uniforms, doing round-offs and aerials and complicated twisty-tricks as they shout, “Goooooo, Snowcrest!” Then they reach out their arms and give the spirit-fingers salute to the varsity squad, who’s hot on their trail. Launching into their routine, which is thankfully accompanied by a CD and not the marching band, the varsity cheerleaders fling their tiny bodies around in perfect time.
They’re… good . Great, even. I can’t take my eyes off of them.
And Maddie looks the best of all. She’s zipping through her back handsprings like she has actual springs growing out of her feet. Oh my God, did she just do a whip back? And now she’s being launched to the tip-top of a pyramid. All those cheerleader camps have really paid off!
“Maddie looks amazing,” Yas says, pointing at my sis as if I need help locating her. Just look around. Everybody is checking her out.
Then I notice him. THNG. He’s sitting four rows in front of me, two o’clock. I can see from here that he’s zeroed in on Maddie. Is that a trickle of drool on his chin? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, Maddie is drop-dead gorgeous—all silky auburn hair, green eyes, and freakishly long legs. If she weren’t my sister, I’d definitely hate her.
Maddie does a dead man, falling backward into three other cheerleaders’ hands. Then they pitch her up and she does another dead man, forward. The student body goes wild as she pops up and flings her hair back into place. She joins the others in their little “Go! Fight! Win!” cheer. It looks like Maddie Finnegan has given Snowcrest High a terrible case of school spirit. I just hope the whole place doesn’t have to be quarantined.
As soon as Yasmin drops me off at my house, I grab a snack and run up to my room. I shuck my sweater and sprawl out on my bed. I get out my laptop and write a quick update e-mail to Hunter, letting him know a brilliant plan is in the works and to hangtight for further direction. After I hit send, I notice there’s a message in my inbox waiting to be opened.
Subj: Request 4 Help
Date: Sept. 9, 2:47 PM Mountain Standard Time
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Dear Miss Match,
My friend Caden Baxter told me about you. You really came thru for him and I’m hoping you can work the same magic for me?
Here’s the deal. There’s a girl at my school. Not just any girl—she’s a goddess. I want to ask her to the homecoming dance, but I doubt she even knows I exist. Anyway, homecoming is only a month away, so I know I’m asking a lot. I’ll pay you extra. Let me know.
Thanks,
Derek Urban
Derek’s e-mail isn’t anything out of the ordinary. I get e-mails like this every week. It’s all part of the job. But when I start reading theMiss Match Questionnaire he so kindly filled out in full, I about fall off my bed. I blink three times and reread the first line:
NAME OF CRUSH: Maddie Finnegan
This Derek guy wants me to fix him up with my sister !
I’ve worked wonders with beauties and beasts, princes and paupers, city mice and country mice, angels and devils…but never anything so close to home. Literally.
Sure, since I work locally (it’s not like I can jet set all over the world) there’s always the chance I’ll know or recognize a client or the person he or she is all into. But I never thought I’d see the day that a guy would pay me to fix him up with my own flesh-and-blood sister.
Who is this Derek guy, anyway? Am I going to like him enough to help him get a date with my sister? And who’s to say Maddie will even give him the time of day? Does he realize that she’s dated the dreamiest guys from Provo to Logan, and one who just left for his sophomore year at Yale? Or that Maddie changes boyfriends as often as she changes her Abercrombie & Fitch jeans?
Then again, he did offer to pay me extra,and after six long months I’m only one gig away from clearing my debt to Mrs. Woosely once and for all. Besides, when have I ever
They’re… good . Great, even. I can’t take my eyes off of them.
And Maddie looks the best of all. She’s zipping through her back handsprings like she has actual springs growing out of her feet. Oh my God, did she just do a whip back? And now she’s being launched to the tip-top of a pyramid. All those cheerleader camps have really paid off!
“Maddie looks amazing,” Yas says, pointing at my sis as if I need help locating her. Just look around. Everybody is checking her out.
Then I notice him. THNG. He’s sitting four rows in front of me, two o’clock. I can see from here that he’s zeroed in on Maddie. Is that a trickle of drool on his chin? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, Maddie is drop-dead gorgeous—all silky auburn hair, green eyes, and freakishly long legs. If she weren’t my sister, I’d definitely hate her.
Maddie does a dead man, falling backward into three other cheerleaders’ hands. Then they pitch her up and she does another dead man, forward. The student body goes wild as she pops up and flings her hair back into place. She joins the others in their little “Go! Fight! Win!” cheer. It looks like Maddie Finnegan has given Snowcrest High a terrible case of school spirit. I just hope the whole place doesn’t have to be quarantined.
As soon as Yasmin drops me off at my house, I grab a snack and run up to my room. I shuck my sweater and sprawl out on my bed. I get out my laptop and write a quick update e-mail to Hunter, letting him know a brilliant plan is in the works and to hangtight for further direction. After I hit send, I notice there’s a message in my inbox waiting to be opened.
Subj: Request 4 Help
Date: Sept. 9, 2:47 PM Mountain Standard Time
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Dear Miss Match,
My friend Caden Baxter told me about you. You really came thru for him and I’m hoping you can work the same magic for me?
Here’s the deal. There’s a girl at my school. Not just any girl—she’s a goddess. I want to ask her to the homecoming dance, but I doubt she even knows I exist. Anyway, homecoming is only a month away, so I know I’m asking a lot. I’ll pay you extra. Let me know.
Thanks,
Derek Urban
Derek’s e-mail isn’t anything out of the ordinary. I get e-mails like this every week. It’s all part of the job. But when I start reading theMiss Match Questionnaire he so kindly filled out in full, I about fall off my bed. I blink three times and reread the first line:
NAME OF CRUSH: Maddie Finnegan
This Derek guy wants me to fix him up with my sister !
I’ve worked wonders with beauties and beasts, princes and paupers, city mice and country mice, angels and devils…but never anything so close to home. Literally.
Sure, since I work locally (it’s not like I can jet set all over the world) there’s always the chance I’ll know or recognize a client or the person he or she is all into. But I never thought I’d see the day that a guy would pay me to fix him up with my own flesh-and-blood sister.
Who is this Derek guy, anyway? Am I going to like him enough to help him get a date with my sister? And who’s to say Maddie will even give him the time of day? Does he realize that she’s dated the dreamiest guys from Provo to Logan, and one who just left for his sophomore year at Yale? Or that Maddie changes boyfriends as often as she changes her Abercrombie & Fitch jeans?
Then again, he did offer to pay me extra,and after six long months I’m only one gig away from clearing my debt to Mrs. Woosely once and for all. Besides, when have I ever
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