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can go back to Santa Claus.”
    “Because I love acting,” he said quietly.
    I felt sorry that I’d been so rude to him and said so.
    “I’m the one who’s sorry,” he replied. “I asked you out for a quiet dinner and look what happened. It isn’t fair to you.”
    “It’s okay,” I said softly. “It’s over.”
    We were safe from the reporters. We were alone. There was no Felicia. No Uncle Fred. No makeup artists. No directors.
    Tyler opened the roof and we leaned back and looked at the star-studded sky. We were sitting so close that we touched when the limo turned corners.
    We didn’t talk much. We just watched the stars. I took a deep breath. I’ve never felt so happy.
    When we pulled up in front of my house, Tyler asked me if I’d come by the shoot after school on Friday.
    I said yes.
    I can’t wait to see him again.
    Wednesday 5/5
    12:30 P.M.
    I’ve found a private spot in the library, behind the stacks, where no one will see me. If I’d known what was going to happen in school today I would have cut.
    Jill was waiting for me at my locker. When she saw me, she started jumping up and down and squealing, like she was going to have a fit or something.
    She held up a newspaper and shrieked, “How come you didn’t tell me? I can’t believe it.”
    Just then, Sunny and Dawn appeared. Sunny took the paper from Jill and looked at it.
    “Maggie, you had a date with Tyler!” she exclaimed. “How come you didn’t tell us?”
    I remembered the reporters outside the restaurant.
    “It just sort of happened,” I said. “And it wasn’t a — ”
    “Wow, Maggie,” Dawn interrupted, “this picture. You look so — so surprised.”
    A small crowd was gathering around us. I felt as trapped and embarrassed as I had the night before with the reporters.
    Amalia showed up and asked what was going on.
    “I — uh — have to go,” I mumbled.
    Sunny thrust the newspaper in front of Amalia. “Didn’t you see it?” she asked.
    I looked down at the paper. There I was in living newspaper color, leaving the restaurant. I have a startled look on my face. Tyler, on the other hand, is smiling for the cameras.
    “And look at this, Maggie,” said Jill, pointing to the article. “Lana Brett wrote about you in her column.”
    Sunny read the part about Tyler and me out loud. By now a whole bunch of girls had gathered around us. Here’s what Lana Brett wrote:
    So where was America’s number one teenage heartthrob last night? Not with Felicia Hope . And not in his swanky L.A. apartment rehearsing for tomorrow’s big shoot of LOVE CONQUERS
    ALL. Tyler Kendall was on a date with Maggie Blume , the pretty daughter of the film’s producer, Hayden Blume . They were seen leaving FISH ‘N’ STUFF at 9:30 last night. Tyler looked thrilled with his newest catch. But where does that leave his fabulous costar, Felicia?
    Out to sea? We’ll keep an eye out for the next chapter in Tyler’s adventures in the sea of luv.
    I was so humiliated that tears sprang to my eyes.
    The girls around me oohed and ahhed.
    And then Justin showed up and asked what was going on.
    Everyone suddenly became silent and Sunny put the paper behind her back.
    “Nothing,” Jill said between giggles.
    Justin shook his head as if to say, Girls can be so silly . Then he walked away.
    I grabbed my books, slammed my locker shut, and headed down the hall. Amalia, Dawn, and
    Sunny caught up with me and we walked to homeroom together. They tried to calm me down.
    But I was in shock and didn’t even hear what anyone was saying anymore.
    Why was Tyler so friendly to the reporters?
    Maybe he likes the publicity.
    I hate being the subject of a gossip column.
    I’m skipping the cafeteria. I can’t deal with people right now.
    Amalia just came into the library. She’s looking all around. I suppose she’s checking up on me.
    1:15 P.M.
    Amalia found me. I blew off some steam by telling her everything I was feeling.
    “What am I doing with him?” I asked