by Betsy Haynes
THE FABULOUS FIVE #9
THE BOYFRIEND DILEMMA
BETSY HAYNES
A BANTAM SKYLARK BOOK®
NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • SYDNEY • AUCKLAND
THE BOYFRIEND DILEMMA
A Bantam Skylark Book / June 1989
Skylark Books is a registered trademark of Bantam Books, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and elsewhere.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1989 by Betsy Haynes and James Haynes.
Cover art copyright © 1989 by Ralph Amatrudi.
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ISBN 0-553-15720-5
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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
CW 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Ken Slade
A dedicated educator
CHAPTER 1
"Ask me another question," Christie Winchell insisted to her four best friends. I've just got to be ready for the Super Quiz team tryouts."
"How about this one?" said Katie. "The category is social studies. Who was the woman who led the fight for women's right to vote and had her head put on a silver dollar?"
"Her head!" shrieked Melanie. "Eeek! I'll bet that hurt."
Christie frowned at Melanie and then turned back to Katie. "You asked me that one yesterday," Christie protested. "Come on. Ask me something new."
"You'd know the answer to anything I could ask," said Melanie. "You're so much smarter than I am."
"Me, too," said Beth, running her fingers through her new haircut. It was short and almost spiky and fit her flamboyant personality better than her old hairstyle did. The short sides exposed the large fluorescent pink earrings she was wearing.
The Fabulous Five were gathered in the Winchells' family room and had been asking Christie all kinds of questions for almost an hour. Katie Shannon was sitting cross-legged on the floor. She was taking the questioning very seriously and had a notebook in her lap filled with pages of things she had thought up to ask Christie.
Melanie Edwards and Beth Barry were sprawled on the sofa eating potato chips and drinking sodas. Jana Morgan was looking through a history book, trying to find something to ask while Christie paced back and forth in front of them.
The Fabulous Five had been together almost forever. They had become fast friends when they first met in Mark Twain Elementary, and later they had started their club against Taffy Sinclair, the most stuck-up girl in elementary school. They were all in Wakeman Junior High now, or Wacko Junior High, as most kids called it.
Christie had always been able to count on her best friends, and now they were helping her cram for the tryouts on Friday for the Wakeman Super Quiz team match against Trumbull Junior High. She had been picked to try out, along with Curtis Trowbridge, Whitney Larkin, and Melissa McConnell from the seventh grade, but only two students from each grade would be chosen to compete against Trumbull. Since questions about math, science, social studies, English, and current events would be asked, Christie wanted to be ready in every category.
"I think we've done enough for now," said Jana, closing her book. "You're answering nearly all of the questions and you don't want to overdo it. You need to peak during the tryouts."
"I guess you're right," agreed Christie. "But I'm afraid I'll overlook something."
"Yeah, and Melissa McConnell will jump for joy every time you miss one," said Melanie.
"So will Laura McCall," added Katie.
Christie knew her friends were right. Laura McCall and Melissa McConnell were two members of The Fantastic Foursome, the clique from another elementary school who had been feuding with The Fabulous Five from the instant the two groups had met on the first day of school.
"I don't have time to worry about them," said Christie. "The tryouts are only three days away, and I don't know nearly enough."
"Sure you do," said Jana reassuringly. "Besides, you can get Jon to help you, too. I'm sure he'd be glad to."
"Are you kidding?" asked Melanie. "Do you really think Jon's interested in doing homework when he comes to Christie's?" She winked at Christie knowingly.
"All you ever think about is boys," Katie said to Melanie. "Can't you get your mind off boys for a little while?"
Melanie laughed. "Sure. But why should I?"
"Actually, I kind of wish Jon wouldn't come over so often," said Christie softly.
"WHAT?" the others said in unison.
"Don't tell me the big romance is fading," said Beth, brushing potato chip crumbs from her lap into a napkin.
"It's not that I don't like Jon anymore. I do. I like him a lot. It's just that I've got so much going on in my life, and he always seems to be there. I guess I need a little space, now and then."
"Is he coming over tonight?" asked Jana.
"No. I don't think so. He's been using his camcorder a lot around school lately, and he's going to make one video out of all the ones he has taken. He was talking about going to the television studio where his mom and dad work to mix them. I'm glad he's going to the studio," Christie added. "I'd really like to be alone so I can concentrate on getting ready for the Super Quiz tryouts."
"Now that you mention it, Jon was at the football field yesterday," said Melanie. "He was taking pictures of the team and the cheerleaders during practice."
"I saw him with his camera in the cafeteria, too," added Jana.
"He's been taking all kinds of pictures," said Christie. "He's really interested in movie photography. For someone who used to feel as if he could never live up to his parents and their big television careers, he's not doing badly for himself right now."
"Maybe he'll videotape the Super Quiz and turn you into a game show star," said Melanie with a twinkle in her eyes.
Everyone laughed.
"Well, if we can help some more, let us know," said Katie, gathering her books and heading for the door.
"Thanks. I really appreciate everything you've done. You're great friends."
After the others had left, Christie gathered up the empty soda cans and put the chips away. In her room, she got out her schoolbooks and arranged them on her desk, putting the news magazines she had brought up from the family room on the floor beside the desk. They would help her get ready for current events questions. Finally, she grabbed a pad of paper, sharpened several pencils, and took her phone off the hook.
Now, she thought with satisfaction, I'll have two uninterrupted hours of good, hard concentration. That was all she needed, she was sure. She'd make the Super Quiz team or wilt her brain trying.
Christie opened her math book. Math was her best subject and it would be a good warmup. She moved the pad of paper to a better position and started to read. A few minutes later the faraway sound of the doorbell broke her concentration.
"Drat!" she said out loud to herself. Sighing, she got up to see who was at the door. Her mother was probably carrying a load of groceries and couldn't get her key out of her bag.
But when she opened the door, it wasn't her mother out
side. Instead it was Jon Smith standing there with a big smile on his face.
CHAPTER 2
"Hi!" Jon's eyes lit up when he saw Christie, and she couldn't help smiling back at him. In spite of the fact that she hadn't wanted him to come over this afternoon, she was glad to see him.
Most of the kids at school thought of them as a couple. Christie guessed that was what they were, but right now she couldn't quite understand her own feelings. Sometimes she liked him more than a friend, but sometimes she didn't. She wanted so much to be independent, her own person, and she wanted the same thing for Jon, too. It was very confusing, and she had been thinking about it a lot lately.
"Hi. I thought you were at the television station working on your video."
"I was, but I started thinking about you and decided I'd come over," he said. "May I come in?"
Christie hesitated for a moment, remembering the books that were waiting for her on her desk. But how could she say no? She gave an inward sigh and stepped back. "Sure. Come on in." She led him to the kitchen and got sodas for them.
"I'm surprised you aren't studying," Jon said.
"Oh, I was, but it can wait a minute."
"How is the studying for the tryouts going?" Before she could answer, he added, "I think it's great that you were picked for the team."
"Thanks," Christie answered, adding a smile of appreciation. "Just because I was asked doesn't mean I'll be on the team against Trumbull, though. Curtis, Whitney, and Melissa are tough competition."
"They sure are," Jon agreed. "But I have confidence in you." Then he added, "Did I tell you that I'm going to do a video of The Dreadful Alternatives?"
"Oh, that's the new rock group that some of the kids at Wacko put together, isn't it?"
"Yes. And they're pretty good. I went to one of their practices. They've got a great guitar player and the lead singer's not bad, either. They asked me to make a demonstration video to show to people who are considering hiring them.
"That reminds me." A note of excitement crept into his voice. "Do you want to see the video I just finished?" He pulled a black videotape from his jacket pocket. "It's something I'm doing that's kind of different. I'd like to get your opinion about it."
The thought of the books on her desk tugged at Christie again. She badly needed to study, but how could she refuse him when he was obviously excited? Christie was sure that he was extremely proud of the videotape, and he wanted her to be the first to see it. It made her feel good that he cared about her opinion.
"Sure," she said. "You go on into the family room and get it started. I'll get some chips."
By the time she had put chips into a bowl, Jon was sitting on the couch with the remote control in his hand. The television was turned on to a network station.
"Okay, what's it about?" she asked.
Jon smiled at her without answering and poked the remote control at the VCR that sat on top of the TV. The network picture vanished and the screen was blank for a moment.
Christie heard a low throbbing music, and a distant shot of the front of Wakeman Junior High came on the screen. Her first thought was that the quality of the picture was good and the music was a nice touch, but it was hard to understand why Jon was so excited about it.
Then the camera zoomed in on the school, and the school started turning over and over in time to the music. Suddenly the school disappeared and Wakeman kids were walking like Keystone Kops along the sidewalks. Then they abruptly changed directions and walked backward.
Just as quickly, they were gone, and the screen was filled with beautiful blurs of color. There were reds and yellows and greens and blues. The music turned dreamy and matched the soft feel of the picture. Christie sat forward, her eyes opened wide to absorb what she was seeing.
The camera focused and she saw the objects behind the colors. She let out a little squeal of delight. It was the gum tree in front of the school where kids stuck their gum before going in to class.
"I would never have believed that tree could look so beautiful," Christie said.
The scene changed again, and they were at the football field. The pictures and music raced along as the players ran and the ball flew first in one direction and then another. Then pictures of the cheerleaders were mixed in with the football players, switching back and forth, back and forth, between the cheerleaders and the players.
Before her mind could fully absorb what she was looking at, the camera was racing down a hall inside the school, and Christie caught her breath as she felt drawn into the madly speeding video. Suddenly the hall flipped over, and then they were in a classroom, and pictures of kids seated at their desks flashed across the screen.
As quickly as it had begun, the video was back at the front of the school and then zooming away to the original distant shot. The music and the actions both stopped, giving Christie an almost physical jolt.
Christie flopped back onto the couch and turned to Jon. His face had a worried look. At a loss for words, Christie just shook her head in amazement. But when she saw the cloud pass over Jon's eyes, she reached out and took his hand.
"Jon, what I meant was, the video is fantastic."
A smile brightened his face, and Christie could tell how much her opinion mattered to him.
CHAPTER 3
"How did the studying go yesterday after we left?" asked Jana. The Fabulous Five were seated at their favorite table in the cafeteria having lunch.
"Not great at all," answered Christie. "Jon came over after you left and wanted to show me the video he made. When he left, it was time for dinner, and after dinner I had my regular homework to do. I didn't work on the things I need to know for the Super Quiz team tryouts at all."
"That's too bad," sympathized Katie. "I thought Jon would be more considerate than that."
"I guess it really wasn't his fault. I didn't tell him how badly I needed to study."
"How was the video?" asked Beth.
"You wouldn't believe it," answered Christie, rolling her eyes. "It was the greatest. At first I thought it was going to be like a home movie. You know, boring. But he used the mixer equipment at the TV studio where his mom and dad work, and it was really good."
"Maybe I can get him to do a video of me when I become a famous actress," said Beth, striking a dramatic pose.
"Or he can videotape me in a great court scene, like one of the lawyers on L.A. Law," added Katie. She raised her eyebrows in mock seriousness and pounded on the lunchroom table with a banana as if it were a gavel.
Christie smiled at her friends' jokes. "I don't know. He may be too busy by then. He's going to do a demonstration video of that new rock group in school, The Dreadful Alternatives."
"Mandy McDermott told me she heard them practicing," said Katie. "I guess they're going to play at an assembly. She said they're really good."
"Wow! Do you know who their lead singer is?" asked Beth. "It's Kimm Taylor. I wouldn't want Keith hanging around her."
"Kimm Taylor? I don't know who she is," said Christie.
"You don't know her?" said Beth and Melanie in unison.
"She's that really pretty girl with the long black hair who went to Copper Beach Elementary," explained Beth. "She moved here last year from Hawaii. You might not have noticed her because she doesn't go out for any activities at school."
"You might not have noticed her, but all the boys have," said Melanie. "She's in my social studies class, and all the guys grabbed the desks around her."
"I think I know who you're talking about," injected Jana. "She's cute but pretty quiet. I'd keep an eye on her if I were you, Christie."
Christie felt a twinge of irritation at her friends. "Just because the band has a cute singer doesn't mean that Jon's going to fall all over her. But so what if he does, as long as he and I stay friends?"
"If you say so," said Katie.
Christie frowned at her, then lapsed into silence. Why couldn't anyone, even her best friends, understand that a boy and a girl could be good friends with
out romance? Besides, maybe it would be a good thing for Jon to get interested in another girl once she explained to him that she wasn't ready for romance just yet herself. It wouldn't really affect her own relationship with him, and she could get the space she needed so badly. The more she thought about the idea, the better it sounded.
"Do you want us to come over after school and help again?" asked Jana, pulling Christie back to reality. "We can skip going to Bumpers if that would help."
"No, thanks," answered Christie. "I really need some time alone to concentrate. I've got to fill in the gaps in what I know, and the only way I can do that is by myself."
"Well, if you need us, just yell," said Katie. The others nodded their agreement.
Christie concentrated hard in each of her classes, temporarily forgetting about her dilemma with Jon. She didn't want to miss anything that might be asked in the tryouts.
Later, when she arrived at the media center for study period, it seemed as if everyone was getting ready for the Super Quiz tryouts. Curtis Trowbridge and Whitney Larkin were sitting by themselves with piles of books, and they were taking turns asking one another questions. I can't believe I can beat either one of them, Christie thought, trying not to panic. Curtis is really smart, and everybody knows that Whitney skipped a grade and is a genius.
At another table, Laura McCall, Tammy Lucero, and Funny Hawthorne were seated with Melissa McConnell, questioning her. Now and then Funny would giggle out loud and Mrs. Karl would frown at her. Melissa wouldn't be easy to beat, either.
Christie looked at them through narrow eyes. Laura was the leader of The Fantastic Foursome. She lived alone with her father, who let her do just about anything she wanted, and she had great parties with no adults around. There were rumors that she made the others in her clique do things to stay friends with her.
Melissa McConnell was smart and very prissy and precise. She had run for seventh-grade class president against Christie, and every time Christie was involved in something, Melissa seemed to be on the opposite side. The Fabulous Five thought Laura was putting her up to it.
