cowritten with Jenny Han. A former editor for Alloy Entertainment, she received her MFA in creative writing at the New School.Vivian applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, The Last Boy and Girl in the World, and reported the following:
From page 69:Visit Siobhan Vivian's website.The DJ put on a fast song. I wanted to sit and wait for Jesse to notice that I’d come back, but that would have been lame. It would be better if he saw me having a blast out on the dance floor. So I said to my friends, “Come on. Let’s get some blisters.”I’m lucky! I think page 69 of The Last Boy and Girl in the World perfectly highlights the two main relationships that my main character, Keeley, is concerned with throughout the novel. Firstly, there’s Morgan, her best friend forever. They’ve been experiencing some growing pains to date, but haven’t quite addressed them head on. And secondly, there’s Jesse Ford, the love of Keeley’s life. He’s never paid her much attention before, but now there’s a chance he might be interested in her. This scene takes place during the Spring Formal, during the start of a major storm that will wreck havoc on the town.
Elise stood right up with me, but Morgan scrunched up her face. “Maybe in another song or—”
I grabbed her hand and dragged her out to the center of the basketball court.
After a few songs, if it was still raining, I had no idea. I was too busy dancing. Elise mostly swayed to the beat, but Morgan and I used to dance in her basement when we were little, and we had a few routine moves down pat that I eventually forced her into doing with me. I’d always been jealous that she got to take real-deal dance lessons, but she let me wear her costumes, and she’d teach me the moves she learned and it ended up feeling like I’d taken the classes too. We’d even put on performances for her grandmother.
As much as I was there in the moment, every time a song ended, I’d wonder if Jesse would come find me. When he didn’t, I’d think about going to grab him. Could I be that brave?
--Marshal Zeringue
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