J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Yo!

Why wouldn't I want to do that? HELLO. Brendan is going to be there. Potentially doing something cool like skateboarding or playing soccer.

You sure you don't want to come?

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Try not to drool It's 50 degrees outside at the moment. And windy. I wonder why Sophie invited you? Just be careful, Anna, you know what she's like.

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Try not to drool No, what is she like?

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Try not to drool She likes attention. I just hope that she's not trying to latch on to this It Girl thing. You know, now you know someone famous? It's the sort of thing she loves. Be careful with that group.

I don't want any of them to hurt you.

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: I hear ya Okay, wise Gandalf, I will be careful.

Now, stop being grumpy and serious.

I have some news that will cheer you up.

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: I hear ya Mysterious. What?

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Get excited You're going to see On the Rox in April.

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Get excited ARE YOU SERIOUS????.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!.

I'm super happy! You are a great best friend! Did Marianne offer them?

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Get excited Thought you might be happy about that one. Yes she did.

I think I may have had a small breakthrough with Marianne today, you know. She almost smiled at me.

So now she's patted Dog on the head and almost smiled at me AND offered On the Rox tickets, I would say . . . we're basically best friends.

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Get excited Um. Yeah. Sure. I'm sure you guys are like best friends.

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: I see how it is Don't think I can't sense that tone of sarcasm. She gave me boy tips too, so there. A true sign of sisterhood. Do you think it's embarrassing that in an e-mail I just sent her I used the word "hoot"? That's a cool word, right? Everyone uses that word.

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: I see how it is No one uses that word. This is like the time you kept trying to get the word "hullabaloo" into conversations.

Why do you need boy tips? You're so good at that sort of thing.

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: I see how it is Any more sarcasm and I'm giving the On the Rox tickets to Dog.

He is very partial to rock music.

Once, I put on "Bohemian Rhapsody," and he howled along to it so loudly that it gave next door's hamster a heart attack.

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Forgive me?

I take it back. All I want in life is those tickets. You're the best best friend ever, thank you!

Just out of interest, when I called you "best friend" in that previous e-mail, did you get up and do a weird celebratory dance?

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Forgive me?

No?

Love, me xxx From: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Forgive me?

Liar. I bet you did a celebratory dance and then went to tell Dog. Am I right?

J x From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: jess.delby@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Forgive me?

HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?.

Love, me xxx

From: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Camels Greetings, my only child!

Looking forward to seeing you very soon during break. I've missed you!

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I've sold you to a lovely fellow here for the excellent price of three camels. Now, I know that seems quite low, and my colleague has managed to wrangle six for his daughter, but the camels I'm looking at are of much better breeding, so they're really worth triple his.

Hope all is well, darling!

Mom xxx From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk Subject: Re: Camels Hi, Mom, Thanks for sending me an e-mail purely to let me know how many camels I'm worth.

I am saving e-mails like this one in a special file for when I'm admitted to a mental institution.

Love, me xxx From: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Camels Good for you, darling!

Now, tell me your gossip-have you got a date for the dance yet? I bet the boys are falling over themselves.

Mom xxx From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk Subject: Re: Camels Mom, this is me we're talking about remember? You seem to have me confused with someone who is popular. No, I don't have a date to the dance yet. Who on earth would I go with?

Please do not suggest Dog.

Love, me xxx From: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Stop this negativity What about that lovely boy you mentioned on the phone? Boursin or something.

Mom xxx From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk Subject: Re: Stop this negativity Mom. Boursin is a CHEESE.

His name is Brendan. And he's the most popular and best-looking guy in school. So he won't be taking me.

Love, me xxx From: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Re: Stop this negativity Why not?

I thought you said you had made some new friends this semester. So you are popular too.

Is he going with someone else?

Mom xxx From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk Subject: Re: Stop this negativity Well, no actually. He hasn't actually asked Sophie yet as far as I know. But I'm sure he will. It makes sense that they would go together.

But he did call me smart yesterday. Could you imagine? If he took me to the dance, everyone would like me . . . and Jess and Danny would be pretty excited. It would definitely solve all my problems!

But it's never going to happen, Mom.

Thanks anyway.

Love, me xxx From: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk To: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk Subject: Excuse you, young lady You're not getting out of it that easily, miss. He called you SMART. Boys like smart girls. They have something to talk about with them.

Maybe the reason he hasn't asked this Sophie is because he wants to ask YOU. Hmm? Have you thought of it that way? You work your magic, darling-you may get your bookish nature from your father, but you get your flair from me. It's an irresistible combination.

See you at break. I'm going to bring you back a wonderful present-and don't worry, it won't be a mug like last time.

Mom xxx From: anna_huntley@zingmail.co.uk To: rebecca.blythe@bouncemail.co.uk Subject: Re: Excuse you, young lady Mom. Let's just clarify. You brought me back a MONKEY SKULL.

Just because it had a handle glued to it does NOT make it a mug. I don't care what that guy at the stall told you.

Please don't bring anything weird back for me. This year has already been disturbing enough.

Love, me xxx "Brendan is such a show-off." Sophie laughed, perching her sunglasses on her head and waving at him as he looked in our direction after scoring a second goal.

I held on tight to Dog's leash as he whined hysterically, watching the soccer ball fly around the grass between the boys. When I arrived, Sophie had made a big fuss about Dog without actually touching him, and Josie just looked a little disgusted and stepped away. Brendan had greeted him like an old friend, kneeling down to give him a good scratch.

"Brendan keeps looking at you, Sophie." Josie smiled. "He's showing off because you're here."

"No, I don't think so." Sophie blushed.

"Are you two going out?" I asked carefully.

"Not yet," Josie answered for her friend. "It's obvious that Brendan likes her though. Do you think you'll see him a lot when you're doing the internship with his mom over spring break? Do you think he visits her when she's on set?"

"I thought the internship was the prize of the raffle?" I looked at them in confusion.

"It is. Josie's being presumptuous that I'll win."

"Well, you did buy about twenty tickets." Josie grinned.

"No I did not!" Sophie said, giving Josie a pointed look.

Josie smiled knowingly to herself and went back to watching the boys run around. "I didn't realize your friend Jess was really into photography," she said a few moments later, looking over at me. "Or does she just like Brendan as well?"

"I do not like Brendan! Shut up, Josie." Sophie laughed.

"No, she doesn't like Brendan either!" I replied, patting Dog's head as Sophie smiled at me. "She's really into that sort of thing . . . photography and art. An internship would be great for her. I think she'd be really good at it; she's very creative."

"I'm surprised you haven't entered the raffle, Anna. Being around people like Helena and Marianne. They must have worked with loads of famous photographers, right?" Josie asked.

"Marianne models quite a lot I think. It isn't really my thing though. Especially not fashion photography. I wouldn't have a clue! Not like Jess or you, Sophie."

"Yeah, it would be cool to be on fashion shoots," Sophie said, twirling her hair around her finger. "Brendan's mom does a lot of those. She did one for Vogue you know. Do you think you'll ever be in a big magazine like that, Anna?"

"No way! I'd probably always end up on their worst-dressed lists. Luckily, I'm not interesting enough to them." I laughed. Dog pulled on the leash again and barked as the ball came racing past him.

"You could make them interested in you," Josie said sweetly. "If you started dressing up and going out more with Marianne. Although Jess would probably get jealous, wouldn't she."

"Jess? I don't think so."

"Oh, Anna, of course she would!" Josie chuckled, as though she found my navete endearing. "You've been getting a lot of attention recently. It's silly that you have such little confidence in yourself. You could be very pretty if you dressed up more."

"Really? Um, thanks," I said, taken aback by what sounded like a compliment.

"Absolutely. We could show you how!" Josie continued. "But I don't think Jess likes you hanging out with us, does she? I could tell at lunchtime."

"Josie, don't be mean." Sophie sighed. "I'm sure Jess is very happy that Anna is making new friends. It's nice you're hanging out with us, Anna. It's been fun getting to know you."

"Thanks," I said uneasily. Josie's comments made me think about Jess and her reaction to the changes that have been going on. She's been very supportive, but Josie did have a point. It was a bit strange that Jess was so reluctant for me to go to the park with a new group of friends.

My uncomfortable thoughts were disturbed by Brendan, who came bounding over to us. "Anna," he said, breathing heavily from all the running. "Let Dog off the leash."

"No way." I laughed. "He would destroy that soccer ball."

"He must be dying to be let off the leash. Go on," Brendan encouraged. "It'll be funny."

I looked at the girls. Sophie shrugged. I reached forward and unclipped Dog's leash. Immediately he sped toward the soccer ball that James was dribbling and pounced on it.

He tumbled across the field, back legs and tail flying forward and over as he rolled along, and then he attempted to gnaw at the ball. But it kept rolling away from him, making him very excited. James and the others laughed and ran toward Dog, kicking the soccer ball from him and happily running away with it while Dog chased each of them in hot pursuit, occasionally managing to steal it back.

After a few minutes, Dog leaped on the ball so aggressively that it hurled away from him and into the net. "GOAL!" James cried, and everyone ran laughing toward Dog to celebrate.

"You have the most hilarious dog." Brendan laughed as he doubled over.

"He's pretty ridiculous." I shook my head, giggling.

"I'm really happy you're here, Anna," Brendan said, brushing my arm with his hand.

I blushed and watched Brendan run back across the field to join the others in chasing down Dog, who was now just sprinting around the place without a clue what was going on. Brendan tackled Dog and began scratching his stomach happily. I laughed and looked over at Sophie and Josie.