Aries Rising

by Bonnie Hearn Hill

  He nodded. “Right.”

  “Well, you’re this week’s winner,” I said.

  “That’s impossible. I didn’t even enter.”

  “I guess someone must have entered for you.”

  “That’s it,” he said. “I’ve had enough craziness for one night. Here comes your ride.”

  I turned my head to see the Spyder heading toward us. As they got closer, I could make out Paige’s and Chili’s shocked expressions. In the backseat, Calypso still wore my hat, the auburn wig draped in front of what would have been her face.

  “What the . . . ?” Frankenstein squinted and stared at the car.

  “See you Monday,” I said, and ran toward them before he could ask any more questions.

  NOTES TO SELF

  I think Frankenstein likes me a little. He’ll have to tell Dr. West, the vice principal, what happened. Hope I don’t get called in. Chili and Paige were speechless when I told them I’d almost caught the Gears. Well, make that momentarily speechless. After the initial shock, they bombarded me with questions about what the Gears were doing and how many of them were there. I didn’t have any answers. The darkness provided by the new moon had hidden the Gears too. But I was right about the date, and I’ll be right about the twenty-fifth too.

  24

  THE TAURUS/AQUARIUS FRIENDSHIP IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. FIXED EARTH AND FIXED AIR WON’T WIN ANY AWARDS FOR FLEXIBILITY, BUT BOTH ARE USUALLY SLOW TO ANGER. EVEN WHEN THESE TWO DISAGREE, THERE IS LITTLE BLOODSHED AND FEW SCARS—EXTERNALLY, AT LEAST.

  —Fearless Astrology

  Taurus/Aquarius. That was Frankenstein and me. “Not impossible” was not exactly what I was hoping for, but at least we could communicate. I was starting to see that more and more. It was probably not a good idea to say what I did to him the other night about Snider.

  The fellowship finalists were supposed to be announced this week. That meant Frankenstein had to know today. I was determined to get to his room early. Dina and Kat were coming toward me, wearing their usual smirks. Kat looked through me, and Dina broke into a smile.

  “Hiiii, Logan,” she sang out.

  I nodded and hurried down the hall.

  When I got to Frankenstein’s room, I was surprised to see Geneva just leaving.

  “Hey, Logan. Congratulations,” she said. “Um, I hear you almost caught the Gears.”

  “Where’d you hear that?” I couldn’t miss the way she emphasized almost.

  “Everyone’s talking about it. Good for you and, hey, I want to win one of those charts of yours.”

  “It’s a weekly drawing,” I said.

  “So draw my name.” She pushed a chunk of hair behind one ear, and I couldn’t help thinking that she looked like a self-satisfied Siamese cat. “You know, I’m really glad I decided to go with your column. We could take best school newspaper for the third year in a row.”

  We meaning she.

  “Right.”

  On that happy note, she said, “See you,” and took off down the hall. Finally, I might have a minute to ask Frankenstein to tell me if they’d selected the fellowship finalists.

  He was standing by the door, watching us. His short-sleeved polo shirt was as boldly yellow as his Corvette. Not his best color, but I guess he hadn’t figured that out yet.

  I ran up to him and blurted, “Do you have a moment to talk?” “Of course.” A smile lit his broad face. “You want to hear about my so-called sign, right? I decided to be a good sport.”

  Taurus a good sport? Yes, the Bull did like peace, as long as it was on his terms. But what was he talking about? Was he going to tell me the finalists or not?

  “Meaning?” I asked.

  His eyes sparkled, and I realized just then that he wasn’t wearing his glasses. “Meaning that if you stick around after class, I’ll give you the information so that you can do my chart. The year, time, place—everything.”

  “Well, great,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “I also want to talk to you about something else,” he said. The fellowship. That’s all it could be.

  Chili walked in just then and flashed him a fake-friendly smile. She’d been that way, even laughing at his lame jokes in class, ever since she decided that “we” liked him now.

  I took my place beside her.

  “Everyone knows you almost caught the Gears,” she whispered.

  There was that word again.

  “Everyone including Geneva,” I said.

  “No. You’re a hero, Logan. I can’t tell you how many kids have asked me how they can get you to do their charts. Snider says the list for the drawing is huge.”

  “I already drew this week’s winner, if you know what I mean,” I whispered. “And he happens to be standing in front of us.”

  “Chiliderian? McRae?” Frankenstein shouted. “Are you ladies ready to begin?”

  Whispers buzzed around the room. Talking about me, I knew. Chili giggled. I met Frankenstein’s eyes and nodded. I’d have to stay after in order to learn if he’d picked the three finalists yet. How was I going to wait that long?

  Maybe it was my imagination, but he didn’t seem as mean in class as he used to. Not once did he attack Charles Bellamy, who’d changed seats and now sat one empty desk away from me.

  After class, several kids came up to me, asking questions about their signs. All I wanted was time alone with Frankenstein. I told people we could talk later. They seemed all right with that, as if I was some kind of star.

  “McRae!”

  Frankenstein’s demanding coach voice was more effective than the bell, and just as jarring. Kids tripped over one another getting away from me and scrambling out the door. Poor Charles was nearly trampled.

  Once they left, Frankenstein got up, sat on the edge of his desk, and handed me an index card, where he had printed the information about his date and place of birth. One down. Hunter and one more lucky winner to go.

  “Thanks,” I said, and waited for the rest. “Is there anything else?” Please tell me, I begged. I already knew what it was, and could tell from his expression that I was in trouble.

  He nodded. “The real reason I asked you to stay after class is that I wanted to let you know that, according to schedule, we’re down to three finalists for the Monterey fellowship.”

  My knees buckled. “Oh,” I managed to say.

  He tapped the folder on his desk. “You’re one of them.”

  I wanted to cry, wanted to hug him.

  “Thank you for telling me.” My voice was a dry squawk.

  “All three finalists will be announced later today,” he said. “One of them is Charles Bellamy. He has natural talent and a good story, but only if he’s able to tell it.”

  Charles? My competition? Before I could decide how I felt about that, I blurted out the truth.

  “He sure does. It’s a great story.”

  Frankenstein drew back. “You know about Bellamy?”

  “His dad being Charlie Bell, you mean? Yeah, Charles told me.”

  “I wouldn’t have guessed that.” He seemed to approve, though.

  Maybe Charles would get extra points for telling me who his dad was. Maybe that was part of the digging deep Frankenstein was constantly telling me I needed to do.

  Just then, the door opened, and Dr. West, the vice principal, came inside the classroom. He looked shorter, balder, and meaner than ever.

  “Can we step outside?” he asked Frankenstein. From the look he gave me, I knew it was about what had happened Friday night.

  Not now. Not when I finally had a moment to talk to my teacher alone. Please let Frankenstein tell him no, that he couldn’t leave before we finished our conversation.

  “Be right back,” Frankenstein told me.

  So, there we were, just the folder on his desk and me. All I had to do was reach out and flip it open. My hand was trembling.

  Just as I reached out, the door opened, and Frankenstein returned.

  “Sorry,” he said, then looked at the folder and
back to me. “McRae, you wouldn’t.”

  “I didn’t,” I said. “Honest.”

  “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt.” He slid back into his chair. “Now, where was I?”

  “Charles,” I told him. “And one other finalist.”

  He cleared his throat and said, “Geneva Hamilton.”

  My head felt light. It was all I could do to keep from bursting into tears.

  “But she’s a senior.”

  He nodded, and I realized that his eyes were much kinder without his glasses.

  “But she’s two months shy of eighteen. That’s the cutoff age. Besides, she’s going to major in journalism.”

  Great. So Geneva not only wanted Nathan—she also wanted my dream.

  “What happens next?” I was surprised how calm and even my voice sounded, although I was screaming inside.

  “You have until the end of May to submit your writing sample. Your last essay was a good start, but it has to be better. Each of us on the committee will have equal input.”

  “Who are the committee members?” I asked.

  “I guess there’s no reason to keep it secret,” he said. “Dr. West, Mr. Macias, Ms. Snider, and me.”

  So these were the ones who’d be evaluating my writing skills for the people at Monterey. How would they rate me? I knew Mr. Macias liked me. He’d given me an A in Spanish last year. Dr. West seemed indifferent to all of us. Snider was clearly impressed by Geneva. And Frankenstein?

  Taurus, I reminded myself. Fixed but fair.

  “So what will it take to win?” I asked.

  “Voice.” He lowered his own, even though we were the only people in the room.

  “What do you mean?”

  He stood up and started pacing. I wondered if it was because he was no longer comfortable looking into my eyes.

  “It’s who you are, McRae. You can’t invent your voice. It’s all you have as a writer. And you already have it, a sum of all your experiences writing, reading, winning, and losing.” He stretched as if trying to remove a heavy weight from his shoulders. “You do understand that the person who represents this school for the Monterey fellowship must have a strong voice and must dig deeply into his or her emotions?”

  The way an award-winning school newspaper editor, who just happened to be exude confidence and poise, could do.

  I managed to nod and say, “Yes, I understand.”

  And I left the room wanting to throw up.

  NOTES TO SELF

  I’m pretty sure how the Monterey thing is going to be resolved, and it makes me want to bawl my eyes out. I might if I weren’t wearing that new Redhead Perfection mascara Chili bought for me. Auburn trails down my cheeks won’t win me any points from Frankenstein (or Nathan). Geneva, the lying Libra, can probably “dig deep.” All right, make that deeply. Bottom line, why can’t I? I don’t know. But I will figure it out. First I am going to study her chart top to bottom. Maybe it’s not as perfect as she is top to bottom. And maybe, as my gram always says, pigs can fly.

  25

  STUDYING THE CHART OF A LIBRA MAY LEAD YOU TO BE AS INCONCLUSIVE AS THE SIGN ITSELF. HOW, YOU MAY ASK, CAN THIS BEAUTY-LOVING, CHARMING, RULED-BY-VENUS PERSON BE ANYTHING BUT WONDERFUL, RIGHT? WRONG. LIBRA’S ENVIOUS, COMPETITIVE SIDE HAS -LITTLE IN COMMON WITH THAT EVER LOVELY, PLACID SURFACE. IF YOU ARE COMPETING WITH A LIBRA FOR ANYTHING FROM A JOB TO A PARKING SPACE, DON’T GIVE UP. TRUE, THIS SIGN’S ENVIOUS NATURE COULD MEAN A FIGHT TO THE FINISH. BUT IT COULD ALSO BE THAT THE OFTEN FICKLE LIBRA WILL FOCUS ALL OF THAT POWER SOMEWHERE ELSE. FOR NOW.

  —Fearless Astrology

  I felt so low the next day that not even the not-so-glowing description of Libra could improve my mood. It must be the sign of every beautiful, successful person on earth. Libra was cardinal air. Cardinal, meaning one of the take-charge signs. Air, meaning the initiator of relationships. Meaning that Geneva would lead the way to any battle she wanted to win.

  But why did she want the fellowship? Was it before or after she’d decided she wanted Nathan? This was her senior year. Why spend her last summer in Monterey? Maybe she was just going for the fellowship to prove she could get it. Ironic that once I was starting to win Frankenstein over, Geneva, who hadn’t bothered to try winning over anybody, would probably win.

  “I thought you were going to study Geneva’s chart,” Chili said.

  We were at Java & Jazz, hoping, for the sake of Paige and her flax-colored shaggy knit top, that Hunter was working. So far, we hadn’t spotted him.

  “Already did,” I said. “She has Libra in three places, and some critical Virgo too. I might as well give up.”

  “Logan.” Paige grabbed my wrist across the table so hard that her oversize ring cut into my hand. “You can’t let that little vixen win. Did you find out anything new about her?”

  “Other than she’s aggressive, judgmental, and gets her way?” I asked. “Not really. Except that Libra has a hard time committing, of course. It’s A today, B tomorrow, and XYZ by the weekend.”

  “Then maybe she won’t make time to write a decent essay,” Paige said.

  “Let’s hope so.”

  “And you have something she doesn’t,” Chili added. “You have astrology.”

  I felt like crying. I might not have the life I would have picked, but I was beyond lucky in the friends department.

  “Do you realize,” I said, “how rare it is for three girls as different as we are to be this close?”

  “We trust one another,” Chili said. “We know one another’s secrets. How many girls at our school can you say that about?”

  None, I thought. Put Geneva and Kat on the top of that non-list.

  “None,” Paige said, as if she could read my mind. “Oh, look.”

  Hunter appeared behind the counter. No more blue hair. He’d shaved it all off. He still had the tats, though. His dark eyes didn’t leave Paige’s face.

  Chili jerked around and nearly spilled another cup of coffee. Good thing Mercury wasn’t in retrograde the way it had been the last time we were here, or she’d be wearing her latte all over that white shirt.

  “I admit it, Paige,” she whispered. “He’s hot.”

  Just then, the door opened, and in walked Trevor and Nathan. My mouth went dry. Had they known we’d be here? They headed over to us, and Nathan dragged a small round table close to ours.

  “Hey,” Trevor said and pulled his chair next to Chili’s.

  “What’s up?” Her tone was so friendly and casual that I almost believed this was something we did every day.

  I looked at Nathan’s eyes. They were glowing. I hoped he could tell I was happy to see him, but not so happy that I seemed desperate.

  “Hey, Nathan.”

  Cute boy. Cute boy. That’s all I could think at that moment. “I got it,” he said, and sat down beside me. “I got the part. You were right, Logan. You’re magic.”

  “You deserved it,” I told him. “I’ve been saying that all along. By the way, I found out I’m one of the Monterey finalists.”

  “Cool. Who are the others?”

  “Charles Bellamy and Geneva Hamilton,” I said in a calm voice.

  “Really?” He looked surprised, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of Charles or Geneva. “Well, congratulations.”

  “Thanks.”

  He glanced down at my coffee cup. “Want a refill?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Let me get something, and let’s walk around the mall, okay?”

  “Sure,” I managed to reply, and he headed for the counter. I looked over at Chili. “We’re going to . . .” I was so flustered that I couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “Great.” She broke into a grin. “Have fun.”

  Once we were outside, we stood in front of the coffee shop. Stores stretched in both directions along the faux cobbled path.

  “So,” Nathan said. “Which way do you want to go?”

  “I don’t care.” How true that was. I was happy to be wi
th him. “I’m glad you got the part.”

  “Me too.” He started walking in the direction of the Cheesecake Factory, the largest building on the mall. “Frankenstein hasn’t seemed as grouchy as usual. Have you had anything to do with that?”

  “I don’t think so. His Sun sign, as you know if you read my column, is Taurus.”

  “There’s not a kid in school who didn’t read your column.” He nudged me with an elbow. “They’re calling you Astro Girl.”

  I tried to ignore the heat flooding my cheeks. “Well, a Taurus is generally fair and not mean-spirited. He did the right thing by giving you the part.”

  “Logan, could I ask you something?” He stopped and looked at me, his expression serious.

  “Sure. What?”

  “Would you do my chart?” He looked down at his coffee as if he were embarrassed. “I’m not asking you to cheat and let me win the drawing or anything. There are some things I need to figure out.”

  “Like what?”

  “Not about you and me. Some family stuff.” He seemed to hesitate. “Will you do it?”

  You and me. As if we were a unit.

  “Sure,” I finally said. “I’ll do it when I get home tonight, if you want.”

  “I knew I could count on you.” He gave me a quick kiss. “I don’t want to take a lot of your time. Write your essay first.”

  “It won’t take that much time,” I said.

  Not with all the research I’d already done in advance.

  NOTES TO SELF

  I wonder why it’s so important to Nathan to have me do his chart. He said it isn’t about us, but that’s the first thing I’m concentrating on, of course. His Venus is in Aquarius. My sign, so that must be good, right? No, turns out that a male with his Venus in Aquarius wants a partner who can keep him guessing, someone quirky enough to keep him wondering. Not even close to me, but then let me see what I can do about that. But first I need to write a brand new essay that will be good enough to submit for my writing sample.

  26