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Authors: Nia Stephens
Bree wasn't all that upset. An actress who flaked out over every failed audition was an actress who wasn't going to make it. Still, it stung that Jake was cast for the show and she wasn't. Not that she had any interest in working with him.
“That's not why they passed you over, Bree,” Fiona said. “What's that sound? Is someone else trying to call you?”
“Yeah, my driver's downstairs,” Bree said, slowly heading in that direction. She had been in a rush to escape from Sean, but now she felt drained. Any energy she had left had seeped out through her toes when she realized that she was not going to get that role.
“Oh. Fine, then,” said Fiona, all business. “Molly said she thought you were unconvincing. I told her that was ridiculous, that you were the best actress I represent in your age group. In five years, you're going to be famous. But Molly said you read like someone who has never been in love before. What happened today, Bree?”
“I just had a bad day. A really bad day.”
“Well, I'm sorry. But next time, I expect to hear that you sound like one seventeen-year-old who knows exactly what love is all about.”
“All right, Fee. I'll see what I can do.” Bree said goodbye and gratefully climbed into the back of a black Mercedes sedan. After chatting with Sam she called Kylian to vent.
“Wow. That does sound pretty bad. You'd have been better off coming to school,” he said when she finished her story.
“I've learned my lesson. Straight to school and back home afterwards,” she promised. “At least until Sutton comes up with another brilliant plan.”
“Why don't you listen to my brilliant plan?” Kylian asked.
“What? Internet dating? I don't think so,” Bree laughed. “Mr. Internet is not my friend. He tells lots of lies about people.”
“You've only seen the dark side of Mr. Internet. But Mr. Internet's power can be used for good, not just evil.”
“I don't know, Kylian. Honestly, I kind of hope I never have to go on another date again.”
“Tomorrow we'll look around on this social networking site I know. You don't have to e-mail anybody. We'll just browse.”
“But all my dates turn out to be complete disasters! Look at what happened tonight!”
“Think about it this way: you've never once had a relationship that turned out okay. Your batting average couldn't be any worseâso it can only get better.”
“Thanks, Kylian. I feel a lot better. Really.”
He laughed, long and hard. “Your acting really does suck today. That was totally unconvincing.”
“Well, that helped.”
He laughed again. “Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll find the guy for you. Sooner or later even Sutton will figure out that no matter what you're shopping for, you'll always find better deals on the Internet.”
“Even boy shopping?”
“Even boy shopping. I'll tell you about my latest adventures tomorrow morning. I had a very interesting weekend. But now I have got to get some sleep. Ciao, baby.”
“Ciao.”
Amazingly enough, Bree did feel a little better after they hung up. Maybe she could go on one more date before giving up completely. After all, how could she act convincingly like a woman in love if she never fell in love? She had to keep trying, for her career's sake.
Sam was on Kylian's side. “They say you can find anything on the Internet if you look long enough,” he said when they arrived at the Edwardian. “No matter how rare it is.”
“Even true love?”
“Even true love,” he insisted as he helped Bree out of the car. “But there is one catch, though.”
“What's that?” she asked, though of course she knew what he was going to say.
“You have to pay for what you get.”
Bree forgot all about Sam's final warning until she actually sat down with Kylian at the computer lab during lunch and started filling out the HelloHi.com questionnaire.
“What difference does it make if my favorite color is baby blue?” she asked, more than a little frustrated. “How is that going to help me find Mr. Right?”
“You don't have to answer all the questions,” Kylian said. “You can leave as many blank as you want. But the more answers you have, the more accurate the compatibility ratings will be.”
“So this is how you met Mr. Right Now?” Bree asked pointedly. Kylian had spent most of the weekend with a guy named Lucas, loitering in the Strand bookshop, watching OK Go play a club in TriBeCa, and probably a lot of other things that Kylian was not going to talk about at school.
“Exactly. And it's almost spooky how much we have in common. He's a junior at Gardner, likes history, hates math, loves English. We even have the same taste in booksâand you know how rare that is.”
Bree was entirely familiar with Kylian's strange taste in books, and was glad he found someone else to wander in used bookstores with him on Saturday afternoons, looking for out-of-print Dr. Who novels and vintage Stephen King.
“Well, you know me better than I know myself. Go to town.”.
“What are you doing?” Sutton whined, wandering into the lab. “I thought we were going out to lunch today.”
“We're trying to find true love for Bree. Be supportive,” Kylian ordered.
“Oh! Well, in that case, scoot over.” Sutton assisted Kylian with the endless questionnaire while Bree pretended to ignore them.
“Okay, done,” Kylian announced. “And now, the final touchâa picture! I've got some nice ones of you on my phone.”
“No, use this one,” Sutton said, clicking through the photos on her phone.
“Is that Bree? She looks like . . . a normal person.” Kylian sounded shocked. “What did you do? Put on Halloween makeup?”
“I'm not wearing any makeup,” Bree said, trying to snatch Sutton's camera. “But you've seen me without makeup before.”
“Only in your bedroom, which is practically a cave. And your hair never looks like that!”
“Which is why I will kill you if you stick that picture on my profile!”
“Actually, I think Sutton could be right here,” Kylian said. “Please don't hurt me, Bree. Put that chair down.”
“All right,” she said, plunking the little rolling chair back onto the floor and sitting on it. “But I might poison you later. Why on earth would you make me use that picture?”
“The whole point is to find someone who likes you for you. And you still look pretty without makeup,” Kylian explained.
“If nobody responds, you can put up another picture next week, right?” Sutton said, nudging Kylian in the chest.
“Right! But seriously, Bree, people will respond.”
“Fine. But I want to choose who can see my profile.”
“That's easy,” Kylian promised. “I'll set up your account so that people can't view your profile until you've sent them an e-mail. Are you ready to run the compatibility check?”
“What about the picture?”
“I just sent it,” Sutton said, snickering to herself. “It should pop up inâhey, there it is!”
“I hate you guys,” Bree sighed. “All right, see who's compatible.”
Four profiles came up, with thumbnail pictures that got bigger when Sutton clicked on them. Sutton did that first, before Bree could even glance at their profiles.
“Hot, hot, hot, hot,” Sutton pronounced. “Bree, you're a lucky girl.”
“Nobody forced
them
to put up a bad picture,” Bree grumbled.
them
to put up a bad picture,” Bree grumbled.
“I don't think they're wearing makeup, though. Except Blondie over here,” Sutton said. “Mr. Antonio. No one has skin that perfect.”
“He's not wearing makeup,” Kylian said, peering over Sutton's shoulder. “The photo's a little low-res, which makes you lose some texture.”
“Well, he's a hottie either way,” Sutton said.
“Let me see the profiles,” Bree begged.
1. Name: Justin Charles
Age: 18
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
School: Columbia
Interests: Basketball, jurisprudence
Personal Statement: I wish they all could be California girls. But if they can't all be from California, I wish I knew a few more who know what it means to miss LA in the middle of winter.
“Well, you do miss LA,” Sutton said. “I like him.”
Bree rolled her eyes. “You like the fact that he thinks jurisprudence is an interest.”
“You can't say rule of law isn't interesting, Bree,” Sutton insisted. “I bet he's really deep.”
“I think he's very distinguished looking,” Kylian said. “Like a Banana Republic model.”
Justin's head was shaved smooth, as were his cheeks, which made his surprisingly light brown eyes stand out against dark skin. He was dressed conservatively, exactly like someone who might consider jurisprudence an interest.
2. Name: Antonio DelVega
Age: 17
Hometown: New York, New York
School: St. James Academy, Lilas, New Jersey
Interests: Old movies, beautiful cars, Nintendo Wii Personal Statement: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
“Yeats from a Jersey boy?” Sutton said. “I'm impressed.”
“I think it's Keats,” Kylian said. “But you're rightâpretty impressive. Except that it doesn't actually tell us much about him.”
“He likes old movies, though,” Bree said. “That has potential.”
“StillâJersey?”
3. Name: Thomas Fira
Age: 17
Hometown: New York, New York
School: The Gardner School
Interests: Music, literature, travel
Personal Statement: I think requiring a personal statement but limiting it to twenty-five words is madness. Anyone worth knowing has a lot more to say.
“I like this guy,” Kylian said.
“You would,” Sutton said. “We don't know anything about him!”
“We know that he has black hair, a gorgeous smile, and some extremely cool sunglasses,” Kylian countered.
“What did you guys put as my personal statement?” Bree asked, suddenly worried.
“âPoor little rich girl seeks hot pool boy for sexual favors,'” Sutton said.
Bree ignored her. “Kylian?”
“What all the girls put: âNew to this online dating thing, looking for nice guy for conversation, maybe something more.'”
“That's completely blah.”
“True,” Kylian agreed. “But I kind of think guys just look at the pictures.”
“Next!” Sutton said, hoping to stave off an explosion from Bree.
4. Name: Matthew Johnson
Age: 17
Hometown: New York, New York
School: Lincoln School for the Performing Arts
Interests: Dancing, drinking coffee, more dancing
Personal Statement: I'm looking for someone special, someone who doesn't care what other people think, someone who speaks from the heart and lives life to the fullest.
“He sounds kind of gay,” Kylian said.
“Kylian!” Sutton yelled.
“What? It's true,” he said, eyes raised innocently. “Not that it's a bad thing, obviously, but come on: dancer, doesn't care what people think. Sounds pretty gay to me.”
“That's probably what everybody thinks,” Bree pointed out. “Maybe that's why he's looking for girls online.”
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