Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane Read Free Book Online Page A

there, near the restrooms, at Morton’s Steakhouse.
    “Can I be honest with you, Shane?”
    “Sure.”
    “Well, I, I didn’t call off my wedding at the last minute. My fiancé did … and I just found out he’s getting married to someone else.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted them. “Oh God, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just told you that.”
    “You don’t have to apologize,” he said.
    “But I’m being totally unprofessional. I’m sorry.”
    “Really, it’s okay,” he said.
    I could feel the tears lining up to make their entrance. “I just can’t bring myself to tell people the truth about what really happened. I know that’s stupid, but I was so humiliated by the whole thing. And I doubt Kent and Davey would understand anyway.”
    “Hey, you might be surprised. Everyone’s been on the losing end of a breakup at some point.”
    I frowned. “But being left practically at the altar takes it to a whole new level, you know?”
    He stayed silent, sensing that I wasn’t done yet.
    “And now he’s getting married and I’m still all alone and now I’m going grey and it’s like time is flying by and I’m missing the boat and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong …” The tears made their debut. “Oh God, I’m rambling. I’m so sorry, Shane, I’m being totally ridiculous.” I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “I can’t believe I’m crying and saying all this.”
    He shook his head. “No sweat, Waverly. Seriously, it’s okay. Things will work out.”
    “You think so?” I said.
    He nodded. “Hey, I want you to try something, okay?”
    “You want me to try something ?” I narrowed my eyes. “That sounds a bit shady.”
    He smiled. “I promise, it’s totally legal. My sports psychologist makes me do it when the pressure starts to get to me.”
    “When the pressure of being rich and famous gets to you? Are you crazy?” I said.
    He laughed. “It’s just a mental exercise. Now close your eyes and tell me what you see.”
    I closed my eyes and immediately felt like I was going to topple over. Nice equilibrium. I reached over and put my hand on the wall. Then I stared into the back of my eyelids. I saw, well, nothing.
    “Uh, Shane? I’m not seeing anything.”
    “Just keep your eyes closed. Now I want you to think about something that makes you feel happy, okay?”
    “Okay.” I tried, but I still saw nothing.
    “Is this a trick?” I said.
    “Nope, just keep concentrating.”
    I tried again. After a few moments a vision of a car-size Snickers suddenly popped into my head. My own snicker followed it.
    “Good, now what do you see?” Shane said.
    “I see a huge candy bar.”
    “Good, that’s perfect. Now keep thinking about that image.”
    I kept thinking. Mmm.
    “Okay, now open your eyes,” Shane said.
    I opened them and looked at him. “Well?”
    “Do you know what you just saw?” he said.
    “Uh, didn’t I just tell you that?”
    He smiled. “Work with me here, Waverly. What I mean is, do you know the meaning of what you just saw?”
    “Uh, that I’m a pig?”
    “Nope. Well, maybe. I mean, I just met you. But that’s not the point.”
    “Okay, well what then?”
    “It means that you just smiled, to yourself .”
    “So?”
    “And now don’t you feel better?”
    I thought about it. He was right. “Yeah, I do feel a little better.”
    “And why do you feel better?”
    “Because I’m a pig?”
    He smiled. “No, you feel better because you saw something in your own mind that is special to you, something that no one else in the world could see.”
    “So?”
    “So that should show you that you can’t always rely on the outside world to make you happy, Waverly. Most of the time it’s really up to you.”
    I opened my mouth but couldn’t think of anything to say.
    “Think about it, Waverly,” he said. “Your life isn’t a basketball game. No one is keeping score but you, so don’t worry so much about what everyone else is