"Is he?" Ivy had noticed that Beth and Will were hanging around together more and more. "He's a nice guy."

"Real nice," Beth said enthusiastically.

They studied each other for a moment. Were Beth and Will getting to be more than friends? Ivy wondered. After writing all those romantic stories, maybe Beth had finally fallen. It wouldn't be hard to do: A lot of girls had crushes on Will. Ivy herself found that whenever she looked into his dark brown eyes- She caught herself and quickly shoved aside that thought. She would never let herself fall in love again.

The girls pushed through the school doors, and Suzanne led them on a roundabout route to their cars that conveniently ran past the field where the football team was practicing.

"I have to get a team program," Suzanne said after several minutes of watching. "What if I start drooling over number forty-nine and discover he's just a sophomore?"

"A hunk's a hunk," Beth replied philosophically. "And older women with younger guys are in."

"Don't tell Gregory I'm looking," Suzanne said in a stage whisper as they moved on toward their cars.

"Isn't looking allowed?" Beth asked innocently.

"On second thought, tell him, tell him!" Suzanne said, flinging her arms out dramatically. "Let him know, Ivy, I'm out and looking."

Ivy just smiled. From the beginning, Suzanne and Gregory had played mind games with each other.

"I mean, why should I tie myself down to one guy?" Suzanne continued.

Ivy knew this was just an act. Suzanne had been obsessed with Gregory since March and wanted desperately to tie him down to her.

"I'm going to start at the Baines Bash." She unlocked her car door.

"That's where a lot of school romances have started, you know."

"How many are you planning for yourself?" Ivy teased.

"Six."

"Great," Beth said. "That's six more heartbreaks for me to write about."