Just make sure he doesn’t hear us talking about the plan.”
Juliet shook her head. “Alice, you’re so cloak and dagger about this. What’s the big deal?”
“We could get in huge trouble,” Alice said. “You all know that.”
“We’re not doing anything wrong,” Bri said, and then her eyes went wide. “No way.”
“What?” we all asked.
“No way,” she repeated. “Margo.”
We turned to look where she was staring. A super-skinny girl with long blond hair, designer jeans, and too much eyeliner had just walked into the store.
She smirked and sauntered over to us. “You’re not going to buy that tank top, are you, Juliet? Because sleeveless isn’t your style.”
She leaned in to whisper, “Arm flab, you know.”
Juliet’s cheeks flamed and I wanted to punch Margo right then and there. Margo gave us a smooth smile and riffled through the bin of sale jewelry.
“They sell such junk in this store. And then, they put security tags on all of it. Honestly. Like anyone would want to steal it.” She looked pointedly into Bri’s purse and then gave a huge, fake gasp of surprise.
She raised her voice so everyone in the store could hearher next words. “You wouldn’t actually steal those, would you, Brianna?”
Margo smiled triumphantly as the salesgirl bustled in our direction. “See ya, girls.”
Bri hastily pulled the earrings out of her purse, but not before the salesgirl saw her. “I’m sorry, but—”
Grant closed the distance between us almost immediately. “The girl who was just here dropped those into Bri’s purse.”
The salesgirl looked up at Grant with the half-terrified look almost everyone gave him. She cleared her throat. “Are you … um … sure?”
“Positive,” Grant said.
“Uh, well, okay,” the salesgirl said. “Just, uh, let me know if you need help.”
Maybe having Grant around wasn’t all that bad.
“Thanks,” Bri said to Grant, as the salesgirl left.
“Are you girls ready to go?” Grant asked.
“Just a few more minutes?” No way would I let Juliet leave without buying the tank top now. “Juliet wants to try on that tank top.”
Once Grant was out of earshot, Alice whispered, “See? She’s terrible.”
The thing was, Alice was right. Margo was terrible. But still, ganging up on her was wrong. I should say something. I knew I should. But what?
“So are we going to try these on?” Alice asked Juliet. “I think we should get matching ones for camp. You too, Bri.”
Alice had a lot of difficult qualities. She was bossy and opinionated and sometimes she pouted when she didn’t get her way. But she was also a totally loyal friend.
Juliet shrugged, totally unconvincingly. We all knew Margo had gotten under her skin.
“Come on, Juliet,” Bri said, choosing a matching tank top off the rack, and she and Alice marched Juliet off to the dressing room.
Pips and I looked through the jewelry and hair glitz at the front of the store while we waited for the girls.
“You should get these, Sadie.” Pippa held up a pair of bobby pins, each with stars. “They’d match your necklace and earrings.”
Without thinking, I reached for my earring. Andrew. He popped into my mind when I least expected, and every time, that little thrill of pain — or was it happiness — shot through me.
Pippa put the bobby pins in my hand and closed my fingers around them. “Come on, you know you want to.”
Her face went pale, and I followed her gaze out the store window. Two boys stood outside. I thought I recognized them from her pictures.
“Isn’t that Ryan?” I asked.
The other boy saluted Pips.
“And Rickey,” she said, waving. “Juliet is going to hate this. I told Ryan we were going to the mall and a movie, but I didn’t think he’d show up. I’ll go talk to him.”
Pips went outside and Grant walked over to me. “Busy night.”
“That’s Pippa’s friend who’s a boy,” I said. “She wants to invite him to the movie.”
Grant shrugged.
Juliet shook her head. “Alice, you’re so cloak and dagger about this. What’s the big deal?”
“We could get in huge trouble,” Alice said. “You all know that.”
“We’re not doing anything wrong,” Bri said, and then her eyes went wide. “No way.”
“What?” we all asked.
“No way,” she repeated. “Margo.”
We turned to look where she was staring. A super-skinny girl with long blond hair, designer jeans, and too much eyeliner had just walked into the store.
She smirked and sauntered over to us. “You’re not going to buy that tank top, are you, Juliet? Because sleeveless isn’t your style.”
She leaned in to whisper, “Arm flab, you know.”
Juliet’s cheeks flamed and I wanted to punch Margo right then and there. Margo gave us a smooth smile and riffled through the bin of sale jewelry.
“They sell such junk in this store. And then, they put security tags on all of it. Honestly. Like anyone would want to steal it.” She looked pointedly into Bri’s purse and then gave a huge, fake gasp of surprise.
She raised her voice so everyone in the store could hearher next words. “You wouldn’t actually steal those, would you, Brianna?”
Margo smiled triumphantly as the salesgirl bustled in our direction. “See ya, girls.”
Bri hastily pulled the earrings out of her purse, but not before the salesgirl saw her. “I’m sorry, but—”
Grant closed the distance between us almost immediately. “The girl who was just here dropped those into Bri’s purse.”
The salesgirl looked up at Grant with the half-terrified look almost everyone gave him. She cleared her throat. “Are you … um … sure?”
“Positive,” Grant said.
“Uh, well, okay,” the salesgirl said. “Just, uh, let me know if you need help.”
Maybe having Grant around wasn’t all that bad.
“Thanks,” Bri said to Grant, as the salesgirl left.
“Are you girls ready to go?” Grant asked.
“Just a few more minutes?” No way would I let Juliet leave without buying the tank top now. “Juliet wants to try on that tank top.”
Once Grant was out of earshot, Alice whispered, “See? She’s terrible.”
The thing was, Alice was right. Margo was terrible. But still, ganging up on her was wrong. I should say something. I knew I should. But what?
“So are we going to try these on?” Alice asked Juliet. “I think we should get matching ones for camp. You too, Bri.”
Alice had a lot of difficult qualities. She was bossy and opinionated and sometimes she pouted when she didn’t get her way. But she was also a totally loyal friend.
Juliet shrugged, totally unconvincingly. We all knew Margo had gotten under her skin.
“Come on, Juliet,” Bri said, choosing a matching tank top off the rack, and she and Alice marched Juliet off to the dressing room.
Pips and I looked through the jewelry and hair glitz at the front of the store while we waited for the girls.
“You should get these, Sadie.” Pippa held up a pair of bobby pins, each with stars. “They’d match your necklace and earrings.”
Without thinking, I reached for my earring. Andrew. He popped into my mind when I least expected, and every time, that little thrill of pain — or was it happiness — shot through me.
Pippa put the bobby pins in my hand and closed my fingers around them. “Come on, you know you want to.”
Her face went pale, and I followed her gaze out the store window. Two boys stood outside. I thought I recognized them from her pictures.
“Isn’t that Ryan?” I asked.
The other boy saluted Pips.
“And Rickey,” she said, waving. “Juliet is going to hate this. I told Ryan we were going to the mall and a movie, but I didn’t think he’d show up. I’ll go talk to him.”
Pips went outside and Grant walked over to me. “Busy night.”
“That’s Pippa’s friend who’s a boy,” I said. “She wants to invite him to the movie.”
Grant shrugged.
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