Sunset Boulevard by Zoey Dean Page B

wearing me. Even her
    shoulder-length hair had a look at me sheen. The violet eyes staring back at her belonged to a
    different person. A person just as fabulous, just as L.A., as Myla. Who knew some smoky eye
    makeup, a quarter-sized dollop of Fekkai glosssing cream, and a little attitude could make her
    into a whole new person? A person who--though she shared no DNA with her--clearly was
    Myla Everhart's sister.
    DUDE, YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE
    Jake stared furtively around Meltdown Comics on Sunset, at the wall of Japanese capsule toys,
    new graphic novels shimmering under the lights, and the posters of buxom superheroines with
    faces that were simultaneously sneering and seductive. It was an hour before closing on
    Wednesday night, and even though Jake had vowed to shed all traces of geekdom, Miles had
    insisted. Besides, he wouldn't exactly run into any other BHH people here.
    Eyeing his reflection in a collectibles case, Jake took a deep breath and rattled off one of
    Tommy Archer's speeches, the one in act two where Kady started to see him as more than a
    jock. "I know you're not as tough as you look, Lizzie. I've seen you at your softest, when you
    think no one's around. At the café, when you give a little kid extra whipped cream on his cocoa
    or you share half your sandwich with a homeless woman. I know you, Lizzie Barnett. I know
    you hide how kind you are under sarcastic comments." He narrowed his eyes in what he hoped
    was a penetrating stare, picturing Kady-as-Lizzie's face. But in the case's mirrored back wall,
    his own bug-eyed reflection stared back at him, like Wall-E with a Jewfro.
    "Hey, bro! Look what I found! A variant cover of Secret Invasion number one! Sue Storm
    looks hot!" Miles waved the floppy comic in the air for Jake to see, breaking Jake's
    concentration.
    Jake sighed and picked up a stuffed animal from a half-off bin. He tried to hold the yellow doll
    like a football. Tommy Archer was a quarterback, and Jake needed the practice.
    Miles shuffled over, adjusting one of the Spock ears he wore to get the store's Trekkie
    discount. "Dude, I hate to be the one to say this, but you look like you're breast-feeding
    Pikachu."
    Of course he did. In his mirror at home, practicing with a real football, Jake's little brother,
    Brendan, had caught on to what he was doing and wasted no time mocking him.
    Jake tossed the yellow plush toy back into its bin. He missed and shook his head dejectedly.
    He'd taken the part the other day before realizing that Tommy Archer was this awesome,
    popular jock. Jake's only experience with popular, awesome jocks was being on the receiving
    end of their popular and awesome torture tactics. Not that anyone on Class Angel could ever
    find that out. Jake had spent a summer bulking up, in a bid to go from dud to stud. In some
    small part of his brain that wasn't anxiety-wracked, he was glad that his newly gained muscles,
    braceless teeth, and improved posture were fooling someone . Amelie, at tutoring, had given
    him constant reassurance that he would do just fine. It didn't really help, though. A guy like
    Tommy Archer wouldn't be so naive as to fall for a megastar like Amelie and think he had a
    chance. Tommy Archer wouldn't have spent half his savings account on trendy, overpriced
    Kitson clothes. And he wouldn't have believed Amelie's invitation to Lewis Buford's
    Hollywood party was a date. At least Jake's new acting worries had helped him put Amelie out
    of his head. Still, she was going to be disappointed when shooting started in two days.
    "Why so serious?" Miles cackled in a vocal hybrid of the Joker and Peter Brady. "You're not
    yourself, dude. Secret Invasion , first issue, variant!" Miles, who had the treasure gingerly
    pinched between his thumb and forefinger, practically shouted. The guys at the counter shot
    him dirty looks. "I'll let you have it, if it'll make you feel better."
    "No, it's okay, dude." Jake sighed. He felt totally weak. Even though he had declared