I stand up and stretch, then walk over to the YA section. Holden’s mom has been trying to get me to pick up a detective series all summer, but so far, I’ve avoided it. It’s not that I hate reading. It’s actually one of my favorite subjects at school. But it’s summer and it feels like a drag to be reading indoors when I could be playing outside.
I’ve just rounded the corner when I hear a girl’s voice throughthe stacks. Peeking down the aisle, I spot her pacing back and forth. She’s got the prettiest hair I’ve ever seen. Not exactly red or brown, but more like the gleaming copper of a brand-new penny. The kind that’s perfect for rolling in the souvenir coin machines at Hersheypark.
She’s also deep in conversation with… herself.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” she says, her voice steely and determined. She shakes her head slightly, then says it again, this time putting emphasis on the last word. “Where there’s smoke, there’sfire.”
“My mom always says if you see a fire, you should stop, drop, and roll.” The words burst out of me before I can stop them, and I feel my face go hot.God, why am I talking to her?
The girl freezes in place, and her eyes swing to me. Her mouth falls open, and her cheeks turn pink. I immediately feel bad for sneaking up on her. Luckily, she recovers quickly and offers me a shy smile.
“It’s not a real fire. I was just testing out lines from a book.” She waves the paperback in her hand as confirmation. “My agent says it’s a good acting exercise.”
“Youragent?” I’m so shocked that my voice cracks at the end. I cough a few times to cover it. “Are you, like, famous or something?”
She laughs. “No. Not yet at least. But I’ve done a few commercials. Have you seen the new ad for Superstar Barbie?” She sings a few bars of a jingle I don’t recognize, before the words and melody fade away and a smile crosses her face.
Her voice is pretty, and I wish she hadn’t stopped.
“I haven’t seen it.” When her shoulders deflate, I quickly add, “But I’m sure I will soon. My brother and I watch a lot of TV.”
She looks pleased by this answer. There’s a beat of silence as she rocks back on her heels and I realize I either need to say something else or walk away. If only I could think of something else to say. My eyes drop to the book in her hand and inspiration strikes.
“So, uh… you like Nancy Drew?”
Her smile broadens. “She’s my favorite. I read the entire Baby-Sitters Club series, so now I’ve started these books. Do you like mysteries too?”
“Umm… yeah. Definitely. They’re all I read.” My eyes dart quickly to the shelves. Luckily, I catch sight of the book series Holden’s mom keeps pestering me about. I grab one and hold it up triumphantly.
“Here it is. The Encyclopedia Brown book I was looking for.”
“Oh, I haven’t read those yet. But I heard they’re great.” She beams at me. “It’s nice to meet other kids who like reading.”
My heart is thumping in my chest. I take a deep breath, willing myself to be cool.
“Reading is the best. I’m JJ, by the way. Short for Jesse, Jr. My dad is also Jesse.”Ugh, my mouth is like a volcano. I clamp it shut before any more word lava spills out.
“Marissa,” she replies.
“I haven’t seen you around before. Did you just move here?”
She shakes her head.
“My grandma lives in Lake Tranquility. We always visit her during the summer.”
“Oh, cool. Which neighborhood?”
“The Hideaway. Do you know it?”
Holy crap. I cannot believe my luck. But also, how is it possible that I’ve never run into her before?
I drag a hand through my buzz cut as I try my hardest to look cool.
“No way. I live there too.”
“Seriously?”
“Yup. When the weather is nice, my friends and I hang out by the lake. You should join us sometime.”
