chided herself. It wasn’t Jonas kissing her, was it? And Malena didn’t actually kiss Perry, did she — at least not while she was watching?
Oh, stop it! Stop it! Jenna thought in frustration. Why do I always have to twist everything? I have a chance with Jonas!
She stood up. She had to suppress the urge to let out a cry of joy and twirl around in circles. Why had she been so nervous about this party? I don’t care who talks to me , she thought, and walked back across the lawn toward the crowds of guests. Laugh at me all you like, snooty rich people! I’m Princess of Scandia, and no one can make me feel small. I may not be perfect, but I can learn. And as long as the things that matter work out, I’ll be fine.
Jonas.
He was standing with his back against a cedar tree, on his own. Jenna’s heart throbbed.
“Hi, Jonas,” she said. How simple it was. Maybe.
Jonas looked startled. “Oh, hi, Jenna,” he said. “I couldn’t find you anywhere.” He nodded miserably. “I couldn’t find anyone to talk to but boring old people. So I’ve been kind of blowing off the party.”
“Me, too,” said Jenna. It didn’t matter that she’d started blushing, as usual. Suddenly, it all seemed so simple. She was happy.
“And Perry’s disappeared, too,” said Jonas. “And Malena. What’s going on? I’ve been looking for both of them.”
Jenna shrugged. Would it be a betrayal if she told him? Maybe it should be Malena herself. Or Perry.
But since he was going to find out, anyway …
“They’re back there in the summerhouse,” she said softly. She looked down at the ground. She hadn’t given away too much. That was all right, wasn’t it?
“What?” asked Jonas in surprise.
Then again, maybe not.
Jenna shrugged her shoulders. Her face burned an even deeper shade of red. “They’re together, in the summerhouse,” she said.
Jonas stared at her. “Get out!” he whispered, and to her enormous relief Jenna saw a grin spreading across his face. The news hadn’t made him unhappy — not at all. “Malena and Perry?”
Jenna nodded.
Jonas punched his open left hand with his right fist. “So that’s what he’s been all hung up about!” he said. “I was wondering what his problem was! Malena and Perry — I wouldn’t have guessed that one!”
“You don’t mind?” Jenna ventured cautiously. “I mean, you and Malena …” She blushed all over again. Why did she have to keep doing that?
“What? No! It’s awesome!” said Jonas. “My two best friends! Things couldn’t have turned out better. Perfect!”
So he only thought of Malena as a friend. How could she have been so dumb? But she couldn’t let herself get carried away, either …
“I always sort of thought you and Malena …” she whispered. She must have been the color of an eggplant by now, but it didn’t matter. “You and Malena …”
She couldn’t look at him. But she didn’t have to. Jonas’s laugh was so happy that she didn’t need to see his face.
“No way!” he said. “Not Malena! She’s always been like a sister to me!” He stopped talking.
The silence between them was almost audible. It felt as if something was about to explode.
“Because …” murmured Jonas, and she didn’t know if he was looking at her, because she couldn’t bear to look at him. “… because — Malena’s not the only girl in the world. Because …” He took a step toward her.
And then the moment passed. Suddenly, Perry’s dad was standing beside them — Mom’s Petterson. Jenna hadn’t heard him, he’d approached so silently. He looked aggravated.
“Do either of you know where Perry is?” he asked. “I’ve been searching everywhere for him. When I saw you just now, I thought he might be with you.”
“Nope,” said Jonas, shaking his head and staring off into the distance.
Jenna shook her head, too.
And you can just go on searching, you pain in the pancreas! thought Jenna. Because as long as you keep looking, at least
Oh, stop it! Stop it! Jenna thought in frustration. Why do I always have to twist everything? I have a chance with Jonas!
She stood up. She had to suppress the urge to let out a cry of joy and twirl around in circles. Why had she been so nervous about this party? I don’t care who talks to me , she thought, and walked back across the lawn toward the crowds of guests. Laugh at me all you like, snooty rich people! I’m Princess of Scandia, and no one can make me feel small. I may not be perfect, but I can learn. And as long as the things that matter work out, I’ll be fine.
Jonas.
He was standing with his back against a cedar tree, on his own. Jenna’s heart throbbed.
“Hi, Jonas,” she said. How simple it was. Maybe.
Jonas looked startled. “Oh, hi, Jenna,” he said. “I couldn’t find you anywhere.” He nodded miserably. “I couldn’t find anyone to talk to but boring old people. So I’ve been kind of blowing off the party.”
“Me, too,” said Jenna. It didn’t matter that she’d started blushing, as usual. Suddenly, it all seemed so simple. She was happy.
“And Perry’s disappeared, too,” said Jonas. “And Malena. What’s going on? I’ve been looking for both of them.”
Jenna shrugged. Would it be a betrayal if she told him? Maybe it should be Malena herself. Or Perry.
But since he was going to find out, anyway …
“They’re back there in the summerhouse,” she said softly. She looked down at the ground. She hadn’t given away too much. That was all right, wasn’t it?
“What?” asked Jonas in surprise.
Then again, maybe not.
Jenna shrugged her shoulders. Her face burned an even deeper shade of red. “They’re together, in the summerhouse,” she said.
Jonas stared at her. “Get out!” he whispered, and to her enormous relief Jenna saw a grin spreading across his face. The news hadn’t made him unhappy — not at all. “Malena and Perry?”
Jenna nodded.
Jonas punched his open left hand with his right fist. “So that’s what he’s been all hung up about!” he said. “I was wondering what his problem was! Malena and Perry — I wouldn’t have guessed that one!”
“You don’t mind?” Jenna ventured cautiously. “I mean, you and Malena …” She blushed all over again. Why did she have to keep doing that?
“What? No! It’s awesome!” said Jonas. “My two best friends! Things couldn’t have turned out better. Perfect!”
So he only thought of Malena as a friend. How could she have been so dumb? But she couldn’t let herself get carried away, either …
“I always sort of thought you and Malena …” she whispered. She must have been the color of an eggplant by now, but it didn’t matter. “You and Malena …”
She couldn’t look at him. But she didn’t have to. Jonas’s laugh was so happy that she didn’t need to see his face.
“No way!” he said. “Not Malena! She’s always been like a sister to me!” He stopped talking.
The silence between them was almost audible. It felt as if something was about to explode.
“Because …” murmured Jonas, and she didn’t know if he was looking at her, because she couldn’t bear to look at him. “… because — Malena’s not the only girl in the world. Because …” He took a step toward her.
And then the moment passed. Suddenly, Perry’s dad was standing beside them — Mom’s Petterson. Jenna hadn’t heard him, he’d approached so silently. He looked aggravated.
“Do either of you know where Perry is?” he asked. “I’ve been searching everywhere for him. When I saw you just now, I thought he might be with you.”
“Nope,” said Jonas, shaking his head and staring off into the distance.
Jenna shook her head, too.
And you can just go on searching, you pain in the pancreas! thought Jenna. Because as long as you keep looking, at least
Similar Books
