by Annie Bryant
Maeve shook her head. How was it possible for her mother to be so tragically out of touch with all things that were cool?
“I thought that the bra I picked out would be just perfect for you. The lady at the department store said it would fit most girls your age because the material was so stretchy.”
“And uncomfortable,” Maeve informed her. “I feel itchy just looking at it.”
Ms. Kaplan tapped her chin. “But I just thought…mmm. When I was your age I was way too embarrassed to ask my mom about getting a bra. She just sort of figured out when that time had come and left one on my bed like I did for you. Not cool, huh?” Her Mom looked over at Maeve with a half smile.
“Um, Mom,” Maeve began, taking a deep breath. “It’s really nice that you did this for me. I mean, it’s really, really sweet. But the thing is, when I imagined what my first bra would be like, I totally was thinking something way cuter—no offense, Mom.”
Ms. Kaplan shook her head, smiling. “You have always had a very strong sense of style, Maeve. So what did you have in mind, hon?”
“I dunno, like maybe something with a little more…lace…and like, little pearls? Ooh, and also, teeny tiny rosebuds, you know? Maybe it could even be pink. You know, my signature color!” Maeve suggested. When she saw her mother looking like she was about to laugh, Maeve figured she’d better hurry up and get the point across. “I mean, if I absolutely must wear a bra, it should be just as cute as the clothes I want to wear over it…don’t you think?”
Her mother nodded, patiently folded up the training bra, and placed it back in the shopping bag. “Well, I appreciate your honesty, sweetie. How about if you and I take a trip to the mall together on Monday to pick out a few together?”
Maeve smiled. “Really? Ones that I like?”
Ms. Kaplan squinted an eye. “Ones that we agree on.”
Maeve jumped up and hugged her mom. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she cried.
CHAPTER 7
Mission: Petition
Morning, Ms. R!” Maeve called out as she marched into Ms. Rodriguez’s homeroom. The BSG were huddled around their desks enjoying the precious five minutes before class started. Sometimes, Ms. R would sit at her desk, sip her coffee, and read the paper, giving her class a chance to unwind so they could focus on the lesson of the day. Happily, this was one of those days. And no one appreciated this mini social time more than Maeve Kaplan-Taylor, who was strutting over to her girlfriends as if the front of the classroom were her own personal catwalk.
“You guys like my outfit?” Maeve asked. “I decided to go green for the big Green Machine kickoff. What do you think?” Maeve spun around to show off her khaki pleated skirt and an asparagus-colored cotton sweater. She had turned in her signature pink wardrobe for earth tones and was feeling especially proud of herself.
“You know, girl, I will say, this is a refreshing fashion choice,” noted clothing-conscious Katani, who often thought that Maeve’s pink on pink on pink choices bordered on a little tacky. “But supporting earth colors isn’t exactly the same thing as supporting the Earth.”
Maeve threw her backpack down on a desk. “Well, obviously! But dressing the part to get into the spirit of things never hurt anyone! Why do you think people wear costumes on Halloween? Duh.”
Charlotte opened her mouth to comment on the historical significance of Halloween costumes but then decided not to bother. Maeve, in her own weird way, did have a point.
“Now, Avery,” Katani began, whipping out a sunshine yellow pad of paper. “Did you bring the petition?”
“Roger that, Kgirl!” Avery dove into her bag and riffled through her sloppily shoved-in folders and packets. Katani couldn’t imagine keeping her stuff so messy and cringed as Avery finally produced a crinkled sheet of paper. “Check it out, my fellow environmental warriors,” she announced proudly. “The Green Machine Official Mission to Save the Planet Earth. On recycled paper, of course. I even put on this clip art picture of the planet. Pretty cool, huh, Iz?” Avery glanced at Isabel for her artistic approval.
“Totally!” Isabel said with a sweet smile as she fished something out of her bag. “Here is the proposal I did. Well, Charlotte wrote it, and I designed it. What do you think?”
Like every project Isabel took on, her proposal looked flashy and fabulous. It was no secret to everyone at AAJH that Isabel was a gifted artist. The BSG gave one another happy nods that their talented friend had, once again, come up with a complete success. Best of all, Isabel had decorated the paper so fantastically, it would be impossible for people who saw it not to want to read on. On the top of the page was one of Isabel’s signature bird cartoons. Charlotte thought this one was particularly on target.
Charlotte had described the girls’ mission to focus their science fair projects on ways in which they could improve the environment, with recycling, energy conservation and alternative energy, green and natural building, and carbon emissions control…all the neat stuff they had learned about at the festival.
Katani scribbled on her pad and said very matter-of-factly, “Petition…check. Proposal…check.”
“Immature hairstyles…check!” sang a voice from behind the BSG. The girls didn’t have to turn around to know it was Anna with her sidekick Joline by her side. “What’s the big meeting about, girls?” Anna snickered sarcastically, leaning over Katani’s shoulder. “Something really important, I bet!”
Even though Charlotte truly didn’t care one bit about what Anna or Joline thought, when those Queens of Mean treated her and her friends so nastily, she always felt nervous and sick to her stomach. Maybe it was the leftover effects of her being a new kid so many times—she was used to feeling like the odd girl out. But she admired how poised Katani was when it came to the terrible twosome.
Katani didn’t blink or even give Anna the satisfaction of turning around. “Nothing, Anna. The meeting is about nothing, so it’s none of your business.”
“Oh, well that’s where you’re wrong. See…everything at Abigail Adams Junior High is my business. I am one of the two seriously gifted columnists for the Sentinel gossip column after all. I make a point of knowing absolutely everything.”
Joline nodded as she quickly combed her fingers through her long, stick-straight brown hair. Joline never stopped playing with her hair. Maeve wrinkled her nose and wondered if maybe that was some kind of nervous tic.
“Come on, seriously, Katani. What are you guys working on? It better not be some kind of practical joke…cause that’s against the AAJH rules, you know,” Anna smugly informed them.
“And we’ll tell Ms. R. Don’t think we won’t,” added Joline.
Avery stood straight up, stepped right in front of Anna, and looked her in the eye, which wasn’t easy, as Avery’s head barely reached Anna’s shoulder. “Listen up, blondie. It just so happens that we are starting a petition to save our planet. Earth as we know and love it is changing big-time. Like melting glaciers that can raise sea levels—imagine certain peoples’ beach houses, like Kiki Underwood’s for example, sliding into the ocean!”
Avery was speaking so loudly that now all of Ms. Rodriguez’s class had become quiet to hear what she had to say. Ms. R glanced up from her paper calmly. She knew that when Avery Madden had something to say, it was usually interesting. She nodded at Avery to continue.
Realizing that she had gained the spotlight, Avery decided to take it a step further, and jumped up on her chair so for once she was the tallest in the room. “Imagine a billion people on our planet don’t even have clean water! Imagine living with water that’s contaminated by garbage or even sewage.”
“Ew, gross!” Joline squealed.
“Gross is right!” Avery cried, throwing her fist in the air. “That is why we, the Green Machine, are asking you, fellow classmates, to sign our petition and agree to focus your science fair projects on our planet, Mother Earth. One seventh-grader can’t save the whole giant planet by herself, but if we all get inspired and everybody does so
mething—even a little thing—together we can make a difference!”
Charlotte and Isabel glanced at each other, remembering the time Avery ran for class president. Even though she had lost to Henry Yurt, she’d spearheaded a fabulous campaign, and it was clear that a career in getting people motivated was definitely in Avery Madden’s future.
“So if you want to join our cause to save the one and only planet we call our home, then step right up and sign the dotted line. Actually, it’s more like a solid line, now that I look at it, but whatever! It’s a line!” Avery shook the wrinkled paper high above her head like she was holding the Declaration of Independence.
Anna rolled her eyes at Joline and whispered,” How pathetically uncool.”
“But of course,” Katani intervened in a soft voice, “we don’t want just anybody signing the petition.”
Avery looked outraged and jumped down from her chair. “Katani, are you crazy? That’s exactly what we—ouch!” She felt someone step on her toe and realized that it was Katani.
“We’re really just looking for smart and talented people who actually care about making a difference.” Katani emphasized the words “actually care” as she glanced at the Queens of Mean. “We don’t want people signing up just to look cool and be part of the most awesome science fair this school has ever had. Nope, we only want people who are truly passionate about saving the environment.” Katani took the petition and held it close to her chest. “No Green Machine wannabes. Period.”
Joline looked at Anna, panic-stricken. “I care about the environment! Honestly, I do! My family and I were the ones who started my neighborhood’s own farmer’s market. Eat local!”
Anna glared at Joline. “You are such a copycat! That was totally my idea! I told you about that two months ago!”
Joline frowned. “Oh yeah? Then why did I start our farmer’s market three months ago?”
“Liar! Hey, Katani, can you pass me that petition? I am very, very concerned about saving the environment. Way more concerned than Joline.”
“Wait, Katani! Pass me the Green Machine petition! I’m the concerned one!” The BSG watched, astounded, as Anna and Joline battled to be the first person to sign the Green Machine petition.
Katani turned to the BSG with a satisfied smile. Her plan had worked! Tell the Queens of Mean that they weren’t wanted, and they just had to be there. And if the Queens of Mean had to be there, so did everybody else. In about five seconds, everyone in Ms. Rodriguez’s homeroom was lined up behind Anna and Joline to sign the petition—including Ms. R!
By the time the final bell rang that day—sooner than usual because it was a half day—Avery had in her hand six and a half sheets of signatures. Maeve had nearly fainted when the Crow, her math teacher and the one faculty member she liked to avoid, stopped her after math to sign his name too! “It’s about time we put our hearts and minds into such a worthy project,” he declared, signing “Maxwell J. Sherman” on Maeve’s copy of the petition with a flourish.
“And check this out,” started Katani, as a flood of kids ran right past them, shouting, whistling, and ready to take advantage of half a day of freedom. “My grandma even promised to bring it up at the faculty meeting today. She thinks it’s high time for a green science fair, and she admires our initiative.” Katani’s grandmother, Mrs. Fields, also happened to be the principal of AAJH. She was very kind to the BSG, but also very fair. When she had her principal hat on, Mrs. Fields did not play favorites. That was why a compliment from her really meant a lot.
“So is the next stop Montoya’s Bakery for some more Green Machine planning?” Charlotte asked.
“What?” Isabel cupped her ear. “I can’t hear you over all the screaming.” The girls looked around at the hallway full of smiling faces and loud, happy voices.
“Hey, Char! Catch!” shouted Nick Montoya, throwing Charlotte a softball as he passed. Charlotte, startled, missed the ball, which landed by her feet. She spun around to find it, and as she did, stepped on the ball. Her feet got all tangled up under her and she began swinging her arms like a windmill to keep from falling. It was a typical Charlotte klutz-o-rama moment—one for her journal. Nick, in a very gentlemanly way, reached out his hand to steady Charlotte as her face turned as red as a plum tomato.
“We’re playing ball at the field,” Nick informed the BSG, ignoring Charlotte’s acute embarrassment. “You coming?”
Since Charlotte’s favorite part of Montoya’s bakery wasn’t going to be at the bakery that afternoon, she was more than happy to change plans. “I’ll go,” she said softly.
“Sounds good to me!” Isabel piped.
“Sounds like procrastination to me,” Maeve announced, sternly folding her arms. In her head she was playing the role of bookish, super-serious student. A sudden nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach had her intent on putting off the bra shopping trip, and planning for a green science fair seemed like an excuse her mom might go for. Playing ball, not so much.
The BSG turned to Maeve with faces of utter shock. “Excuuuse me?” Avery gasped. “I’m sorry, is there some sort of strange homework spirit which has momentarily taken possession of Maeve? ’Cause last time I checked, MK-T was the procrastination queen.”
“I just think that if we get behind schedule now, then we’ll never finish our projects on time, and then you know what will suffer? The Earth,” Maeve argued.
The girls looked as if they’d spotted a UFO. “Um, Maeve, I don’t think a few extra hours of fun will be the end of our projects…and it definitely won’t be the end of the Earth,” Katani said, her mouth curling into the beginning of a smile. “I vote…fun?”
“WHOOOO HOOOOO!” Avery cheered, jumping up and down. “Let’s plaaaaay ball!”
Maeve had no choice. She watched, for the second time that week, as the BSG skipped away and she was left alone to trudge home. Usually shopping was an activity Maeve would be very much excited about. But—for one very good reason that began with a “B”—she was soooo not her usual self today!
Goldi-Maeve and the Three Bras
“Mom, I think these pink ones are totally me.” Maeve was holding up a pair of pink fake-sheepskin boots on display in the large department store’s shoe section.
“Come on, Maeve. We don’t have time to dawdle. Your brother gets out of Tae Kwon Do in an hour.” Ms. Kaplan anxiously scanned the store and marched over to a lady wearing a nametag and holding a bottle of perfume. “Excuse me, ma’am. Where is the underwear department?”
“The lingerie department,” the snooty sales girl said, correcting her mother, “is up the escalator and to the left. Would you care for a spritz of Hello? It’s the new fragrance by Lucy C.”
“Definitely not,” Ms. Kaplan replied, signaling for Maeve to follow her.
“There’s a free gift…,” the girl hollered behind them.
“Ooh, free gift, Mom! I just love free gifts. Can’t we just—”
“Don’t be fooled, honey. There’s no such thing as a free gift,” the ever-practical Ms. Kaplan informed her daughter. “And besides, that sales girl was a little rude.”
“But if you bought that perfume and gave the gift to me, then it’s free…for me. See? I’m a genius,” Maeve reasoned with a giggle as she followed her mother up the escalator into the lingerie department.
In front of Maeve stretched a silky white wonderland. Two mannequins wearing beautiful lacy night gowns and curly blonde wigs welcomed the shoppers to the lingerie department.
“Wow.” Maeve breathed. “Toto, we are sooooo not in Kansas anymore.” Maeve gulped. She knew that bras came in different styles, but she had no idea there were quite so many. On past shopping trips she’d never paid much attention. Now, the aisles of bras seemed to go on forever. They had a bra for every color of the rainbow! Maeve ran right over to a rack of bras in pomegranate pink.
“I found it, Mom,” Maeve called. “This is the one.”
Ms. Kaplan shook her head. “No way, kiddo.”
; “But Moooom…”
“Look, Maeve. I know you love pink. But that is not appropriate.”
Maeve opened her mouth to protest, but then she realized her mother was probably right.
“Look. I’m going to go ask a saleslady what bras would be best for someone who’s still developing.”
“Mom!” Maeve groaned. She hated that word—developing. She was a person, not a photograph.
“Why don’t you take a look around and try—I mean it, Maeve—try to find something reasonable,” Ms. Kaplan suggested. As she walked away, Maeve heard her mother sigh. “My little girl is growing up!”
As much as Maeve appreciated her mother’s wisdom, she was relieved to have a little time alone to shop. Her mother’s idea of reasonable and her idea of reasonable were very different things. As she was deciding which way to wander first, she suddenly heard a melodious voice behind her.
“Oh, it’s no problem,” the woman said smoothly. “I can take that for you, miss.” As Maeve turned around, she immediately noticed the woman’s outfit. Hair in a sleek French twist, shiny silk blouse paired with a black pencil skirt, peep-toe black pumps, and matching gold earrings and long necklace. She looked the way movie stars did when they lunched with producers. Maeve was impressed.
She walked over as the woman gracefully handed a bag to the customer, then turned her attention to Maeve and smiled. “I’m Marlena. Let me guess. You’re looking for a pretty bra, am I right?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right!” Maeve squeaked, feeling a little overwhelmed but also super excited. This Marlena woman looked like she knew what she was talking about when it came to lingerie.
“And practical,” Ms. Kaplan added, walking over.
“Yes, of course,” Marlena purred. “Here we are.” She directed Maeve and her mother to a rack full of bras covered in lace and ribbons. Maeve thought that, hanging all together like that, they looked like one big spiderweb. “The perfect bra for a high-fashion young lady like you. Chic, sophisticated, glamorous lace for miles…”
