What If... All the Rumors Were True

by Liz Ruckdeschel

  “You’re preaching to the choir,” the woman said, picking up the yellow Vote Eleanor button and dropping it disdainfully back into the basket. “You can keep your button. I never wear political slogans on my person.”

  “I’ll wear it,” the old man said, snatching it back up and giving Whitney a wink. He heartily pinned it to his lapel, next to his Sigma Nu insignia. “If we support the woman, why not tell the world?”

  “William, you look positively vulgar,” the woman said.

  This from a woman in plastic jewelry, Haley thought critically. She instantly felt guilty for her snobbish sentiments. Must be contagious, she realized, looking around at the setting.

  “We have to keep moving, Dr. and Mrs. Burnham,” Whitney said politely. “Give my best to your poodle Peaches, and have a lovely afternoon.”

  “As long as the gin is flowing, we will, dear,” Mrs. Burnham said. “We will.”

  As Whitney and Haley made their way from table to table, Haley watched Spencer, who was now obediently following Coco’s every move around the party, just as if he were the poodle.

  “Coco can’t wait to be the First Girlfriend,” Whitney observed from a distance. “I bet she’d marry Spencer the day after the election if he’d have her, just so she could live in the governor’s mansion and be part of New Jersey’s ruling family.”

  “Come on,” Haley said, scoffing. “You really think she’d consent to be a child bride?”

  “All I know is, Coco loves the word first, especially when it’s attached to her name,” Whitney said. “Besides, it is Spencer we’re talking about here.” Spencer, who at that moment was leaning down to kiss an adorable towheaded baby. “Wouldn’t you marry that?”

  Haley glanced over at Spencer’s mother, who seemed especially plastic as she leaned down to pose with a crippled World War II veteran. “And become the next Mrs. Eton? No way.”

  “Harsh,” said Whitney, who couldn’t help but giggle. “So I guess you heard Sebastian’s back in town.”

  “Yeah, with Mia Delgado nipping at his heels,” Haley said, annoyed that there would now be a full-fledged model roaming the halls at Hillsdale High.

  “Can you believe it? I thought we got rid of her last spring, but apparently they spent the summer together in Miami, and now Mia’s in our class, which seems to make the football team pretty happy. I was sort of thinking of asking her to be in the look book for my spring line. Do you think she would give a classmate a discount? Oh, what do I care. Daddy’s back, and now he’s footing all the bills. He doesn’t seem to care if I’m in the red or the black, whatever that means.” Whitney carelessly dumped a pile of buttons onto someone’s table, having tired of her chore. Now that they were in gossip mode, Mrs. Eton’s tax-reform plan was quickly forgotten. “Did you know Mia shot all sorts of ads and commercials in Miami this summer? They’re a lot more liberal about nudity down there. I’m just saying.”

  Haley felt slightly sick to her stomach. There was a time when she’d thought she and Sebastian might have some potential as a couple. But Mia’s arrival last year had put an end to those plans, and now here she was again, complicating everything, and posing a threat to every student at Hillsdale High who possessed two X chromosomes.

  “I just can’t stand the way guys look at her, you know?” Whitney said. “I mean, does she have to take, like, all of them? Couldn’t she just flirt with the dweebs and leave the football team for me?”

  Haley, in need of a palate cleanser, reached for a glass of water on a passing tray. “Can we change the subject?” She had a feeling Mia Delgado would be dominating conversation around Hillsdale for many months to come, and she wanted to put off the inevitable for as long as possible.

  “Sure,” Whitney said. “I’d rather gossip about Zoe Jones anyway. What happened to her, do you think? I could sculpt a pot out of all the plaster makeup she’s got caked on these days. If you ask me, she was prettier before she started running around with Motormouth. Oh, you want to hear something really gross? Do you know what Sasha and Johnny did while camping in Virginia this summer?”

  “Uh, since you prefaced it like that, no thanks,” Haley replied. Whitney wasn’t known as the most reliable source in town.

  “How can Sasha like that greaseball?” Whitney continued, undeterred. “All I know is, they went down there with nothing but a tiny little pup tent. What do you think happens in a tiny little pup tent? Everything, obviously!”

  “Obviously,” Haley teased.

  “And don’t tell Cecily, but I heard from someone who heard from someone who said they saw Drew making out with a freshman at the cineplex over the summer. And I’m talking about a girl who’s just a freshman now, not from Zoe’s class. Why would he be such a dog to Cecily?”

  “Are you sure that’s true?” Haley said. “Drew and Cecily seem so…serious.”

  “That’s why it’s shocking,” Whitney said.

  “Of course,” Haley added sarcastically.

  “So what’s the dirt on Reese?” Whitney asked. “He’s been in such a grind ever since school started. Have you seen much of him?”

  “I, uh,” Haley began, not knowing exactly what to say. “We sort of fell out of touch over the summer. I don’t really know what he’s up to lately. I think he’s really concerned about the whole college thing.” Haley nodded her head as if to convince herself this was the only reason for Reese’s disappearance.

  “Yawn,” Whitney said. “I can’t wait until all this college crap is over and we can get on with our real lives. I mean, the SATs? Come on! Could they be a bigger bore? How am I supposed to know a synonym for prattle? What does that word even mean anyway?”

  Haley certainly knew.

  Whitney has a lot of dish for Haley, but what of it is true? Unlike the SATs, taking an educated guess in this case probably won’t get you to the bottom of the Hillsdale rumor mill. After all, Whit hasn’t always been innocent herself. Is she just manufacturing all this gossip to draw attention away from her own past transgressions?

  If you think Haley is itching to catch up with Sebastian Bodega, even if it means encountering the wily Mia, go to "SPANISH FLY". If you think Haley is bored with the political scene and ought to be seeking her own stage, have her go out for the school play on "ON A ROLE". Want to rekindle those dwindling flames with Reese Highland? Send Haley hopefully to find her man at the "OPEN MIKE". Finally, if you think Haley needs a chance to catch her breath and pull herself together, "THE BAG LADY".

  Haley’s just a small-town girl living in a fishbowl world. Some of what she hears may be too much information. But then, the more you know, the easier it is to make decisions. In theory, anyway.

  SPANISH FLY

  How do you say “Step aside for the new girl” in Spanish?

  “Haley! Annie! Hola!”

  Haley and Annie spotted Sebastian Bodega in the rotunda on their way out of math class. It was the first time Haley had laid eyes on him since the end of sophomore year, and she had to admit he looked hotter than ever.

  “Sebastian must have trained all summer,” Annie whispered, gawking at the strong swimmer’s physique. “Now that’s a backstroke I’d like to see up close.”

  It was true; Sebastian’s build was even leaner and more muscular than it had been the previous spring. Of course, those old familiar dark curls and warm brown eyes didn’t hurt his overall impression either.

  “Hi,” Haley managed, trying hard not to seem too eager for the long-lost Spaniard’s attention.

  Just as Sebastian was about to respond, a kittenish voice purred, “Oh, it’s you. Hah-ley, is it?” A rail-thin olive-skinned fifth appendage slithered out from behind Sebastian’s back. Her name was Mia Delgado, and she was a budding international supermodel who also happened to be Sebastian’s childhood girlfriend. Ever since the stick-thin mannequin had arrived in the United States, she hadn’t strayed from “Sebbie’s” side—a fact that annoyed Haley no end.

  “Hi, Mia,” Annie droned. “I see you’re adjust
ing well to Hillsdale High. As official new-student ambassador for the junior class, I am obligated to say welcome, and offer you my services should you need any help navigating the campus.”

  “No thank you. I already have an excellent tour guide,” Mia cooed, batting her lashes at Sebastian, her arm possessively sliding around his waist.

  Haley had come to the rotunda to decompress between classes, but the sight of Mia now made relaxing in the sun a total impossibility.

  “Ugh, if Mia’s always talking about how great it is to live in Spain, why did she move to New Jersey?” Annie muttered under her breath.

  “Good question,” Haley responded, forcing a smile to conceal her displeasure with Mia’s sudden appearance.

  It was an unseasonably warm day, and the rotunda was crowded with juniors and seniors enjoying their midmorning study breaks. Every male eye in the place was on Mia—that is, except for the pair belonging to senior Alex Martin, who had his nose deep in The Brothers Karamazov.

  Thank goodness someone here has some taste, Haley noted, fondly admiring the cute conservative upperclassman. If it weren’t for his far-right-leaning politics, Alex might have been Haley’s soul mate. He was way smart, a member of the math team and also cocaptain of the debate squad, which he led with none other than Annie Armstrong. And then there were those clear hazel eyes and his firm build, toned by years of fencing and rowing crew. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to date a Republican, Haley thought, imagining what Alex must look like under his tweed blazer and green patterned necktie. He was certainly a far cry from the other guys present, who were all tossing footballs, kicking soccer balls and generally doing everything they could think of to show off for the newest and most glamorous Hillsdale resident, Mia Delgado.

  When Haley and Annie had entered the rotunda, they had barely caused a stir. Haley suddenly realized with a sinking heart that she’d now been at Hillsdale for a full year already. She was no longer the cute new girl, rousing everyone’s interest. That title now belonged to Mia—and so, apparently, did Sebastian Bodega.

  “How was your summer, Haley?” Sebastian’s eyes twinkled with genuine interest now. Mia was sufficiently distracted by a pair of football jocks, who were showering her with compliments and asking her all about the modeling world. Sebastian was, for the moment, free.

  “My summer was…not exactly scintillating,” Haley replied, pursing her lips.

  “Scintillating: brilliantly lively, stimulating or witty,” Sebastian said, rattling off the definition.

  “I see someone studied his SAT words over break.” Haley was impressed. Sebastian had lost a bit of his accent, and his English was improving dramatically.

  Haley looked away and thought she saw …Was Alex Martin just ogling me? she thought, blushing. Sebastian incorrectly interpreted this as flirtation on Haley’s part.

  “All I did was study this summer, apart from swimming laps and lifting,” he said, flashing his dazzling white smile.

  “Are you sure that’s all you did?” Haley asked, annoyed, her eyes traveling in Mia’s direction. “I heard Mia spent quite a lot of time modeling in Miami. Isn’t that where you were training?”

  “Well,” Sebastian began, “she was adjusting to life in the U. S. How could I not help her with her…culture shock. Plus, there is a lot of work for models in Miami.”

  “How convenient,” said Haley, stealing another look in Alex’s direction, just in time to catch the senior staring back at her. Alex quickly looked down and resumed his reading. He was ogling me! Haley thought, unable to contain her excitement. She beamed, and Sebastian once again mistakenly thought Haley’s smile was directed at him.

  “Oh, Haley, how can I explain? Mia will always be…Mia. But you, you are different. You are new. And American. And exciting.” He caressed her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that this was not going over well with Alex, who was now shoving his things into his backpack and hurrying out of the rotunda, well in advance of the bell.

  “Not so fast, lover boy,” Haley said, brushing Sebastian’s hand aside. “You’re taken. Remember?”

  “Oh, Haley, sometimes I don’t think so,” Sebastian replied, nodding in Mia’s direction. The model was feeling up the biceps of one of the meatheads while another jock lifted her heavy book bag off her shoulder.

  “Sebbie, these nice boys are going to walk me to my next class. That’s okay with you, isn’t it?”

  “Of course,” Sebastian called out, trying not to sound peeved, but clenching his jaw just the same. “It is good you are making new friends!”

  “Oh, and remember,” Mia added, “I have, how you say…drama this afternoon.”

  “Ugh,” Annie interjected. “I can’t believe she scored the lead in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s almost enough to ruin Shakespeare for me.”

  “Mia thinks this acting business will help her English,” Sebastian said, wistfully staring at her retreat. “She also, it will not surprise you to know, may have ambitions at a Hollywood movie career.”

  “Sebastian, how was your summer, really?” Haley asked, sensing that Miami was not the palm-treed lovers’ paradise she had previously thought it to be. “Mia must have been quite the sensation down there.”

  “She does…attract attention to herself,” Sebastian conceded. “But what am I saying, I was focusing on swimming the whole time! It is not so glamorous, I know, but I hope it will pay off this year when the college recruiters come to see me compete.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, sweetie,” Haley said, collecting her books and patting Sebastian’s hand as the bell rang.

  Mia Delgado has arrived in Hillsdale with all the subtlety of a steamroller—and she’s about to flatten Haley’s ego, along with that of every other girl at Hillsdale High who stands in the beautiful vixen’s way. Understandably, Haley is threatened by the new diva on the block. But what exactly is going on between Mia and Sebastian? Rumors are flying—everything from barely speaking all summer to spending weeks frolicking seminude on the beach.

  Perhaps Mia is an unstoppable force, and Haley should throw in the towel and try to forget the Iberian modelo even exists. Especially with that cute prepster Alex Martin eyeing Haley from a distance.

  If you think the wisest course for our heroine is to hang with the brainy kids, "IT’S DEBATABLE". If you think Haley should keep an eye on Mia’s antics—and maybe even throw a wrench into her plans for total high school domination—have Haley nab a part in the school play on "CASTING CALL". Maybe you think what’s really at stake here is Sebastian—does Mia have a firm hold on him or not? Is he still interested in Haley? Is Haley interested in him? Send her to the "SWIM MEET" to find out.

  Haley should have known she couldn’t be the new girl forever. But the flavor of the month lasts only…a month. After that, it’s time to find a more permanent identity—or get lost in the crowd.

  THE BAG LADY

  Handbags can be practical, pretty or political—but they always make a statement.

  “Two trips to the mall in one month,” Haley’s mother grumbled. “I should just rip off this Protect the Pine Barrens button from my lapel and replace it with an I Support the Malls of America pin.”

  “This was your idea, Mom,” Haley said. Of course, Haley realized she might have had something to do with suggesting it.

  Haley’s old backpack was so worn it had a hole in the bottom—a tiny hole that Haley had “accidentally” poked at all summer until it got big enough for, oh, her house keys to slip through. Once the tear was of a suitable size, she gave it a test run by tossing her keys into the bag. They hit the floor in seconds. Perfect, she thought, putting the next phase of her plan into action.

  One morning before school, Haley waited until her mother was in the kitchen before gathering up her things to leave. She then picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, just as the keys, on cue, dropped at Joan’s feet.

  “What was that?” Haley’s mother said, frowning.

  Haley b
ent down and picked up the keys. “Huh,” she said. “How did that happen?” She turned over her backpack and made a big show of peering through the hole in the bottom as if staring down a bottomless abyss. “Hey, there’s a hole in my backpack.”

  “I could install a magnet in there if you want, Haley,” Mitchell said helpfully. “It will help keep your keys inside that holey backpack, where they belong. Plus, that way you can find them easily. They’re always in the right place.”

  Haley gave a look intended to silence her gadget-minded little brother.

  “Let me see.” Joan took the backpack and examined it. “Maybe I can get this patched up somewhere.”

  Patched up? That was not in the plan. Backpacks were so over at Hillsdale. Everyone she knew, from the often fashion-challenged Annie Armstrong to the fashion rebel Irene Chen, had a different kind of bag for carrying around their tons of stuff—a statement bag, a huge shoulder bag that held everything one would need to live on for up to three days. Backpacks were for middle-schoolers.

  “If you put a magnet in there you won’t need to patch it,” Mitchell persisted. “Unless of course the hole was big enough for the magnet to fall through. Then we would have a problem.”

  “No magnets,” Haley said. “And no patches, please. Don’t you know how many books I have to carry? It’ll just tear again. I think I need a new bag.” Joan frowned. “I’ll pay for part of it myself,” Haley offered. “With my summer babysitting money.”

  That clinched it. “I guess…,” Joan said, finally worn down. “I’ll run you over to the mall after supper tonight.”