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Authors: Catherine Clark
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at the chance. We stopped by Olivia’s so she could quickly feed her bazillion pets, then Mom dropped us off at PaynestonPizzeria, promising to be back in an hour to get us.
I opened the door of the pizzeria just as someone else was coming out. “Oh!” she gasped, nearly falling over as she juggled the large pizza box in her hands.
I noticed her black boots right away. It was Poinsettia. “Um, hi,” I said.
“Hey!” She smiled. “How’s it going?”
I wanted to tell her about the ceremony the night before, but it just wasn’t the time or place. Especially not when I noticed Kayley’s mom sitting right next to Taylor’s mom. We weren’t the only ones meeting at the pizzeria.
“Great,” I said, smiling.
“Have a good night!” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared down the street.
“Who was that?” asked Olivia as the door closed behind us.
“Poinsettia,” I whispered. “The stylist who cut and colored my hair.”
“Why are you whispering?” Olivia whispered back.
I laughed. “I don’t know!”
We hurried over to Taylor, who was waiting for us at a table near her mom’s. We asked her about the meet, and told her about our T-shirt-making afternoon.
Meanwhile, Cassidy, Alexis, and Kayley were sitting in a circle of three at their own table, talking and gossiping. They didn’t even turn around or acknowledge our presence. So much for ceremonies.
The moms were spilling over, mingling from tableto table, talking. Our table and Cassidy’s obviously weren’t going to blend.
“Pizzas are on the way,” said Taylor’s mom, giving us a sympathetic glance. “Here are some quarters.”
Taylor, Olivia, and I made a beeline for the Star Wars pinball machine. We took turns playing, laughing at each other and scoring bonus points.
Within minutes, Cassidy, Kayley, and Alexis were standing beside the machine, watching us.
Funny thing, they didn’t want to talk to us. They just had to butt in whenever we tried to do something different than them.
“Really. You’re still playing that,” said Cassidy.
“Actually, I’m still
winning
at it,” I said, hoping this would remind her that not that long ago she used to compete right beside me. We’d kept a running tally all through fourth grade.
“I’m so bored,” said Alexis, leaning her elbows on the machine and resting her chin in her hands.
“You’re blocking my view!” Olivia complained, leaning over her and trying to push her aside.
“I’m just saying, this is so boring compared to last night,” Alexis went on.
My eyes widened in surprise. “Why? What was last night?” Did they know about
our
night, what we’d done? But how could they?
“The eighth-grade dance,” Kayley said meaningfully.
“Oh,
that.”
I tried to act like it was no big deal to us. “How was it?”
“Oh. My. God. It was so much fun,” said Cassidy. “We were there until, like, ten. We danced the entire time.”
“How did you get to go?” asked Taylor.
“Everyone on cheer got to,” Alexis explained, “because we’re, like, important to the football team winning.”
Olivia frowned. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“No,” I agreed. “Not really.”
Cassidy shrugged. “You shouldn’t have quit, I guess,” she said to me.
I just looked at her, trying to figure out what she really meant. “Whatever.” She’d never once seemed upset about my quitting before. Maybe she wasn’t upset, though; she was too busy gloating. Was I supposed to stay on cheer just so I could go to eighth-grade dances?
“Then how did
you
get in?” Taylor asked Kayley.
“Didn’t I tell you? Um, I’m doing some stuff with the cheer squad now. Handsprings and stuff,” Kayley explained. “They needed more athletics in their routines.”
“Why didn’t anyone ask me?” Taylor wondered out loud, which was odd, because I didn’t think she’d actually be interested. Still, it’s nice to be asked, I guess.
Kayley slipped some quarters into the
I opened the door of the pizzeria just as someone else was coming out. “Oh!” she gasped, nearly falling over as she juggled the large pizza box in her hands.
I noticed her black boots right away. It was Poinsettia. “Um, hi,” I said.
“Hey!” She smiled. “How’s it going?”
I wanted to tell her about the ceremony the night before, but it just wasn’t the time or place. Especially not when I noticed Kayley’s mom sitting right next to Taylor’s mom. We weren’t the only ones meeting at the pizzeria.
“Great,” I said, smiling.
“Have a good night!” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared down the street.
“Who was that?” asked Olivia as the door closed behind us.
“Poinsettia,” I whispered. “The stylist who cut and colored my hair.”
“Why are you whispering?” Olivia whispered back.
I laughed. “I don’t know!”
We hurried over to Taylor, who was waiting for us at a table near her mom’s. We asked her about the meet, and told her about our T-shirt-making afternoon.
Meanwhile, Cassidy, Alexis, and Kayley were sitting in a circle of three at their own table, talking and gossiping. They didn’t even turn around or acknowledge our presence. So much for ceremonies.
The moms were spilling over, mingling from tableto table, talking. Our table and Cassidy’s obviously weren’t going to blend.
“Pizzas are on the way,” said Taylor’s mom, giving us a sympathetic glance. “Here are some quarters.”
Taylor, Olivia, and I made a beeline for the Star Wars pinball machine. We took turns playing, laughing at each other and scoring bonus points.
Within minutes, Cassidy, Kayley, and Alexis were standing beside the machine, watching us.
Funny thing, they didn’t want to talk to us. They just had to butt in whenever we tried to do something different than them.
“Really. You’re still playing that,” said Cassidy.
“Actually, I’m still
winning
at it,” I said, hoping this would remind her that not that long ago she used to compete right beside me. We’d kept a running tally all through fourth grade.
“I’m so bored,” said Alexis, leaning her elbows on the machine and resting her chin in her hands.
“You’re blocking my view!” Olivia complained, leaning over her and trying to push her aside.
“I’m just saying, this is so boring compared to last night,” Alexis went on.
My eyes widened in surprise. “Why? What was last night?” Did they know about
our
night, what we’d done? But how could they?
“The eighth-grade dance,” Kayley said meaningfully.
“Oh,
that.”
I tried to act like it was no big deal to us. “How was it?”
“Oh. My. God. It was so much fun,” said Cassidy. “We were there until, like, ten. We danced the entire time.”
“How did you get to go?” asked Taylor.
“Everyone on cheer got to,” Alexis explained, “because we’re, like, important to the football team winning.”
Olivia frowned. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“No,” I agreed. “Not really.”
Cassidy shrugged. “You shouldn’t have quit, I guess,” she said to me.
I just looked at her, trying to figure out what she really meant. “Whatever.” She’d never once seemed upset about my quitting before. Maybe she wasn’t upset, though; she was too busy gloating. Was I supposed to stay on cheer just so I could go to eighth-grade dances?
“Then how did
you
get in?” Taylor asked Kayley.
“Didn’t I tell you? Um, I’m doing some stuff with the cheer squad now. Handsprings and stuff,” Kayley explained. “They needed more athletics in their routines.”
“Why didn’t anyone ask me?” Taylor wondered out loud, which was odd, because I didn’t think she’d actually be interested. Still, it’s nice to be asked, I guess.
Kayley slipped some quarters into the
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