by Kim Tomsic
Everything I’d read on How to Survive Middle School advised avoiding confrontations. But Grams’s words about being authentic came rushing at me.
I found Ally at her locker, her eyes red-rimmed.
“Whoa. Are you okay?” I asked.
She grabbed my arm. “Come with me?”
We ducked into the nearest girls’ bathroom.
“I can’t believe it,” Ally said, fuming and checking the stalls before coming back to me. “Rhena is a first-class witch.”
Ally must’ve already heard that Rhena was talking about us. “I know. Right.”
“She . . .” Ally sniffled and took a moment to gather herself.
“I know.”
“You do? Well, don’t repeat it, because rumors spread like wildfires at Saguaro Prep, and even though it’s not true, people love to gossip, and it’s so embarrassing.”
“Wait. What are you talking about?”
“I got called to the office and told I have to meet with Mr. Provost at lunch. Rhena told him I copied her answers during the science quiz last week. Like I would ever cheat, and especially off Rhena’s work.” She puffed out a breath and shook her head. “She’s such a liar.”
“I can’t believe she’d do that . . . well, I can. But seriously.”
“I know. And if my abuela finds out I’ve been accused of cheating, she’ll be so ashamed. The rumor alone will crush her.”
“Does Mr. Provost believe Rhena?”
“He has to take the accusation seriously, so now I have to use my lunch defending my answers to him. Anyhow, I’m really sorry I can’t eat with you. Come on.” We left the bathroom and walked toward the cafeteria. “I’ll help you find Noelle and everyone. You can eat with them.”
No way was I going inside the cafeteria and risk running into Jackson. I’d hide in the bathroom or outside if I had to but I wouldn’t worry Ally with the details. “Look. You get going. I’ll find Noelle and them on my own.”
“Huh?” Ally stopped walking, her face a knot of confusion.
“I said I’ll find Noelle and them on my own.”
“No you didn’t. You just meowed a sentence.”
“What? No . . . I . . .”
“You just said, ‘Meow’ll meow meow meow.’”
“Oh.” I looked at the floor. Right. I lose my voice every time I try to lie.
“Hey,” Ally said, “thanks for trying to make me laugh. I’m going to run before I’m late to my interrogation. Wish me luck.” She headed toward the science room.
“Good luck.” I angled toward the cafeteria until she disappeared from sight, then I veered toward the outdoor exit, where Jackson was filling his water bottle.
CHAPTER
34
“Hey,” Jackson said, before I had a chance to turn away and pretend I didn’t see him.
“Hi.” I couldn’t make eye contact without feeling like the world’s biggest dorkjob. How did I lull myself into believing he could possibly like me? I pushed open the door that led to the outdoor patio.
“Wait.” He put the cap on his water bottle. “Have lunch with me. There’s a great shaded spot by the Palo Verde trees with misters and all.”
“I, no, it’s just that . . .” Oh gosh, I couldn’t start making up a lie or I’d meow or gack. He followed me outside and I stopped walking.
“What? Come on.” He smiled, his freckles looking cute to the tenth.
I folded my arms over my stomach. “Look. You don’t have to keep being nice to me. Your ambassador duties are over.”
“Huh?”
“We don’t need to go to Starbucks or whatever. I get it.” I stared at his shoulder.
“Get what?” Jackson asked. “That I like you?”
I looked up. “Uhh . . . that you don’t,” I said, surprising myself for being so honest.
“I don’t know what would give you that idea.” Jackson stepped closer and waited for me to meet his gaze.
It made my stomach wavy.
“I’d still like to go to Starbucks,” he said. “And have lunch with you. Okay?”
“Okay.” I couldn’t hold back my smile.
“Good. Come on, I’ll split my turkey sandwich with you.”
We started walking.
“Mustard or mayo?” I asked.
“Definitely mustard.”
“Phew! I’m not sure I could keep hanging out with you if you were a mayo guy.”
“Never.”
I felt like the second element on the periodic table. Helium. And I was so floaty walking with Jackson that when we got to the Palo Verde trees, I didn’t notice Rhena until she was right on us.
“Hi, you guys,” she said sweetly.
The float in my feet turned to bricks, and I stopped walking.
“Sit with us.” Rhena pointed across the courtyard, where Shelby was fluffing out a floral tablecloth.
What a turnip, I thought, channeling Erin.
“Awesome,” Jackson said, failing to receive my “NO” brainwave message.
“Wednesday Night Walks was fun,” he said. “We should all do that again.”
“Absolutely,” Rhena said, like she hadn’t just tried to crush my soul an hour ago.
Jackson’s phone dinged. “Shoot.” And then, “I’m sorry. Coach Crosby needs me and says it’s urgent.” He fumbled to open his backpack. “Let me get my sandwich. I’m still giving you half.”
“It’s fine, Jackson,” Rhena said, looping her elbow in mine. “I have plenty to share with Megan.”
“Okay, cool.” Jackson flung his backpack on a shoulder. “See you later.”
My head spun with how fast this had unraveled, Jackson jogging off toward the gym, and Rhena leading me toward her group.
Two Palo Verde trees shaded our picnic area, their pale green bark looking as sick and unnatural as I felt surrounded by Rhenites, buzzing around their queen.
Shelby smoothed out wrinkles from the tablecloth. Yoona smiled at me and set down napkins at each spot while another Rhenite placed bottles of iced tea in front of each napkin. Two Rhenites distributed chopsticks, and then Rhena unzipped a pink cooler and put down a bowl of green edamame and three trays of sushi. Yellowtail, California rolls, and delicious pink salmon nigiri.
Mmmmm. It wouldn’t hurt if I stayed for just a few minutes.
My nose twitched. And suddenly I snapped up two pieces of yellowtail straight off the rice strips. I sucked them down with a big sluuuuurrrrrp and grabbed for more.
Everybody stopped what they were doing.
“Uhhh.” I licked my lips and peeled my gaze off the next piece of fish clutched in my fingers. “This is really good?” I said, mortification echoing in my high-pitched voice.
“We have soy sauce,” Rhena said. “And chopsticks.”
My face burned. I placed the fish back on its rice strip and slinked down onto the bench seat. My speedy exit plan was kaput. I fiddled with a set of chopsticks and nibbled on some rice. The group chatted and I slumped back and listened as they bashed on people. “Did you see what so-and-so wore today?” and “Blah blah blah is a loser.” Shelby looked at me, and I forced out a laugh to fit in. It made me feel grimy. Ashamed. My “meek to chic” goal at this new school was turning into “meek to creep.”
Then Shelby brought up Friday’s flashmob. “You’re going to need to figure out how to ditch Ally.”
“Yes,” Rhena said. “Or you could sabotage it completely.”
My spine stiffened. “Why would I do that?”
She looked at me like I’d spelled “cat” wrong. “Don’t you get it? Why should you help Ally win? She’s using you to get votes, and she’s talking behind your back, so instead of being a victim, you could pull off a great blindside by not having a flashmob. Then you’d have the last laugh.”
“Yeah. Du-uh,” Shelby said.
“You’re new and just building your reputation, like it or not.” Rhena crossed her arms. “If you want to be attached to Ally’s group, then you should run alon
g and find her now. I hear she’s in the science lab.” Rhena smiled at her crew. “Or you could sabotage the flashmob like I suggested.”
Unbelievable.
“Good. That settles it, then,” Rhena said, as if my speechlessness was a silent agreement. She popped edamame into her mouth. “See, girls? Megan’s with us.”
First a cat took my voice. And now I was letting Rhena put words in my mouth.
“No,” I said, my voice barely audible. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
Nobody was listening. I had been quiet too long and the conversation had moved on.
I shifted and Mom’s guitar pick poked my leg from inside my pocket like even it wanted me to speak up. I needed to get away from this group. And Piper needed to stay away from Rhena, too. Sure, Rhena might be kind to animals, but she clearly wasn’t decent with humans.
Piper had been fooled, because Rhena was a good faker. I would be fooled, too, if I’d seen Rhena only like she was last night. But if Piper could hear Rhena now, she’d understand why I wanted her to stay away. I fiddled with my phone. The gossip blabbered on, and I pressed record on my video app, casually holding the phone at an angle. I’d show this to Piper later.
It was as if Rhena was cued to be her perfectly horrible self. With a big, malicious smile in place, she bragged to the group about how she’d lied to Mr. Provost and told him Ally cheated off her.
“What?” I said, startling even myself.
“Of course I made up that little tale, Megan. Cheaters never win Spirit Captain.”
Speak up! screamed inside my head. But HSMS screamed, too, and it said, Do not get into confrontations! I squirmed. I avoided. I diverted. “Umm, how’d everybody do on Kersey’s test, ’cause I . . .”
I let my words trail off. Nobody was even paying attention to me. Rhena had moved on to the next bashing topic. I pushed the stop button on my phone. How could I let Piper listen to this now? Sure, I had proof that Rhena was the mean girl I’d said she was, but it also showed that I was a horrible friend, since I didn’t speak up for Ally when I knew she’d been set up in a lie.
Somehow, I muddled through the rest of lunch. When my phone vibrated with a text from Hannah asking if we were okay, I ignored it.
As soon as the bell rang, I went to find Ally by the science classrooms.
The rims of her eyes were puffy and red. “Mr. Provost says he’s fine with my test,” Ally said. “But I know he has doubts.”
“But you knew the answers, right?”
“Well, I guessed on a few of the multiple-choice questions and got them right, so that looks suspicious.”
“Were there essay questions and fill-in-the-blanks?”
She nodded.
“You nailed those, right?”
“Yeah. Mostly.”
“What’s he going to do?”
“Oh, he gave me a speech about Saguaro Prep’s code of conduct and integrity expectations. Basically, he said he was accepting my test, but I know I’ll be under suspicion forever. And who’s going to vote for me for Spirit Captain if people think I’m a cheater?” Her voice rose. “Do you see everything Rhena accomplished with her lie? Mr. Provost now questions my integrity, if the rumor gets out I could lose the election, and if my abuela hears about it, she’ll freak.”
I wanted to tell Ally what I’d heard, but getting in the middle of stuff between Ally and Rhena was what started all my messes in the first place. Plus, I’d have to admit to eating lunch with Rhena. Would Ally be mad at me for that? The warning bell rang, alerting us that we had one minute left to get to class. I’d never been so happy to hear a school bell before.
“Shoot. I better run.” I hugged my books to my chest and raced down the hall. When I rounded the corner, I bumped smack into Mr. Provost.
“Oh, I . . . I . . .” I could tell him. It was like destiny.
“Megan, is it?” Mr. Provost said. “Are you okay?”
“I . . .” Tell him!
“Can I help you with directions?”
Avoid confrontations, I told myself. He wouldn’t believe me. It’d be my word against Rhena’s, unless I showed him the recording. But if I did that, then instead of being thought of as a dorkjob at this school, I’d get a new reputation: the snitch. Saguaro Prep’s tattletale.
I hugged my books to my chest and raced down the hall before the hiss itching inside my throat escaped from my mouth.
CHAPTER
35
“Hi.” Jackson walked up to the lockers and leaned against the one next to mine. “Ready?”
“Yep.” I coughed, swallowing down a hairball-sized gulp.
I ignored another text from Hannah and stuffed my phone into my pocket, and we headed out. The hallway shook with the end-of-day noises—chatter, slamming lockers, shuffling feet.
Now that the date was officially here, what would we talk about? I rubbed Mom’s guitar pick, wishing she had given me some boy advice before she died. Jackson must’ve felt awkward, too, because we both studied our shoes as if there’d be a quiz on them later.
We left the school grounds, passing the same adobe houses and sweet-smelling honeysuckle bushes I’d passed the other day. When we rounded the corner where I’d seen the cats, I couldn’t help but check left and right. I hadn’t used the perfume again, but still.
“So,” we finally said at once. Then we laughed and got quiet.
We rounded the end of the sidewalk and I tried again. “How was—” while he said, “Did you—” Again we laughed, and this time I said, “You first.”
“Want to play a game called Rapid Fire?” he asked.
“Okay. How do you play?”
“It’s kind of like Truth or Dare, but there are no dares, it’s all truth. I shoot off a question and then you give the first answer that comes to your head. No explanations required. After you answer, you get to fire a question my way. We rapid-fire questions back and forth as quickly as possible. That’s it.”
“All right.” I took a breath. Just don’t ask anything embarrassing.
“All-time favorite song?” he asked.
“‘Handlebars.’”
“Nice.” Jackson nodded.
“Favorite video game?” I asked.
“Guitar Hero,” he answered. “Favorite thing about Colorado?”
“Snow. Favorite thing to do in Arizona?” The butterflies in my stomach calmed.
“Water-ski on Saguaro Lake.”
The game was genius! It kept us talking the entire walk. Just fun stuff and nothing uncomfortable like “Who do you think will win Spirit Captain” or “What are you going to do for the flashmob” or “How do you feel about knowing that Ally’s been accused of cheating and you’re doing nothing to fix the situation?”
Ten minutes later, we arrived at the corner of Scottsdale Road and Greenway and made our way to the Starbucks. Overhead misters pumped out fogs of moisture. Large pots of yellow and white flowers decorated patio tables covered by huge green umbrellas.
The sun had turned my back sticky, and drips of sweat trickled down my neck.
“Do you mind if we grab an inside seat?”
“Sounds great.”
Jackson opened the glass door for me, and along with the air-conditioning, the word “date” fluttered over me. We entered and plopped our backpacks next to a couple of brown leather chairs facing the patio with wall-length windows. Then we stepped in the back of the line to order our icy drinks.
The rich scent of coffee and baked goods filled the air. As I cooled off, my jitters returned. Will we order together? If so, how does paying work?
When it was our turn, I jumped ahead of Jackson and faced the girl in the green apron, whose name tag said Natty. “One tall iced soy caramel macchiato, please. That’s all.” I rattled off the order quickly, took a crumpled five from my pocket, and slid it across the counter. Then I prayed she’d received my telepathic message, which went, Hello. Natty. Please maintain eye focus with me. Do not, I repeat, do not look at that cute boy beh
ind me and ask embarrassing questions like “Will this be together?”
Thankfully, Natty clicked her cash register and called out the order to the barista.
Without a backward glance, I took my change and stepped aside to wait at the next counter for my drink. The barista blended my concoction while Jackson ordered. I stole sideways glances and wished I could read his mind.
“Soy caramel macchiato for Megan,” the barista announced. “Caramel macchiato for Jackson.” I liked the way she slid Jackson’s drink right next to mine, his topped with white whipped cream and crisscrossing caramel. Jackson picked up both cups and handed one to me.
“Thanks,” I said.
We grabbed straws and sat on the soft leather cushions of chairs angled toward the windows. Jackson ripped the paper from the top of his straw and blew the remaining paper at me, something Piper or Mom would have done. I tore the top paper from my straw and blew back, knocking him straight between the eyes.
“Great shot, commando.” Jackson laughed.
“A move right out of Call of Duty,” I said.
“Ahh, you have good video game taste, too. Nice.”
His dimple. Those freckles. Even his eyelashes were perfect. I held his gaze for another moment and then glanced out the window before it got awkward again.
A set of sparkly, Hubba Bubba pink shoes caught my eye in the movement of people outside.
“Hey, I think that’s my . . .” I leaned toward the window, a small smile on my face.
“Yeah, that is my . . .”
Then a girl stood up from underneath one of the green umbrellas—Rhena.
A clammy feeling flashed over my skin. “They can’t be meeting up.”
“What?” Jackson asked.
“Hold on. I’m not sure.” People hurried down the sidewalk, going left and right under the hazy mist, blocking my view.
Who else would own a pair of custom Chucks just like that?
Rhena headed toward the girl.
