

6.
True-1, False-3

7.
a-1, b-3, c-2, d-1

21–18: You’re the boss. You have to have your way. Watch out or you could turn into a tyrant.

17–13: Your relationship is a partnership of equals, mostly. It’s healthier that way and likelier to last.

12–7: Your honey is the boss. You like letting others lead. Or maybe you’re just a wimp.

To:     mad4u

From: your daily horoscope

HERE IS TODAY’S HOROSCOPE: VIRGO: You’ve finally gotten rid of your delusions. Now if you could just get rid of those poltergeists…

Y
ou’ve done very well so far, Madison.” Ginny the Gym Teacher sat in the passenger seat of the student driver car. Mads ruled
the driver’s seat. She glanced at the checklist in Ginny’s lap. There was a check next to every part of the test, from proper
signaling to three-point turning. Only one part remained: parallel parking.

“One more exercise to go,” Ginny said. “But it’s a
toughie. For you, anyway.”

“I know,” Mads said.

She got into parallel parking position. She tried to relax. She looked down at her biker boots. They were cool. She wiggled
her toes inside them to let their coolness molecules spread through her body.

She was ready.

She backed into the spot and straightened out. The tires rubbed against the cement. Mads hoped that wasn’t a deduction. She
pulled forward, which helped a little. She tried to back up. Her tire bumped the curb. She stopped. She was parked. She hadn’t
totally botched it. Best to leave well enough alone.

Ginny checked her distance from the curb. “You’re a little close, but I’ll pass you,” she said. “Congratulations, Madison.”
She checked parallel parking off the list.

“Hurray!” Mads wanted to kiss her. Almost.

“Go forth and get your license,” Ginny said. “And drive carefully.”

“I will.”

Mads was floating. She clicked the heels of her boots together and felt a rush of warmth for Sean, in spite of Natasha Brearly.
He had really helped her, when no one else could. He was the only person to solve the mystery of parallel parking for her.

She couldn’t wait to tell someone the good news. But Sean wasn’t the one she wanted to tell. Stephen was.

She ran into the school building, hoping to catch him before he left for the day. She found him on his way out.

“Stephen!” she called. “I passed! I passed driver’s ed!”

He grinned and held out his arms for her. “That’s great! I knew you could do it,” he said.

She jumped into his arms. “I’m so happy! I wish the dance was tonight so we could celebrate.”

“We can celebrate anyway,” Stephen said. “I’ll take you to Harvey’s for shakes. And we’ll celebrate again next weekend at
the dance.”

She hugged him tightly. She was so happy she had him. To think how close she’d come to losing him. It was crazy.

“Can I say something?” she asked.

“Please do,” he said.

She looked into his eyes. “I can’t wait to go to the dance with you. I just wanted to say that, in case it wasn’t clear. You’re
my dream date.”

“Me too,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to go with anyone else.”

He hugged her tighter. He looked so happy it almost broke her heart.

•
•
•

“It’s Hap-Hap-Happening!” Sebastiano shouted. He whirled Holly onto the dance floor.

“They are definitely the Happening couple,” Lina said to Mads as they watched. Holly looked sultry in a gold strapless fifties
dress, her blond hair smoothed and waved over one eye, her mouth a scarlet pout. Sebastiano wore a vintage fifties suit and
a shirt flecked with gold to match Holly’s dress. They were the best dancers on the floor—thanks mostly to Sebastiano’s flair—and
looked fantastic.

“Too bad they’re not a real couple,” Mads said.

Her eyes drifted across the room to Sean and Natasha. They looked good, too, in a different way. Sean had hardly bothered
to dress for the dance—but when you looked like him, clothes only got in the way. His one nod to formality was the leather
jacket he wore over his jeans and T-shirt. Natasha had put more effort into her outfit, a slinky black dress. The two of them
leaned against the wall near the door, as if ready to make a quick getaway.

“I wonder if Natasha’s annoyed that Sean didn’t dress up,” Mads said.

“I wonder if she’s annoyed that he can’t stop watching Holly,” Lina said.

Lina was right—Sean’s eyes followed Holly across
the dance floor. Natasha was talking to him, but he didn’t seem to be listening.

Maybe he’s sorry he didn’t try harder with Holly, Mads thought. She wished he was staring at her instead, but he wasn’t. She
still longed for him, in spite of everything.

Ramona, resplendent in a curve-hugging black Morticia dress, held hands with Rex and watched the dancers from their perch
on a windowsill. “I wonder if they’ll dance,” Lina said. “I’ve never seen Ramona dance before.”

“I can’t picture it,” Mads said.

“Now you don’t have to,” Lina said.

The next song was a slow one, and Ramona pulled Rex onto the floor. She put his arms around her waist and danced him around
the room in a slow, rocking motion.

Holly and Sebastiano left the floor, shiny with perspiration.

“Slow songs are for suckers,” Sebastiano said. “And bad dancers.”

“Sebastiano, no more deep dips,” Holly said. “I nearly fell out of my dress. It’s strapless, you know. As in, nothing holding
it up?” She tugged at her gown.

“That’s the point,” Sebastiano said. “Why do you think dips were invented?”

Sean left Natasha by the door. He walked slowly past Mads and her friends, keeping his eyes on Holly.

“Get over yourself,” Holly muttered.

Still, they all watched him. They couldn’t help it.

He stepped onto the dance floor, wedged himself between Quintana and her date, and started slow-dancing with her. Natasha
looked unhappy.

“I’m glad that’s over,” Holly said to Mads. “Sean’s not the kind of person you can count on. For anything.”

“Except parking lessons,” Mads said.

“Unlike me,” Sebastiano said. “I’m Mr. Reliable.”

“I don’t know about that,” Holly said. “But at least you don’t leave me hanging by the door.”

Walker and Stephen returned from the drinks table with sodas for Lina and Mads. Stephen whistled their song, “If I Only Had
a Brain,” and playfully knocked on Mads’ head. Then he gave her a kiss.

“Slow dance, my driver girl?” he asked her.

“Let’s go.” Mads put down her drink and followed Stephen onto the dance floor. He held her in a tender clinch. She knocked
lightly on his head. Getting jerked around by Sean made her realize how much she cared about her scarecrow. Not only did he
have a brain, but, unlike Sean, he had a heart and courage, too. Knockety-knock.

Does He Like Me?

How Can I Get His Attention?

Is It Normal to Dream About Him ALL the Time?

L
ove those DATING GAME quizzes? Here’s a bonus section just for you!

C
heck out all the books in the best-selling series by Natalie Standiford, and spend more time with Holly, Lina, and Mads, as
they try to sort out their messy love lives with a little bit of luck, lots of pluck, and just the right amount of humor!

BOOK 1: THE DATING GAME

Madison is sure that Sean is the perfect guy for her, but he doesn’t know she exists… so she dates his best friend! Lina has
a huge crush on her teacher… so she writes him a love poem and submits it to the school’s literary journal. Holly is being
called “the Boobmeister” by all the guys in school… so she considers paying another girl to parade
around in her underwear so everyone will talk about her. Three girls, major guy problems, and a dating Web site—imagine the
possibilities!

QUIZ: WHAT COLOR IS YOUR LOVE AURA?

1. To you, a good kiss is:
   

   a
   a peck on the cheek.
   

   b
   lip to lip with a tight pucker.
   

   c
   lip to lip with a little tongue play.
   

   d
   nice and wet with lots of tongue.
   

2. Your idea of a hot date is:
   

   a
   dinner with your parents.
   

   b
   a stroll and a stop for a cup of coffee.
   

   c
   a movie with an easy-to-follow plot for plenty of makeout action.
   

   d
   getting a motel room.
   

3. Your favorite pickup line is:
   

   a
   What’re you looking at?
   

   b
   Hi. What’s your name?
   

   c
   You’re cute. What are you doing for the rest of my life?
   

   d
   Shut up and kiss me.
   

4. You’re eating with a guy and he spills ketchup on his shirt. You:
   

   a
   say nothing.
   

   b
   wipe it off with your napkin.
   

   c
   lick it off.
   

   d
   tell him his shirt has ketchup on it, then rip it off.