Free Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen Page B

there. I felt trapped and...I don't know...I just lost it."
    "Wow..."
    There was nothing remotely squintlike about Adrienne's expression. Instead, her face seemed to be stretched out in all directions, which was strange. "Look. It's all settled," I said, picking at the disgusting crust of my burrito. "I wrote Mr. Hikks a note and said I was sorry.... It's over." I tried a bite of the burrito, chewing on cold beans as I asked, "Do you have any plans for community-service hours?"
    "Oh, the Elf Extravaganza took care of that."
    "It did?"
I
squinted at
her.
"How is dressing up like elves and singing Christmas songs serving the community?"
    "We did performances for the children's hospital, remember?" She heaved a sigh. "Those poor kids. I'd sing for them every day if I could." Then she looked at me and said, "Community hours are easy, Evangeline. Just pick an organization and do it."
    "You sound like Mr. Hikks," I grumbled.
    She shrugged. "You could also tutor right here at school. That's what Paxton's doing."
    "Where?"
    "I'll ask him. It's on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, or maybe both. I'll get details." She gave me a mischievous look. "Or you could just ask Mr. Hikks."
    "Oh,
right,
" I laughed.
    "Hey," she asked, suddenly bubbling with excitement, "how'd you like the newspaper?"
    "Great issue," I said, although I'd barely had a chance to leaf through it.
    Adrienne pulled out her copy of the
Larkmont Times
and held it open, nodding at page three. "You have no idea how hard it was to balance the text and the graphics here. I had this text overflow problem that was just driving me bonkers! And this picture here of Lloyd Morro? It kept disappearing! I'd paste it in, move it to front,
save
it, but poof! The next time I'd open the file, it would be gone." She nodded at page two. "We got so many paid personals this time! Did you read them? We made a mint on them. I think it's because the Spring Fling is tonight and people are after a last-minute date. Or maybe people just know each other better now. Do you remember how we had, like,
two
at the beginning of the year, and how we had to make some up, just to keep it from being so embarrassing?" She looked at me, her face glowing. "Hey! You should put an ad in--'Wanted: A crimson kiss.'"
    I snorted. "Maybe I should. I sure don't seem to be able to find one on my own."
    "Any new prospects?"
    I shook my head, and I was about to spill what had happened with Andrew, but before I could find the words, she said, "Do you want to meet me at the dance tonight?"
    "You're going to the dance?"
    "I've got to cover it for newspaper. Ms. Pickney insists that it's 'important.'"
    I gave her one of her own trademark squints. "The Spring Fling is just like every other dance here: It's so loud you can't talk, they play awful music, and it's sweltering in the gym."
    "I know. I remember." She shrugged. "But I'm assigned, and that's where I'll be."
    "But...why you? Isn't someone from newspaper going to the dance, anyway? Why couldn't they just cover it?"
    She frowned. "Apparently I'm the only one available." She folded up the
Times
and rifled through her backpack for her sack lunch and bottle of water, grumbling, "That class is full of loafers."
    "Well, sorry, but I don't want to tag along."
    "I don't blame you." She unwrapped her usual multilayered sandwich, which was half smashed but still delicious-looking. "So what are you going to do?"
    I'd made it to the center of my burrito, which was slightly frozen. "I don't know. This has been one lousy day. I'm just looking forward to it being
over.
"
    Then I tossed the rest of my burrito in the trash.

37
    Counteracting the Mope Gene
    M OPING IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE . Once you start, it'll hook you and drag you down until you are full-on depressed. To counteract my mope gene (which clearly comes from my maternal side), I eat ice cream. I read. I hang out at Groove Records. I shop. I blast music. I go to Adrienne's.
    Adrienne was not available, and since there was a note from