Party Princess by Meg Cabot

actually interested in you.”
    “But the title isn’t about ME!” I wailed. “It’s about my cat! My cat’s butt, to be exact!”
    “Yes,” Lilly said. “I will admit it’s a bit on the juvenile side. But that is why it will get people’s attention. They won’t be able to look away. I figure for the first cover, I’ll take a picture of Fat Louie’s butt, and then—”
    She kept on talking, but I wasn’t listening. I COULDN’T listen.
    Why must I be surrounded by so many lunatics?

 
    Wednesday, March 3, Earth Science
     
    Kenny just asked me to rewrite our worksheet on subduction zones. Not do the actual WORK over again (although it wouldn’t really be over again, since I didn’t do it in the first place—he did), but redo it on a new sheet that isn’t covered in pizza stains like the one we would be handing in if I weren’t redoing it, due to the fact that Kenny did it last night while he was eating his dinner.
    I wish Kenny would be more careful with our homework. It’s a big pain for me to have to copy it over. Lilly’s not the only one with carpals, you know. I mean, SHE isn’t the one who has to sign a gazillion autographs for people every time she gets out of her limo in front of the Plaza. People have started LINING UP there every day after school because they know I’ll be coming for my princess lesson with Grandmère. I have to keep a Sharpie with me at all times just for that reason.
    Writing Princess Mia Thermopolis over and over again is no joke. I wish my name weren’t so long.
    Maybe I should just switch to writing HRH Mia. But would that seem stuck-up?
    Kenny just showed me the Fat Louie’s Pink Butthole flyer and asked if I thought his thesis on brown dwarf stars would be suitable for publication.
    “I don’t know,” I told him. “I have nothing to do with it.”
    “But it’s named after your cat,” he said, looking dismayed.
    “Yeah,” I said. “But I still have nothing to do with it.”
    He doesn’t seem to believe me.
    I can’t say I blame him.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
    HOMEWORK
    PE: WASH GYM SHORTS!!!
    U.S. Economics: Chapter 8
    English: pages 116–132, O Pioneers
    French: Écrivez une histoire comique pour vendredi
    G&T: Figure out what I’m going to wear to The Party Geometry: Worksheet
    Earth Science: Ask Kenny
     
     
     
    Don’t forget: Tomorrow is Grandmère’s birthday! Bring gift to school so I can give it to her at princess lessons!!!!!!!!
     

 
    Wednesday, March 3, the Plaza
     
    Something is definitely up with Grandmère. I knew this the minute I walked into her suite, because she was being WAY too nice to me. She was like, “Amelia! How lovely to see you! Sit down! Have a bonbon!” and shoved all these truffles from La Maison du Chocolat in my face.
    Oh yeah. Something’s going on.
    Either that or she’s drunk. Again.
    AEHS should really do a convocation about coping with alcoholic grandparents. Because I could use some tips.
    “Good news,” she announced. “I think I might be able to help you with your little financial predicament.”
    WHOA. WHOA!!!!!! Grandmère is coming through with a loan? Oh, thank you, God! THANK YOU!
    “When I was in school,” she went on, “and we ran low on funds for our spring trip to Paris to visit the couture houses one year, we put on a show.”
    I nearly choked on my tea. “You WHAT?”
    “Put on a show,” Grandmère said. “It was The Mikado , you know. That we put on, I mean. Gilbert and Sullivan. Quite difficult, particularly since we were an all-girls school, and there are so many male leads. I remember Genevieve—you know, the one who used to dip my braids into her inkwell when I wasn’t looking—was so disappointed in having to play the Mikado.” An evil grin spread across Grandmère’s face. “The Mikado was supposed to be quite large, you know. I suppose Genevieve was upset about being typecast.”
    Okay. So, obviously, no loan was forthcoming.Grandmère just felt