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  “Dina,” he said. “She’s been squawking to Ms. Snider about the CRUSH launch party.”

  “I know.” I sighed. “Saying that I cast a spell on the magazine editor so that I could somehow get Chili picked as our school’s model.”

  He laughed. “That’s pretty close. I just thought you should know in case Ms. Snider says something to you.”

  I started to get a nervous feeling. It was the same way I had felt when Snider took my astrology column away from me earlier this year. “Do you think she will?”

  “Not based on what just one student says.”

  “Especially when the student is Dina, Kat’s only friend in the whole school.” I turned away from the door and walked back on the patio. No way could I go in there right now.

  “Chill,” he said. “Kat and Dina are only two people. They’d have to turn the whole school against you.”

  “They did it before. Back me up, Sol.”

  “You know I will do everything I can.” He stared into my eyes with a look that said way too much. “What are you doing after school? Maybe we can figure something out.”

  “I think I need to talk to Snider,” I said, trying to avoid his borderline invitation. “I’m not looking forward to it, but I’ve got to make her understand that attending the party will not help Chili win.”

  “She’s right over there.” He nodded to his left, and there was Snider, all right.

  She was talking to Mr. Franklin, the gruff English teacher, who hadn’t been so gruff once he had started spending time with her. At least I might catch her in a good mood.

  She gave me a friendly but curious look, and I wondered if she suspected what Sol was telling me.

  I waved at both of them and started toward her just as Franklin waved back and headed toward his classroom.

  “I was just telling Sol about the killer interview I got on Friday,” I said, then realized that Sol was right beside me. “With Cory Scott.”

  Other than a slight raise of her eyebrows, I couldn’t read her expression. “Sounds good,” she said.

  “Sol and I think—I mean, I think—it will help dispel the rumors that Dina and Kat are spreading about me. I’m no witch. I’m just a kid who’s into astrology, which, by the way, so is Cory.”

  Her pale cheeks looked ready to burn off her face, and she glared at Sol. “Have you two been discussing Dina’s concerns?”

  “No,” he began awkwardly, clearly not comfortable with lying. “We just ...”

  “Everyone’s been telling me what she said.” I did my best to cover for him. “And frankly, I’m fed up. I’m working hard on the internship, and I’m learning more about journalism than I ever have in school.”

  “It’s because of the astrology,” Snider said. “I warned you about what could happen.”

  “It’s not witchcraft.”

  “I know that, but you can’t stop people from making assumptions.”

  “You can,” I said. “If you let me run the Cory Scott interview, I’ll include a definition and point out that it isn’t some kind of evil spell.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You also need to let us run an article about the CRUSH judging. If kids know what the judging process is they’ll be less likely to believe the rumors that Dina is spreading.”

  “You have a point there,” she said. “Do you know what the judging process is?”

  “Sure.” Not a lie. Graciela Perez would make the decision. I could find out more on Friday at the magazine.

  “Well.” She gave me a cool little smile, that for this Capricorn, probably felt like a major display of affection. “I’m glad you discussed this with me, Logan. I’ve talked to some of the other teachers, and I realize that not everyone shares my opinion about astrology.”

  Thank you, Bodmer. Thank you, Franklin. I was certain they had stood up for me.

  “So you’ll let me run the interview with Cory?”

  “I’ll have to look at it first,” she said. “And of course, so will Sol.”

  “Of course,” he said in a voice that tried but so totally failed to sound objective.

  NOTES TO SELF

  Well, that wasn’t so bad. At least now Snider knows where I stand on astrology. Now maybe she’ll be more understanding when I tell her I’m trying out for the column for CRUSH. But I won’t be telling her that just yet. Sol was almost as excited as I was by her reaction. A Texas/California laid-back version of excited, that is. Proud of himself, too. He said he had known he needed to tell me about Dina’s complaints. And again he asked me what I was doing after school. I used the tired old homework excuse. And even though I thanked him for his help, I could tell he didn’t believe me. First I need to figure out how Graciela Perez plans to judge the model contest. I know I can get that out of Stacy. I have to.

  CRUSHES: HOW TO LURE A LIBRA

  By Logan McRae

  Beauty-loving Libra, like Taurus, is ruled by Venus. This guy is probably smart, and probably also looking for a girl who can hold her own in an intelligent conversation. Although his interests are broad, he frequently talks about himself. Not because he’s an ego-freak. He’s just still trying to figure out who he is and assumes that you’re as interested in that topic as he is.

  Here are three ways you can make him want to figure out who you are: • Pile on the compliments. That doesn’t mean you have to lie. There’s much to praise about most Libra guys, and those guys never get tired of hearing about it. Tell him you love that new shirt he’s wearing. You probably do. Say the paper he wrote for English was soulful and deep. It probably was. Tell him you’d kill for his eyelashes. You probably would.

  • Talk. Especially about relationships. Girls aren’t the only ones who like to dwell on every moment of love gone bad, or love, period. That Libra guy—who still can’t figure out why anyone would want to leave wonderful him—is all too willing to talk. Be the willing listener and watch his interest grow.

  • Ignore the wishy-washy Libra gene. This isn’t a Virgo you’re dealing with. Make it clear that you understand that everything isn’t a case of black-and-white. Appreciate or at least tolerate the gray. Your Libra hunk may vacillate now and then, agonizing over whether to order a grande or a venti. Make it clear that you don’t care, and you could make him care.

  What to say when he asks you out: “Wear that cool shirt you had on Thursday. The one that matches your eyes.”

  17

  WHEN IT COMES TO MANIPULATION, EVEN THE

  STRONGEST SIGN IS VULNERABLE. FIRE SIGNS (ARIES,

  LEO, SAGITTARIUS) CAN BE MANIPULATED BY ACTION. IF

  YOU WANT A FIRE SIGN’S INTEREST, GET BUSY DOING

  SOMETHING. AIR SIGNS (GEMINI, LIBRA, AQUARIUS)

  CAN BE MANIPULATED BY LANGUAGE. WORDS, ESPE-

  CIALLY PRETTY ONES, INTRIGUE THEM. EARTH SIGNS

  (TAURUS, VIRGO, CAPRICORN) CAN BE MANIPULATED BY

  ACHIEVEMENT. APPEAR SUCCESSFUL (WEALTHY DOESN’T

  HURT EITHER), AND YOU’LL GAIN THEIR INTEREST.

  WATER SIGNS (CANCER, SCORPIO, PISCES) CAN BE

  MANIPULATED BY SECURITY. TO WIN ONE, APPEAR

  STABLE AND STRONG, AND THE ANSWER TO A DREAM.

  —Fearless Astrology

  Driving to San Francisco in a rickety paint van was a far different experience than heading up there with my friends. A louder and bumpier experience, but also, a quieter one, because I could hear only myself. Only the questions and answers in my own mind. At least it wasn’t raining today, and the winds had slowed down.

  Chili and Paige couldn’t risk taking off the second Friday in a row, and maybe that was just as well. Chili and Alex were texting and e-mailing all of the time. I still hadn’t told her about seeing him go into Arianna’s suite that night. I knew that I would have to sooner or later, but this wasn’t the time.

  After witnessing the many true loves of Jessica Chili Chiliderian from the first grade on, I guessed that this forever passion probably wouldn’t make it past the magazine�
��s launch party, Armenian appetizers or not.

  That sounded like a cold, analytical Aquarian evaluation, but it really was not. I knew my friend. Chili wouldn’t nurse a broken heart a moment longer than it took her to delete Alex’s numbers from her phone’s contacts. She didn’t wallow in Breakup Hell the way a moody Scorpio or Cancer would.

  Cancer. That made me think of Sol. He didn’t seem all that moody, but I didn’t know him well. And that was the way it was going to stay.

  The staff meeting was held in Stacy’s office again. The foggy silver-gray skyline view of San Francisco filled the windows. Danielle, Stacy’s tiny, intense assistant, brought in the coffee. Had I been promoted or demoted from caffeine duty? I didn’t want to think about the answer to that question just then.

  Bobby and Mary Elizabeth entered the room together. Bobby wore what appeared to be the same tired, wrinkled shorts he’d had on at the Terra High photo shoot. Mary Elizabeth was in what-looked like a hand-painted tee with gold streaks that matched her exquisite bob.

  Most of the meeting was about money. How much the reception would cost. How much the models would cost. How much Alex Keen’s wonderful food would cost. How much the celebrities posing with the high school girls would cost. Then we got around to what I had been waiting for. The photo shoot.

  “So we have Zac, Jake, Ted, and maybe Rob, if he’s in a good mood,” Stacy said. “Who else?”

  “Josh,” Bobby called out. “Stace, he’s still into Arianna. I know you can get him.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see.” She looked over at me. “You’re our demographic, Logan. Who’s your choice?”

  “Cory.” My voice broke. “Cory Scott, I mean.”

  “I love it.” She screeched like a groupie at a concert. “Not even close to what I expected you to say, but Cory’s perfect. He’s so perfect.”

  “Forget that loser,” Bobby shouted, in that braying, broadchested way of his. “Cory is strictly B-list. Talented? Yes. Has-been? Also yes.”

  “Do you agree with that, Logan?” Stacy asked.

  What did I know? “A lot of kids still listen to Mellick,” I said. “And even though Arianna is the one who’s really made it, Cory was the only one in the group who could write songs.”

  “But he’s B-list, hon,” Bobby said. “B-list all the way. What don’t you get about that?”

  Oh, great. Now I was in a battle with him. Too bad because I liked him, but I also liked Cory and knew this magazine shoot could be a great opportunity for him. “Actually,” I said in my slowest, not-give-a-damn-est California speak, “you probably wouldn’t understand. It’s kind of a generational thing.”

  “Generational?” I’d pushed the Bull’s buttons, all right, which meant only that he had buttons to push. “What the hell are you talking about? You think my age somehow scrambles my brain so I don’t know a B-list freakin has-been when I see one?”

  “Sorry.” I glanced from him to Stacy, hoping for support. “I meant only that Cory Scott might have been finished—I mean, limited—professionally when Arianna left Mellick, but he still has a strong cult following.”

  “Not to mention, he’s gorgeous,” Mary Elizabeth put in. “And still so young. You and I always say that we can learn from these kids, Bobby, and this might be one of those times.”

  “Whatever.” He gave me a not-so-friendly smile. “You made some good points, hon. And bottom line, we can argue right through lunch, but it all comes down to what our esteemed editor decides.”

  We all looked at Stacy. Her decision would determine Cory’s future. For a moment, she didn’t register any expression. Sitting at her desk in a short pink jacket that matched her lip gloss, she seemed to be thinking about how to respond.

  “Well?” Bobby finally demanded.

  “Well,” she said, obviously parroting him. “I guess I have to agree with Logan. Cory is not B-list. He’s the most talented of their old group, including Josh and Arianna.”

  “Meaning?” Bobby asked.

  “Meaning, I think we should use Cory. I definitely think we should.”

  Something about the way she flushed when she said his name made my skin crawl. Then I realized what was going on. She wanted Cory to get this gig, and not because of me or what I wanted or cared about. No. She wanted him for herself.

  NOTES TO SELF

  Now that I think about it, I should have known better. Stacy set me up to lobby for Cory. Me, a nobody kid intern. Why? It’s so simple that I should be slapped for not seeing it sooner—so that Stacy wouldn’t have to do it herself. She has a thing for Cory. Let her have him. I never took his interest in me seriously anyway. I do want to keep Snider supporting my internship, though. When I asked—because I desperately needed to—about the judging process, Stacy told me that Graciela would review the photos from each school and select the girl she thought would best represent that school. It is all I need to please Snider and appease the few, I hope, weirdos who believe the garbage Kat, through her loyal servant, Dina, is spreading through the school.

  18

  ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, AND KNOW THAT

  SOME SIGNS HANDLE SURPRISE EVENTS BETTER THAN

  OTHERS. ARIES BLAZES PAST ANY CHANGE OF PLANS.

  TAURUS DOESN’T LIKE ANY SUDDEN ONES. GEMINI

  HEADS FOR THE BACK BURNER AND PLAN B, C, AND

  MAYBE EVEN D. CANCER RESISTS. LEO GETS BOSSY.

  VIRGO WORRIES. LIBRA DELIBERATES. SCORPIO IGNORES.

  SAGITTARIUS TALKS MORE. CAPRICORN WORKS MORE.

  AQUARIUS THINKS MORE. PISCES WITHDRAWS MORE.

  —Fearless Astrology

  It was true that I was thinking more, but it was all I could do just now. Finally, I had a chance to look at the ephemeris for the weekend of October 31. And, yes, I should have done it sooner. Arianna wasn’t the only one who had a potential for disaster at that time. It appeared as though I had better be equally cautious. Not only was Fire sign Leo going to be squared, but Mars was going to be in Sagittarius, another Fire sign that would affect my Aries Rising. And maybe not in a good way.

  As I sat there trying to digest the astrological warning glyphs early that morning, I received a text message from Cory.

  Sorry. Have to take a date to the party. Still hope to see u there. CS.

  Why was Cory—make that CS—apologizing to me? We had only planned to meet up there. And now, just after I had insisted that he should be in the magazine, he was telling me that he had to take someone to the party. The someone could be only one person. Stacy had found her King of Hearts, and I had helped seal the magazine deal. She had used me, and maybe he had too.

  Mercury in Retro had taken its toll. Paige spilled Chai tea on her sketchbook. Chili had left her bag, books, and homework in journalism.

  That morning Paige showed us the sketches of her Aphrodite costume. Even through the tea stains, the drawings were amazing. Looking at them, I could imagine that sleek, draped, and fitted gown with intricate braided cords and slits that revealed matching gladiator sandals. I tried to picture her in it and knew that it would be a Paige we had never seen before.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said. “And you will be too.”

  “I just hope I can pull it off. It’s the spirit and the soul of everything I want to show Graciela about my design abilities. I’m just wondering if I should ask someone else to wear it.”

  “You have to wear it,” Chili said. “How else will Graciela know it’s your design?”

  “And there’s no reason to get someone else involved.” I ran my finger along one of the drawings. “You have the perfect shape for it, Paige.”

  “Make that lack of shape.” But I could tell she was feeling more confident.

  “A model’s shape.” Chili said. “Just suck in your cheeks, turn off your smile, and channel your inner bitch.”

  We were still talking about the dress when we got to school.

  Dina waited for us in the parking lot. This time, Kat was with her. They wore matching white shirts and big own-th
e-world grins.

  “Hi, Chili. Hi Paige. Hiiii...,” Dina called out as if unable to turn off the one-word-fits-all-Terra High greeting machine.

  “Dude,” Chili interrupted, “what the hell is your problem? Or do you always hang out in parking lots? Never know who you might pick up there, do you?”

  “You could teach us a lot about picking up guys, Chili.” Aries Kat was in rare form. Pure Cardinal bitch. Her eyes had so much liner on them and so much mascara that it flaked in ugly chunks. I wondered how she could see around them.

  “You’d better shut your mouth,” I told her. “This isn’t going to play out the way it did before. You aren’t going to turn the school against me again.”

  “I don’t even care about you right now, Logan.”

  “Good. Then get the hell out of our way,” I said. “How pathetic, hanging out here waiting for us to show up.”

  “Pathetic is right.” Chili gave her a look of pure disgust. “And before you go to class, you really ought to wash your face.”

  Paige and I exchanged looks. The bad Gemini twin had been unleashed.

  Although clearly pissed, Kat continued to smile. I could only imagine how much she wanted to rub her finger under her eyes.

  Instead she pointed her key at the monster of an SUV beside us. Mega click. Monster car was unlocked. Kat reached in.

  “I have something of yours,” she said and pulled out Chili’s book bag.

  “Where’d you steal that?” I asked.

  “I didn’t steal it.” She grinned. “I found it in the journalism room. And, yeah, girls, I found more than I bargained for.”

  “Give it to me.” Chili yanked it out of her hands.

  “Oh, you can have it back now.” Kat crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve already taken everything I need. From your cell phone, I mean.”

  Chili’s eyes grew wide, and she almost choked. “You slutty, little ...”

  “You should talk.”

  “What is it, Kat?” I demanded. “What are you trying to say?”