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Landon flipped his bangs back with a flick of his head.
    â€œYou guys are off to a good start,” Mr. P said. “Whydon’t you try revising the rest of the scene on your own? Then show me.”
    â€œAhem.” Kathi cleared her throat. She’d been in the room the whole time. Zee could see she’d put on a fresh coat of lip gloss while they’d been practicing.
    Ohmylanta! Here it comes! Zee thought. She knew Kathi’s good behavior had been too good to be true. Now what was she going to do to sabotage Zee’s time with Landon?
    â€œIf you guys don’t need Mr. P’s help anymore,” Kathi continued, “I have a few questions for him.”
    â€œWe’re done,” Landon said to Kathi. Then he turned to Zee. “Do you want to work on this some more?”
    Zee stopped herself from screaming, “Fantabsome! You want to hang out alone with me? Cool beans!” Instead she super-casually said, “Sure.”
    As Zee and Landon worked on the script at one of the computers in the back of the music room, Zee couldn’t help overhearing Kathi’s questions. “Which scenes am I supposed to write?” “What date is the performance?” “Are we going to sell tickets?” Mr. P answered all of them—even though he had already posted all of the information on the blog.
    Landon pointed to the computer screen. “Here Dylancould say something like, ‘I’ve never met anyone like you.’” Landon turned and his blue eyes stared intensely at Zee.
    â€œYou’re a great writer, Dylan.”
    â€œHuh?” Landon said.
    â€œUmm…I said, ‘That’s great, Landon.’”
    â€œYou called me Dylan.”
    â€œDid I?”
    A beep from Zee’s Sidekick interrupted them. A text from Chloe.
    >R u coming?
    Oh, no! Zee had completely forgotten. She was supposed to be at Chloe’s house to study for the English quiz! She looked from her Sidekick to Landon. She couldn’t stop now.
    >I am sooooooo sorry. I 4got.
    >K.
    Zee was relieved that Chloe wasn’t mad. She’d make it up to her.
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    E-ZEE: How do u know if a guy likes u?
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    SPARKLEGRRL: Y?
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    E-ZEE: I think L might like me.
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    SPARKLEGRRL: Really? Did he say something?
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    E-ZEE: Yes. We were writing a scene & he kept saying really romantic stuff.
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    SPARKLEGRRL: But isn’t it the character Dylan saying that?
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    E-ZEE: Yes, but L is thinking it.
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    SPARKLEGRRL: It’s definitely a clue.
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    E-ZEE: I hope so.
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    SPARKLEGRRL: Mayb u’ll have a b/f soon 2!!! Then we’ll b =.
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    E-ZEE: Yeah.
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    Hi, Diary,
    Ally said something weird that’s kind of bothering me. Does she really think that we’re not equal—that she’s better than me? That’s not like her—or the old Ally, at least. But the old Ally didn’t have a boyfriend.
    The thing is, I wish Landon was my boyfriend. Ally has only been in France a few months, and she has Jacques. What am I doing wrong? I’ve known Landon since kindergarten.
    Zee
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    Â 
    â€œMaybe I should get him some cologne,” Zee said, heading toward the perfume counter at the mall the next weekend. It was Brookdale Academy’s fall break, which meant four days off. Zee was glad to have the time to work on the script and a few new songs, but she’d been so focused on the musical, she’d nearly forgotten her dad’s birthday.
    Chloe scrunched up her face. “Cologne? For your dad’s birthday? That’s not very original.”
    â€œI know, but I’m desperate.” Zee picked up a tiny bottle. But before she could squirt herself, Chloe grabbed it away.
    â€œNo, not that one. They test on animals.” She placed a new bottle in Zee’s empty hand.
    â€œI waited until the last minute,” Zee said as she sprayed her wrist, then gave it