“Do your research.”
“And what’s the first step in a successful campaign of study?”
“Consult the experts.” I was on the point of complaining that I didn’t know any experts in this particular field when a light bulb went off. Therewassomeone I could ask—an undisputed authority in the area of romance.
Dear Diary,
Another Scoundrel alert: a boy named Braden offered to tutor a girl in Terry’s geometry class, but it turned out he was correcting all her answers so that when he told her what he’d done, she’d feel obligated to go out with him. And then for extra creepiness he threatened to turn her in for cheating if she said no. Which is pretty much what Gus Trenor did to Lily Bart inHouse of Mirth, only with math homework instead of the stock market. And no gambling addiction or tragic use of sleeping pills.
I know Alex Ritter is the reason we started the Scoundrel Guide in the first place, but on balance, he’s not the worst of the bunch.
M.P.M.
Chapter 17
The better part of a week passedbefore I could put my plan into effect. After making excuses to my friends, I hurried home on foot. There was no sign of Alex Ritter, though I knew this was the day of his piano lesson.
Despite my trepidation at the task ahead, I relished every crunch of leaves underfoot, the bursts of red still on the trees, watery golden sunlight softening the crispness of the air as it washed over my skin. It was a perfect fall afternoon, the sky so clear it felt like being cradled inside a giant blue marble. There should have been a name for days like this, but all the ones I could think of—halcyon days, salad days—referred to summer, which struck me as unfair. Who needed the obvious charms of June when you could have the burnished richness of autumn?
After stashing my backpack in my room, I crept back down the stairs and out the front door, careful not to let the screen door slam behind me. Since I wasn’t sure how long piano lessons typically lasted, it seemed wisest to get into position early. A row of hydrangeas bordered the yellow house. Squeezing between the shrubbery and the porch, I settled in to wait.
Muffled strains of music drifted through the walls. It sounded like the same few bars played over and over, with brief interludes of silence. I was beginning to regret not grabbing a snack, and a sweater, when footsteps thudded toward the front of the house. The door opened.
Peeking through the porch railing, I confirmed the identity of the student before hissing, “Pssst.”
Alex Ritter started, fumbling the book of sheet music in his hand.
“Over here,” I whispered.
He took a tentative step toward the edge of the porch, squinting down at me through a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. “Mary?”
I nodded, distracted by the eyewear. The effect was very different from his usual look: less perfect, more vulnerable.
He glanced over his shoulder before turning back to me. “No thanks. I’ll pass.”
My mouth fell open. He was turning me down already? “I haven’t even told you what I want—”
“I’m getting a very strong ‘drug deal’ vibe. Contrary to what you seem to think about my personal habits, I’m actually a pretty clean-living guy.”
“I’m not trying to sell you anything!” I stepped closer to the railing. “I need your help.”
The suppressed laughter fled his expression. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He was still studying me intently, checking for injuries, I presumed. “You wear glasses?”
“My contacts were bothering me.” His hand moved to his hair, but he stopped short of touching the curls, sliding a self-conscious glance my way as his arm fell to his side.
“I shouldn’t have said that about your hair. Obviously I’m not one to talk about styling products and all that.” I flapped a self-deprecating hand at my ponytail.
A gust of wind sent leaves scudding along the sidewalk.
“Is this like when my sisters describe someone’s outfit by saying she ‘tried really hard’? I have the feeling next you’re going to tell me I seem like a ‘very sweet person.’”
“I wasn’t going to say that.”
His lips twitched. “That’s a relief.”
“I always wanted curls,” I continued, determined not to be maneuvered into insulting him again.
