Viva Vermont!

by Melody Carlson

  She closed the Bible and closed her eyes. “Okay, God, if you want me to do that, you are going to have to show me how. The last person I feel like loving right now is Bethany Bruiser. But if anyone can change my heart on this, I know it’s you. Bring it. Amen.” Then she turned off the light and hoped for better things.

  “Way to go, DJ,” said Coach Reynolds after she’d qualified for the final heat in freestyle. “I only expected you to swim today, but you’re actually competing, and you’re blowing me away, girl.” He slapped her on the back now.

  “Thanks!” she glanced over to where Haley and her gang were gathered in the bullpen waiting for their medley relay. DJ was so thankful that she wasn’t part of their relay team. She hoped that never happened.

  “You didn’t tell us that you were actually good,” said Taylor as DJ took a break with them.

  “Oh, I don’t think it’s that I’m good, it’s just that the competition is pretty lame.”

  “I think you’re actually good,” said Casey.

  “I’ve got to get out of here for some fresh air,” said Taylor. She patted her hair nervously. “And I hate to think of what all this humidity is doing to my do.”

  “You look gorgeous as usual,” said DJ.

  “And you look like a drowned rat,” said Taylor as she picked up her bag. “Back in a few.”

  “Fresh air …” DJ shook her head. “We know she’s just going out for a smoke.”

  “To each her own,” said Casey. Then she nodded over to where Haley and her friends were getting set for the relay. “Any problems with Bruiser today?”

  “Only if looks could kill.”

  “Doesn’t she do freestyle too?” asked Casey.

  “She and Haley both.”

  “Were their times better than yours?”

  “I didn’t check.”

  “Anyway, you looked good out there. Strong.”

  “Thanks. I’ll just be glad when it’s over.”

  But DJ was more than glad when it was over. She was flabbergasted. Not only did she swim her best time ever in freestyle, she beat Bruiser and took second place, right behind Haley. DJ had a feeling that if she worked a little harder she might be able to beat Haley next time. Not that she was out to beat Haley. If anything, she’d been going out of her way to be nice to Haley—as well as her friends. She’d congratulated them on winning the medley relay. Not that they’d even responded. Still, DJ was trying to take that Bible verse seriously.

  DJ wasn’t surprised that Haley and her friends were freezing her out in the locker room. But she was surprised to see that some of the other swim team girls seemed to be getting tired of the game. Several of them congratulated DJ on her times, and Monica Bradshaw even came over to dress with her.

  “This thing with Haley is getting old,” she told DJ. “The sooner she moves on the better it will be for everyone.”

  DJ nodded as she zipped her jeans. “I couldn’t agree more.” “I’ll tell you one thing,” said Monica. “I’ve had it with morning practices. I’m coming back to afternoons starting Monday.”

  “Me too,” said a short, brown-haired girl named Daisy. “Getting up in the dark is for the birds.” She laughed. “Actually, I don’t even think the birds like it.”

  And so, as DJ gathered up her things and left, she felt just a tiny bit hopeful, like maybe things were about to change.

  “Don’t think that this is over,” said Bethany as DJ exited the locker room. Then she grabbed DJ by the arm and looked her straight in the eyes in a frightening way. The foyer to the pool was strangely vacant, and DJ glanced nervously around to see if she could spot anyone.

  DJ took in a quick breath and shot up a prayer. “Look, Bethany, I really don’t see why you’re—”

  Bethany shook DJ by the arm now, narrowing her eyes. “I didn’t ask for your opinion—”

  “Hey,” said Taylor in that smooth husky voice of hers. “What’s going on here, girls?”

  “Yeah,” said Casey behind her. “What’s up?”

  Bethany released DJ with a shove, still glaring at her. “If you think your Barbie doll friends are going to be any help, you might want to think again, DJ.” Then Bethany turned to Taylor and Casey and actually sneered. DJ almost expected her to snarl as well.

  Taylor actually laughed. “You really need to get a life, girlfriend, and stop watching so much of those dramatic TV series.”

  “And keep your hands off DJ,” added Casey.

  “Yeah, right.” Bethany stormed back to the locker room now … probably to report to her friends.

  “What a loser,” said Casey.

  “And a bowzer,” added Taylor. “Seriously, that girl looks like she needs professional help, and I’m not just talking mental either.”

  DJ took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “She’s obviously not a happy camper.”

  “Do you think she was going to beat you up?” asked Casey.

  DJ considered this. “I don’t really know.”

  “Were you scared?” asked Taylor in a slightly mocking way.

  “I sort of was,” admitted DJ. “Anyway, I’m glad you guys popped in when you did. Thanks.”

  “Well, enough chit-chat,” said Taylor. “It’s time to shop till we drop!”

  “Or our credit cards flop,” added DJ.

  11

  “SHOULD WE HAVE INVITED Rhiannon to come with us?” asked DJ as she was driving toward the city.

  “I did ask her,” said Casey. “But she and Bradford already had plans.”

  “And Eliza and Kriti are doing their shopping in Manhattan.” The way Taylor said this almost sounded like envy.

  “And they didn’t invite you along?” teased DJ.

  “Yeah, like that’s going to happen.”

  “I thought you and Eliza were getting along better.”

  “Eliza and I are like oil and vinegar,” stated Taylor. “How’s that?”

  “Occasionally we go together, but we basically don’t mix.” “Turn here,” said Casey.

  “I thought we were going to the mall,” said Taylor.

  “We’re going someplace else first,” said Casey.

  “Someplace else?” Taylor didn’t sound convinced.

  “We’re going to check out the sports shops at the factory outlet mall.”

  “Factory outlet mall?” Taylor wrinkled up her nose as if Casey had suggested they were going shopping at the local garbage dump. “Are you serious?”

  “As a matter of fact I am,” said Casey.

  “Do you know what a factory outlet mall is?”

  “Yes. It’s a place where you get a good deal.”

  “It’s a good deal if you want damaged, outdated junk.”

  “It’s not like that,” protested Casey.

  “It can’t hurt to try,” said DJ. Even though Grandmother had given her a fairly comfortable budget for shopping today, DJ was hoping not to spend it all on ski clothes. The idea of saving a few bucks appealed to her.

  “Why don’t we just go to a real mall,” complained Taylor. “It’s already past two o’clock, and we’ll just be wasting precious shopping time.”

  “Trust me, Taylor,” persisted Casey. “This outlet mall has good snowboarding stuff. There’s a North Face and Columbia and—”

  “Yeah, yeah,” said Taylor. “Whatever … shanghaied while shopping … well, it just figures.”

  As it turned out, Casey’s idea to shop the factory outlet was very smart. After a couple of hours, all three girls had discovered some great finds and great prices as well.

  “Check out these Chanel shades,” said Taylor as they met at the car to stow some bags in DJ’s trunk. She struck a pose to show off her new sunglasses. “Cool, huh?”

  “And did you see the North Face jacket I got?” asked Casey as she tugged a bright yellow parka out of a bag and proudly held it up.

  “The color’s a little bold, but the style’s not bad,” said Taylor. “But look at this Nils.” She pulled out a chic brown
jacket with a fur-trimmed collar.

  “Is that real fur?” asked DJ.

  “Oh, yeah.” Taylor rubbed it over her face. “Cool, huh?”

  “Cool if you like wearing a dead animal around your neck,” said Casey. She was probably still feeling tweaked over the color comment.

  “Yeah, whatever.” Taylor pointed to Casey’s leather boots. “You’re wearing cows on your feet.”

  Casey cracked a smile now. “Okay, I’m probably just jealous, Taylor. That’s a totally cool jacket.”

  “What’d you find, DJ?” asked Taylor, eyeing her oversized shopping bag.

  “I hit Columbia Outfitters,” said DJ. She pulled out the light-blue jacket and a pair of denim-blue pants. Both items were top rated for warmth and comfort—ready to hit the slopes. Now DJ just hoped that her leg would be ready too. Right now, it was starting to feel sore, which she knew was probably a result of the swim meet and walking around on all this pavement.

  “Okay,” said Taylor. “I think that’s all the damage I can do in this little mall. How about if we hit the real mall now?”

  So DJ drove them over to the “real mall.” But after about an hour of walking around—make that trailing Taylor around—DJ begged off to take a break. “My leg is starting to really ache,” she told them. “How about if I hang at the food court until you two finally drop?”

  “Works for me,” said Casey, who had gotten surprisingly into this whole shopping thing. In fact, it seemed she and Taylor were getting along better than ever lately. Something DJ knew she should appreciate—wasn’t it better than fighting? Still, she couldn’t help but feel concerned for Casey’s sake. Taylor wasn’t exactly the most wholesome influence. DJ and Rhiannon had both been praying for Casey, and sharing their faith with her, and hoping that she’d start to figure things out again. Linking with Taylor could be a real setback.

  “I only need about an hour more,” said Taylor.

  “But keep your phone on,” said Casey. “We’ll call you if we get waylaid.”

  “Here,” said Taylor, handing DJ a bulky fashion magazine that she’d picked up along the way. “If you get bored, you can read this—maybe even learn a thing or two about fashion.”

  DJ rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

  Even so, she was relieved to get away from them. She bought a slice of cheese pizza and a soda, found a vacant table off in a quiet corner, and sat down to relax. Sore leg or not, DJ didn’t think she’d ever be as into shopping as Taylor and Eliza—and now, apparently, Casey too.

  DJ finished her pizza and sat sipping on her soda and people watching and looking at the Christmas decorations—wasn’t it just Halloween? Then she heard her phone ping. She picked it up thinking it was Taylor or Casey, but noticed it was a text message. DJ was not into texting. Oh, sure, she knew how. Who didn’t? But she thought it was dumb, as did most of the girls at Carter House, well, except for Eliza and Kriti. They still did it sometimes. But DJ had always thought it was dumb. If you wanted to talk to someone, why not just call them like a normal person?

  Still, she was curious. Who would be texting her? But as she read the message, which seemed more like a threat than a greeting, she realized it was anonymous. How was that even possible? She read the message again, more carefully this time, making sure that she’d decoded it correctly. But it seemed clear. The message said, ULL B SS CLAB S NO1 S 4 U, which loosely meant, “You’ll be so sorry, crying like a baby sorry, no one sorry for you.”

  “Real nice,” she said as she set the phone aside. It was bad enough to send a mean text, but to do it anonymously? That seemed pretty lowdown and cowardly. Still, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. It had probably been sent from one of Haley’s friends. Or maybe even Haley herself. Although DJ didn’t think that Haley would actually stoop that low. Especially when DJ recalled how Haley had been genuinely nice originally, reaching out to DJ when DJ needed a friend. No, it was probably the work of stupid Bethany. Still, it was irritating.

  In an effort not to obsess over the stupid message, DJ opened Taylor’s fashion magazine and absently flipped through the pages. She was actually trying to focus on the glossy photos of the “fashionable” stick-thin models, all airbrushed and perfected—totally unreal. Yet all she could think about was poor, stupid Bethany. So, instead of seeing Kate Moss’s face, DJ was seeing Bethany’s small eyes, fat ruddy cheeks, and bad complexion.

  Talk about freaky. DJ slammed the magazine closed and shook her head. Why was she letting that stupid girl get to her? Seriously, Bethany was not worth the time. Even so, DJ read the message again, hoping she’d misunderstood, or perhaps imagined it. But it was still there—just exactly as she remembered it.

  “Hey,” said Taylor, making DJ jump.

  “Oh!” DJ looked up at Casey and Taylor with wide eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Casey.

  “Yeah, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” said Taylor as she pulled out a chair and sat beside her.

  “I just got this text message, and I guess it was weirding me out.”

  “Text messages are so lame,” said Taylor.

  “Let me see,” said Casey.

  DJ wasn’t sure she wanted anyone to see it. In a way, it was kind of embarrassing. “Oh, it’s nothing.”

  “Come on,” urged Casey. “If you’re weirded out, you should let us in on it. Maybe we can help.”

  “Yeah,” said Taylor. “Who sent it?”

  “That’s just it,” said DJ. “It was anonymous.”

  “Anonymous?” Taylor frowned. “How’s that even possible?”

  “Exactly what I was wondering. Isn’t that illegal?”

  “No,” said Casey. She took the phone out of DJ’s hand now. “There are ways to set up an anonymous text.”

  “You would know that,” said Taylor in a disgusted tone.

  DJ knew that Taylor was remembering what Casey had done on MySpace.com. Sometimes too much technology knowledge was dangerous.

  “Wow,” said Casey. “Someone is out to get you, DJ.”

  “Ya think?” DJ rolled her eyes.

  “What’s it say?” asked Taylor.

  “Just that girls like DJ would be sorry, and no one would be sorry for them,” said Casey.

  “That sounds like a threat,” said Taylor.

  “Yeah,” agreed Casey. “And no mystery about who sent it.”

  “I’m thinking Bethany,” admitted DJ. “But I suppose it could’ve been Amy or Haley.”

  “That doesn’t really seem like Haley’s style,” said Taylor.

  “That’s what I thought too.”

  “But it’s because of Haley,” pointed out Casey. “I can’t believe she’s not over the whole thing with Conner yet. Talk about obsessive.”

  “Well, don’t let it get to you,” said Taylor.

  “You don’t think I should be worried then?” DJ frowned down at her phone.

  “I don’t see why,” said Taylor. “They’re just trying to rattle you. The best thing is to pretend like you don’t care. They get satisfaction if they think they’re getting to you.”

  “You sound like you know a lot about this,” said Casey.

  Taylor narrowed her eyes. “Well, as you should know, I’ve had my share of enemies, Casey.”

  Casey glanced away uncomfortably.

  “But, lucky for you, I don’t hold a grudge,” added Taylor.

  Even as she said this, DJ couldn’t help but think about the Bible verse she’d read just last night … about loving her enemies. And DJ remembered her prayer and her hopefulness that God was going to help her love these obnoxious girls. But after Bethany’s hostile confrontation and now this stupid text message, DJ felt anything but loving.

  “Hey,” said Casey. “You want me to anonymously text Haley or Bethany back—telling them to bug off?”

  “Casey,” said Taylor with impatience. “Weren’t you listening to me?”

  “What?” Casey frowned.

  “If you play their game, they
will simply think they are winning.”

  “Oh, yeah … right.”

  “How do you know how to do this kind of thing, anyway?” asked DJ, holding her phone up. “Do you send anonymous texts to your enemies?”

  Casey smiled sheepishly. “I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate—”

  “Yeah, yeah,” said Taylor. “Spare us the details.”

  “Well, I don’t do it anymore.”

  “But how did you learn to do it in the first place?” persisted DJ.

  “Like everyone else. Online. You can learn anything online.”

  “Yes,” agreed Taylor. “Whether it’s making an atomic bomb or how to cook your own crack cocaine, just go online and it’s all there.”

  “That’s right,” said Casey. “And so is the FBI. You link up with some of those websites, and you’ll have a pair of suits knocking on your door.”

  “You know this from experience?” asked Taylor with a slightly concerned expression.

  “No.” Casey grinned. “But I do watch TV.”

  “Sometimes you scare me, Casey.” DJ just shook her head. Then, as a distraction from her stupid text threat, DJ pointed to their bags. “What’d you guys get anyway?”

  Now Casey looked slightly uneasy. “Oh, nothing …”

  “What do you mean, nothing?” demanded Taylor. “I thought what you got was pretty hot.”

  “Hot?” DJ frowned.

  “Steamy,” said Taylor with a sly grin.

  DJ looked back at Casey. “And it’s for the ski weekend?”

  Casey just shrugged. “Yeah … whatever.”

  Taylor was opening her own bag now. It was obviously from the same shop. Then she unfolded the pale pink tissue, removing a black, lace-trimmed camisole and then a pair of matching bikini panties. “Cute, huh?”

  DJ frowned. “Is that for the ski weekend?”

  Taylor nodded smugly.

  “Doesn’t look very warm to me.”

  Taylor laughed her low, husky laugh. “Oh, there’s more than one way to keep warm on a cold winter’s night.”

  DJ peered at Casey now. “Please, don’t tell me you got the same thing.”