Odd Girl In by Jo Whittemore Read Free Book Online

withering look. “Try to steal him away. But I have a genuine interest in Trevor. I’m the best girl for him.”
    â€œWell, good.” I clapped her on the back. “The world needs more decent, modest people like you.”
    She ignored my sarcasm. “The thing is, I don’t want him to meet you and fall in love with you.”
    I stopped and stared at Emily. “Wow. Where did that come from?”
    To answer, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a spiral notebook. The front cover was smattered with glitter hearts surrounding the letters PT .
    â€œUm, what is that?” I asked.
    â€œProject Trevor,” she said in a no-nonsense voice. “It’s everything I know about him. And so far you two seem highly compatible.”
    I took the notebook from her and flipped through several ink-filled pages, some of which included magazine clippings about stuff I assumed Trevor was into.
    I gave her a concerned look. “You don’t, uh, have a shrine to him too, do you?”
    Emily snatched back her notebook. “Don’t be stupid. I just think it’s important to know everything you can about someone before you attempt to establish a relationship.”
    I started to nod, then paused. “Wait … do you have one of those notebooks on me?”
    â€œNo,” Emily sniffed. “Everything of interest about you fits on an index card.”
    â€œNice,” I said wryly. “And you don’t have to worry about me stealing him away. Since you like him, I’ll consider him off-limits.”
    Emily nodded and started walking again, but she didn’t look particularly relieved.
    Against my better judgment, I asked, “Is there something else?”
    Emily kicked a rock out of her path and let out a huge sigh. “Even if you leave him alone, it won’t matter. I don’t think he notices me as more than a teacher’s aide.”
    â€œMaybe you’re not doing anything to draw his attention,” I said, nodding toward the notebook. “You have plenty of information on Trevor, some of which I’m sure the government doesn’t even know. Pick something you have in common and talk about it.”
    â€œThat’s just it!” Emily waved her notebook in exasperation. “We have nothing in common, other than how extremely clever and cute we both are.” She flipped to a dog-earedpage and jabbed at it. “He likes Cheetos dipped in chocolate pudding. I tried that and I almost threw up!”
    â€œProbably because it’s gross,” I said.
    â€œHe also likes to watch science-fiction movies, so I tried Star Wars ,” said Emily. “Explain to me how a rebel space pilot and his ten-foot dog can afford fuel for their starship when they’re always running from creditors!”
    I smiled. “I think you’re missing the point of the movie.”
    Emily smacked herself in the forehead with her notebook. “My stepmom’s right. The best guys are the ones in comas.”
    I took the notebook back from her. “Look. Start with something simple.” I scanned a page. “He likes the Ankle Biters. You have to like them. They’re a great band.”
    â€œTheir lead singer sounds like he’s being tortured with a weed whacker,” she said. “Plus, you can’t understand the lyrics. Even if you play the CD backward.”
    â€œThat’s the beauty!” I said. “You can interpret their music any way you want.”
    â€œI already do,” said Emily. “As garbage.”
    I sighed. “You have to give a little somewhere. If you don’t like the same things as Trevor, at least ask him why he likes them. It’ll help you understand him better.”
    Emily gripped my arms and smiled. “That’s clever. I can dissect his personality and see the different layers.”
    â€œExactly! Just don’t tell him you plan to dissect him,” I said, handing