In the Stars Read online

  In the Stars

  How NOT to Spend

  Your Senior Year

  BY CAMERON DOKEY

  Royally Jacked

  BY NIKI BURNHAM

  Ripped at the Seams

  BY NANCY KRULIK

  Spin Control

  BY NIKI BURNHAM

  Cupidity

  BY CAROLINE GOODE

  South Beach Sizzle

  BY SUZANNE WEYN

  AND DIANA GONZALEZ

  She’s Got the Beat

  BY NANCY KRULIK

  30 Guys in 30 Days

  BY MICOL OSTOW

  Animal Attraction

  BY JAMIE PONTI

  A Novel Idea

  BY AIMEE FRIEDMAN

  Scary Beautiful

  BY NIKI BURNHAM

  Getting to Third Date

  BY KELLY MCCLYMER

  Dancing Queen

  BY ERIN DOWNING

  Major Crush

  BY JENNIFER ECHOLS

  Do-Over

  BY NIKI BURNHAM

  Love Undercover

  BY JO EDWARDS

  Prom Crashers

  BY ERIN DOWNING

  Gettin’ Lucky

  BY MICOL OSTOW

  The Boys Next Door

  BY JENNIFER ECHOLS

  Available from Simon Pulse

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  SIMON PULSE

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 2007 by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Designed by Ann Zeak

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4424-4113-2

  The text of this book was set in Garamond 3.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Simon Pulse edition August 2007

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Control Number 2007922439

  ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-4875-9

  ISBN-10: 1-4169-4875-9

  To my family.

  With love, Stacia

  For Tiffanie Bialis, chemist and woman

  extraordinaire, and Alzada Tipton, friend and devoted reader.

  Cheers, Rhody

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  About The Auhtor

  Teaser

  One

  The planets are aligned in your favor.

  It’s time to start something new.

  www.astrology4stars.com

  I’ve lost my mother’s diamond. Not the whole ring, mind you, just the diamond.

  Cherise says it’s a sign.

  “A sign of what?” I ask.

  “A sign of your future.” There’s a gleam in her dark brown eyes. “It’s a sign that true love is coming your way.”

  “Yeah, right,” I snort. Not a ha-ha funny snort, but a full throttle, you-are-out-of-your-mind kind of snort. “You crack me up.”

  Cherise snorts back at me. Only louder and better. Her snort actually echoes off the walls of the school hallway, bouncing from locker to locker until some freshman girls at the end of the hall turn to see what the racket’s all about. They glance nervously in our direction then rush off to class.

  We look at each other and both start laughing. It’s absolutely hysterical that the girls ran off. If they’d just hung out a little longer, they would have discovered that Cherise is not the type to harm the young. Quite the opposite in fact. She’s all about love and peace and cosmic harmony. Cherise was born in the wrong decade. She should have been a flower child of the sixties.

  Cherise Gregory has been my best friend since kindergarten, and lives in the apartment above mine. When she’s not attending rallies for gender equality or animal rights, Cherise’s favorite pastime is finding signs in the universe and interpreting their meaning.

  You might wonder why Cherise and I are friends at all. I like factual, hard science and keeping my feet grounded in the reality of what’s happening today, not what might be someday. While Cherise lives for tomorrow and side-trips into metaphysical fantasy.

  We may seem entirely different on the surface, but once you get to know us, you’ll see that Cherise and I have lots of things in common. And for those things we don’t have in common, well, that’s what makes our friendship interesting.

  I’ve always thought that we’re good together because we balance each other out. We both love hangin’ at the Corner Café (it’s like our home away from home), reading romance novels (Cherise takes them seriously, I just think they’re fun), watching classic movies (we especially like the ones with happy endings), and of course—looking up at the stars. We are both really into the stars. The big dif is that we come at our passion for the nighttime sky from different perspectives: Cherise is into hoo-ha voodoo astrology, whereas I prefer the academic pursuit of astronomy.

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m really supportive when Cherise uses astrology to forecast the weather, intuit what questions will be on our exams, or make personal decisions like if she should buy the black or the brown clogs. On the flip side, she’s infinitely patient when I regale her with some little-known fact about the molecular makeup of Saturn’s rings or feel the burning need to share pictures of the Eagle Nebula. We each have our own perspective on the stars and we’re fine with our differences. I would even say it enhances our friendship … most of the time.

  I’ve never tried to press Cherise to take a more scholarly approach to the planetary system and only once before has Cherise ever dared to make a prediction about anything connected to my personal life. It was seven years ago, and neither of us have ever mentioned it since. That’s why it’s incredibly odd that today she’s interpreting the loss of my mother’s diamond as something more than what it is: the accidental loss of a valuable, sentimental stone.

  “It’s definitely a cosmic marker,” Cherise reiterates as I grab my books for class and a bottle of water from my locker before flinging it shut. The doorjamb is bent. I have to slam the door over and over again to finally get it closed.

  “I don’t really see how losing the diamond out of my mother’s ring can be a signal of impending romance,” I say as I twist the combination lock, mixing up the numbers. “Really, Cherise, you sound like a bad fortune cookie.”

  “You know I’m right.” Cherise’s locker is next to mine. The door closes smoothly. It clicks shut, but Cherise doesn’t twist the lock. She leaves it unlocked, preferring to trust in the goodness of human nature instead. So far, no one has stolen from her.

  “Sylvie, you aren’t in tune with the uni
verse,” Cherise tsks, while we head down the hall toward the one class we take together, English Literature. “Good thing for you, I am.” She grins. “It’s so obvious. Diamonds are the stone of engagement. Engagement is what inevitably happens to a couple in love. When you find the right guy, he’ll give you a diamond of your very own.” She seems quite sure of herself. “Losing your mother’s diamond means that the right guy is coming soon. Really, really soon.” Cherise smiles widely. Her straight teeth are a reminder of the years we suffered through braces together. “I have no doubt. Love is headed your way, Sylvie Townsend.”

  As usual, Cherise’s logic is beyond comprehension. It’s a pretty big leap from losing a diamond to falling in love. It reminds me of the time in junior high when she got the stomach flu and interpreted it to mean that a big blizzard was coming. Don’t ask how she made that connection. I have no idea either, but the snow started the next morning and school was closed for a week while the city’s maintenance crew shoveled out the town.

  As much as I like to tell myself that Cherise’s predictions are ridiculous, things generally seem to happen the way she says they will. Weird, but true. As a scientist, however, I will tell you there’s no possible way she has an inside track on the universe, so let’s just say that what Cherise calls “predictions,” I call lucky guesses. And in general, Cherise is an exceptional guesser.

  But not this time! This time, Cherise has got it all wrong.

  “You’re nuts,” I tell her. “Love is not headed my way. I don’t want to find the right guy. Or even the wrong one, for that matter. No guys at all. And I definitely don’t want a new diamond.” I’m speaking in a strong voice, so that there can be no misunderstanding. My tone softens when I add, “I just want to find my mom’s.”

  Losing the stone reopened the pain I felt at the time of Mom’s death. In those days around her funeral, I felt lost and empty inside. Like someone had kicked me so hard the wind went out of my chest. It took me months before I could set one foot in front of the other and move forward, literally. That diamond was my physical link to her. And now … it’s gone.

  When I went to take a shower early this morning, I noticed the stone was missing. I don’t know if I lost it yesterday, last night, or this morning. My head hurts from trying to recall the last time I saw it glimmering in its white-gold setting.

  In the little time I had before I rushed off to school, I tore apart the living room. Next, I skipped breakfast with my father, choosing to scour my room instead. Then, I scrubbed the kitchen floor, mopped the bathroom, and checked the tub and sink drains. I even stopped at my father’s tuxedo shop to look around.

  It’s nowhere. Gone.

  “That diamond reminded me of her,” I say with a sigh.

  We reach our classroom and pull off to the side to let other students enter.

  “You don’t need a ring to remember your mom.” Cherise reaches in her purse and pulls out her herb-infused, 100 percent organic, paraben-free, pressed-powder compact. “You have her face, her hair, and her eyes.” She opens the lid and rotates the small reflecting glass toward me. “You can remember her just by looking in the mirror.”

  What she’s saying cheers me up a bit because I know it’s true. I have blue eyes, straight, honey-colored hair, and a light smattering of freckles across the bridge of my nose. It isn’t just my face that looks like Miriam Louise Townsend: I’m thin, flat-chested, and a full head taller than many of the guys at school. All traits inherited from Mom. Sometimes I wonder if my father contributed any of his genes at all.

  Cherise turns the mirror back toward her, powders her nose, then shuts the compact with a snap. “Now, Sylvie,” she says as she stashes her makeup back in her bag, “since love is headed your way, I think we should talk about your outfit.”

  “You’re offering fashion advice?” I reply, taking a second to survey Cherise’s gauzy get-up. Her broomstick skirt with appliquéd flowers came from a retail store that guarantees the cotton was organically grown, without pesticides. Her teal-colored hand-embroidered blouse came from another place that certifies that no child labor was used in manufacturing. Her sandals are hemp, since wearing leather would be cruel to cows. Socially conscious retail comes with a socially conscious price tag. Luckily, Cherise’s parents support her causes.

  I look down at my faded jeans, Keds, and well-worn tank top. I think it used to be orange, but now it’s a soft brownish color. I almost always have a sweatshirt tied around my waist in case it gets chilly. So what? I like comfy clothes. Besides, Dad and I are always struggling to make ends meet, so I don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on the latest fashions. Usually, I get my stuff at the thrift shop in Clifton Heights.

  Cherise’s style suits her, and my style suits me.

  “No way we’re talking about my outfit,” I tell her. “I look fine.”

  “Fine is passé,” Cherise responds. “You’re going to want to look glam for your new love.” She begins to describe a faux fur jacket she found online, which she thinks I’d look good in.

  I smooth out a wrinkle in my tank top. “I don’t need new clothes. I’m not falling in love.” I put up a hand to stop her from interrupting. “To fall in love, first I’d have to go on a date,” I say firmly. “C’mon, you know I don’t date. I need to keep my head down and my grades up until my academic future is secure. That’s all.”

  It’s not that I couldn’t get a date if I wanted to. I mean, I probably could. I’m not a total waste. I’m smart and funny and when I want to get dressed up I turn out better than some other girls I know. Plus, as far as I can tell, flirting isn’t as hard as determining whether Pluto is a planet or an asteroid.

  It’s just that I don’t encourage any of the guys at school. To be completely honest, I do what I can to keep them from approaching me in “that” way. Cherise says I send off neg vibes. I don’t know if it’s vibes or not, but it works. Besides, our school isn’t that big. It’s in an older, settled, part of Cincinnati. Cherise and I have known the same guys since elementary school. The dating pool is more like a toddler’s plastic wader.

  So it’s perfect grades. Perfect school attendance. Perfect behavior in school and out. That way, nothing is going to distract me from my goal.

  I want to be an astronomer like my mom was. This is my senior year of high school, and I desperately hope to win a scholarship to Yale University (my mom’s alma mater). I’ve already been accepted to the school, but I can’t go without a full ride. They only give five science-based scholarships away every year and I’m solidly in the running. My entire being is focused on that scholarship.

  Only eight more weeks until graduation. I’ve already submitted all the proper paperwork. It’s a waiting game from here, but I am not going to do anything to mess this one up. A slight dip in my GPA, and Yale will become a distant memory.

  Maybe, before I leave for Connecticut, I’ll consider a light summer romance, if I can find the right guy, but not now. Not today. No way. And for sure, I’m not going to fall head-over-heels in romance-novel love.

  Since I started high school, I’ve been watching the girls around me drop like flies. Their brains turn to mush as boys smile at them in the lunchroom and say “Hey” in the hallway. I see the girls I went to junior high with (girls who I thought were bright and clever) suddenly wasting hours at the mall, buying makeup and miniskirts. Instant Messaging instead of doing homework! Even texting boys during class. From there it’s a slippery slope to study sessions with no studying, late-night parties, and dropping grades. I even know one girl who got pregnant!

  Funny, isn’t it? While every other girl I know is trying to get a date, I’m trying to avoid one. I stay away from trouble. No weekend parties, no drinking, no boys, and just one friend, who doesn’t date either, though her decision is by choice, not necessity. Cherise simply isn’t interested in dating. She uses every free second she has to volunteer and “save” something.

  I turn toward Cherise. She has an omniscient look in her eye,
a glowing scrutiny that indicates she knows what I’m thinking. I bet she practices that look in the mirror at night because it’s really good. It just doesn’t have any effect on me.

  “I’m not interested in love,” I say. “I don’t have time.”

  “I knew you’d say that.” Cherise raises one eyebrow. “But the cosmos have suddenly shifted. You can wear your secondhand clothes and send off your leave-me-alone vibes, but no amount of repellant is going to change your destiny. You’d better get used to the idea, Sylvie. Love is headed your way.”

  I open my mouth to protest. Cherise flashes me a sideways glance and, oddly, my brain doesn’t connect with my mouth.

  Grinning wildly, Cherise opens the door to our classroom and holds it for me. As I walk through, she says, “I’m going to come visit you at work after school. Losing that diamond is the biggest cosmic indicator I’ve personally ever encountered! I need to draw up your astrological chart.” And with that she heads inside, ready to study English.

  I can’t seem to form a coherent argument against her wasting my time with silly astrology.

  The diamond isn’t the only thing I’ve lost.

  It seems I’ve lost my mind as well.

  Two

  Your typically dead-on intuition may be faulty right now, especially in dealing with a special person.

  www.astrology4stars.com

  The school day’s over and, as usual, I’m sitting in my comfy chair at the back of my father’s tuxedo shop, hemming pants.

  After school and on weekends, I work in the shop. Today is Monday, so here I am. Of course, if it were any other day, I’d be here, too. I haven’t missed a day of work in seven years. Really. I’ve never taken a sick or “personal” day. I went away for one week two years ago, but my father closed the shop and took a short break himself while I was gone, so that doesn’t count.

  I’ve helped out around here off and on since I was a kid. After Mom died, it just seemed natural that I’d do as much as I could. When I was younger, I would sweep up and match cummerbunds with bow ties. Now I’m old enough to be a seamstress and desk clerk. Every afternoon I sit in an overstuffed chair in the back of the office, adjusting black tuxedo pants with a needle and thread. I know hand-sewing is old-fashioned. Sewing with a machine is more fun, but when it comes to hemming, I like the precision I can get with a plain ol’ needle.