by Tina Wells
What had Zee been thinking? She had decided that buying hot lunch on the first day would make her feel more like a mature upper schooler. Bad idea. She felt more like a kindergartner who’d wandered into the wrong lunchroom.
It didn’t help that she was still carrying around her book bag, now completely loaded with the textbooks she’d collected that morning.
It wasn’t as though Zee had never felt out of place before, but usually Ally was there—and feeling just as out of place. Together they had always managed to figure everything out. Now Zee resembled the main character in an Animal Planet special. Without the other members of her group to guide her, the young chimp looks for a safe place to eat her lunch. Will she find it? Or will she be eaten first?
Zee took a deep breath and scanned the room, trying to find a friendly face.
“Hi, Zee.”
“Aaaaaa!” Zee jumped, her plate taking a dive off the side of her tray. Her brother, Adam, who had snuck up behind her, grabbed it before it hit the ground. “Adam! You scared me!” Zee cried, chasing after her water bottle. “Were you sent by the chimp leader?” she asked when she returned to where Adam was standing.
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
“Actually I came over to save you, so you don’t sit in the wrong place and end up with your underwear flying from the flagpole, but if you don’t want my help…,” he said, then turned to walk away.
“No! Wait!” Zee called out a little too loudly. When Adam turned around, she said in a normal voice, “What do I need to know?”
Adam pointed across the noisy room to an area all the way over to the farthest corner. “Those are the seventh-grade tables over there.”
“I thought there was no assigned seating,” Zee said.
“The administration doesn’t assign—the seniors do.” Great. Another reminder that Zee was on the bottom rung of the upper-school ladder. She glared at her brother.
Adam held his hands in the air. “Don’t blame me. I’d let you sit at a better table, but this is the social order.”
“Just what I thought—the seniors are like chimps,” Zee said.
“You’re weird,” Adam said. Then he pointed at the senior table. “Just don’t make the mistake of sitting there—like that girl.”
Oh no! That girl was Chloe, eating at the end of the forbidden table. Zee rushed over to get her. “Let’s sit over here,” she said, swooping in to save her new friend. As the girls switched tables, Zee realized her work wasn’t done. Jasper was reading a book at the eighth-grade table.
She tapped Jasper on the shoulder. “Want to sit with us?”
Jasper had just bitten into his apple. “Pffwmph,” he said as he stood.
As the three of them finally made it over to the right place, Marcus waved and motioned for them to sit across from him. Excellent! Marcus was next to Landon. Zee could sit close to her crush without even trying.
Of course, Kathi was on the other side of Landon, and as Zee got closer, she could hear her talking to Jen. “I mean, I know lots of upperclassmen, but I would never sit at their tables—unless they invited me, which they eventually will.” She laughed. “But not the first day.”
Zee dropped her tray on the table. “I think they should just be honest and start calling it lukewarm lunch from now on,” she said to let Kathi know they could hear her talking about them.
Unfortunately for Kathi she had failed to make Chloe feel bad about sitting at the wrong table. “Hi, y’all,” Chloe said cheerfully. “I’m new here—in case you couldn’t tell.” Then she looked right at Kathi. “You sound like you know what you’re doing. If I have any problems, I’ll come right to you!”
Kathi looked like someone had just told her she had a giant piece of spinach on her front tooth.
“Hi, I’m Marcus.” Behind his black glasses, his eyes lit up as he spoke. “I’m having a welcome-to-Brookdale party. I’ll text you the information if you give me your cell phone number.”
“I have to check,” Chloe said. “I just got a phone, and I don’t know the number yet.”
Kathi made a miraculous recovery from her stunned condition. “You just got a cell phone?” she exclaimed. “Where’d you move from? The last century?”
“Not hardly,” Chloe said with a friendly smile. “Atlanta, Georgia.”
Marcus unwrapped his sandwich, then held half up to Chloe. “Want some?” he asked. “It’s tuna fish.”
“No, thanks,” Chloe said. “I’m a vegetarian.”
Kathi forced an incredibly loud laugh, then looked around as if she expected everyone to join her. Of course, Jen followed her lead, but no one else did.
“What’s up with that?” Kathi asked.
“I don’t eat meat.”
“I know that. Why not?”
Chloe shrugged. “I guess ’cause I just don’t want to.”
Zee thought Kathi’s head might explode when Landon said, “Cool. I’ve been thinking about becoming a vegetarian, too.”
Kathi shook her head so furiously you could hear her earrings jingle. “Oh, you don’t want to do that,” she told him. The fury in Kathi’s eyes looked like it would burn a hole through Chloe. “It’ll make you look small…and kind of…sick.”
“Well, I’ve always looked this way,” Chloe said. “But I just became a vegetarian last year. And I love animals, so it was sort of natural for me.”
“Whatev,” Kathi said, defeated.
Whoa. This girl knew exactly how to get to Kathi.
For the rest of lunch, Kathi was quiet. She practically didn’t speak again until the other seventh graders began comparing schedules. Zee, Jasper, Chloe, Landon, Marcus, Jen, and Kathi all had seventh-grade science—Introduction to the Environment—together right after lunch.
“I’m sure we’re going to get another fat book for that class,” Zee said. She lifted her heavy bag onto her shoulder. “I guess I should make some room in here. I gotta go to my locker.”
“I’ll go with you,” Chloe volunteered.
Jasper looked from Kathi to Jen, then stood up. “Me, too,” he said. Zee guessed Marcus and Landon weren’t enough protection against the girls for Jasper.
As the three of them crossed the noisy cafeteria, Zee dropped her water bottle in the plastic recycling bin. Then she waved to Adam, who smiled back.
“Is that your boyfriend?” Chloe asked.
Shocked, Zee stumbled. “No way,” she said. “He’s my brother.”
“Oh,” Chloe said, biting her lower lip and glancing back at Adam.
Zee entered the science room and glanced around. It didn’t look like any of her other classrooms. Instead of separate desks arranged in rows, high tables were spaced evenly throughout the room. Each one had a sink in the middle and two tall chairs behind it.
Ms. Merriweather, the science teacher, looked up and smiled. “Welcome. Just take a seat anywhere.” Zee grabbed the closest chair, and Jasper climbed into the chair next to her as Chloe sat on the other side.
About halfway into the period, Ms. Merriweather began matching lab partners. Because her life was perfect, Kathi was with Landon. Zee and Jen were together. Zee wasn’t thrilled, but since Jen had actually been nice to her in French class, she figured it would be okay.
Ms. Merriweather paired Chloe with Jasper. Zee was happy that they didn’t have to sit with kids they didn’t know.
Then their teacher began explaining the big project every set of lab partners would do. “Brookdale Academy is a LEED-certified school,” she began. “LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Here at Brookdale, we find ways to conserve energy and water and to make less of an impact on our natural environment.”
If your dad drives an SUV, I hope you don’t have to work extra hard to make up for it, Zee thought.
“Throughout the year, we’ll be studying environmental issues,” Ms. Merriweather went on. “Each month, one set of lab partners will present a project that explores how this school can do even mo
re to take care of the planet.” She put a sheet of paper on the lab table closest to her and told everyone to sign up for the month in which they wanted to present their project. The first set of partners chose June, and the next picked May.
Jen and Zee sat at the third table, and like the students before her, Jen wanted to put off the project as long as possible. “Let’s sign up for April,” she suggested. Zee was psyched to do the project in April. Earth Day was in April, and she knew they could plan something really awesome.
Jasper and Chloe were the last partners to sign up, so they got October. They had to present the first project. But they didn’t seem to mind. They had their heads together and were talking a mile a minute.
Jen sighed. It looked as though it took all the energy she had to prop her head up with the palm of her hand. “Why do we have to come up with ideas for the school? Isn’t that the teachers’ job?”
“I think it’s cool that the students have a say,” Zee answered.
“What if we don’t want to?”
A pang of jealousy shot through Zee as she turned around again. Jasper and Chloe were busy sharing ideas about their science project.
After school, Zee hopped out of Adam’s car and tore through the front door. “Hi, Mom!” she shouted.
“I’m in the TV room,” Ginny Carmichael called back.
Zee took a quick detour to greet her mother, dropped her book bag on the couch, and shot upstairs to email Ally. When she turned on her computer, she saw her best friend had already written. Yay!
Zee,
Guess what?!!? When I complained to Mom and Dad about not fitting in at school, they signed me up for French tutoring. Great—NOT. I hate being the new student!!! (In case you can’t tell.) ARFN (Au Revoir For Now).
BFF (LYLAS),
A
Boo! Zee quickly typed a reply.
Hey!
I know how you feel!!! Upper School is a new language. My survival depends on becoming fluent!!!
Zee’s Report Card
Subject: Landon
Grade: B-
Comments: He’s cuter than ever, but I totally embarrassed myself in front of him.
Subject: Kathi
Grade: F
Comments: She still wants to make everyone else miserable—even the teachers.
Subject: Friends
Grade: A+
Comments: There’s a new girl named Chloe. And she and Jasper get along. I can’t wait for you to come and meet them. They’re really cool.
BFF—Z
5
Missing!
As soon as Zee hit Send, her Sidekick rang. A text message from Jasper.
>Can I borrow An Inconvenient Truth?
Zee sent back a message.
>Book or DVD?
>Book.
>Sure. Y?
>Science project.
Zee laughed. Jasper was the only person she knew who would give himself homework on the first day of school.
Thirty minutes later, Jasper rang the doorbell.
“You forgot to put on a tie,” Zee said after she opened the door. Jasper had changed into a pair of khaki chinos with a navy blue polo shirt. Zee was certain it was the uniform for the Sprigg School, another private school in Brookdale.
“I hope you amuse yourself,” Jasper said, stepping into the foyer.
“I do.”
Zee’s mother placed a giant flower arrangement on to a table by the door. “Hello, Jasper,” Mrs. Carmichael said as she adjusted the stems. “Would you like a snack?” Ally always called her Brookdale’s Snack Queen. No one ever went hungry at Zee’s.
“Yes, please,” Jasper said eagerly. “I am a bit peckish. If you don’t mind.”
“You’re always so polite.” Mrs. Carmichael turned to Zee. “Why don’t you two wait in the TV room, and I’ll bring it in to you.”
Zee shoved her book bag off the couch, dropped herself on to the cushion, and picked up a Wii game control. “Wanna play?” she asked.
“Of course,” Jasper said, picking up another remote and sitting next to Zee.
“Big Brain Academy or Boogie?”
Jasper gave her a sideways look. “Big Brain Academy.”
“You just can’t get enough school, can you?”
“I can get enough dancing,” Jasper said. “Now prepare for me to crush you with my enormous brain.”
After a while, Mrs. Carmichael entered the room with a tray overloaded with pita chips, cheese, beans, and salsa. At the sight of the feast, Jasper forgot all about the video game and nearly dived on to the tray. “Thank you, Mrs. Carmichael!”
“Bon appetit,” Mrs. Carmichael said as she turned to leave the room. Given Zee’s mother’s hostess obsession, that was one French phrase she already knew.
Zee watched Jasper as he scooped chips into his mouth, barely taking time to breathe. So much for “proper” English manners. “I’ll leave you guys alone and go get that book,” she said, grabbing a gooey lump for herself.
“Mmmphssst,” Jasper replied as he took a swig of lemonade.
When Zee returned, Jasper was licking his fingers. “Did you get enough to eat?” she asked sarcastically, handing him the book.
“I have a healthy appetite,” he defended himself.
“Sometimes I think you’re just using me for my snacks,” Zee said.
“Oh! That’s a brilliant idea.” Jasper looked at his watch. “I’d better go. I need to get started on my project.” He picked up the tray and carried it into the kitchen. “Thanks again, Mrs. Carmichael. That was delicious.”
“You’re welcome, Jasper,” she said. As he walked away, Zee heard her mother mumble, “What a nice boy.” Zee rolled her eyes.
That night, Zee laid out her clean uniform alongside a pair of multicolored striped tights. To top it off, she chose a necklace with a peace sign pendant that she’d made out of sparkly red beads. Then she put on her polka dot pajamas, pulled up her comforter, and sank into her pillow.
“Ohmylanta!” Zee sprang out of bed like a bird out of a cuckoo clock. I almost went to sleep on the first day of school without writing in my diary. She already had an idea for a list—“Ten Reasons It’s Going to Be an Awesome Year After All.”
Zee reached into her book bag. There were pencils and pens, her new binder, and a couple of spiral notebooks. But no diary. Zee looked again. She took everything out, one by one. Still no diary. She looked in every compartment of her binder. Nothing. She put all the items back in her bag. Then she did it all again.
The diary was gone!
“Double ohmylanta!” Zee shouted. But just as she was about to panic, her memory flashed. It probably fell under the couch when Jasper and I were playing video games, she told herself. She ran downstairs, got on her hands and knees, and searched the floor. A pen. A quarter. Three pennies. No diary. She pulled off the cushions. She looked in vases and on bookcases, underneath the rug, and behind throw pillows. She raced up to her room and searched in every imaginable space. She even checked inside the refrigerator.
Adam looked up from the kitchen table, where he was working on his MacBook. “What are you looking for?” he asked.
“My diary,” Zee told him.
“I ate it,” he said, then continued typing.
“Ha ha,” Zee said, eyeing her brother suspiciously. “You wouldn’t know anything about why it’s missing, would you?”
“Hmmm. Stealing your diary? Well, that would be lots of fun, but right now I’ve got more important things to do—like work on these college applications,” he said. “Now quit bothering me.” Zee knew Adam was telling the truth. He’d been obsessing over college applications for weeks. Princeton and Berkeley were his top picks.
Zee had been only two places that day—her house and school. Oh no! If the diary was at school, maybe someone had found it and read it. Zee imagined the next day’s morning announcements:
“Attention, students! Today’s lunch is chicken salad and green beans. Mackenzie Blue Carmichael s
ometimes dreams that she shows up for school wearing only her underwear. Also, she has been crushing on Landon for years. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.”
The thought of public humiliation was unbearable. Zee had to find her diary. She went back to the TV room and searched again.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. Carmichael asked as a flying couch cushion nailed her in the face.
“Sorry, Mom,” Zee said, then quickly added, “I can’t find my diary.”
“When did you see it last?” her mom asked, concerned. That was one of the great things about Zee’s mom. She understood that a missing diary was a real crisis.
Zee thought. “On my way to school.”
“I bet it’s in Dad’s car.”
Of course! Maybe she had accidentally left it on the seat.
Mr. Carmichael stepped into the room and surveyed the mess. “Should we call the police? They’ll want to catch whoever did this before he hits another house.”
“I need to look in your car for my diary, Dad,” Zee explained. “Can I have your keys?”
Mr. Carmichael’s eyes grew wide. “Ummm…I’ll help you look, sweetie,” he offered. Zee knew he only wanted to save his car from the same fate as the TV room. But she didn’t care if he searched, too, since she could use the help.
Zee and her dad looked under the seats, in the glove box, and even where the spare tire was stored, but they couldn’t find the diary. After having torn up both the house and the car, Zee had to admit, the diary wasn’t at home.
That night, Zee had trouble sleeping. Her mind raced. When had she lost the diary? Before school? Lunchtime? Was it in her book bag when she’d gotten home? It was no use. She just couldn’t remember.
