Trading Faces

by Julia DeVillers

  “Emma, Hector and I were talking about what you said in math yesterday,” Tess said. “You were so right. It’s why I don’t join after-school clubs unless Jazmine and Hecky are there to protect me.”

  “Yeah, I felt like that the time I went to band camp and was the only one who brought my instrument to the Saturday night dance,” Hector said. “What a faux pas! I couldn’t even hide it, because it was my harp!”

  Tess burst into giggles. I was completely lost. What the heck was going on here? Why were these virtual strangers—friends of Jazmine James—confessing their embarrassing moments to me?

  I started moving the little metal weights onto the measuring scale.

  “Density,” I said, changing the subject to classwork, where at least I would have a clue. “How thick an object is. How much mass it displaces.”

  “She’s right,” Hector said. “Time to focus.”

  “It’s funny, Emma,” Tess said. “Sometimes it seems like you’re two different people.”

  “It does,” Jazmine said, coming over from the table next to us. She looked at me thoughtfully. “It does seem like you’re two different people sometimes.”

  “Er,” I said. Change of subject! Change of subject!

  “Density!” I said, picking up the mass. “Ten grams. So, how many fluid ounces will it displace?”

  Luckily, just then Ahmad knocked over their scale with his cast. Jazmine hurried back to her partner.

  We went to work on the science experiment. On the outside I was focused. But inside? I was counting down the minutes to fifth period. When I would see Ox. In Payton’s lunch period.

  But first I had three more classes to get through. I had thought it would be a relief to be my comfy Emma self, but nothing was making any sense.

  “Do you really think they’ll improve the lunches?” a girl with braids and a baggy sweater asked me in Social Studies. “I liked what you said at VOGS about better nutrition and better taste making better students.”

  Um, thanks?

  Then, a little later . . .

  “Awesome speech in Math yesterday!” some boy said, giving me a thumbs-up in the hall.

  What the heck did Payton do in Math?

  The most bizarre moments came during lunch. I was sitting with Tess, Hector, and Jazmine. I’d pulled out my language arts novel and pretended to be riveted by it, so no one would interrupt. (And ask me about music lessons.)

  First, Hector couldn’t get his chip bag open.

  “It’s okay to ask for help,” Tess told him. “Right, Emma?”

  I looked up, and she winked at me. Wha—?

  “Jazmine, would you please, please help me?” Hector said, dramatically. “I need your help, Jazmine. But then, we all need a little help sometimes—right, Emma?”

  “Right?” I agreed. What the heck?

  Jazmine James did not look amused. She took one long slurp of her smoothie. Then she glared at me.

  “Never mind; I got it open.” Hector dug into his chip bag, and I went back to my book.

  Jazmine took another long, loud slurp of smoothie.

  “Ladies do not make noises while eating,” boomed a loud voice.

  I looked up from my book. And looked even farther up. A very tall woman with short dark hair stood over our table. Whoa. Her face was the grown-up version of Jazmine’s face. And this woman’s face was not smiling.

  “Hi, Mama,” Jazmine said.

  “Is that the way you show respect? Stand up and greet me properly,” Jazmine’s mother said.

  Jazmine rolled her eyes and stood up. People at other tables had quieted down and were watching.

  “I’m here to see that your middle school is running smoothly,” Jazmine’s mother said. “I’ve already met with a few of your teachers and reminded them of our family’s high standards and expectations of excellence.”

  “Hello, Mrs. James!” Hector jumped up.

  “Nice to see you, Mrs. James.” Tess stood up too.

  “Hector, Tess, darlings!” Mrs. James nodded. “And who is this?”

  Jazmine’s mother looked at me. Yikes. Her eyes were like laser beams.

  “Mama, this is Emma Mills,” Jazmine didn’t seem too enthused to introduce me. Mrs. James looked even less pleased.

  “And what brings you to my Jazmine’s lunch table?” Mrs. James asked me.

  Uh . . . desperation?

  “Emma won the state spelling bee last year,” Tess offered.

  “Ah, yes, I believe I’ve met your father,” Mrs. James said. “Talkative man. And I’m sure you’ll be a gracious runner-up when my Jazmine wins this year.”

  With that, she spun around and started to walk away.

  “Good-bye, children,” she said over her shoulder. “I have an appointment with the principal. Study hard! Strive for perfection!”

  And she was gone.

  Our table was quiet. Whoa. Now I knew where Jazmine got her personality. I almost felt sorry for her, having a mother like that. At least my own parents never pushed me or pressured me. Or hunted me down in the cafeteria.

  Hector looked around at the people still looking at us.

  “The show is over, people,” Hector announced loudly. “There’s nothing to see here.”

  “I need to stop at the library before next class,” Jazmine said, gathering her things. “Bye, Hector. Bye, Tess.”

  Jazmine spun around, just like her mother had, and left.

  Oookay. I’d been dissed. I didn’t feel sorry for that girl anymore. Can you spell n-a-s-t-y?

  “Emma, I—” Tess started to say something.

  Clang! Clang! The bell drowned out the rest of Tess’s sentence. Whatever. Any friend of Jazmine’s is no friend of mine.

  I wouldn’t think about Tess, Hector, or Jazmine right now. There was no time to waste. I had more important things to do. I was off to meet Payton.

  Twenty-one

  BETWEEN FOURTH AND FIFTH PERIODS

  Knock. Knock-tap-tap. Knock!

  I knocked our secret code on the janitor’s closet.

  “Payton?” Emma opened the door a crack.

  “Payton about to be Emma!” I whispered back cheerfully. “Open up!”

  The door opened and a hand pulled me inside. I turned my locker mirror light on, shining it on Emma’s face. Oops.

  Emma stood there looking at me accusingly.

  “What the heck did you do?” she asked me.

  “Um,” I said. “I’m not sure?”

  “Why are people talking to me in my classes?” Emma demanded.

  “Oh, that!” I said. “Well, I said hi to people.”

  “What else did you say?” Emma said. “I thought you were supposed to have otolaryngitis and not speak?”

  “Well, excuse me,” I said. “I thought I’d perk up your social life. Make you a little approachable.”

  “A little approachable?” Emma said. “Tess and Hector were telling me every awkward moment they’ve ever had! Like we’re all close friends, sharing deep secrets. And I’m practically being mauled by people high-fiving me over some non-answer you apparently gave in math class . . . ?”

  Oh. That. Um, yeah.

  Clang!

  The warning bell for class!

  “No time to talk!” I said. “We have to switch!”

  And the first switch of the day was on! Clothes were tossed back and forth!

  Lip gloss put on; lip gloss wiped off! Hair up; hair down! Bags handed over!

  And . . .

  Ta-da!

  And . . .

  Clang!

  “I need answers later,” Emma said. “This morning was very confusing to me. And you know I don’t like being confused.”

  “Gotta run!” I said, before she had time to grill me any more. “Good luck, Payton-Emma!”

  I opened the door and walked very casually out. Two seconds later Emma followed.

  I went left down the hall. She went right.

  Twenty-two

  LUNCH


  I went right to the lunchroom. I was nervous. And excited. I was about to see Ox! And spend one more day sitting at the popular table.

  Did I just think that? Incredibly shallow of me, I know. But maybe I could soak up some more compliments about my incredible fashion skills and do a little girly bonding with my peeps.

  Is “peeps” a kewl word? Maybe not. Anyway, I walked into the lunchroom. Smiley. Cheery. And Paytony.

  I slid into my seat next to Sydney, Cashmere, and Quinn.

  “Hey, guys,” I said. I noticed that Sydney was wearing the necklace I’d picked out for her at the mall.

  “Hi, Payton,” Quinn said. “The shirt looks so cute on you!”

  “Thanks!” I said. “And that necklace I picked out looks so cute on you! And Sydney, I love your shirt.”

  “Don’t the earrings I picked out for Sydney look so cute too?” Cashmere asked.

  “Sure,” I said. “Although I found this pair in a magazine I have got to show you, Syd.”

  “Ooh, I can’t wait,” Sydney said. “Let’s go shopping again. How about after school Thursday?”

  “I’ve got jazz and tap on Thursday,” Cashmere whined.

  “Oh, well. You’ll have to come next time, Cashmere.” Sydney dismissed her. I did catch the dirty look Cashmere gave me.

  “So. Is Thursday good for you, Payton?” Sydney asked me.

  Well, actually, not really. I’ll have a mathletics meeting. And also, I won’t be Payton.

  I focused intently on eating my turkey wrap.

  “Let’s go shopping Thursday,” Sydney said. “Bring your credit card; we’re doing some serious damage, Payton. I saw this coat that’s so you—it’s a hundred and fifty bucks, but so worth it.”

  A hundred and fifty dollars? Didn’t I just have a spending spree that blew out my savings? Wasn’t that enough?

  “And you need new jewelry,” Cashmere said. “That P cuff is growing old.”

  “Definitely,” Sydney said. “That cuff has to go.”

  I twirled the P cuff around my wrist. This lunch wasn’t as fun as I’d expected. I hoped something good would happen.

  Ooh! And here it was. Ox was walking into the cafeteria.

  Ox!

  And he saw me, and he waved and smiled at me.

  Ox waved and smiled at me!

  I smiled and started to wave back. Sydney waved, too.

  “That Ox,” Sydney said. “He’s so quiet, but who cares with those football muscles.”

  Mmm. So true, I thought.

  “Did you see him wave at me?” Sydney said. “He totally likes me.”

  I nearly choked on my turkey wrap.

  “You guys would make the cutest couple!” Cashmere squealed. “You could go to the football games and cheer him on from the stands and it would be so romantic.”

  “Finally!” Quinn said. “Ox has never paid any attention to any girls.”

  Uh.

  “I don’t know,” I said weakly. “I think you and Cameron look so good together.”

  “Cameron and Noah are kind of juvenile compared to Ox,” Sydney said. “Ox is so . . . mature.”

  “Sydney, he’s coming over!” Cashmere squealed.

  “Watch me work my magic,” Sydney said, swiping on some lip gloss. “Watch and learn, girls. Watch and learn.”

  Uh.

  Uh.

  What do I do? What would Payton do?

  I looked down and busied myself unwrapping a pack of cheese crackers. Maybe Ox would just pass by, and then Sydney would forget about him and move on to one of her other gajillion guys, and I could catch him later and—

  “Hey,” Ox came right up to our table.

  “Hi, Ox!” Sydney said, all flirty.

  “Hey, guys,” Ox said. “Hey, Payton.”

  “Hey!” I squeaked.

  He looked at me and smiled. I smiled weakly back. Man, he was so cute. His blue shirt made his eyes stand out and—

  “I’m sooo psyched for the pep rally today!” Sydney said to him.

  “Yeah, me too,” said Ox. “Hey, Payton. Still up for today?”

  Uh.

  “Up for what?” Sydney asked.

  “Meeting me at the pep rally,” Ox said. “Payton? You still want to?”

  Uh.

  I so still wanted to. But I caught the look on Sydney’s face. This was too much pressure for me.

  “Glah!” I said to him.

  Yes, I said “glah.” I choked, okay?

  He gave me a funny look.

  “Ox! Dude! Get over here!” Some guys were calling him over to their table.

  “Well, see ya at the pep rally,” Ox said.

  I watched him walk to his lunch table. Then I turned to face the six eyes staring at me.

  “Payton. Is there something you’d like to tell us?” Sydney said.

  I looked up at her. She looked pleasant, but Quinn and Cashmere were staring down at the table.

  “Like, what’s up with you and Ox?” Sydney asked me.

  “Uh,” I said. “I don’t know. He sort of asked me if I wanted to sit with them at the pep rally.”

  “Eee!” Quinn said. “He’s saving you a seat with the football players? That’s so major!”

  “And you weren’t going to tell your very best friends about this?” Sydney said. “Especially, for example, when one of them—me—was saying how she might consider going out with him?”

  Uh.

  “I wasn’t sure how to—,” I stammered. “I didn’t know what to—”

  “Payton, I can’t believe you’re stealing Sydney’s crush!” Cashmere said. “I mean, she told you she liked him. She’s even giving up Cameron and Justin for him!”

  “I wasn’t stealing anyone’s crush!” I said. “I didn’t know Sydney might like him, and—”

  “Well, now you do,” Sydney said to me.

  I looked over at Ox. He looked up and smiled at me again.

  “You’re not going to sit with him at the pep rally, are you?” Cashmere asked me.

  Uh.

  “Then it’s settled,” Sydney said. She waved and smiled at Ox.

  “Once Ox knows he has a chance with Sydney, it would be all over with you anyway, Payton,” Cashmere whispered to me under her breath.

  “So now I totally need those sneakers ASAP, Payton,” Sydney said to me.

  “Sneakers?” I stammered.

  “Duh, my CocoBella sneakers,” Sydney said.

  Uh. Oh. Those sneakers. I’d forgotten about that. Apparently she hadn’t.

  “You can get those sneakers—right, Payton?” Cashmere looked at me slyly.

  Uh.

  “They’ll look perfect when I’m cheering on Ox at the game,” Sydney said.

  “Oh, look at that!” I exclaimed, pulling out Payton’s cell phone. “I have a text message! Oh! I have a meeting with a teacher! Gotta go!”

  “I didn’t even hear it vibrate,” Cashmere said suspiciously.

  “Bye!” I jumped up and grabbed my lunch tray. And . . .

  I was wearing Payton’s (Summer Slave) platform shoes, and I . . .

  Oh, no. I tripped. The remains of my turkey wrap, crackers, and soda spilled off my tray and . . . didn’t land on Sydney. No, they didn’t land on Ox.

  They landed on the floor. Which meant I slipped on them.

  And I landed on the floor too.

  Crunch. The cute skirt was now splotched on the rear. I jumped up and thought fast. I tugged the blue sweater down in the back, grabbed Payton’s backpack, tossed my tray on the dirty dish counter, and rushed out of the lunchroom.

  I didn’t look back.

  Twenty-three

  AFTER SIXTH PERIOD

  Knock. Knock-tap-tap. Knock!

  “Just get in here!” Emma opened the door and practically dragged me in.

  “I need your help,” Emma said. “Things have gotten out of control.”

  Out of control? In only one period? We’d already switched one more time last period and all had been totall
y fine.

  Emma started babbling. “I have to go shopping for new clothes and a hundred-and-fifty-dollar jacket and you have to get more Summer Slave sneakers but they’re not even out yet and that’s not even the major thing. She likes Ox! SHE LIKES OX!!!”

  Oh. Kay. Clearly my twin sister had lost her mind.

  “Too much pressure,” Emma cried. “Too much social pressure!”

  “Emma!” I shook her shoulders. “Get a grip! Take a deep breath!”

  Emma took a deep breath.

  “You’re right,” she said. “Where have my priorities gone? I’m a champion debater, for gosh sakes. Okay. I’ve made my decision. I can’t go to the pep rally.”

  “What?” I said.

  “I have to give up,” Emma said. “My little crush on some jock is not worth messing things up for you.”

  “I don’t care if you go out with a jock,” I assured her. “In fact, I think it’s cool. Hey, does he play basketball? Maybe you’ll even want to try out for basketball cheerleading with me!”

  “Are you insane?” Emma asked. “No, what I mean was, I have to give up. Sydney likes Ox; thus, I cannot.”

  “Really?” I said. “You’re giving up your crush because of Sydney?”

  “Payton, your friendships with people are more important than some . . . silly . . . crush. I can’t risk Sydney being mad at you all over again just because I like Ox. You and your happiness are more important to me.”

  Wow. Emma was giving up that for . . . me? For my happiness?

  “Wow!” I threw my arms around her. “Emma, you are the best!”

  “Yeah.” Emma sighed. She looked sad. “I know.”

  “So, we’re not trading places?” I asked her.

  “No, you still have to do VOGS,” Emma said. “I’ve had enough trauma for one day. I’ll just hide out in the library during the assembly so I don’t have to deal with Ox.”

  Phew. I was hoping she’d say that. I’d been kind of excited about VOGS all day.

  “Okay, then,” she said. “Let’s switch.”

  Clothes were tossed back and forth! Lip gloss put on; lip gloss wiped off! Hair up; hair down! Cuffs traded; bags handed over!

  “I’m ready,” I told Emma. It took her a little longer to get ready, since she had to do her hair and put on lip gloss. “Wish me luck.”