Free Autumn Falls by Bella Thorne

thing.

    “Dirt Cadets … Addict Rest … Dead Strict …”
    I’m walking with J.J., and he’s making no sense whatsoever.
    “What are you talking about?” I ask moodily.
    “Those are anagrams for ‘distracted,’ ” he says. “What’s up?”
    He’s right. I’ve said next to nothing our whole walk. I keep wrestling with the journal thing. One second I’m positive all the wishes coming true were pure coincidence, the next I’m wondering all over again. Sure, it didn’t bring back my dad, but resurrection’s a pretty tall order.
    “You’re a logical guy, right?” I finally ask J.J.
    “I have my Vulcan moments,” he says.
    “I have no idea what that means.”
    He sighs. “Yes, I’m a logical guy.”
    “Do you believe in anything supernatural?” I ask.
    “Nope.”
    “That was a pretty quick answer,” I say.
    “It’s a pretty easy question. Why do you ask?”
    “My grandmother,” I tell him. Sort-of-truth seems to be working for me today. “She’s into a lot of spiritual premonitions and life-after-death kinds of things. Weird stuff, but she makes it sound possible, you know?”
    “Not really,” J.J. says. “I mean, I get that some people believe it, and I don’t hold it against them or anything. I’m just more of a debunker.”
    I drop the subject, at least out loud. I talk to J.J. on autopilot until we get to school. Amalita’s already there, pacing in front of my locker.
    “Dios mío!”
she screams when she sees me. “Do you not check your texts?”
    I hadn’t this morning. I pull out my phone and see one from Amalita:
    OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!
    I nod. “Oh, now I understand … absolutely nothing.”
    “Do you watch
Pop Idol
?” she asks.
    “No. My mom and brother love it,” I say, “but I’m not into it.”
    “Me neither. But I
do
follow Kyler Leeds on Twitter, and this morning he announced a contest: Night of Dreams with Kyler Leeds!”
    She does a dance to music in her own head, then stops, clearly beside herself at my lack of movement. “Why are you not dancing? This is huge. You watch
Pop Idol
, you go to the Night of Dreams website and answer a question about the show, and you’re entered to win, for you and a friend, an actual
night of dreams with Kyler Leeds
!”
    “Hence the name of the contest,” I say.
    “How are you not excited about this?
Pop Idol
is on tonight. Come over and we’ll watch it together and enter.”
    I shake my head. “I hate TV talent shows.”
    “It’s not about the show, it’s about Kyler Leeds!” Amalitainsists. Then her expression changes, and she looks me up and down.
    “What?” I ask. “Is there something wrong with my clothes?”
    “Entiendo,”
she says. “You’re not a real Kyler Leeds fan.”
    Now she’s gone too far. “That’s insane,” I say. “I’m a
huge
Kyler Leeds fan. Last year I made my mom drive me four hours to get tickets to one of his shows because the Baltimore one was sold out.”
    “You’ll do that and you won’t watch a stupid TV show?”
    “There’s no point,” I say. “The entire universe will enter that contest.” I see J.J. coming back from his locker, Jack at his side. “Logical Man,” I call to him, “what exactly are the chances that either Amalita or I would win a random drawing to meet Kyler Leeds?”
    “Seriously?” Jack laughs. “Is this the Night of Dreams thing? My sister was freaking out about that this morning. She’s
twelve
,” he adds pointedly.
    “Kyler appeals to women of all ages,” Amalita says, a dreamy expression coming over her face. “Twelve, twenty … anyone with good taste.”
    J.J. looks unimpressed. “Well, that’s why the odds are not in your favor. Every girl in America’s going to be entering this thing. You’ve got, like, a none-in-a-zillion chance.”
    “None in a zillion,” I repeat to Amalita. “Not worth bothering.”
    Sean’s already at a desk when I get to homeroom. Hecatches my eye and smiles, but I end up in a seat in the front