“You can share my room with me,” Donna said, going over to Michaela and taking her hand. She stared at Jamie with a look Jamie had never seen before. It was a mixture of surprise, disappointment, and disgust.
“Jamie’s just being a jerk,” Donna told Michaela. “I used to think she was nice, but she isn’t. She’s mean.”
“That’s enough, Donna,” Chuck Bonner said to his daughter. “Come on, everyone. Let’s go back downstairs. I don’t want this to ruin our evening—any more than it has already. Jamie’s got some growing up to do, and she’s got to do it by herself.”
They all left the room. Tracy was the last to go. As she softly closed the door, she gave Jamie a look of sympathy mixed with genuine sadness. “I’m so sorry you feel this way,” she said in a voice that was almost a whisper. “I hope you’ll change your mind in time.”
The door closed with a soft click. Jamie buried her head in her pillow and sobbed, crying out for her mother, who would never come back again.
10
When Jamie awoke the next morning, she was alone in her room. That much, at least, she’d achieved. Of course, it had come at great expense. But at least Michaela was out of Jamie’s space. She’d spent the night on the living room sofa. Tonight her bed would be moved into Donna’s room.
Jamie wasn’t exactly proud of the way she’d acted, and when she thought of the money, time, and energy it would take to replace Michaela’s stupid posters, she felt like kicking herself.
She dragged herself out of bed and left for school without sitting down for breakfast. She didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. Not that they tried talking to her. In fact, they barely looked at her. Mutual silent treatment was the best anyone could manage right now.
Jamie thought that at this point, everything that could have gone wrong already had. But she soon found out she was mistaken.
When she got to school, Laurie was standing at the front gate, the center of a tight knot of very upset looking Sharks.
Her wrist was in a cast!
“Oh, no!” Jamie groaned. “Laurie, it’s broken?”
Laurie shook her head but didn’t smile. “Just a sprain. But I can’t play for at least two weeks.”
Jamie gasped as the other girls looked on in mute despair. “But that’s the whole rest of the regular season!”
“I know,” Laurie said. “But look at the bright side. It could have been worse—a break or something. As it is, I think I’ll be okay for the play-offs.”
“The play-offs?” Jamie repeated in disbelief. “How are we supposed to make the play-offs without you?”
“You’ve got to!” Laurie cried, looking around at all of them. “You’ve just got to!”
“Look, these things happen,” Coach McKean said at practice that afternoon, her face a mask of concern. “We’ll just have to find a way to win without Laurie. Because I’ll tell you one thing. If we don’t win our next two games—including the one against West Side—I don’t think we’ll make the play-offs. West Side is not going to lie down and die so that we can win the division. We’re all going to have to step up now, understand?”
“Yeah!” everyone shouted, responding to the urgent tone in their coach’s voice.
“All right, now let’s get up and scrimmage.”
The Sharks divided into two teams of six each, with Coach McKean filling in for Laurie. Jamie was on the opposite team. She and Laurie had always done that, the two best players splitting up to make it fair.
Jamie could see that Coach McKean was holding back from the action, trying to see which of the Shark substitutes would be able to replace Laurie in the starting lineup.
Though all the girls were capable players, not one of the substitutes showed the energy or ability Laurie had. It wasn’t their fault—for some of them, it was their first year on the team.
After practice, Coach McKean gathered them all together by the bleachers. She looked them all over. “Okay. Good practice. I can see we’re not just going to fold up down the stretch. But I can’t help wishing we had a full roster to go into these last two games.”
The girls all exchanged glances. What was Coach getting at? Jamie wondered.
“I don’t want to do anything that would upset our team chemistry,” the coach continued. “East Side Middle’s not that big a school, and everyone who wanted to be on the team came down to tryouts in September.
“At that time, I took everyone I thought could help us be a winning team. But I don’t know, maybe I missed someone. Does any of you know of anyone who might be able to help? Maybe someone who didn’t try out but who wants to now, and is a good athlete?”
Michaela’s voice popped into Jamie’s head. “… since you’re on the team, I thought it would be cool if I tried out.”
Jamie ignored the voice. She kept her mouth shut and looked from girl to girl to see if anyone else could think of someone. No one did. Jamie breathed a sigh of relief.
At that very moment, as if on cue, as if she’d been listening at the door the whole time, just waiting to make her big entrance, Michaela burst into the gym. “Hi!” she called out, then stopped when she saw the team sitting in the bleachers. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No, not at all,” Coach McKean assured her. “We’re done. What can I do for you…?”
“Michaela. Michaela Gordon. I’m Jamie Bonner’s new stepsister.”
“Oh, yes, I heard your name mentioned in the teacher’s lounge,” the coach said, shaking Michaela’s hand and giving her a warm smile. “Mr. Marra says you’re a math whiz. Anyway, welcome to East Side Middle.” She gave Michaela an up-and-down look, and Jamie knew she was taking in her height and apparent grace in one glance. The coach cracked a smile. “Want to try out for the volleyball team, by any chance?”
Michaela blinked and smiled back. “Actually, it’s funny you should ask,” she said. “Because that’s exactly why I came down here.”
“Really? Wow, that’s a coincidence.”
“Not totally. I heard from Jeff Gates that Laurie couldn’t play, so I thought you might have an opening.” She turned to Jamie and gave her a satisfied smile.
Jamie gritted her teeth and shot back a sickly smile of her own.
“Well, can we give you a quick tryout?” the coach asked.
“Totally!” Michaela dropped her book bag and took off her windbreaker. Sure enough, she was wearing a T-shirt, gym shorts, and sneakers. “What do I do first? I have to warn you, I don’t know much about volleyball.”
“We’ll take it easy on you at first,” the coach promised. “All right, teams, form up again. Kim, place Michaela and make sure she knows what she’s supposed to do.”
Jamie stood there steaming while Kim led Michaela to the front line and explained what a hitter was supposed to do. Jamie placed herself directly opposite Michaela, so that they were facing each other across the net.
“Nice move,” Jamie said under her breath so that only Michaela could hear her.
“What?” Michaela said, pretending she didn’t understand.
Yeah, right, Jamie thought. Little Miss Innocent. Like you have no idea what you’re doing.
The new scrimmage started. On the very first point, the ball came to Michaela. She jumped up, impossibly high, and spiked it so hard that no one came close to saving the point.
“Whoa! Did you see that?” Megan Hicks asked Jamie.
“Your new stepsister’s awesome!” Keisha Morgan marveled.
“Maybe she just got lucky,” Jamie said lamely.
Pretty soon, though, it was clear that luck had nothing to do with it. Michaela was a natural athlete; she was tall and had long arms, quick reactions, and a real feel for the game. Her serves weren’t great, but her form was good, and anyone could see that she’d gain control of the serve, too, in time.
“You sure you haven’t played much?” Coach McKean asked her, stepping out onto the court when the tryout was over.
“Well, I did play on a team last summer,”
Michaela admitted. “It wasn’t anything organized, though, just a bunch of girls and boys getting together to play.”
“Yeah, you looked really comfortable out there,” the coach said, smiling. “Particularly as a hitter. I’ve never seen the ball spiked so hard.”
“So,” Michaela said, “do I make the team?”
“Sharks,” the coach said, turning to the team, “I think we may have just found ourselves a new set of jaws.”
Amid the cheers that filled the gymnasium as everyone mobbed Michaela, Jamie stood alone, rigid as a statue.
It was her worst nightmare come true!
11
That evening, Jamie lay in bed, staring out the open window at the rising full moon. The late October wind was blowing, and the papery leaves were swirling around. She could see them in the light of the street lamp, whirling in chaos. Just like my life, she thought.
In just a week, her whole world had been snatched from her grasp. Strangers lived in her house, her dad and little sister hated her, the guy she liked had a crush on her new stepsister, who, by the way, was suddenly the most popular girl at East Side Middle. And now Michaela was going to be a star player on the Sharks!
It’s the final straw, Jamie thought. There was no way she and Michaela could ever be friends. Yet Jamie was going to have to live with her no matter how she felt! The grim future passed before her eyes—years and years of her and Michaela avoiding each other’s gaze, not saying a word, pretending the other didn’t exist….
Donna would never forgive her, either. Not that I even care. That little brat, Jamie thought, blinking back tears.
The way her dad looked at her was the worst thing of all. Jamie knew she had ruined his chance at happiness forever.
She could feel everyone’s gaze on her everywhere she went around the house. Even at school, she had gotten an occasional funny look from someone and wondered if that person had been talking to Michaela about her.
Jamie wished she could simply crawl away and disappear, but she just couldn’t help the way she felt. The worst part was, even when no one was around, she couldn’t escape her own judgment. To herself, she seemed small and petty, mean-spirited and jealous. She hated seeing herself that way, hated not being able to stop herself.
She looked at her alarm clock, the numbers glowing green in the dark room. It was only 9:45.
Jamie flicked on the bedside lamp. She looked up at her posters, back on the walls where they belonged. Yes, she’d won that battle, at least. Although it didn’t make her feel any better, the bedroom was hers again. Hers alone. Dad and Tracy had moved Michaela’s bed across the hall earlier in the evening.
Jamie got up to go to the bathroom. She could hear them all as she walked down the hall. They were downstairs in the living room, playing a board game, being a happy family. The tears welled again in Jamie’s eyes.
Things just cannot go on like this, she thought. Something’s got to change, or I’m just going to explode.
She locked the bathroom door and examined her face in the mirror. It was still the same Jamie—brown eyes, shoulder-length dark hair, long lashes… but something had changed. Something was subtly different about her features. Maybe it was that she hadn’t smiled in so long. Or maybe she was just growing up. Almost fourteen…
The thought hit suddenly. Next week! Her birthday was next week and she’d totally forgotten!
Oh, well, there sure wasn’t going to be any birthday party. No big celebration for Jamie. Who would come?
Donna probably wouldn’t even bother to give Jamie birthday smacks like she usually did. You don’t give birthday smacks to someone you despise.
Jamie washed her face and hands and went back to her bedroom. She didn’t want a party, she decided. Better to let the day pass unnoticed. That was the way it was going to be anyway, so why wish for anything else? She’d be lucky if anyone even said “Happy birthday.”
Lying in bed again, she thought of Laurie—her one true friend, the only person who still liked her for who she was. Suddenly, she had a tremendous urge to go see her.
But it was already after ten o’clock. Tomorrow morning, first thing, she’d catch up with Laurie and pour her heart out. Maybe Laurie could make some sense out of all that had happened. If she couldn’t, Jamie thought, then nobody could.
Laurie was out front of the school the next morning, getting her cast signed by a bunch of her friends. They were all laughing, kidding around. Not a care in the world, Jamie thought, sizing them up.
When she saw Jamie approaching, Laurie said something to the others, then separated herself from the group and came over to her. “Hey,” she said. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much. My life is over, that’s all,” Jamie said. “It’s one humongous disaster, and I can’t do a thing about it.”
“Hmm,” Laurie said. “Sounds like we need some time to talk. And the bell’s about to ring. Can it wait till lunch?”
“Why not?” Jamie said with a shrug. “At this point what’s the difference?”
“Oh, boy,” Laurie said. “Michaela?”
“Michaela,” Jamie said.
Just then, the bell rang and everyone headed for class. Jamie and Laurie joined the throng, Laurie leaving with a wave to go upstairs to science.
Jamie somehow managed to get through the morning, though she doubted she’d remember a thing that was taught when the time came for tests.
At lunchtime, she and Laurie got sandwiches instead of hot lunch. They went through the doors to the large outdoor courtyard behind the cafeteria. It was mostly cement, with some trees and grass here and there and a few cement benches. Laurie and Jamie found an empty seat and sat down.
“Okay, I’m listening,” Laurie said.
“Oh, Laurie,” Jamie groaned. “You’re the only one I can talk to. Everyone else hates my guts!”
“Come on, now, I’m sure that’s not true,” Laurie began.
But Jamie cut her off. “Take my word for it, okay? I acted like a jerk, but trust me, I couldn’t help it. Everybody loves Michaela—she’s gorgeous, smart, nice, a good athlete. I’m sure she’s telling all her hundreds of friends what a rotten person I am.”
“Are you?” Laurie asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I said,” Laurie said. “Do you think you’re a rotten person?”
“I told you, I acted like a jerk. I told Michaela in front of Dad, Donna, and Tracy that I wished she’d never come here. How’s that for starters?”
“Whoa. Kind of ‘out there,’ I’d say,” Laurie had to admit.
“You see? And I ripped her posters off my walls.”
Laurie cleared her throat. “I have to tell you, I already heard about that one.”
“From who?” Jamie blinked. “Samantha?”
“Jeff, actually,” Laurie told her. “But Sam knew, too. You can’t really expect Donna and Michaela not to talk about things like that.”
“I guess not,” Jamie said, sighing sadly. “So my reputation is ruined, right?”
“No, of course not,” Laurie assured her. “It’s never too late to turn things around.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Jamie…” Laurie gave her a stern look.
“It isn’t?”
“Of course, you’ll have to give it some time,” Laurie added. “People’s feelings don’t heal just like that.”
“But you don’t understand,” Jamie protested. “I really don’t want her here! She moved right in on everything—even the volleyball team! She’s a total manipulator! Doesn’t anybody understand why I would hate her?”
“I do,” Laurie said. “I understand, Jamie. But you’ve got to deal with it. I can see why you might feel she’s been a little manipulative, but look at it from her point of view. If she just hangs back and doesn’t push herself forward a little, she’d never get to know anybody. I admit she’s not exactly shy—”
“Ha! You can say that again!”
“But you’ve got t
o give her a chance,” Laurie finished. “Underneath that pushy exterior, she’s a really nice girl. I’ve had a chance to get to know her myself—she’s been over to see Jeff once or twice—and I like her.”
“Oh. I see.” Jamie felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. “You too.”
“It’s nothing against you, Jamie!” Laurie said, putting a hand on hers. “It’s just that you can’t see the real Michaela because you’re too upset. But unless you can let go of your attitude, and soon, you’re going to do yourself and your family lasting damage.”
Jamie swallowed hard. She stared at her tuna sandwich, not the least bit hungry. Even her best friend liked Michaela better than her!
“Look, Jamie, you’ve just got to give Michaela a chance. I know it must be hard for you, but it’s—”
“Hard for her, too?” Jamie finished for her. “I know, I know. That’s what everybody says.”
“They’re right, Jamie,” Laurie said, gazing into her eyes with a pleading look. “Trust me; Michaela’s really okay—you’d like her if she weren’t your stepsister—and the sooner you realize it, the better.”
They heard the bell ringing for fifth period. Jamie stood up and tossed her half-eaten sandwich into the trash barrel. “Oh, well, I’ll try,” she promised. “Thanks anyway, Laurie. See you later.”
“Jamie?” Laurie called after her. But Jamie didn’t turn around. She headed for her next class, surrounded by a crowd of other students, feeling more alone than she’d ever felt in her life.
12
The next twenty-four hours passed without incident. No one in Jamie’s family tried to reason with her. Michaela pretty much stayed out of her way, except to say “Please pass the salt” at dinner and stuff like that.
Of course, just because she and Michaela didn’t fight didn’t mean Jamie had a pleasant evening. Tomorrow was Mr. Marra’s big math test, and Jamie hadn’t paid any attention in class all week. Now she had to make up for lost time. Of course, Michaela, the math brain, didn’t study at all. Instead, she spent some time helping Donna do her homework.
Spike It! Page 5
