They told me there'd be palm trees.
I didn't believe them, but that's what they told me. They told me I'd be able to see them from the plane.
Oh, I know they have palm trees in southern California. I mean, I'm not a complete moron. I've watched 90210, and everything. But I was moving to northern California. I didn't expect to see palm trees in northern California. Not after my mom told me not to give away all my sweaters.
"Oh, no," my mom had said. "You'll need them. Your coats, too. It can get cold there. Not as cold as New York, maybe, but pretty chilly."
Which was why I wore my black leather motorcycle jacket on the plane. I could have shipped it, I guess, with the rest of my stuff, but it kind of made me feel better to wear it.
So there I was, sitting on the plane in a black leather motorcycle jacket, seeing these palm trees through the window as we landed. And I thought, Great. Black leather and palm trees. Already I'm fitting in, just like I knew I would. . . . . . . Not.
My mom isn't particularly fond of my leather jacket, but I swear I didn't wear it to make her mad, or anything. I'm not resentful of the fact that she decided to marry a guy who lives three thousand miles away, forcing me to leave school in the middle of my sophomore year; abandon the best—and pretty much only—friend I've had since kindergarten; leave the city I've been living in for all of my sixteen years.
Oh, no. I'm not a bit resentful.
The thing is, I really do like Andy, my new stepdad. He's good for my mom. He makes her happy. And he's very nice to me.
It's just this moving-to-California thing that bugs me.
Oh, and did I mention Andy's three other kids?
They were all there to greet me when I got off the plane. My mom, Andy, and Andy's three sons. Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc, I call them. They're my new stepbrothers.
"Susie!" Even if I hadn't heard my mom squealing my name as I walked through the gate, I wouldn't have missed them—my new family. Andy was making his two youngest boys hold up this big sign that said welcome home, susannah! Everybody getting off my flight was walking by it, going, "Aw, look how cute," to their travel companions, and smiling at me in this sickening way.
Oh, yeah. I'm fitting in. I'm fitting in just great.
"Okay," I said, walking up to my new family fast. "You can put the sign down now."
But my mom was too busy hugging me to pay any attention. "Oh, Susie!" she kept saying. I hate when anybody but my mom calls me Susie, so I shot the boys this mean look over her shoulder, just in case they were getting any big ideas. They just kept grinning at me from over the stupid sign, Dopey because he's too dumb to know any better, Doc because—well, I guess because he might have been glad to see me. Doc's weird that way. Sleepy, the oldest, just stood there, looking . . . well, sleepy.
"How was your flight, kiddo?" Andy took my bag off my shoulder, and put it on his own. He seemed surprised by how heavy it was, and went, "Whoa, what've you got in here, anyway? You know it's a felony to smuggle New York City fire hydrants across state lines."
I smiled at him. Andy's this really big goof, but he's a nice big goof. He wouldn't have the slightest idea what constitutes a felony in the state of New York since he's only been there, like, five times. Which was, incidentally, exactly how many visits it took him to convince my mother to marry him.
"It's not a fire hydrant," I said. "It's a parking meter. And I have four more bags."
"Four?" Andy pretended he was shocked. "What do you think you're doing, moving in or something?"
Did I mention that Andy thinks he's a comedian? He's not. He's a carpenter.
Meg Cabot is also the author of the Princess Diaries series, upon which the Disney movies are based. In the books, though, Princess Mia has yield-sign-shaped hair, lives in New York, and Fat Louie is orange. And those are the least of the differences. The following is a complete list of the Princess Diaries books:
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
princess lessons: a princess diaries book
perfect princess: a princess diaries book
Aside from the Mediator books and the Princess Diaries books, Meg has written several more books:
American Girl
Samantha Madison saves the president’s life . . . only to have his son fall in love with her. Which would be fine, except for all the Secret Service agents following them around.Teen Idol
Jenny Greenley gives everyone advice, so why can’t she follow her own and find love? Further complicating matters is the presence of hot Hollywood star Luke Striker in Jenny’s homeroom, of all places.
Nicola and the Viscount
It’s 1810, and Nicola Sparks is ready to dive headlong into her first London Season. Good thing there’s a handsome viscount there to catch her!
Victoria and the Rogue
Lady Victoria Arbuthnot is accustomed to being right. She isn’t always, though, especially when her own heart is concerned.
But wait! There’s more by Meg:
The Boy Next Door
Boy Meets Girl
every boy’s got one
The 1-800-Where-R-You books:
When Lightning Strikes
Code Name Cassandra
Safe House
Sanctuary
For more about Meg and
to read her diary, visit: www.megcabot.com
Join her online book club at: www.megcabotbookclub.com
