Scarlett Fever (16 page)

“See you tomorrow,” she said as he walked away. There was no acknowledgment that she had spoken. Max’s back was a wall.

She walked back to Chelsea, who was standing there, waiting patiently.

“Don’t worry about him,” she said. “I’ll make him miserable at home for you. I can’t
believe
he did that. Well, actually, I can believe it.”

Scarlett started walking numbly in the direction of the meet up. Chelsea was still talking, telling her all the things Eric had said about her. The account seemed a little embellished, but the underlying message was clear: Eric wanted to get together with her. For real. Dating with a capital D. That’s all she had wanted for so long, and there it was. And yet, some part of her just wanted to run back and grab Max and shake him until all his teeth fell out. All her impulses toward Max were so—violent.

When she turned the corner, she saw them a block or so ahead. Her parents were talking to the actors, whom they hadn’t seen in a few weeks. They had gotten to know everyone during the show, and wanted to know how they were doing. Mrs. Amberson was talking excitedly on the phone. Spencer was rubbing one of his arms, but he was laughing. Eric held up a shy hand of greeting.

“See!” Chelsea said. “Please. Just talk to him.”

Even from across the street, Scarlett could hear every word Mrs. Amberson was saying on the phone: “…I think if you check the coverage tomorrow…Oh! Have we tinkled? Yes, it’s a standpipe, darling, I know. They can be very scary…No, not you, Carmine. But I think we should talk again in the morning, because this is a window of opportunity…Get away from that disgusting pizza! No, no. No dairy for you!…No, not you, Carmine. Let’s just meet for coffee at ten and discuss the future…”

The merry-go-round was still circling.

Scarlett looked behind her one last time, but Max was definitely gone. So Scarlett and Chelsea crossed the street to join the group.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For someone who spends most of her work time alone at a desk mumbling to herself, I seem to have many, many people to thank now that this book is finished. Even in making this list, I worry that I am leaving off dozens of people who do me everyday kindnesses that allow me to go on living.

My first thanks must always go to my agent, Kate Schafer Testerman (often known to the world as Daphne Unfeasible of Unfeasible Enterprises). Also, to my editor, Abby McAden, and everyone at Scholastic. These are the people who made this book happen.

More thanks to:

Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld, who not only read the book and provided critical notes, they also provide total life-support services in general.
¹

John and Hank Green, for being awesome, and always being such big supporters of me and my books. Best wishes.

The daily writing gang: Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Robin Wasserman, Scott Westerfeld (again), and Lauren McLaughlin.

Everyone at Springfield Castle who put up with me while I was working on the revision and running from the peacocks: Sarah Cross, Ally Carter, Carrie Ryan, Sarah Rees Brennan, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Diana Peterfreund, Robin Wasserman, Cassandra Clare, and Holly Black. (And a special thanks to Holly for reading the book between midnight and three in the morning, and then talking with me until dawn about it.)

My consultant on getting hit and falling down: Steve Copeland, formerly of Ringling Brothers Circus. My Gang of Four: Rebecca Leach, Tobias Huisman, Jordan Cwierz, and Chelsea Hunt. Alan Lastufka, for all of his technical help and support of Scarlett. Jason Keeley and Paula Gross, for feeding me. And to Hamish Young, who is an English person.

To everyone who participated in the BEDA project. There are about 500 of you, and it took all of you to make it work. A special thanks to Alex Day and Charlie McDonnell. Once you guys started doing it, then I had no choice but to continue or else I would be shamed on the Internet.

And to Dick Wolf. He knows why. Call me, Dick.
²

1
When they are in NYC, that is. Sometimes they retreat to their sky-palace in Sydney, and then I survive entirely by eating clumps of dust and burning my prize collection of antique telephone books for warmth.

2
I mean, “You, Dick, call me on the phone or some other telephonic device.” Not, “Please now refer to me as Dick.” There are a lot of reasons for this, not the least of which is that I am female. Also, that would make my name Dick Johnson. I would never stoop so low as to make a joke like that. I have standards, you know.

ALSO BY MAUREEN JOHNSON

Suite Scarlett

Girl at Sea

Devilish

13 Little Blue Envelopes

The Bermudez Triangle

The Key to the Golden Firebird

Copyright © 2010 by Maureen Johnson.
Cover photos: © Image Source Black/Jupiterimages (wallpaper)
© Image Source/Jupiterimages (key)
Jacket design by Yaffa Jaskoll

All rights reserved. Published by Point, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Publishers since 1920
.
SCHOLASTIC, POINT
, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Johnson, Maureen, 1973–

Scarlett fever / by Maureen Johnson. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Scarlett, who is beginning to get over her break-up with Eric, stays busy as assistant to her theatrical-agent friend who is not only promoting Scarlett’s brother Spencer, but also a new client whose bad-boy brother has transferred to Scarlett’s school.

ISBN-13: 978-0-439-89928-4 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 0-439-89928-1 (alk. paper)

[1. Family life — New York (State) — New York — Fiction. 2. High schools — Fiction. 3. Schools — Fiction. 4. Actors — Fiction. 5. Dating (Social customs) — Fiction. 6. Hotels — Fiction. 7. New York (N.Y.) — Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.J634145Sc 2010

[Fic] — dc22

2009019322

First edition, February 2010

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

E-ISBN: 978-0-545-25330-7

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