Eighth grade has been awesome for Clare -- she became an ace babysitter, landed a part in the school play, and was smitten with her leading man. Most of all, though, it's Allison, Clare's new BFF, who's made the year so great. And now with winter break coming up, the year's going to get even better. Clare and Allison have big plans to spend some quality girl time together -- or at least they had big plans, until Clare's old friend Paul rolled into town. Paul's okay, for a dorky, totally un-date-worthy kind of guy. Or so Clare thinks. Allison, on the other hand, apparently possesses some weird X-ray vision that allows her to see through Paul's über-dorkiness right into his tender, loving heart. Paul? And Allison? Together? Shudders. Luckily, Clare has Elsa to fall back on. Imaginary or not, she's Clare's oldest friend, and friends always stick together. Right? Clare's battle to maintain her newfound sense of self in the face of jealousy and rejection is portrayed with wit, honesty, and empathy.