Just Your Average Box Set (Just Your Average Princess, Just Your Average Geek, & Just Your Average Celebrity)

by Kristina Springer

  * * *

  I stop at my locker after math class to drop off my books. There’s a note sitting at the bottom of the locker waiting for me. Uh-oh. I pick it up, unfold, and read, “4 p.m., Bookends Bookstore, Travel section. See you then.”

  Oh no. Amanda must have told Cassie that I was talking about Boy Swap in public. They probably want to meet me so they can kick me out of their club and take my scarf back. I’m sure Delaney will get a big fat laugh out of this. She’ll be all, see C2? I told you Brooke was a total nerd and we shouldn’t have invited her into our club. That’s why I dumped her dorky butt in 6th grade. Blergh. I wish I could win for once. I want Delaney to be jealous of me.

  What am I going to do? Maybe I should preemptively quit? I’m not too keen on this whole flirting with Chris thing anyway. But I do love the scarf. Maybe I’ll tell them I lost it?

  I arrive at Bookends at five to four and walk slowly toward the Travel section. Whatever happens, at least I had a few days with the scarf. Who cares if they don’t want me in their club anymore? Maybe I don’t want them either. Okay, that isn’t true. But it won’t be the end of the world. It’s not like I don’t still have Chris and Lizzie and my other band friends.

  When I get to the Travel section, there is no circle of pretty girls waiting for me this time. Just Cassie and Caitlyn, looking through a Paris walking tour guide. “H-hi,” I say tentatively as I approach them.

  “Brooke,” Cassie says, oozing sweetness. “Here, come sit.” She pats the bench.

  She doesn’t seem mad at me. I cautiously take a seat next to her. I can’t help but notice our thighs sitting next to each other on the bench. Mine are like 3 inches wider. Not kidding. Which is totally absurd because I do NOT have fat thighs. Mine are perfectly normal. If anything, she’s the one with freaky small thighs.

  “So, Brooke,” Caitlyn says, leaning forward on her knees to see me past Cassie, “we asked you to meet us here in case you had any questions. Amanda mentioned that you might want to talk to us.” She gives me a huge smile and I feel my stomach calming down. The girls are totally being nice to me.

  “Well, yeah. I did have some questions. But Amanda seemed angry that I asked.”

  “Oh that.” Cassie shakes her head. “It’s just that we don’t talk about BSC in public. We’re sisters! We don’t get mad at each other. That’s rule number two.”

  Huh. Being an only child, I don’t know how actual sisters act. But if being bitchy to me in public and nice to me in private is what a sister does, then they must be right.

  “We keep the BSC on the down low, especially at school. Remember, we mentioned that at your initiation meeting?” Caitlyn says slowly. Like I have a difficult time with understanding the language.

  “That meeting happened so fast,” I say. “I’m just a little confused as to what we do in this club.”

  “You’re already doing it, Brooke. And you’re doing a great job! You are one of our best neophytes,” Cassie says.

  What did she just call me? “I am?”

  “You’re totally doing a great job, Brooke,” Caitlyn agrees, nodding her head.

  “We share boyfriends in BSC and you have been selfless in sharing your boyfriend,” Cassie says.

  “That’s all there is to it?” I ask. “I just let you flirt a little with Chris and that’s it?”

  Cassie and Caitlyn look at each other and then back at me. “Pretty much,” Caitlyn says.

  “Do we ever have meetings?” I ask.

  “Mmmm, not really,” Cassie says. “BSC is pretty big. If we all ever met in one place, we’d draw a crowd. And we don’t want to do that. If we ever need to meet with you, we’ll schedule a meeting here, like we did today.”

  “Can I talk to the other members?” I ask.

  “Of course!” Caitlyn says. “Just don’t talk about the club in public. The other girls see your scarf. They know you’re in it.”

  “Okay. I think I get it.”

  “Feel better now?” Cassie asks.

  Wow, she is so much nicer than she was Friday night at the game and the party.

  “I do,” I say, really meaning it. “But I have one more question. How do our boyfriends not find out we’re swapping them? Like, how will Chris willingly spend time with other girls and not think something is up? I don’t think he’ll participate.” Seriously, Cassie is just not his type. That whole fake blond, fake-boobed (at least they look fake), and starving look is so overdone.

  “Oh, Sweetie,” Caitlyn says, tossing an arm around my shoulder and walking us toward the door, “don’t you worry about it. That is up to the girl seeking the swap, not the girlfriend allowing the swap. You are doing your part by sharing your boyfriend and not causing any scenes or getting pissed. You don’t have to do a thing.”

  “I don’t?”

  “No, no, no. Like we said, you are doing a great job,” Cassie says, walking on my left. “Want to stop and get a mocha?” she says as we approach the café in the front of the bookstore and the rich espresso bean smell hits my nose.

  Do I?!

  “Sure,” I say. This is exactly what I had hoped this club would be. Hanging out with the most popular girls, getting coffees? Heck yeah. And maybe Cassie and I really will become good friends. OMG, Delaney would die! Then she’d have to walk two feet behind me, too. Ha!

  Chapter 5: Stepping out

  “Chris…Chris…” I mumble. “Hey, we should stop.” It’s dusk and Chris and I are sitting at one of our favorite spots. It’s this beautiful rocky grotto outside of an old monastery with winding paths around it and big overhanging trees. Totally secluded and completely quiet. The only sound we hear are the occasional bells ringing at the church up the road. No one is supposed to be in here at night, especially without permission from the nuns who live in the huge dorm-like building on the grounds, but we like to sneak in and hang out here anyway.

  “God,” he says, pushing back and leaning against the rock wall. I don’t know if he’s about to pray or if he’s just frustrated with me for putting on the brakes. But my money is on the latter. We tend to get into these heavy make-out sessions and I always stop him before it gets too far.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, pulling the heavy gray wool blanket he keeps in his trunk up higher over my shoulders. It’s cold out tonight. “But you know I’m not ready yet.” Not to mention it would ruin my big Disney-trip surprise.

  “I know,” he replies, obviously angry with me now, “but I don’t know why. We’ve been together for four months. And I’m only with you. It’s not like I’m seeing anyone else.”

  Gee thanks. He acts like I should pin a medal on him or something. “I know but—”

  “I just don’t see the big deal,” he interrupts. “Other girls are doing it.”

  “Who?” I ask.

  “Nobody. Never mind.”

  We’re both silent for a few moments.

  “Are you trying to say you want to be with another girl?” I ask quietly.

  “No!” he explodes. “God, Brooke! Just forget it. Come on—let’s go.” He stands up, snatches the blanket off of me, and walks toward where we left his car. Not even waiting for me or taking my hand.

  Wow. I’ve never thought this about Chris before, but he’s kinda being a big jerk. A shiver runs through me and I wrap my arms around myself, fighting the cold. I slowly follow him back to the car.

  * * *

  The next morning at band practice, Chris seems to be back to normal. He was still moody when he dropped me off last night, but first thing this morning he gave me a kiss and a hug so I guess everything is okay. I’m warming up on my flute when Rayne takes her seat next to me and starts unpacking her instrument.

  “Hey,” she says.

  I nod without taking my flute from my lips. I start to practice runs between B and high B.

  “How’s it going?” she asks.

  Why does she want to talk today? Rayne and I have an unspoken agreement. She sits in the first chair acting smug and keeping to he
rself and I ignore her.

  “Fine,” I say, laying my flute in my lap and waiting for Mr. Shank to come to the front of the room and start practice.

  “How are you and Chris doing?”

  I look at her quizzically now. Since when does she care about my relationship with Chris?

  “Just fine, thanks for asking,” I say curtly. End of conversation, Rayne.

  “Good, good.” She giggles to herself. What a freak.

  After practice, I walk over to the tuba section to chat with Lizzie. “Whatcha doing tonight?” I ask.

  “No big plans. Probably just going home and watching TV or something. What about you?”

  “Nothing, I wanted to see if you want to go to the mall after school.”

  “What, no Chris today?” she says, acting completely astonished.

  “Stop!” I can’t help chuckling. “I don’t see Chris every day.” She gives me a ‘yeah, right’ look. “Okay, well I don’t have to see him every day,” I say. Not to mention he said he was busy after school today. “I’m totally in the mood for shopping. What do you think? We can hit the Promenade.”

  “Sure, sounds good to me. Are we going to take the bus or can your mom give us a lift?”

  “I’ll call my mom,” I say. Yay, shopping will be fun. Maybe we’ll hit Victoria’s Secret and I can begin my search for the perfect outfit to wear for my first intimate night with Chris.

  My mom picks Lizzie and I up after school and drops us at the Promenade to shop until 7. We’ve hit H&M, Bath & Body, and Delia’s, and we’re heading over to Victoria’s Secret when Lizzie stops dead in her tracks and grabs my arm.

  “What?” I say.

  “Oh. My. God.” Her jaw drops to her chest and she has a shocked look on her face like she just walked in on her parents having sex. But that is completely impossible here at an outdoor mall, so maybe she just sees an amazing 90% off sale somewhere.

  I look from store window to store window, but I don’t see any sale signs. “What? What?”

  “No, you shouldn’t look. No, you should. No, you shouldn’t. Oh, I don’t know what to do! I’ve never been in this situation!” Lizzie covers her face and really seems upset now. And it’s making me upset.

  “Lizzie, stop it. Tell me. What shouldn’t I look at?” I’m scanning the vicinity, trying to figure out what she is freaking out about when suddenly I see them.

  Cassie and Chris. Together. In the music store across the commons area.

  I’m going to kill him! How dare he go out with Cassie behind my back! That jerk! What about all that stuff yesterday about how he was only with me? That big fat liar. I can’t believe he would do this to me—and in public, where anyone at all from school can see him. Where we can see him.

  “Oh Brooke, I’m so sorry. Oh man, I had no idea that Chris would cheat on you,” Lizzie says.

  I have to calm down. This is all part of the Boy Swap. I’m supposed to be okay with this boyfriend sharing thing. “Supposed to” being the key phrase because I’m so NOT! This really, really sucks! I can’t believe Chris is actually out with Cassie. What’s he thinking?

  I have to chill. I can’t let it bother me. At least, I can’t let anyone else know that it bothers me.

  I take a deep breath. “Oh…are you talking about Chris and Cassie?” I say as casually as I can, even though my heart is beating in my ears.

  “Yeah! Of course! What do you think I’m talking about? Are you going to go over there and slap her or something? Or better yet, him?”

  “No!” I answer, a little too loudly. “Of course not. They’re just friends.”

  At least they better be just friends. I glance over at Chris and Cassie again and see Cassie toss her head back in laughter at something Chris just said. How dare she laugh at my boyfriend’s jokes!

  Lizzie stares at me as if I’ve completely lost it. “Are you saying you’re okay with them being together?”

  “Yeah. Sure. Why not?”

  “What’s up with you, Brooke? First the band party and now this? How do you not care?”

  “I trust Chris,” I say quietly. “He wouldn’t cheat on me.”

  “But…but…”

  “Let’s get out of here before they see us,” I interrupt, grabbing Lizzie’s elbow.

  Whoops, too late. I glance back at the music store and there is Chris, looking at me, blood completely drained from his face.

  Chapter 6: Kiss and Shop

  There is nowhere to go. Cassie and Chris are walking straight toward us. She’s strutting like she was just named Miss Rose in the Rosehill town parade, and he’s slumping like he’s walking down death row to the electric chair. Whatever I do, I can’t start screaming at them. I have to remain calm, nonchalant. I cannot get pissed at Cassie and Chris, outwardly anyway, per BSC rules. When I get home, however, I’m totally making a Cassie voodoo doll.

  I do my best to put what I hope is a look of love on my face. “Hi, Chris. Cassie,” I say when they stop in front of us. Oh man, that was rough to get out.

  “Hi, Brooke!” Cassie says, completely thrilled with herself. “And…I’m sorry, I don’t think I know your name,” she says to Lizzie.

  Lizzie narrows her eyes and I can hear her grinding her teeth. “It’s Lizzie,” she says flatly and then turns her attention to Chris. “Hi, Chris…” she growls at him. She crosses her arms against her chest and doesn’t take her eyes off Chris. He shifts nervously. “What are you up to, Chris?”

  “H-hi, guys,” he finally gets out. Oh God. He looks so guilty right now. My stomach lurches. “Um…” He looks at Cassie, desperate for help in answering this question. Ugh. I’m the one he’s supposed to give looks to when stuff is going on. Not some other girl. Not Cassie. Now he’s trying to look at anyone or anything but me. And he didn’t even give me a kiss or a hug or anything. This is so incredibly sucky.

  Cassie happily comes to his rescue. “Chris is such a sweetie,” she chirps. “I was here shopping and Chris was here shopping and we ran into each other a little bit ago. Anyway, I told Chris how I was thinking of buying my brother some sheet music, he plays the guitar, and he offered to help me pick it out. Isn’t that so sweet of him?”

  Chris lets out a visible sigh of relief and shakes his head up and down in agreement.

  “Sweet,” I say flatly.

  “Yeah, I’m getting a freaking toothache,” Lizzie says, still not taking her eyes off of Chris.

  “Well,” I say, “I hope you got what you needed.”

  Cassie nods her head up and down happily. “Oh, I did.”

  “Great. Well, we’re heading into Victoria’s Secret, so I’ll see you guys later,” I say. Lizzie looks between them and me, jaw dropped.

  “Okay. I’ll call you tonight, Brooke,” Chris says and leans in to give me a quick peck on the cheek.

  Gee, how very generous of him. It takes everything in me to turn away from the two of them and walk away.

  “Bye, girls!” Cassie says to our backs. “Happy shopping!”

  Lizzie and I walk into Victoria’s Secret and she immediately begins ranting at me. “How could you just let them go? They were so totally lying!”

  “Do you need a shopping bag?” a perky made-up blond in a black fitted suit and color-coordinated headset asks me.

  I stare at her, puzzled, like she just asked me to divide 934,543,239 by 7165. Lizzie snatches a bag from her and the headset girl walks away.

  I can’t help myself. I step back toward the window and peek out behind a mannequin modeling a seamless bra and panties. I see Cassie and Chris talking for a moment and then she gives him a kiss on the cheek, turns, and leaves. And Chris stands there, watching her go.

  My heart sinks.

  * * *

  We’re sitting at Petey’s Pretzels eating our dinner: two giant salted pretzels and two diet sodas. Only I can’t eat. For the last five minutes, I’ve been picking off one piece of salt at a time and putting it on my tongue to dissolve.

  “Not hungry, huh?” Lizz
ie says, eyeing my now half-salted pretzel.

  “I guess not.” I’m too busy trying to figure out what this all means. Yes, it looked really bad. Chris looked so, so guilty. But what if Cassie was telling the truth? What if she did just run into him? Sure, she probably planned a run-in with him just to flirt. But that isn’t his fault. What if he was telling someone at school that he was stopping at the music store today and Cassie overheard? I can totally picture her setting the whole thing up. And I should trust Chris. Right?

  “You want my pretzel?” I ask Lizzie.

  “Uh no. Not after you picked at it.” She scrunches up her nose.

  I play with the straw in my cup and stare out the window at people walking by, happily swinging their purchases in brightly colored bags.

  “Are you trying to figure out what you’re going to say to Chris?” Lizzie asks.

  “What do you mean? What is there to say?” I ask.

  Lizzie moves her head around trying to get me to look her in the eye. “Um, Earth to Brooke? Hello, is my best friend in there? Blink twice if an alien has taken over your body and you’re trapped somewhere in there.”

  I try to giggle. “Stop it. An alien has not taken over my body.” Though I totally wouldn’t mind someone else taking over the controls for a little while.

  “How can you have nothing to say to Chris? How about, ‘Hey, Chris, what the hell is going on with you and Cassie? Why is she suddenly showing up everywhere and hanging all over you? Why did you look guilty as hell when I saw you guys together today?’ And you so know he did, Brooke. He could barely form sentences, he was freaking out so badly.”

  “No he wasn’t…” But I don’t even sound convincing to myself. “Okay, he did look nervous. But he probably thought I’d freak out at him and it was a totally innocent situation.” I hope.

  “You’re serious? You believed all that, ‘We’re picking out music for my brother’ stuff?” she says in a high, whiny voice while flipping her head around so her hair flies out to both sides. Which makes me laugh for real this time.