Emma Jean Lazarus Fell in Love by Lauren Tarshis

sense of humor and a love of music, you can send him my way.”
    Emma-Jean’s mother raised her glass. “To music and laughter,” she said, and they all tapped their glasses together with a most satisfying clink .

Chapter 13
    E ven with her boy right there beside her, Colleen felt pretty nervous as the party got started, especially when Father William told everyone to huddle up.
    â€œLet’s give a hand to Colleen for putting together this beautiful gathering,” he said. “Colleen, you put your heart into this like you always do, and it shows.”
    Usually Colleen felt totally embarrassed when Father William singled her out. Her cheeks would get bright red and she’d try to hide behind Kaitlin until people stopped clapping and staring.
    This time, though, her boy wouldn’t let her hide. He gave her a little nudge toward Father William, and told her to smile and enjoy this moment.
    And the most amazing thing happened a little later, when Colleen was neatening up the platters on the snack table.
    â€œThose look awesome,” said a familiar boy’s voice behind her.
    Was that Will Keeler? Talking to Colleen?
    Colleen turned around and there he was, looking at her and pointing at the chocolate marshmallow cupcakes, which did look really delicious.
    â€œWho made these?” he said.
    Colleen’s head popped off and flew into the air, but her boy caught it and put it back on her neck. She took a deep breath. She never talked to Will or any of the boys. There were so many times she’d wanted to talk to them, when she thought of something fascinating to say, like “How long is your bus ride?” or “Don’t you think the cafeteria should get strawberry milk?” But then she would get nervous that her voice would sound all squeaky or that the boy would walk away without answering.
    But now when Colleen looked at Will, she didn’t see the handsome thirteen-year-old basketball boy. She saw cute little Willy K. from nursery school, with the yellow curls and tow truck T-shirt. She remembered how he used to hug his mom so tightly when she said good-bye at drop-off. Probably Will was still the same sweet boy now that he was then, only with hairier arms and bigger muscles.
    â€œ I made those,” Colleen said. “My mom and me.”
    â€œThey look good.”
    â€œThey are,” Colleen said.
    Who said that? Was that really Colleen Julianna Pomerantz talking? Oh gosh, was she bragging?
    â€œReally?” Will said, smiling at her.
    Will looked at her right in the eyes. And if Colleen hadn’t been totally in love with her boy, she would have thought that Will Keeler was the dreamiest boy she’d ever seen, or ever would see for as long as she lived.
    No wonder Laura was in love with him! And Emma-Jean too!
    Will picked up a cupcake and took a big bite. He chewed very slowly, watching Colleen. He swallowed in a cartoony way, which was really funny. Colleen laughed, and her laugh didn’t sound squeaky. It sounded normal and funny, like she was an actress on TV playing the part of a girl with a good laugh.
    â€œThose are the best cupcakes I’ve ever tasted.”
    â€œThank you!” Colleen said.
    And just like that, Will Keeler and Colleen were friends. Colleen knew how that could be, how one funny little moment—like a tiny drop of superglue—was enough to stick two people together. Moments like that were really precious, Colleen knew, because she’d had some with all of her friends. She collected them, memorizing every detail. Sometimes in bed, she’d play these memories back in her mind, tiny movies that would lull her happily to sleep.
    Just then someone slapped Will on the back so hard he almost fell face-first into a Bundt cake.
    Brandon Mahoney!
    â€œThere you are!” he said to Will.
    Brandon grabbed one of Colleen’s cupcakes and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth.
    â€œMmmmm,” he