“Oh,” I said. Because I couldn’t figure out how else to respond. I mean, do couples really split up over things like this? I’ve heard about people getting divorced because one person keeps on losing the cap to the toothpaste.

But to break up over methodological differences?

Oh, well. At least that’s one I never have to worry about happening to Michael and me!

“Still, I shouldn’t have kept it all to myself,” Lilly went on. “I should have told you. At least it might have helped you understand—you know. Why I’ve been acting like such a freak lately.”

“At least,” I said gravely, “you have an excuse. For freakish behavior, and all. What’s mine?”

Lilly laughed, the way I’d meant her to.

“I’m sorry I wouldn’t pull your story,” she said. “You were totally right. It would have been mean to J.P. Not to mention completely insulting to your cat.”

“Yeah,” I said, glancing over to where J.P. was standing, not too far from Doo Pak, who was breathlessly telling something to Elton John. “J.P.’s a really nice guy. And you know…” Well, why not? The niceness thing hadn’t let me down yet. “…I think he really likes you.”

“Shut up,” Lilly said. But not in quite as listless a voice as she’d been speaking in before. “I’ve given up guys. You know that. They don’t bring anything but trouble and heartache. It’s like I was telling David Mamet a minute ago that—”

“Wait,” I said. “David Mamet is here?”

“Yeah,” Lilly said. “He’s buying the faux island of Massachusetts or something. Why?”

“Lilly,” I said excitedly. “Go up to J.P. and tell him you want to introduce him to someone. Then bring him over to David Mamet.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask. Just do it. I swear you won’t regret it. In fact, I bet he asks you out afterward.”

“Do you really think he likes me?” Lilly wanted to know, eyeing J.P. uncertainly.

“Totally,” I said.

“Then I’m going to do it,” Lilly said with sudden determination. “Right now.”

“Go for it,” I told her.

And she went.

But I didn’t get to see how J.P. reacted, because at that very moment, Michael came up, and slid an arm around my waist.

“Hi,” I said. “How was Bob?”

“Bob,” Michael said, “is so cool. How are you?”

“You know what? I’m good.”

And I wasn’t even lying, for a change.






ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to Beth Ader, Jennifer Brown, Barbara Cabot, Lexa Hillyer, Michele Jaffe, Laura Langlie, Janey Lee, and Abigail McAden. Special thanks to Benjamin Egnatz, who wrote many of the songs/poems in this book, and also fed me while I was writing it.

About the Author

MEG CABOT is the author of the best-selling, critically acclaimed Princess Diaries books, which were made into the wildly popular Disney movies of the same name. Her other books for teens include the Mediator series, the 1-800-Where-R-You books, All-American Girl, Ready or Not, Teen Idol, and Avalon High, as well as Nicola and the Viscount and Victoria and the Rogue. She also writes books for adults, including The Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, Every Boy’s Got One, and Size 12 Is Not Fat. She is still waiting for her real parents, the king and queen, to restore her to her rightful throne. She lives in Key West and New York City with her husband and a one-eyed cat named Henrietta.

Visit Meg’s website at: www.megcabot.com

For exclusive information on your favorite authors and artists, visit www.authortracker.com.

Books by

MEG CABOT

The Princess Diaries

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, VOLUME II:

Princess in the Spotlight

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, VOLUME III:

Princess in Love

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, VOLUME IV:

Princess in Waiting

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, VOLUME IV AND A HALF:

Project Princess

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, VOLUME V:

Princess in Pink

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, VOLUME VI:

Princess in Training

The Princess Present:

A PRINCESS DIARIES BOOK (VOLUME VI AND A HALF)

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, VOLUME VII:

Party Princess

Sweet Sixteen Princess:

A PRINCESS DIARIES BOOK (VOLUME VII AND A HALF)

ILLUSTRATED BY CHESLEY MCLAREN:

Princess Lessons:

A PRINCESS DIARIES BOOK

Perfect Princess:

A PRINCESS DIARIES BOOK

Holiday Princess:

A PRINCESS DIARIES BOOK

ALL-AMERICAN GIRL

READY OR NOT: AN ALL-AMERICAN GIRL NOVEL

TEEN IDOL

AVALON HIGH

NICOLA AND THE VISCOUNT

VICTORIA AND THE ROGUE

THE MEDIATOR BOOKS:

THE MEDIATOR 1: SHADOWLAND

THE MEDIATOR 2: NINTH KEY

THE MEDIATOR 3: REUNION

THE MEDIATOR 4: DARKEST HOUR

THE MEDIATOR 5: HAUNTED

THE MEDIATOR 6: TWILIGHT

THE BOY NEXT DOOR

BOY MEETS GIRL

EVERY BOY’S GOT ONE

SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT

THE 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU BOOKS:

WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES

CODE NAME CASSANDRA

SAFE HOUSE

SANCTUARY

Credits

Jacket art © 2006 by Howard Huang

Jacket design by Amy Ryan

Copyright

Party Princess

Copyright © 2006 by Meg Cabot, LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright

Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.

PerfectBound™ and the PerfectBound™ logo are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Microsoft Reader February 2006 ISBN 0-06-087496-1

For information address HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. www.harperteen.com

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006000364

ISBN-10: 0-06-072453-6 (trade bdg.)

ISBN-13: 978-0-06-072453-5 (trade bdg.)

ISBN-10: 0-06-072454-4 (lib. bdg.)

ISBN-13: 978-0-06-072454-2 (lib. bdg.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

About the Publisher