T-shirt and those new jeans of his, he was wearing a trendy army green military-style jacket. It was the first time in her life Vivi had ever seen her brother sporting a totally unboring and semibadass outfit.
"Nice jacket," Vivi said, tossing her bag on her bed. "Maybe you should, like, wear it outside the house where there are people. Instead of, you know, sitting in here where no one will ever see you."
"She's right, Marshall. Y ou've been spending an unhealthy amount of time in front of the computer lately." Lane dropped onto the beanbag chair and forced all the air to wheeze out.
"I was bored and I happened to notice that Isabelle was online, so I just figured I'd chat," Marshall replied. He glanced at Vivi and tugged at his cuffs. "Y really like it?"
ou
"Y eah. It actually rocks," Vivi said offhandedly. She was too busy jumping three moves ahead in her mind. She leaned toward the computer, and Marshall quickly minimized the window he had been typing in. "Y ou're on with Izzy right now?
"Y eah. We were just talking about what we're doing this
111
summer and--was He paused, looking up at Vivi with sudden concern in his eyes. "Why do you look so happy?"
He glanced at Lane, who, Vivi noticed, looked rather green. What was wrong with her? They'd found a Brandon. And yet Lane looked more uncertain than ever.
"Why is she so happy?" Marshall repeated to Lane.
"We kind of found a guy," Lane explained, sounding like she was announcing an execution.
"Y eah, and she was all giddy about it half an hour ago before she started overthinking it, as always," Vivi groused.
Marshall's face was blank. "Y found a guy."
ou
"For Isabelle! To be Brandon," Vivi announced, refusing to let their negative vibe get to her. "IM her and tell her you want to take her to the prom."
"Wait a minute," Marshall said, standing up. He pushed the desk chair in with his butt, preventing Vivi from getting anywhere near her own computer. "Y found a guy? Who is he?"
ou
"His name is Jonathan Hess, and he is amazingly hot," Vivi explained, clasping her hands together as her heart fluttered at the very thought of him. "Isabelle is going to die when she sees him."
"How hot?" Marshall asked, gripping the top of the chair behind him.
"Why? Do you want to date him?" Vivi shot back.
"Y know, after seventeen years, the gay jokes are getting tired, Viv," Marshall replied.
ou
Vivi rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm just saying. What do you care how hot he is? Just IM the girl." She reached past him,
112
grabbed the mouse, and opened the window again. Marshall, just as quickly, reached over and closed it.
"No, Vivi. Hang on a sec," Marshall said, pushing his newly floppy bangs away from his head, where they flopped right back down. "I mean, where's this guy from? Are you sure he's not some deviant or something? Did you get references?"
"From who? His ex-girlfriends? God, Marshall, have a little faith," Vivi said. "Lane and I are not going to pick some guy out of a police lineup to take our best friend to the prom. He's a good guy. Now would you please just do your job?"
She reached for the chair and yanked it out, nearly knocking her brother over in the process. Marshall's shoulders slumped, but he sat down and pulled the keyboard tray toward him. His fingers were just about to touch the keys when Lane shoved herself up.
"Wait," Lane said, wringing her hands. "What now?" Vivi asked, ready to burst from excitement and frustration. "This is no time to be squeamish. For all we know, she could be on the phone with Shawn right now telling him what color corsage will go with her dress. Which, by the way, he will totally ignore."
"I just want to be sure we're doing the right thing," Lane said, her forehead wrinkled with worry. "Are we totally positive we can change Mr. Prep into Brandon the Bad Boy? We only have two weeks, and he has to be totally believable."
Vivi wanted to scream. What did Lane think they were doing, brain
"Nice jacket," Vivi said, tossing her bag on her bed. "Maybe you should, like, wear it outside the house where there are people. Instead of, you know, sitting in here where no one will ever see you."
"She's right, Marshall. Y ou've been spending an unhealthy amount of time in front of the computer lately." Lane dropped onto the beanbag chair and forced all the air to wheeze out.
"I was bored and I happened to notice that Isabelle was online, so I just figured I'd chat," Marshall replied. He glanced at Vivi and tugged at his cuffs. "Y really like it?"
ou
"Y eah. It actually rocks," Vivi said offhandedly. She was too busy jumping three moves ahead in her mind. She leaned toward the computer, and Marshall quickly minimized the window he had been typing in. "Y ou're on with Izzy right now?
"Y eah. We were just talking about what we're doing this
111
summer and--was He paused, looking up at Vivi with sudden concern in his eyes. "Why do you look so happy?"
He glanced at Lane, who, Vivi noticed, looked rather green. What was wrong with her? They'd found a Brandon. And yet Lane looked more uncertain than ever.
"Why is she so happy?" Marshall repeated to Lane.
"We kind of found a guy," Lane explained, sounding like she was announcing an execution.
"Y eah, and she was all giddy about it half an hour ago before she started overthinking it, as always," Vivi groused.
Marshall's face was blank. "Y found a guy."
ou
"For Isabelle! To be Brandon," Vivi announced, refusing to let their negative vibe get to her. "IM her and tell her you want to take her to the prom."
"Wait a minute," Marshall said, standing up. He pushed the desk chair in with his butt, preventing Vivi from getting anywhere near her own computer. "Y found a guy? Who is he?"
ou
"His name is Jonathan Hess, and he is amazingly hot," Vivi explained, clasping her hands together as her heart fluttered at the very thought of him. "Isabelle is going to die when she sees him."
"How hot?" Marshall asked, gripping the top of the chair behind him.
"Why? Do you want to date him?" Vivi shot back.
"Y know, after seventeen years, the gay jokes are getting tired, Viv," Marshall replied.
ou
Vivi rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm just saying. What do you care how hot he is? Just IM the girl." She reached past him,
112
grabbed the mouse, and opened the window again. Marshall, just as quickly, reached over and closed it.
"No, Vivi. Hang on a sec," Marshall said, pushing his newly floppy bangs away from his head, where they flopped right back down. "I mean, where's this guy from? Are you sure he's not some deviant or something? Did you get references?"
"From who? His ex-girlfriends? God, Marshall, have a little faith," Vivi said. "Lane and I are not going to pick some guy out of a police lineup to take our best friend to the prom. He's a good guy. Now would you please just do your job?"
She reached for the chair and yanked it out, nearly knocking her brother over in the process. Marshall's shoulders slumped, but he sat down and pulled the keyboard tray toward him. His fingers were just about to touch the keys when Lane shoved herself up.
"Wait," Lane said, wringing her hands. "What now?" Vivi asked, ready to burst from excitement and frustration. "This is no time to be squeamish. For all we know, she could be on the phone with Shawn right now telling him what color corsage will go with her dress. Which, by the way, he will totally ignore."
"I just want to be sure we're doing the right thing," Lane said, her forehead wrinkled with worry. "Are we totally positive we can change Mr. Prep into Brandon the Bad Boy? We only have two weeks, and he has to be totally believable."
Vivi wanted to scream. What did Lane think they were doing, brain
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