Everyone knows that a cute 13-year-old guy entering the 8th grade who also happens to be a famous actor must wish for a girlfriend.

Mrs. Britton kept that in mind as she came bustling into her house on a mild September day, shrieking for her husband, four daughters, and exchange student the family was hosting to come into the living room. Once the seven of them were settled on the couch and many chairs, she began.

"Carl, I have just been talking to Julia outside, Mrs. Lee to you girls, and do you know what she told me? Certainly, you should all want to know!"

A blank silence answered her eager question. Finally, it was Mr. Britton who said slowly, "Well, you obviously want to tell us, and I don't think we have any problem with that, so go ahead. Has Brenda finally got a boyfriend or something?"

"No, silly, that girl's too plain to interest anyone in their right mind, this is much better than that. The Netherly's finally sold their house, and good thing too; it was for sale for nearly a year. But anyways, guess who's moving in? Well, you'd never guess, so I'll just tell you… Will Duncan and his sisters! And even better, they'll be going to Redwood Middle with all of you!"

This time, the two youngest of the girls gasped simultaniously and pretended to swoon, giggling furiously as they arose. Then there was an awkward silence, and again it was Mr. Britton who broke it.

"Well, my dear, that's good, but why are you so hyped up about it? You didn't care a bit when the Lees moved in."

Mrs. Britton laughed. "Don't play games now, Carl. You know that I hope he will end up liking one of our girls and go out with her."

"Mom, he definitely won't go out with any of us," contradicted Chloe. "I mean he's a pretty famous actor. Everyone knows him, and thinks he's so hot, and he's rich, so he'll certainly be popular. And seeing as only Taylor is popular, but she's only going into 6th grade, there's a very small chance that he'll even consider any of us."

"Well, no, if you talk like that, Chloe," Mrs. Britton said back. "But Daisy here is pretty enough to catch any boy's attention. And she's practically part of the family. You've been here for, what, two years now? Anyways," she continued, turning to her husband, "I want you to go visit the Duncans tomorrow. We should always extend our hospitality to new families."

"Yes," Chloe muttered to Daisy, "to the people who move in a half mile from here. On the other hand, there's no point in visiting those who move in right across the street, like the Lees!" Daisy laughed quietly. Fortunately, her mother hadn't heard, so they were soon dismissed from the living room.

Redwood Middle School held dances throughout the school year, as with most other middle schools. Each dance called for parent chaperones who would guard the doors and separate couples who were dancing too close together or inappropriately, as with most other middle schools.

Unlike most other middle schools, however, the students and faculty of Redwood prided themselves in their dancing. They held mandatory ballroom dancing classes, where boys and girls had to actually hold each other's hands while learning the east coast swing and nightclub two-step. So when the occasional school dance came along, only a few partners danced what most pre-teens would consider "normal" dancing. Both genders became more comfortable with couple dancing. Sitting out at a dance was only for nerds, geeks, and outcasts.

Mrs. Britton took an unusual amount of interest in the first dance of 2006, the Welcome Dance, which took place on the Friday of the first week of school. This dance would be her first chance to see the famous Will Duncan and his family. She decided to volunteer to chaperone the dance.

Chloe's alarm rang at 6:40. It was Monday, and the first day of school. She leaned over to turn it, then reluctantly changed into her clothes. Daisy, with whom she shared a room, had apparently already changed and was now pulling her hair into a ponytail. She was the stereotype of a German girl with straight blond hair and clear blue eyes, tall and slim, yet she hadn't let her beauty turn her popular. Chloe had long decided that it was partly her odd German accent and partly her own influence that had prevented her from joining the popular clique.

Chloe joined Daisy in the bathroom, now wearing plain blue jeans and a green polo. She took the brush from the counter and pulled her annoyingly curly dark brown hair into a rather long ponytail.

"Well, Daisy, ready for the first day of eighth grade?" she said, trying to be cheerful.

"Yeah, but I hope they don't tease me again," the other replied.

"Don't worry about it, Ganseblah…Gansebleh…"

"Ganseblumchen," Daisy gently corrected, saying her name in German.

"Right," said Chloe with a small grin. "I can never get it."

Soon they were walking into their first class, Advanced English. Chloe was disappointed not to see Brenda Lee, her close friend, in the class, but at least Daisy would be there.

Although Chloe had never seen one of Will Duncan's movies, she immediately knew he was in their class. A group of the popular kids had already surrounded him, and even some of the shyer students were standing around. Chloe just rolled her eyes and dragged Daisy to a seat in the back.

Their teacher was a short but fairly thin man who said he had been teaching for nearly 30 years. His name was Mr. Holmes. Chloe was satisfied with him; he quickly got them started working. Their assignment was to read the first chapter of a book written in the 1700's, Pride and Prejudice. Many of the students exchanged skeptical looks, but Chloe was interested. They read aloud, which she found amusing; people spoke a little differently in the 1700's.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a young man in possession of a great fortune, must be in want of a wife."