Fabulous Five 003 - The Popularity Trap

by Betsy Haynes

  "No," grumbled Beth. "But I still think it was Laura and her friends."

  "I don't think so," said Katie. "They really seem to be as confused as everyone else."

  "I agree," said Jana. "There is someone else running. But who could it be?"

  "Somebody who knows more people, the poster says," answered Melanie.

  "And knows about everything that's going on," added Beth. "And someone people trust."

  "That definitely leaves out Laura and her friends," snickered Katie.

  "Come on, guys," said Christie, desperately trying to change the subject. "If we're going to pass these oranges out, we'd better get at it."

  "Right," said Jana, "before Melissa and her friends sing their dumb little jingle again."

  They cleared away their lunch bags and then began passing out oranges to all the seventh-graders. Christie took the outer rows of tables on the left side; Katie took the outer rows on the other side. Jana and Beth worked the next rows, and Melanie pulled her little brother's wagon up the center aisle.

  "Gimme two!" shouted Clarence Marshall. Without even reading the stickers he began trying to juggle the oranges, but instead of catching them, they crashed down on his head. Everyone around him roared with laughter.

  Soon kids all over the room were raising their hands and asking for oranges, and the girls were wading through the tables as fast as they could hand them out. Only Laura McCall and her friends refused them, sticking their noses into the air and turning away when Beth went by their table.

  When Christie reached Jon, he was smiling. "What do your friends think of the posters for the mystery candidate?" he whispered.

  Christie laughed. "It blew their minds. Wow! Have I been having trouble keeping a straight face."

  "It's going to work," he assured her.

  Christie nodded and handed him an orange. For an instant they both held it, looking at each other and smiling.

  CHAPTER 13

  Christie and her friends were in a happy mood when they reached Bumpers after school. Laura and her friends had not done their little commercial for Melissa at lunchtime, and except for the appearance of the posters for the mystery candidate, the day was a total victory for The Fabulous Five—so far.

  Christie was feeling especially optimistic, and she tried to act as if it were for the same reason as her friends. The truth was, she was so excited about the mystery candidate and all the attention the posters were getting that she could barely sit still in the booth.

  "I can't wait for Shane to get here," said Melanie. "I just know he's going to vote for Christie."

  "Maybe Igor told him to vote for the mystery candidate," suggested Christie.

  Melanie looked at her and frowned.

  "Everyone I talked to today was asking about the mystery candidate," said Jana. "Whoever it is has some pretty good posters, and everyone's dying to figure out who it is."

  "I don't think it's fair," said Melanie. "Whoever it is should come out and say."

  "I think it's really smart. I wish we had thought of it," responded Katie.

  "Well, tomorrow when the football players come out in the second half of the game with Vitamin C stickers on their helmets, Christie will get some really good publicity," Melanie assured her.

  "Has Scott ever asked the coach if it's okay to do that?" asked Beth.

  "No, but he's not worried about it," said Melanie. She glanced toward the door and her eyes got big. "Oh, LOOK!" she squealed. "There's Shane. AND HE'S GOT IGOR WITH HIM!"

  Like everyone else, Christie turned toward the door to see. Shane was standing in the entrance holding his iguana stretched along one arm and was gently stroking Igor's throat with his fingertips. Igor's tongue was darting out and his eyes blinked as if he were bored with all the attention.

  Curtis Trowbridge rushed forward with his notebook as Shane carried Igor to the center of the room and set him down on the floor. All the kids gathered around to see as Curtis took notes furiously. Curtis doesn't miss anything, Christie thought.

  Draped across Igor's back was a square of blue cloth with hand-lettered writing on both sides. Everyone pushed forward to see what it said. On each side it read:

  IGOR FOR CLASS PRESIDENT

  "What can I say?" said Shane. "He just felt that he was the best candidate. You can't argue with him. He won't listen." Everyone laughed.

  While they were all fussing over Igor, Christie looked at Mr. Matson, who was behind the counter. She nodded, and he went into the back room to play the tape that Jon had given him.

  When the music on the sound system stopped, everyone turned expectantly to listen.

  "THIS IS YOUR MYSTERY CANDIDATE SPEAKING," came Jon's muffled voice. Christie put her hand over her mouth to hold in a giggle as she remembered how she and Jon had laughed when he had tried to disguise his voice last night. He had not only succeeded in hiding his own identity, but the voice was so muffled that you couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl.

  "WHO KNOWS THE MOST ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT WACKO JUNIOR HIGH? WHO KNOWS THE MOST KIDS FROM COPPER BEACH, RIVERFIELD, AND MARK TWAIN? WHO HAS PROVEN HE WILL WORK HARD FOR YOU?" Jon's voice paused to let the questions sink in. "ME, THAT'S WHO. YOUR MYSTERY CANDIDATE. WRITE IN MY NAME TUESDAY." Then, for effect, Jon gave what was supposed to be a mysterious laugh. Christie broke up.

  "Who in the world was that?" asked Jana, looking at Christie.

  "How should I know?" she answered quickly. "It just struck me funny."

  "It may be funny," said Katie, "but he sure has everybody's interest, including mine. He's got to let everyone know who he is before Tuesday though, if he really wants people to vote for him."

  "I think we're in trouble," said Melanie. "Even our oranges didn't get this much attention."

  "And we'll be paying for them all year," moaned Beth. Then bolting up in her seat, she cried, "What's Laura doing?"

  "ATTENTION EVERYONE!" Laura was standing and she had raised her hands for quiet. "I want you all to know that anyone who votes for Melissa McConnell next Tuesday is invited over to my house for a victory celebration Friday night. And you know how much fun that can be," she added slyly. She glanced toward the booth where Christie and her friends were sitting and her lip curled in a sneer.

  "Can you believe that Laura is inviting everyone who votes for Melissa over to her house on Friday?" Christie shook her head in amazement as she and Jon talked over the things that had happened that day. They were sitting next to each other on her front porch.

  "No. And I thought I'd fall out of my bumper car when Mr. Matson played that tape. You should have told me I sounded that funny last night when we were making it."

  "I thought you knew from the way I kept giggling."

  Jon tried to look serious, and his voice sounded solemn. "The only problem I see now is that Igor might split the vote and you'll still get elected." Then he burst out laughing. Christie was laughing so hard as well that tears ran down her cheeks.

  Finally they got control of themselves, and Jon leaned back against the white porch pillar. He had shown Christie his finished homework when he arrived, and he had done it so well that their lesson time had been very short, and they had decided to sit on the porch for a while before he went home.

  The only sound at the moment was an occasional chuckle from him or a giggle from her as they sat thinking about their day. Then Christie felt his arm reach around her, and she gladly gave in to his gentle pull and leaned against his shoulder.

  She smiled dreamily to herself. She was having so much fun with him. It was almost better than she had imagined it would be. For the first time since she had started junior high, she felt relaxed, and she had forgotten the pressure of the election.

  All of a sudden, since she and Jon had gotten to know each other, her troubles had seemed to roll off her shoulders. And Jon seemed more relaxed, too. The stiff jaw and tight lip he had before had now disappeared. He was laughing most of the time they were together. It felt so good. Then a thought came to her
.

  "I know of one more problem that we have besides Igor," she said, looking up into his face.

  "What's that?" he asked, smiling at her.

  "Who is the mystery candidate?"

  "Oh, yeah. We haven't figured that out yet, have we?"

  "No. And the elections are Tuesday."

  "Who do we know who knows people from all three elementary schools, knows a lot about what's going on, whom everyone knows is a hard worker, and everyone would think was fair?" he asked.

  Christie thought a moment. Then she sat up straight and said, "I know who that is, and so do you. I don't know why we didn't think of him sooner." Then, before Jon could ask any questions, she added mysteriously, "And I think that he just might agree to do it."

  CHAPTER 14

  "Quick! There they are," said Christie, pulling at Jon's hand. "If we hurry we can catch them." The crowd was milling through the stadium gate, and Christie and Jon threaded their way, trying to keep Curtis and Whitney in sight.

  "This way," said Jon, once they had entered the stadium. "They're headed for the refreshment stand." Running hand in hand, they reached Curtis and Whitney as they were studying the menu board above the stand.

  "Curtis, we need to talk to you," Christie said, stopping next to him.

  "Sure," said Curtis, puffing up importantly and giving Whitney a sideways smile. "What can I do for you?"

  He's showing off for Whitney, thought Christie. This is great! He's playing right into our hands.

  "Jon and I have a secret proposition for you. One we hope you won't turn down."

  Curtis raised an eyebrow and straightened his shoulders. "Only if Whitney can listen. We don't keep secrets from each other." He was holding Whitney's hand and he patted it affectionately.

  "Why don't we move out of this crowd where we can talk privately," said Jon.

  Curtis is really going for this, thought Christie as she watched him look in both directions and then rush to a spot by the stadium wall, pulling Whitney along with him.

  When Christie and Jon reached him, he put his hand over his mouth and whispered, "Okay. Now what's this all about?"

  "Well, you see, Curtis, we know who the mystery candidate is," Christie said.

  Curtis and Whitney looked at each other. "Who!?" croaked Curtis.

  "You," said Jon.

  Curtis stared blankly at him.

  "What do you mean precisely by 'you'?" questioned Whitney. "You can't really mean Curtis."

  "Yes, we do. The mystery candidate is someone who knows kids from Copper Beach, Mark Twain, and Riverfield elementary schools, knows about everything that's going on, is someone everyone trusts, and is a hard worker," said Christie. "Who else could it be but you, Curtis?"

  "Now wait a minute," said Curtis, raising his hands in protest. "I didn't put up all those posters or make that tape we heard in Bumpers."

  "We know that," said Jon reassuringly. "But no one else does."

  "Do you mean that you two did that?" Whitney's mouth dropped open, and she and Curtis looked like a pair of matched bookends in their surprise.

  "Sure. We did it for you, Curtis. I'm not the right person for seventh-grade class president. And neither is Melissa," Christie added quickly. "Think about it," she continued. "You really do have friends from all the elementary schools."

  "You're from Mark Twain, and Whitney's from Copper Beach," added Jon.

  "No one knows more about what's going on around Wakeman than you do," said Christie.

  "Everybody trusts you and you're a hard worker," Jon said, punctuating his words with a raised fist.

  Christie took her cue and came in for the kill. "You know, Curtis, I've been noticing you at school lately. From your actions and the way you handle things, I'd have to say that I believe you could become a senator someday or maybe even president."

  Curtis had been moving his head back and forth from Christie to Jon as they talked. Now he pulled himself up to his full height and looked at Whitney to see if she was listening. "Well . . ." he said, "if you really think . . ." He seemed to be hesitating, but his eyes were glistening.

  Christie knew they had their mystery candidate.

  "OKAY!" Curtis's voice sounded like the crack of a whip. "How do you think we should proceed?"

  "Did you two really put up all those posters and make that tape just for Curtis?" asked Whitney.

  Christie and Jon smiled at each other.

  CHAPTER 15

  Christie saw Jana and Katie sitting in the cheering section at the same instant they saw her. She waved to her friends and took Jon's hand, heading up the stadium steps to join them.

  "Hi," she said as they squeezed into the aisle. Jon hadn't gone home early enough the night before for her to be able to call her friends and tell them that she would be going to the ball game with him, and both Katie and Jana wore looks of total astonishment as Christie and Jon sat down. They gave her a thumbs-up victory sign as soon as Jon looked in another direction.

  "Look," said Jana, pointing to Beth and Melanie standing on the sidelines with the other cheerleaders. They were wearing their gold and cardinal-red uniforms. "Don't they look terrific?"

  Melanie was talking to Darcy Holyfield, and Beth was shielding her eyes from the sun and looking up into the stands. When she saw them, she jumped up and down and waved her pom-poms at them. Laura McCall and Tammy Lucero were standing to one side, and Tammy had her hands cupped around Laura's ear, whispering. That gossip! thought Christie.

  "Where's Randy?" she asked, looking toward the end zone where the Wakeman players were lined up in rows doing calisthenics.

  "He's in front with Shane leading the exercises," said Jana.

  Christie searched the crowd until she saw Curtis. He was coming up the stairs with Whitney and was stopping to talk to someone in nearly every aisle. She nudged Jon and nodded in Curtis's direction. Jon saw him and winked at her.

  "Boy, don't you know what a mess you made?" came an angry voice from behind them. Christie turned to see who had made the remark. It was Melissa McConnell. She and Funny Hawthorne had taken seats in the next row up, and both were wearing Melissa's campaign ribbons in their hair.

  "There are orange peelings all over school and the school ground, Christie Winchell," Melissa continued in a voice loud enough for everyone in the cheering section to hear. "Some of the boys were even throwing oranges at each other. And it's all your fault! I'm campaigning to clean up that awful unsanitary gum tree in front, and you're handing out garbage. I don't know why you think you should be elected."

  Funny looked embarrassed.

  "You're just mad because you didn't think of the oranges first," Katie shot back at her.

  "Did you hear about the mystery candidate?" asked Richie Corrierro, who was sitting in front of them. "I'm glad there's no mystery candidate running for treasurer. I wouldn't have a chance."

  "Who do you think it is?" asked Marcie Bee, who was sitting nearby. Instantly everyone seemed to forget about Melissa's angry accusations and started talking about the mystery candidate again. Christie looked at Jon, and they both had to turn away to keep from laughing.

  "Oh, look. There go the team captains," cried Jana. Randy and Shane were walking out to the center of the field to meet the Black Rock captains. Randy called the toss of the coin and won and elected to receive the kickoff. Christie thought she had never seen Jana look so proud.

  The teams were evenly matched, and they played hard. Randy threw passes and Scott and Shane ran and caught balls, but the Black Rock defense stopped them whenever they got near the goal line. The Wakeman defense was just as tough. Neither team was able to score in the first half, and both sides looked tired when they went to the dressing rooms at halftime.

  Jana motioned Christie closer. She leaned sideways, and the two of them and Katie put their heads together.

  "Wait until the team comes out again with the stickers on their helmets. It's the best publicity you've had so far, Christie. I'm just glad Laura and Tammy are
down on the field where they can see them up close," Jana whispered and then giggled.

  "Laura will absolutely boil," Katie whispered back. "I just wish we were closer so we could see her face."

  Frowning, Christie sat back down again. In the excitement over persuading Curtis to be the mystery candidate, she had forgotten all about the stickers that the football team would wear when they returned to the field from the halftime break. Jana had been right about one thing, she thought. They would be terrific publicity—but for the wrong candidate. What she needed now was less publicity, not more. What would she do if Curtis announced that he was the mystery candidate and she won the election anyway?

  She looked where he and Whitney were seated. Curtis was talking to everyone around him. He's a natural candidate, Christie thought. She had meant it when she told him she thought he would probably be a senator someday. Or maybe president. Besides, he had to start his career someplace, and Wacko Junior High was as good as any. Christie Winchell and Jon Smith, kingmakers, she thought, giggling to herself as she glanced quickly at Jon.

  The players came back onto the field, and Christie looked hard at their helmets. On the back, as plain as could be, were the big orange stickers.

  Richie Corrierro was the first to notice. "What's that on the back of the players' helmets?" he asked. Everyone leaned forward to see.

  "What is that?" everyone started to ask.

  Christie saw the cheerleaders turn to look at the players. Laura McCall froze as she stared at them, and then her fists went on her hips, and she huffed angrily over to Beth and Melanie and started shouting. Christie wished she could hear.

  Christie could see the word being passed back from the kids who had seats near the field like a gigantic wave. Finally it reached where they were sitting.

  "It says, VITAMIN C FOR SEVENTH-GRADE PRESIDENT!" shouted Richie, grinning at Christie. "That's a pretty slick way of advertising."

  "Way to go, Christie!" shouted Mona Vaughn, waving her clenched fists.