by Betsy Haynes
Dropping the hand, Funny whispered so softly that only Laura could hear, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to laugh. It's just that sometimes when I get nervous—"
"You can't say that about Alexis!" someone called from the back of the crowd, drawing Laura's attention away from Funny.
"Alexis is as honest as anybody I know!" cried Beth Barry.
Of course The Fabulous Five are going to stick up for Alexis, Laura thought.
But they weren't the only ones taking Alexis's side. Obviously there were a lot of kids who respected Alexis enough to stand up for her.
Laura felt a twinge of envy creep over her. It must be nice to have such loyal friends. The Fantastic Foursome sure weren't being too vocal in her defense. And Funny's outburst of laughing was outrageous. Sure, she giggled a lot of times when she shouldn't, but how could she laugh now?
"That's my charm bracelet, Alexis, and you know it," Laura repeated, forcing herself to keep her voice under control. She had to forget about Funny for the time being and concentrate on the problem at hand.
I'll let Alexis rant and rave while I stay calm and cool, Laura decided. She'll look hysterical.
Katie Shannon, who was standing with the rest of The Fabulous Five, stepped forward and placed a hand on Alexis's shoulder.
"You're accusing Alexis of stealing," Katie said to Laura. "That's a very serious charge."
"You bet it is!" Laura spat out the words. "And it's also none of your business, Shannon! So butt out."
"Well, all I have to say is that if you're going to accuse Alexis of stealing, you'd better be able to prove it," Katie replied.
"She can't prove it," Alexis said. "It's a lie."
Laura glanced around at the faces surrounding her. Everyone was watching her closely. Would she be able to pull this off? she asked herself.
Laura thought fast. "I can prove it," she countered. "Here, give the bracelet to me."
Alexis angrily tore off her bracelet and thrust it at Laura.
Laura's pulse was racing as she turned it over slowly in her hand. Some of the kids moved in closer to look over her shoulder. The charm bracelets, which were being sold by the school's Spirit Club to raise money for new cheerleading uniforms, were designed to depict various elements of life at Wakeman Junior High. On Alexis's bracelet there was a tepee charm, representing The Wigwam, Wakeman's yearbook; the name Wakeman spelled out in cursive letters; a bumper car for Bumpers, the kids' favorite hangout; and a comb and mirror. Laura bit her lower lip, hoping no one would notice that this bracelet did not contain a megaphone, which members of the cheerleading squad, like Laura, wore.
Suddenly she spotted a tiny scratch on the tepee charm. "There!" she said triumphantly. "There's your proof." She shoved the bracelet back into Alexis's hand.
"What?" demanded Alexis.
"The scratch on the tepee," Laura said. "I accidentally scratched it with a piece of silverware one day when I was washing dishes."
Alexis looked closely at the tepee charm. Then she looked back up at Laura and narrowed her eyes. "That must have happened before you got your maid," she said.
Laura felt her face heating up. Was Alexis going to break her promise and tell about the note on the mirror?
"I remember when that happened." Tammy rushed to Laura's defense. "I was at your apartment that day. Remember?"
Laura stared at Tammy. She was obviously trying to make up for blabbing Laura's rumor about Alexis all over school.
"That's right," Laura said. "Sure I remember."
Tammy turned to Melissa and Funny. "Don't you remember that day? When Laura was washing dishes and she scratched her bracelet? She almost came unglued." Tammy glanced hopefully back and forth between Melissa and Funny.
"No," Melissa answered flatly. "I don't."
"I'm sorry." Funny turned her eyes away from Laura. "But I just don't remember it, either."
"Well, I still have a witness," Laura said to Alexis. "And I guess you don't have anything." She grabbed the bracelet back again and slipped it into her pocket. "Not even a charm bracelet."
"Okay," Alexis retorted, her face red with fury. "Okay, Laura, since you have branded me a thief in front of everyone here, I'm sure you won't mind if I tell them what I found taped to your dresser mirror that afternoon at your apartment, will you?"
Laura's heart jumped into her throat, but she refused to let Alexis see that she was scared. She lifted her chin and said sarcastically, "No, Alexis, I don't mind. What did you find taped to my dresser mirror that afternoon at my apartment?"
Alexis looked around at the crowd of kids and directed her answer to them. She spoke softly, without anger, as if she were telling a simple fact.
"There was a note from Laura's father," Alexis began. "He was angry because Laura had thrown dirty laundry into his bedroom when he had asked her to clean up the apartment."
No one spoke.
"You see," Alexis continued, "Laura had been bragging to everyone that she had a maid who waited on her and her father hand and foot, cleaning up the apartment, cooking them dinner, everything."
Alexis turned and faced Laura. "I think Laura was embarrassed that I found that note. It proved she was lying about the maid to impress everyone. So"—Laura could hear the anger returning to Alexis's voice—"she accused me of going through her things and stealing her bracelet!"
Laura lifted her chin even higher and looked at Alexis icily. "You can make up all kinds of lies to hide the truth, Alexis, but it won't work. It's your word against mine, and I have the proof, the scratched bracelet."
Laura looked around at Tammy, Melissa, and Funny. "Come on, let's go," she said. "This is boring me."
She turned and walked away with Tammy right behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Melissa and Funny hesitating. What's the matter with them? Laura panicked. Aren't they coming?
Finally Funny shrugged and said, "Well, I have to get to my locker. I left my history notes there last night, and I have to cram for class today."
"I'll go with you," Melissa said quickly, hurrying after Funny.
The nerve of those two! Laura thought, stalking away angrily. They don't believe me. Some friends they are.
"That was awful!" Tammy said, skipping to keep up with Laura's furious pace. "All those kids siding with Alexis and standing around gawking at you both, as if it was some kind of show."
"Oh, shut up, Tammy," Laura snapped, stopping to stare Tammy in the face. "You started it all."
Tammy's face turned white. "I did?"
"Of course you did!" Laura cried. "You blabbed all over school about Alexis going through my things. I told you I didn't want anybody to know about that."
"Well," Tammy replied, her voice quivering, "I only told Sara Sawyer, but I told her that she absolutely could not tell anyone about it. You just can't trust Sara. She's the biggest blabbermouth I've ever known!"
"Next to you," said Laura. She whirled around and stomped off, leaving Tammy standing alone at the corner of the school building.
The rest of the morning was terrible. Word of Laura's face-off with Alexis was all over school, and everyone was taking sides. Most kids seemed to think that Alexis couldn't possibly be a thief. But what bothered Laura most was Melissa and Funny. Not only had Funny acted like a ditz by giggling at the absolutely worst moment, but even worse, neither of them had defended her in front of the crowd. Deep down, Laura knew that they weren't any more convinced that Alexis was a thief than were most of the other kids.
So what! Laura slammed down her hand so hard on her book that kids around her in history class stared. Whose friends are they, anyway? They're part of The Fantastic Foursome, of which I am the leader, and they owe me their loyalty!
Laura sighed. It had been a long time since she had made them prove their loyalty. She had always liked the feeling of control it gave her when the three of them did extra special things to convince her of their friendship. Like the time she ordered them to do all her homework for an entire week. O
r when she made them spy on The Fabulous Five to see if they were gossiping about her. With all the orders she had to take at home, sometimes it was the only part of her life where she felt in control.
Laura couldn't possibly concentrate on schoolwork that morning. She stared off into the distance instead, turning the whole mess over and over in her mind and examining every detail.
She knew she was getting in deeper, but what choice did she have? If she admitted she'd made up the story about Alexis stealing her bracelet, she'd become the laughingstock of Wakeman Junior High. Anyway, it was Alexis's word against hers. Laura would just have to ride it out. But it sure was going to be a bumpy ride.
At lunch Laura was amazed that not one of The Fantastic Foursome mentioned Alexis or the bracelet. Instead they exchanged worried glances when they thought she wasn't looking. They're chicken, she thought angrily. They don't believe me, but they don't have the nerve to say it. By the time the dismissal bell rang at the end of the day, Laura couldn't stand it any longer. She had to do something to get her friends back in line. She called a meeting of The Fantastic Foursome at her locker.
"I know what you're all thinking," she began.
The other three girls glanced at each other, confirming Laura's suspicions. She plunged right in.
"You're wondering about the bracelet," she said.
None of the girls spoke, although she waited a moment in case someone wanted to rush to her defense.
Laura cleared her throat. "I can't prove what I said about Alexis taking my bracelet. And I can't prove that I scratched the charm washing dishes."
She looked at her three best friends. They were looking back at her expectantly. They obviously wanted to believe her—but they still weren't sure.
Laura began to cry. All the frustration and guilt she had been feeling the entire morning gave way to tears. "I just can't understand why you guys don't believe me," she sobbed, her face wet with tears. "You're my best friends, and you won't even defend me."
She was aware of the change in her friends the moment she started to cry. The doubt on Funny's face immediately disappeared, and Melissa's eyes filled with sympathetic tears.
Tammy rushed forward and threw her arms around Laura. "Oh, Laura," she exclaimed, "this is all my fault! Me and my big mouth! I feel so awful!"
Funny put a hand on Laura's arm. "I've never seen you cry before, Laura," she said softly. "I'm sorry I doubted you, even for a moment."
"Me, too," Melissa added, squeezing Laura's shoulder. "We should have known better. We're The Fantastic Foursome! We stick together through thick and thin."
Laura sniffed and pulled a tissue out of her pocket.
"Thanks," she said, smiling weakly through her tears. "I knew you guys wouldn't let me down."
Even though it took crying to do it! Laura thought triumphantly.
Still, she felt better.
CHAPTER 7
Laura put the finishing touches on her makeup and stepped back from the bathroom mirror. She smiled a little and nodded approvingly.
Old Trudy will have to look pretty terrific to top me tonight, Laura thought.
Her hair had come out just right this morning after she'd washed it, blown it dry, and braided it, starting at the top of her head. Not a loose strand anywhere.
And she felt as great as she looked. The rest of The Fantastic Foursome were loyal to her again, and now she was going to meet her dad's new girlfriend.
Trudy Dwyer. Hmmm, mused Laura. An okay name. How about Trudy McCall? Eeeek! That sounded weird! Laura wondered if Trudy had ever tried out that name. Did Trudy want to marry her dad? More important, how did her dad feel about marrying Trudy?
Laura sank onto her bed and stared at the wall. What would it be like to have a stepmother? She giggled as a picture of Cinderella and her wicked stepmother flashed into her mind. Actually, she reasoned, it might be nice to have another woman in the house. She could do all my chores. And I could talk to her, about girl things. Laura smiled. Of course it depended on the woman. If she wanted to be my friend, that would be wonderful, Laura thought. But if she started acting like my friends' mothers, always telling me what to do and putting restrictions on my freedom, that would be horrible.
Laura glanced again at her reflection in the mirror. She saw the frown on her face and immediately wiped it off. She was worrying about nothing, she told herself. Her dad wasn't marrying Trudy tonight, just going out with her. She could handle that.
Laura stood up and straightened her black miniskirt. It fit her like a glove. The pink silk blouse clung in just the right places and made her figure look better than ever.
Laura unbuttoned one more button on the front of her blouse. Perfect, she thought. Trudy was going to see that she had plenty of competition for attention at the McCall house.
She went to her jewelry box and took out the gold necklace that her father had given her on her last birthday. It had a cultured pearl hanging from it, and looked very expensive, even though it probably wasn't. She put it on and admired the overall effect.
She was ready for Trudy!
She checked her watch. Her father would be home any minute for a quick shower and change. Then he'd go pick up Trudy. Sure enough, she heard the front door open.
"Laura?" her father called out.
"Hi, Daddy," she answered.
"Remember about tonight?" he said from the living room. "I'm bringing Trudy home for a few minutes to meet you. Are you ready?"
"I remember," said Laura. She hurried in to greet him.
Her father glanced up from the pile of mail he was going through. His expression changed from nearly blank to horrified.
"Why are you dressed like that?" he demanded, staring at her.
"Like what?" Laura asked, surprised. She knew she looked terrific.
"Like—like that!" he sputtered. "All painted up, with that short skirt! And button up that blouse! What do you think you're doing?"
"What do you mean?" Laura wailed. "I've been working on myself for over an hour."
"That outfit is unacceptable," Mr. McCall insisted, striding across the living room and into Laura's room.
Laura followed her father. "What's wrong with it?" she demanded.
"It's . . . it's just all wrong," he said. He opened his daughter's closet and began flipping through the clothes. He stopped at the yellow dress.
"I think I look . . . nice," Laura said. Nice! That was an understatement. She looked fantastic!
"This is what I asked you to wear," he said patiently. "This looks like my little girl, Laura."
"But I'm not your little girl anymore. I've grown up, Daddy. Haven't you noticed?"
"You may think you're grown up, Laura, but you're only in seventh grade," he said. "Now, I want you to look like the young lady that you are. And I want you to be very nice to Trudy when she gets here. Got it?"
"That dress is ridiculous!" Laura cried. "Look at all that silly lace. It's totally babyish!"
Walker gazed at his daughter a moment. "Well, you're still my baby," he told her, "no matter what you think. Now, no arguments." He thrust the dress toward her.
Laura let out an exasperated, "Aghhhhhhhh!" and snatched it from her father. She stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door.
An hour later Laura sat on the living room couch dressed in the yellow dress, glumly watching television. Her father had left to pick up Trudy half an hour ago. They were due any minute.
"I look so incredibly stupid in this dress," Laura grumbled to herself. "I look like Pollyanna."
She sat up straight. Pollyanna! Why not? Her dad wanted a sweet little girl, and that was just what he was going to get.
Laura laughed and hopped up from the couch. She ran into the kitchen, threw open the freezer door, and pulled out a plastic container of chocolate chip cookies, left over from her fateful after-school party last week. She put a dozen cookies on a plate and set it on the coffee table. Next she ran to the hall closet and pulled out a box filled with wrapping
paper and ribbons.
She rummaged through the ribbons and came up with a large yellow one, which she cut into two pieces. Quickly, she unbraided her hair and rearranged it into two ponytails. Then she tied a ribbon on each side.
Laura checked herself in the bathroom mirror and giggled. She looked seven years old! "Perfect!" she said, squealing with glee.
She ran to her bureau and pulled out a pair of short, white socks. She put them on and then put her flats on top.
Just then she heard her father's key in the lock and the front door open. Her dad and Trudy were here!
She took a final look in the mirror. "Like a little kid going to a birthday party!" she whispered, giggling.
"Laura?" her dad called out. "Laura, we're home. Come and meet Trudy."
Laura took a deep breath and skipped out into the living room.
"Hi, Daddy!" she sang, plastering a big, Shirley Temple smile on her face. "I'm so glad you're home!"
Her father's face went pale. "What the—"
"Would you like some cookies?" Laura asked. She skipped over to the coffee table and picked up the plate, extending it toward Trudy. "I made them myself."
Trudy glanced sideways at Mr. McCall as if to say, "Is this kid for real?" But she didn't open her mouth.
"Uh, well," her father said, his face turning red, "Trudy, this is my daughter, Laura. Laura, this is Trudy."
Laura looked Trudy up and down. At her super-fashionable, short, curly haircut; at her leather jacket, slightly open to reveal a low-cut silk blouse and leather slacks.
Trudy extended her hand to Laura, and jangles of bracelets sounded from her slender wrists.
"Hi, Laura," she said.
Laura took Trudy's hand, then dipped in a little curtsey.
"Pleased to meet you," Laura responded, smiling her sweetest smile. "And, oh, I really like your outfit, Miss Dwyer. It's so . . . so feminine." She turned to her father. "Don't you think so, Daddy? Don't you think Trudy looks nice?"
"Well, yes, it's—" Her father stopped in midsentence. His eyes got big, and he turned back to Laura, looking at her sternly. "Oh, I see what's going on here."