The Best of Fools (Jane Austen Book 2) by Marilyn Grey Page A

said, "Typically we only allow three at a time, but I'll ask if this is okay."
    "Oh, um, I can—"
    "No." Granny took my hand. "You're staying here, young lady. When will you learn to say no? You don't get anywhere in life by saying yes all the time."
    "Trust me, I don't always say yes."
    Mom smiled. "It's true. She can say no when she's really uncomfortable, she just has a hard time saying no to people she loves or strangers. If you're an enemy or acquaintance—"
    "Watch out!" I said. "Then you'll get my real opinion."
    "No." Eddie laughed. "We get that all the time."
    "Hark! He smiles!"
    He glared up at me through his scrunched eye balls. Brothers. Man. Love him and all, but man....
    Eddie and I went through stages. Super close as babies. Enemies when he turned four. Pretty much stayed that way until I turned five. Then we were best friends. Played army men, Super Nintendo, and even Barbies (shhh...don't tell) together for years. Then, I'd say around the time he entered sixth grade, maybe a few months before that, he hated me again. We annoyed the hell out of each other until ... well, I guess we still did sometimes. But we also loved each other. Even liked each other. Our teasing was all in jest and although it agitated Mom it was all in good fun.
    I wrapped my arm around him and put my head on his shoulder. He pretended to shove me off, then put his head against mine. We stayed like that as Mom smiled at Dad.
    See. We could be friends sometimes too.

    Autumn stared at me like I was crazy, because fact is ... I was.
    "Let me see," she said.
    "Stop." I waved her away. "You're practically squealing and I haven't even opened the email yet."
    "Been staring at it for like ten minutes. Let me open it." She clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Please, please, please."
    "No, no, no." I swallowed. Butterflies—or possibly worms—made my stomach do that thing I hate. "I'm opening it now."
    She tapped her foot like crazy.
    I laughed. "Calm down. You're freaking me out."
    I read through it. Then looked at her.
    "What?"
    I stared as blankly as possible.
    "What? What? Is it bad?"
    "Autumn." I slid the phone toward her. "He wants to get married."
    "Are you frickin' kidding me? What will you say?" She picked up the phone and read. "Ugh. You're so annoying."
    I laughed. "Intriguing email, huh?"
    "What will you say?"
    "It's just his manager thinking I'm some fan. I'm not gonna reply and ask for his info. They'll just think I'm a stalker."
    "But you are!"
    "Uh oh." I clicked on the email. "This just came in. Dear Jane," I read aloud as my hands started to sweat. "Sorry about that last email. My manager copies me on all emails that go out and I saw this. Jane ..." My voice cracked. I read the rest silently.
    "Jane?" Autumn practically yelled. "Jane what?"
    I cleared my throat, but couldn't read the rest out loud. I handed the phone to her.
    "Jane," she read, then looked up at me, then back down. "I can't stop thinking about you. Your twenty-first birthday is too far away. Write me back at this email." She squealed.
    I held my ears. "Not the screeching!"
    "What are you going to say?" She gave me the phone. "Respond. Now."
    "No." I shoved the phone into the couch cushion. "No. I can't."
    "You so, so can." She pulled the phone out of the couch.
    I hid it under the pillow behind me. "I can't, Autumn. Seriously."
    "You're never going to respond?"
    "Don't look so bummed." I laughed. "I'm not a chick flick for your entertainment."
    "But it's so interesting. And he's so adorable. Do it. Promise you'll respond at some point?"
    "No, but I'll try."
    "You are the weirdest ever."
    "I go through great lengths to ensure that."
    The phone beeped under the pillow. An email. She stared at me and I couldn't help but wonder what it said.
    Zoe came into the apartment, sat down between us, and majorly disrupted my thoughts. She gave Autumn a hug, then me. Autumn and I looked at each other like ... uhhhh....
    "I got you something," Zoe said, handing me a