Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg Page A

date is such a momentous occasion that you’re literally waiting by your phone.”
    “Um, a date with Taylor Riggins . Spill it. Now.”
    I hesitate for a few seconds.
    “Are you going to make me beg?”
    “It went well….”
    “Well?”
    “Yeah, we went to Leo’s for dinner, then saw that new Wesley Pike movie. It was fun…. I just don’t know. I’m not sure if he’s really into me.”
    I hear Benny sigh. “Do I need to come over there and smack you? This is basically the same thing I said to you about Chris, and do I need to remind you how foolish you thought I was being? He asked you on a date — what part of he’s interested in you do you fail to understand?”
    “No, I know. It’s only …” I flicker back to just a moment ago. “At the end of the date, I was sort of expecting him to kiss me or try something. And he just hugged me good-bye and said that it was fun and we should do it again soon.”
    My cheeks become hot as I think of me standing there outside our front door like an idiot. Thinking he was going to kiss me, that I was going to have my first real kiss. But then … nothing.
    Every time I envisioned what it would be like, it started out the way we were just a few moments ago. Logan walks me to my front door, he tells me what an amazing time he had (which Taylor did), then he tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear, but he doesn’t pull his hand away.Instead he cups my face, and leans in and gives me the single greatest kiss in the history of first dates.
    I mean, is that so much to ask?
    “Wait a second.” Benny snaps me back to reality. “So because he didn’t shove his tongue down your throat, you’re convinced that he’s not into you? Has the thought ever crossed your mind that he’s being a gentleman?”
    “I don’t know how these things work. Cam’s always talking about guys trying to put the moves on her any chance they get. I guess I was expecting the same thing. I’m new to this; I’m only going off of what she says happens —”
    I hear a text come through and lift up my phone to see it.
    “Hello?” Benny shouts.
    “Sorry, I’m here. I got a text from Taylor.”
    “AND?”
    “It says ‘Had a great time, let’s do it again soon.’”
    Benny groans. “See! I told you.”
    “You’re right.” I hesitate for a moment. “Benny, I haven’t really thanked you.”
    “Nor I you,” he reminds me. “But this is what friends do. We remind each other how awesome we are.”
    I laugh. “Benny, can you believe we both may have boyfriends?”
    “Crap,” he says — not the response I thought I’d get. “Does this mean the world’s going to end?”

I t’s pretty clear that I don’t know how to act on a date. But how to act at school after the first date is especially agonizing. Am I supposed to act different around Taylor? Has anybody written The Dating Guide for Clueless Teenage Girls yet? I need that book.
    Fortunately for me, I do know someone who can clarify this mystery. And she’s headed straight toward me. Unfortunately, Cam doesn’t look too happy. The minute she gets to me, she says, “Have you seen Brooke’s pictures from Grant’s party on her profile?”
    Okay, if there isn’t even a hello from Cam, this can’t be good.
    “That would require me to be friends with Brooke. Why?”
    Cam looks around. I follow her gaze and realize that some people are staring at me. A few are even whispering.
    “She took some photos of us, mostly you, and made some comments.”
    My stomach drops. “What kind of comments?”
    “When you click on your face, instead of saying your name it said things like ‘desperate,’ ‘wannabe,’ ‘troll’ — stupid things like that.”
    “Oh.” I can’t get anything else out. I can’t think of anything else to say. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about what she did; it’s pretty typical of her. But even if I was anticipating something like this, it still doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.
    Cam gives me