E-Book Overview
That's what I am. A funny girl. A friend. Nobody's girlfriend. The girl with the pretty face. Hayley wishes she could love living in Santa Monica, blocks from the beach, where every day—and everybody—is beautiful and sunny. But she just doesn't fit in with all the blond, superskinny Southern California girls who have their plastic surgeons on speed dial. Hayley is smart and witty and has such a pretty . . . face. Translation: Don't even think about putting on a bikini, much less dating superhot Drew Wyler. A bikini will never be flattering, and Drew will never think of her as more than a friend. Just when Hayley feels doomed to live her life in the fat lane, her parents decide to send her to Italy for the summer—not for school, not for fat camp, just for fun. It's there, under the Italian sun, that Hayley's vision of herself starts to change. She's curvy, not fat. Pizza isn't evil. And life is so much more than one-size-fits-all. Who knows? Once Hayley sees herself in a new light, maybe the girl with the pretty face will finally find true amore.
E-Book Content
Mary Hogan To my Enzo, Bob Contents One Mom bought me a digital scale. 1 Two It’s a sunny day. Of course. It’s always a sunny… 5 Three Pacific High is five blocks from the beach. Our apartment… 9 Four “If I wash these jeans tonight, I’ll have to wear… 13 Five Turns out, Drew is a brown-bagger. You’d think I would… 16 Six I am such an ass! I am the assiest of… 20 Seven “Honestly,” Mom says at dinner, “tofu is completely misunderstood.” 23 Eight It’s Saturday. D-Day. Drew Day. My heart is pumping so… 27 Nine The beach is nature’s practical joke: The Earth is nearly… 34 Ten Of course Drew likes Jackie. Everyone likes Jackie. How could… 42 Eleven Mom is just returning from the gym when I get… 48 Twelve Isn’t pride one of the seven deadly sins? I seem… 54 Thirteen “You can’t go to Italy!” 62 Fourteen Somehow, miraculously, it’s here. The last day of school. I… 66 Fifteen I’ve quit my job and packed my suitcase. I have… 70 Sixteen The International Terminal in the Los Angeles Airport was renamed… 75 Seventeen I hate to admit it, but Mom is right. The… 83 Eighteen “Felice di vederti!” 88 Nineteen I see by the signs that Assisi is near. But… 94 Twenty The new me sleeps until eleven. 105 Twenty-One “Hayley!” Gino calls to me from the outdoor table, though… 113 Twenty-Two Day One was a wash. Or a total joy. Depending… 118 Twenty-Three It doesn’t take long to settle into an Italian routine. 126 Twenty-Four “How high today?” 131 Twenty-Five I’m sore this morning, but happy. The sun wakes me… 135 Twenty-Six Tonight, it’s gin. The card game, not the drink. 138 Twenty-Seven It was simple. All I did was say one sentence… 141 Twenty-Eight The spirit of Italy has taken over my soul. I’m… 151 Twenty-Nine “Is something wrong, honey?” Patrice asks me. 156 Thirty Nothing’s going to stop me. My sunscreen is on, my… 159 Thirty-One “Call me Enzo,” he says, pronouncing his name as if… 163 Thirty-Two I’m awake the moment the sun illuminates Assisi. I jump… 166 Thirty-Three Enzo doesn’t have a computer; I don’t have a phone. 174 Thirty-Four I’m totally lost. I don’t have a clue. Each time… 180 Thirty-Five “Lorenzo!” 183 Thirty-Six The back road to Lake Trasimeno winds around green fields… 187 Thirty-Se