I push past him and into the classroom as the tardy bell rings. Mr. Mayer slaps a pink slip of paper onto my desk as I sit down. “Third tardy this month, Ms. Andersen,” he says. “Looks like I have a date for lunch. Bring something chocolate, because I need to maintain my girlish figure.” He pats his bulging stomach, earning giggles from the other kids in class. Then, he glances toward the door as Dave saunters in. “That makes two for you, Mr. Maestas. In the future, I’d suggest that you finish your canoodling on your own time, or you’ll be joining your girlfriend for lunchtime detention, and there’s nothing romantic about a hot lunch date with your boring, old history teacher.”
“Aww, c’mon, Mr. Mayer,” Nick calls from the back of the room. “You’re not that old.”
Everyone laughs and Mr. Mayer grins. “Okay, now. Let’s settle down and get to work, shall we? I’ll try not to be too boring.”
Dave nods and blushes as he slips into his seat. I can feel his eyes burning into me, but I refuse to look at him. Emily slips a folded piece of paper onto my desk, which I carefully open as soon as Mr. Mayer turns his attention to his lecture notes.
“What happened to you this weekend? I thought you were gonna call me after the play.” I roll my eyes in an “it’s a long story, I’ll tell you about it later” kind of way. She’ll probably hear the whole story by lunchtime anyway.
***
Summer tosses her purse on the back seat and smiles. “Welcome back to the real world, Andi. No more play practices or dance rehearsals. Let’s go celebrate!”
“Any excuse to go shopping, huh?” I laugh and stretch my legs across the back seat.
“Well, now that you mention it, I saw the cutest top at Hot Couture last week. You have to get it. You’ll look adorable.”
Emily sighs and adjusts the volume on the radio. “She always looks adorable. She doesn’t need a bunch of new clothes to prove it.” She turns to look at me. “Besides, aren’t you grounded? I heard your parents were still awake when Dave brought you home Saturday night. They must’ve been pissed.”
I shrug. “I’m sure I will be soon, but they still haven’t actually given me my punishment. I got the standard we-taught-you-better-than-this lecture yesterday, but nothing really happened.”
“Really?” Emily giggles. “You truly are the master manipulator, aren’t you? Nothing ever sticks to you.”
“I’m pretty sure they’re drawing it out on purpose,” I say, “waiting for me to crack. You should have seen me yesterday, tiptoeing around possible landmines, waiting for them to explode. This waiting is worse than any punishment they could come up with.”
Summer frowns. “Are they gonna kill you if you don’t come straight home? I don’t want to make it worse.”
“No. I need to get out. I’m exhausted. Besides, nothing they do to me could possibly be worse than the day I’ve had.”
I wanted to show the world that I’m nothing like my sister, but it completely backfired. People are comparing me to Laina more than ever. And not in a good way.
Dave and Nick were right. That totally wasn’t me on Saturday night, and I don’t even have anything to show for it, unless you count the “When Drunk Girls Attack” video someone posted online.
I totally need some time out with my best friends before I’m stuck in solitary confinement for the rest of my life.
***
The top Summer found last week isn’t nearly as cute as she remembered. We spend the next two hours browsing the racks at every decent store in the mall without finding anything. And I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard girls whispering “Is that Laina’s sister? How are they even related?” or “Alaina must be so embarrassed.”
By the time we stop for smoothies in the food court, I’m beyond ready to be done with this whole day.
“Hey, Andi, what’s up?” Rob appears out of nowhere and grabs my butt. “I’m done with work. Want to go somewhere?”
I smack his hand away. “Nope. I’m hangin’ out with my friends.”
“How about after? I’m free for the rest of the night.” He grins and reaches for me again.
“Go away, Rob. I’m not interested.” I sidestep his grabby hands and turn my attention back to my friends. He had zero interest in me before, but now he suddenly thinks I’m irresistible? Um, yeah, no thanks. He wasn’t even a very good kisser.
I finally convince Summer and Emily to take me home, because I’m too tired to deal with any more judgy classmates and sleazeball guys. Hopefully, someone else will do something stupid soon and the rumor mills will have a new target to focus on.
***
I drop my backpack on my desk and flop onto my bed. A piece of bright yellow paper flutters to the floor.
“Open Auditions for The Music Man: Monday, May 16, 5-8pm.” Across the top of the page, in Mom’s loopy handwriting, “I thought you might be interested in this. You have one week to show me that you’re responsible enough to audition.”
I bet I’d make a phenomenal Marian the Librarian.
Grabbing my notebook with one hand, I open my math text with the other, softly humming “Being in Love” as I begin working through the problems. Marian totally knew what she wanted, and she didn’t sit back, waiting for it to happen. She didn’t let her reputation or the stupid, gossipy people in town define who she was. She held her head high and ignored them all. And that’s precisely what I’m going to do, in real life and on stage.
Maybe I’ll even get Dave to try out for Professor Harold Hill, instead of hiding on the stage crew again. He could totally pull off that whole slick, con-man role.
And I wouldn’t mind letting him fall in love with me.
***
Two days after I rock the Music Man auditions, Shane’s waiting on the front porch when I get home from school, rocking slowly back and forth in the porch swing with a large, brightly wrapped package in his lap.
“Laina’s not home yet,” I say. “She’s still up at the lake with Rachel and Marsa.”
Today was Laina’s eighteenth birthday and Senior Ditch Day, all rolled into one. To celebrate, Miss Perfect decided to toss her perfect attendance record and spend some time with her friends.
Her real friends.
Kendra tried to guilt-trip her out of it. Her dad doesn’t believe in Senior Ditch Day, and he threatened to drop by the school at random times to make sure she didn’t skip with the rest of the seniors. Kendra said she’d never forgive Laina if she had to spend the whole day at school all by herself, but for once, my sister stood her ground. She slept over at Marsa’s house last night with all of her old friends, and this morning, they went fishing up at Crystal Lake.
Laina didn’t even bother to beg for Kendra’s forgiveness. I’ve never been so proud of her in my life.
“Yeah, I know,” Shane says. “I wanted to talk to you before she gets home.”
I sit on the swing beside him, careful to keep a wide space between us. The last time a boy came to me for advice about my sister, it didn’t end well.
“Well?” I ask, when he doesn’t say anything. “What’s up?”
“Laina’s avoiding me again.” He shifts the box in his lap and twirls the ends of the curly ribbon around his fingertips. “I thought we were making progress since she got in that fight with Kendra. She let me eat lunch with her yesterday.” He looks at me and shrugs. “I even managed to talk to her without sounding like a drunken frat boy.”
“So? It doesn’t sound like she’s avoiding you. You did know that today’s Ditch Day, right? You had to notice the senior classes were practically empty.”
He shakes his head and studies the package in his lap. “No, I knew she was going to the lake. Rachel said she’d talk to her for me.” He stares at the fluffy clouds floating by. “But we kind of had plans last night. Adam and I were supposed to come see them at Marsa’s house, but when we showed up, no one was home.”
“Maybe they ran out for snacks. It doesn’t mean she was avoiding you.”
“We waited for over
two hours. They never came back.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you weren’t acting like some psycho stalker boy.” I roll my eyes. “My advice? Don’t mention it when she comes home.”
“But how will I know if she even wants me here?”
“If she doesn’t kick you off the porch, you’re probably good.” I point to the package on his lap. “I assume you’re waiting to wish her a happy birthday?”
“Yeah. I figured nothing else has worked. I might as well try making a fool of myself one last time.” He looks at me and pulls another, smaller, package out of his pocket. “I have a backup gift. A bracelet. In case you tell me this one is stupid.”
“So what’s in the big box?”
He blushes. “Okay, it’s really dumb, but I was thinking about how you said I should do something big. And obviously, my prom plans blew up in my face.” He leans back and stares at the sky. “I put together some things that made me think of her. A bag of Hershey Kisses. The dark chocolate kind, because I know that’s her favorite. A toy car. An I.O.U. for a trip to Disneyland. And a CD with a bunch of songs that make me think of her. Including her song.”
He groans and hides the package under the swing. “It’s stupid, isn’t it? I should just give her the bracelet.”
“No. Jewelry is too much. You’re not even together yet, and the big box is perfect. When she opens it, you can tell her how you feel. But do yourself a favor this time. Just say it. My sister’s not very big on taking hints.”
As if on cue, Laina’s car pulls up in front of the house and she steps out, looking completely exhausted, but happier than I’ve seen her in months.
“I’ll let you guys talk,” I say. “But don’t you dare make her cry.” I wave at Laina and slip into the house before she reaches the porch.
Mom’s on the phone, grinning like crazy and practically dancing around the kitchen, pulling things out of the cupboards. “Oh,” she says into the phone. “Andi just walked in. I’ll fill her in on the details and have her call you back.”
She hangs up and smiles at me. “Jarod wants to surprise Laina with a birthday picnic tonight. I have to go convince your father that it’s okay for her to miss curfew, so I told Jarod you’d help him get everything ready.” She glances out the window, to where Laina and Shane are talking on the porch. “Make sure she’s still here when he comes by to pick her up. And it might be a good idea to get rid of that boy. Oh, and could you finish packing the basket for me? Everything’s on the counter.”
She dances out of the room without waiting for my response.
An old picnic basket, a bottle of sparkling grape juice and two fancy crystal glasses, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a small, double fudge chocolate cake are piled together on the counter. I hope Jarod has the rest of the picnic, because Laina will freak if he tries to feed her nothing but junk food.
I slowly pack everything into the basket while watching Shane and Laina through the window. I know Mom wants Jarod to win, but Laina’s been in love with Shane for years. If he’s finally going to do something about it, I should give him a chance.
Mom skips back into the kitchen. “Is everything ready?” She looks out the window and frowns. “Jarod will be here in an hour, and I’m afraid this conversation isn’t winding down fast enough. Why don’t you see what you can do about that while I take this basket over to the Johnson’s house?”
I watch Laina and Shane, sitting on the porch steps, smiling and laughing. I haven’t seen my sister so relaxed in a long time. Maybe I should let Shane hang out here until Jarod arrives. One big, final confrontation, where Laina can finally decide between them.
She deserves to choose her own happiness.
But then Shane says something, and Laina’s smile turns into a frown. He stands up and kicks a loose rock, sending it skittering down the sidewalk. Angry voices fill the air, and then everything goes silent. Laina moves to the porch swing, tears in her eyes, and Shane follows her. He reaches for her hand, and when she pulls away, he sits beside her, staring at his feet. I don’t know what he said, but he promised he wouldn’t hurt her again, and he broke that promise.
She needs someone who won’t ever make her cry.
I grab the phone and run to the door. “Laina, Jarod’s on the phone. He says he wants you. Oops! I mean, he wants to talk to you.” I blush and giggle, then duck back inside, as if I’m embarrassed by my mistake.
Through the window, I see Laina jump up and run after me. Halfway across the porch, she hesitates and turns back to say something to Shane. He shakes his head and storms away.
So I guess it’s official. Laina chose Jarod.
I flop into a chair and put the phone to my ear, giggling into dead air as Laina storms into the house. I giggle and laugh, holding up a finger to signal for her to wait, until she finally gets frustrated and stomps down the hall to her bedroom. Then, I shakily dial Jarod’s number to let him know she’ll be here, waiting for his surprise.
Jarod finally beat up Anthony Matthews.
Anthony was bugging Laina again before school this morning, and Jarod ambushed him on the south stairs after second period. Anthony went home with a broken nose, a cracked rib, and a mild concussion. Jarod went home with a three-day suspension.
When Emily tells me about the fight at lunchtime, I expect that old, jealous twinge to knot up my stomach again, but I’ve got nothing. The only pang in my tummy is hunger. And that’s easily solved with a mountain of chili-cheese fries and a carton of chocolate milk.
Emily looks across the cafeteria to the empty seat at Jarod’s usual table. “Rachel said Jarod didn’t even say a word. He jumped on poor Anthony and started pounding him for no reason.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Summer says. “Josh told me that Marsa told him that Jarod said something like ‘I’ll kill you if you ever say another word to Alaina.’ So what’s that all about?” She turns to me with wide eyes, waiting for an explanation.
I shrug and shove a forkful of chili fries in my mouth. Anthony totally deserved every bruise and broken bone. But I’m not about to feed the gossip.
Dave reaches around me and snags one of my fries, popping it into his mouth before I can take it back. “Maybe Jarod got tired of quietly lusting after Alaina from afar and decided to finally do something about it.”
I pull my tray away and shoot him a dirty look. “Eat your own lunch. I’m hungry.”
He grins and takes a swig from my half-empty carton of milk. “Gotta keep my strength up. You wouldn’t want me to faint on the way to the theater to see how our auditions went, would you?”
“Whatever. I’m a growing girl, and you’re not being much of a gentleman.” I grab one of his chicken nuggets and pop it into my mouth. And I promptly spit it into my napkin. “Oh, my gazebo, that’s disgusting.”
“Is there something going on between your sister and Anthony?” Emily asks. “Because I don’t blame her. He’s kind of hot.”
“He’s what?” Pete asks, pulling away from her with a frown.
“Not that he could compare to you, sweetie.” Emily pats Pete’s cheek and kisses him. Then, she turns her attention back to me.
“Laina and Anthony? Not a chance,” I say. “They used to be friends, I think, way back when, but not anymore.” I let my voice trail off. I can’t really explain without saying too much. “Don’t you think he’s kind of an arrogant jerk?” I glance across the cafeteria to Laina’s table. Her seat is also empty, and the Witch is desperately trying, and failing miserably, to take Laina’s place as the center of attention.
Em shrugs. “I don’t really know him.”
“I bet I know why Jarod flipped out,” Summer says, leaning across the table in full-on gossip mode. “This morning, Anthony was being a total creeper in the commons area before school. He thought he was being funny, but he so wasn’t.” She pauses and waits for us to lean forward expectantly. “Anthony announced that he was gonna sleep with Alaina, and when she said no, he picked her up and started to
carry her out to the parking lot.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s not like he actually would’ve done anything, because, duh, he’s not stupid enough to think he can get away with rape with a room full of witnesses. But Alaina was pretty freaked out. She was all shaking and screaming, like she really thought he was gonna try something right here at school.”
Emily shakes her head and sits back. “Sometimes, I think Alaina’s a little too Snow White innocent. Everything’s such high drama with her. She can’t even take a joke.”
I push my tray over to Dave. I’ve totally lost my appetite.
“And how many people in that room full of witnesses actually lifted a finger to stop Anthony before Jarod showed up?” I ask. “Did any of you do anything?”
Summer blushes slightly and won’t meet my eyes. “Well, no,” she says, “but he was playing around. He couldn’t actually do anything without getting caught.”
I slam my fist on the table. “You all saw what was happening, and you all thought it was some huge, hilarious act. No one even said a word.” I push away from the table and stand up. “What if Jarod hadn’t stopped him? What if Anthony got her alone? What if he came after her again later, when no one was around? Why would she even say anything, if she knew no one would listen?”
I stomp out of the cafeteria. It’s no wonder Laina freaks out. And I don’t blame Jarod for being so overprotective. He’s the only one in this entire school she can count on.
I hide in a locked bathroom stall until the bell rings. Then, I dry my eyes and splash cold water on my face to get rid of the puffiness. I wish I could cry prettily like Laina does, but even after washing my face, I still look like I’ve been crying.
I can’t go to class.
I walk straight to Ms. Detweiler’s office and tell her the whole story, including my snooping in Laina’s diary, what I learned from Jarod, and the “hilarious” conversation I suffered through at lunch. When I’m done telling her all about how she’s lost control of her school, I pick up the phone and call my mom.
Twleve Steps Page 21
