A Novel Idea Read Online Free Page B

could do but wait for that fateful Sunday to arrive.
     

Three
    At noon on Sunday, February twenty-fourth, I walked into the Book Nook with just myself, my ideas, and lots of jangling nerves.
     
    I’d meant to arrive earlier, but the morning had been hectic. I’d spent an hour choosing an outfit, finally settling on shredded jeans, my Belle & Sebastian T-shirt, a fuzzy blue cardigan, chandelier earrings, and blue Pumas. Next, I pulled out my cloth-bound journal and jotted down ideas for different books the group could discuss, like Life of Pi and The Lovely Bones . My first choice was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time , which I’d seen on the shelf at the Book Nook—it had a cool orange paperback cover and a potentially good mystery story about an autistic kid. Still, I wasn’t sure if the others in the group would go for it.
     
    I was finishing off my book list when Tuesday Levine called. Her rich exboyfriend had flown her to his parents’ house in Cabo San Lucas for the weekend to win her back, and now that they were together again, she was planning to spend all her free time glued to his side. I made a gagging motion at my mirror as I listened to my friend apologize for having to drop out of the book group. Tuesday has that kind of nauseating love karma, so I wasn’t too surprised. But I also couldn’t help wondering if her pulling out was a bad omen.
     
    What if no one showed up?
     
    Fortunately, at least Audre and Scott were there when I arrived, sitting at a big round table in the sun-bright café. Audre, fussing over a plate of her walnut-and-cranberry scones, was wearing a glittery headband and a sixties-style black-and-white checked dress with white boots. Scott, chatting on his cell, had on his usual uniform of a button-down short-sleeved shirt, slouchy slacks, and multiple wristbands. I was so grateful to see them that I almost burst into tears.
     
    “I have bad news,” Scott said before I could even sit down. He shut his phone and pushed a hand through his light brown curls. “Olivia Ramirez has mono, so she’s gonna be out of school for, like, two months. Oh, and obviously she can’t join the book group.”
     
    “And,” Audre added carefully, watching me as if I might pass out any second, “Ha-Jin and Stephanie can’t make it either. They’re too stressed out by yearbook deadlines.” She went back to arranging her scones, looking apologetic on behalf of all our friends.
     
    “Then I was right!” I cried, plopping down in an empty seat.
     
    “What, you mean Lindsay Lohan is Satan?” Scott asked, reaching across me for a scone. Audre slapped his hand away.
     
    “No.” I sighed. “I just had a sense of, like, doom this morning. If Tuesday and the other girls can’t come, who does that leave us with?”
     
    Just then, the front door swung open, letting in a blast of icy wind, followed by a tall girl decked out in a pink peacoat, Seven jeans, and spike-heeled black boots. She paused with her hand on her slim hip, as if she were posing, then whipped off her wraparound shades and shook out her chin-length raven hair. One of the store cats—Agatha Christie, I think—crept up to the girl and purred, and she jerked away, shuddering in disgust.
     
    “Plum alert,” Audre whispered, nudging me.
     
    I nodded. There was no way a girl like that would be here for our book group. But when Griffin came out from behind the register and wrapped his arms around the Plum type, I gasped and Audre immediately grabbed my hand.
     
    “What’s wrong?” Scott asked, glancing up; he’d been text-messaging under the table.
     
    “Everything,” I answered softly, watching in disbelief as Griffin kissed the girl on each cheek.
     
    “You made it!” I heard him exclaim. “They’re in the back.”
     
    Slowly, Audre turned her head to gaze at me, horrified.
     
    “ That’s the friend?” she whispered.
     
    “What about the—the sexy guy?” I stammered.
     
    “What sexy