When Ms. Davis said that, Pia was intrigued. The five of them had wanted to get to the bottom of all the secret letters they got from the dead girl, Leah, but they hadn’t pursued that. Pia wanted to make sure they delved into it.
“Okay, Ms. Davis. I’ma go talk to the girls,” Pia said, giving her a big hug.
“Yeah, go talk to them. I’m just proud of you guys, that’s all.”
Pia walked toward the ladies’ room. She knew the other four were in there. They’d asked her to go, but she was sticking around with Stephen. Since he was getting something to drink and she was feeling motivated to find out more about Leah, she went to find them.
She told them, “Look y’all, we gotta stick to the plan and figure out those notes.”
“We hear you, Pia,” Willow said. “Let’s enjoy the night. You knew for weeks you were going with Stephen. All of us are still trippin’ that things have worked out. We got you with Leah.”
“Yeah,” Sanaa said, “we got you with Leah, but we’re basking right now!”
“Okay,” Pia threw up her hands and said. Her friends were right. She could worry about the Leah mystery some other time.
As the five of them were exiting the bathroom, they stopped dead in their tracks as they were approached by a group of cheerleaders. It wasn’t Toni and the girls from the dance team who had already given them so much drama. No, those girls were still over pouting somewhere. But things weren’t all good with Pia’s cheerleading crew, either. Claire, her best friend on the squad whom she hadn’t talked to in months, was beside Chancey, a mean cheerleader who never liked Pia.
“What is it now?” Willow said, stepping in front of Pia. “You got somethin’ to say to her, you can say it to all of us.”
“Yeah,” Olive said, stepping up too. “I’m really tired of the girls in the school. I’m not tryna fight, but I’m not trying to see y’all come down on my girls either.”
“No, you guys misunderstand,” Claire said. “We came to thank y’all.”
“Chancey came to thank me, Claire? Come on,” Pia uttered, actually stepping up for herself.
Chancey said, “We came to thank you guys for talking to our sisters in middle school.”
“Yeah, Pia, you don’t remember, but Christy had really been out there,” Claire shared.
“And my sister Katheryn, she’s been quite wild too. You guys had a big influence on a lot of girls over there, and we just came to let you know it made a difference. Sorry I’ve ever given you grief,” Chancey said. “Forgive me.”
The girls all shook hands, hugged, and complimented each other on their dresses and attire. Then, all smiles and giggles, the five swoop list girls went out to the dance floor as a fast song came on. Though their dates were looking on, it was girl time. They took to the middle of the floor and enjoyed themselves.
“You know what tonight is?” Willow asked.
“Sure do,” Pia uttered as they sashayed to the beat. “Time for a slumber party!”
Sanaa saw Toni and her crew giving them stank looks. “What we gonna do about those haters?”
“Nothing,” Olive said. “We can’t fix unhappy people. I learned that the hard way. Bad as I wanted to change Charles, things didn’t work out until he decided he was wrong.”
“I feel you, though, Sanaa,” Octavia said. “It’s good you want to make everyone feel as great as we do.”
“Well, let’s discuss the state of Jackson High later. Right now it’s groove time,” Pia yelled out.
Pia was a great dancer and had no problem leading the way. As her hips swayed back and forth, she realized true happiness wasn’t about having everything right. True happiness was about feeling a sense of pride, doing the best you can, and giving more than you take, because then and only then is a person really shining.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Feel real good ... we all want a sense of peace and happiness in our lives. If you want to lessen your drama, don’t just take, but give! Caring for others will fill you in ways that will make you truly whole. Here’s a great big thanks to all who help me feel great about my writing career.
To my parents, Dr. Franklin and Shirley Perry, I feel good because of your wonderful example. You showed me how to never give up. To my publisher, especially Emily Harris, I feel good because you all are taking a chance on another series. To my assistants Ashely Cheathum, Alyxandra Pinkston, and Candace Johnson, I feel good turning in my books because of you all. Your input is invaluable. To my dear friends, I feel good because you don’t judge me. To my teens, Dustyn, Sydni, and Sheldyn, I feel good seeing you grow into your own. Your development has blessed me and allowed me to bless others with my pen. To my husband, Derrick, I feel good that you’re always there. Your constant presence in my life has afforded me the opportunity to live my purpose. To my readers, especially kids in Jackson, GA, I feel good that this series will make a real difference. Your being open and honest in our sharing session helped me bless others—I believe that becuase we tackled this tough subject, we will make a difference. And to my Heavenly Father, I feel good because no matter what goes wrong You are there. Your love for me holds me together and truly makes me whole.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
STEPHANIE PERRY MOORE is the author of more than sixty young adult titles, including the Sharp Sisters series, the Grovehill Giants series, the Lockwood Lions series, the Payton Skky series, the Laurel Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Yasmin Peace series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series, the Carmen Browne series, the Morgan Love series, the Alec London series, and the Beta Gamma Pi series. Mrs. Moore is a motivational speaker who enjoys encouraging young people to achieve every attainable dream. She lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, and their three children. Visit her website at www.stephanieperrymoore.com.
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