by Betsy Haynes
"And here's your self-appraisal," said Mrs. Brenner. "You were much harder on yourself than Mr. Neal or your parents were."
Some of the questions on the form had been hard for Christie to answer. Things like, do you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the following:
1. I am popular with other students.
2. Other people recognize that I am an intelligent person.
3. My work is often very original.
How could you say you believed other kids thought you were the greatest, or you thought you were super smart? It sounded stuck-up. It was embarrassing to answer the questions.
Mrs. Brenner closed the file. "As you and I discussed before, Christie, only a few of our top students will get into PEAK. They'll attend a special class but will still have to keep up with their regular classes. Now the final question: Are you interested in joining if the committee selects you?"
Christie fidgeted in her chair. She knew it would be an honor to be in PEAK, but did she really want to join? It wasn't the extra work. She didn't care about that. In fact, it might be more interesting than her other classes, which would be a relief. It was just that she always seemed to be trying to live up to other people's expectations, especially her parents'. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized there was no way she could say no without upsetting her mother. Oh, well, she thought, as she nodded. It's just one more class.
"Great. The committee meets later today. We'll let you know what it decides." The counselor reached out and patted Christie on the shoulder. "Don't look so worried. You're sure to be chosen."
"Wait up, Christie," called Melanie.
It was nearly noon, and Christie was on her way to the cafeteria. She stopped to let her friend catch up with her.
"Christie, I couldn't wait to find you and tell you!" Melanie said breathlessly. "I was just talking to Shane, and he said that Chase Collins asked if you were going steady with anyone. Isn't that super? It's for sure now that he likes you." Melanie was dancing along beside Christie in her excitement.
"He did?" Christie realized her mouth was hanging open, and shut it.
"Yes! If he asks you for a date, will you go?"
Christie rolled her eyes. "How do I know? He hasn't asked me."
"But if he does ask you, will you go?"
"Melanie! I don't know," Christie said in exasperation. "I don't know anything about him."
"He's gorgeous. Does anything else matter?" replied Melanie with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Christie shook her head in amazement at her friend. They had hardly taken their seats in the cafeteria with the rest of The Fabulous Five before Melanie started telling the other girls what Shane had said.
"He wanted to know if Christie's going steady," said Melanie.
"Sounds serious to me," said Katie, poking a straw into her milk carton.
"Me, too," agreed Jana. "You ought to find out where his locker is and 'accidentally' run into him there."
"Or maybe you could drop a book on his foot," said Beth, laughing. "That way he'll have to notice you."
"I couldn't peek around corners and sneak after him," said Christie. "What if he caught me? It would be humiliating. I'd die of embarrassment."
"Maybe we could tell Randy and Tony to tell Chase you like him," said Melanie. "They're on the swim team with him."
"That's it!" exclaimed Jana. "Katie and I'll go watch Randy and Tony practice after school. Christie can come along to keep us company."
"I don't know . . ." Christie hesitated.
"Come on, Chris," said Katie. "Sooner or later you're going to have to talk to Chase. Why not sooner?"
"You're the perfect couple," Melanie cooed. "He's handsome and athletic, and you're beautiful and smart. I can't stand to think that you two might never date. It would be tragic."
"I don't even know if I like him," Christie protested.
"Come on, Chris," said Beth. "How are you going to know if you don't meet him? We'll all go to swim practice and give you moral support."
Christie sneaked a look at the table where Chase was sitting. He was good-looking, and she really did want to meet him. "Okay. But only if you all go."
"All right!" cheered Melanie.
At that very moment the voice of Miss Simone, the office secretary, came over the public address system.
"Attention, everyone. The final selection of seventh-grade students for the Pupils Excelling in Ability and Knowledge program has been completed. The new PEAK students are Dekeisha Adams, Whitney Larkin, Melissa McConnell, Melinda Thaler, Curtis Trowbridge, and Christie Winchell. Congratulations to those students."
"Hooray!" cheered Beth. "You made it, Christie." The others bounced up and down and patted Christie on the back.
"Congratulations, Christie," Marcie Bee called from the next table.
"Yeah, way to go, Christie," yelled Lisa Snow.
All the attention made Christie feel uncomfortable.
Kids were congratulating Curtis and Whitney, who were sitting together nearby. At The Fantastic Foursome's table, Laura, Funny, and Tammy were congratulating Melissa.
Just then Richie Corrierro, Clarence Marshall, and Joel Murphy got up to take their trays to the return.
"I wish I were smart," Richie said loudly as they reached The Fabulous Five.
"Not me," said Clarence, stopping at the end of the table and giving Christie a smart-alecky grin. "All those brains are so heavy, you can't hold your head up straight."
"Yeah," agreed Joel. "And all you get to eat is alphabet soup, math burgers, and historical hot dogs."
"The historical hot dogs are the worst, man!" Richie said, sticking his tongue out and making a face. "They're ancient and rotten."
"Doesn't matter," said Clarence. "You still have to eat 'em if you're a PEAK." Christie saw Matt Zeboski laughing at their dumb jokes.
She shot an angry look at the three boys as they stuck their fingers in their mouths and made retching noises. Then they turned and walked out of the cafeteria, laughing and bumping each other.
"Don't pay any attention to them, Christie," said Jana. "Just consider the source."
"Yeah," said Katie. "They just wish they could make the kind of grades you do."
Christie gave a little smile of appreciation, but she knew that when Richie, Clarence, and Joel got on someone's case, they wouldn't let up. She sighed. It wasn't always easy to take teasing.
CHAPTER 3
"Gee, I've never been in here before," said Beth, looking around the high school indoor swimming pool. "It's huge."
"It sure is," agreed Jana. "Wouldn't it be great if Wacko had a pool just like it?" Wacko was the kids' nickname for Wakeman Junior High.
"Let's sit in the stands near the middle of the pool," said Katie. "That way we can see everything."
Swimmers were doing the butterfly stroke in the eight racing lanes. At the far end of the pool other boys stood waiting their turn. Cheers for the swimmers echoed off the high ceiling and tiled walls, and the sweet smell of chlorine filled the air.
"There's Randy and Tony," said Jana. "Look, Christie. Chase is with them."
Christie spotted the three boys near one of the starting blocks. Chase's swimsuit was so shiny that at first Christie thought it was wet. When she looked closer, she realized the material made it appear that way. She had never seen such a classy suit. He was wearing a matching swim cap and had goggles with orange lenses flipped up on his head. He looked professional. Randy and Tony played sports and were well built, but Chase's lean form and well-developed muscles made him look exactly as a champion swimmer should look, Christie thought.
Chase glanced in her direction and saw her. He broke out in a big grin, and waved.
"He's waving at you, Christie," Melanie whispered, squirming in her seat. "Quick! Wave back!" She nudged Christie so hard with her elbow, it hurt.
Christie gave a timid wave with her fingers. She could feel her cheeks turning red again.
"Ok
ay, everybody out!" the coach yelled as the boys who had been swimming reached the end of the pool.
"That's Coach Benfield," said Katie.
"Uh-huh," said Christie. She couldn't take her eyes off Chase to look at the coach.
"Time for laps!" the coach yelled. "Here's today's lineup. Collins, lane one. Kirwan, lane two. Olsen, lane three. Calcaterra, lane four."
"Are they going to race?" Christie asked as the coach continued calling out names and positions.
"No," answered Jana. "When they do laps, the whole team swims at the same time."
"There aren't enough lanes for everyone," puzzled Christie.
"Of course not," explained Katie. "What they do is start the best swimmers first in each lane. Then the next-best swimmers go in right after them, then the third-best, and so on. They swim back and forth and keep to the right side of the lane so they can pass going in the opposite direction. If someone catches the guy swimming in front of him, next practice he moves ahead of him."
"They swim a bunch of laps that way," added Jana. "It's to build their endurance."
"Neat," said Christie.
Coach Benfield blew his whistle. The first row of boys dove into the water, followed immediately by the second row, then the third, then the fourth, until all the swimmers were in. They stretched out in long lines in the lanes.
Chase sliced through the water and reached the end of the pool ahead of everyone else, did a somersault, and pushed away from the wall with his feet. His arms were flying, and the water churned around him as he increased his lead over the others. Christie clenched her fists with excitement and heard herself yell, "Go! Go!"
He reached the opposite end of the pool and turned again as the swimmers stretched out in a long line behind him. Chase was halfway back when he passed the boy at the end of his line going in the opposite direction.
Christie's eyes opened wide in amazement, and her jaw dropped as she watched Chase streak through the water. He turned again and headed back. This time he met the last swimmer almost at the end.
When Chase turned, he was only a few feet behind the other boy. Within seconds he had caught up with him and was swimming so close, Christie was afraid Chase would get kicked in the face. Instead, he slowed and started playfully slapping at the other boy's feet.
The other swimmer tried to go faster, but Chase stayed right behind him. He kept teasing him, and as the two of them swam by The Fabulous Five, Chase looked up into the stands and smiled at Christie. She knew he was showing off for her.
Back and forth the swimmers went, with Chase playing at the other boy's heels. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the coach blew his whistle and yelled, "Everybody out!"
Christie was glad. She didn't really like the way Chase had been teasing the other boy.
"Katie and I are going to wait for Randy and Tony," said Jana. "Why don't you wait with us, Christie? You can talk to Chase."
"If you promise not to leave us alone," Christie pleaded.
"We promise," Katie assured her. "Maybe we can all go to Bumpers together."
"Well, we're out of here, if you're going to talk to boys," said Beth teasingly. She pulled Melanie toward the door. "Come on, Mel. Let's leave these lovebirds alone."
"Yeah," said Melanie, laughing. "I don't know what you guys see in boys, anyway."
Christie hugged her books to her chest and shifted nervously from one foot to the other as they waited for Chase, Randy, and Tony at the exit. Finally, Brian Olsen and Bill Soliday came out of the locker room, laughing and talking. They were followed by the rest of the swim team. Chase was with Randy and Tony. He had a backpack tossed over his shoulder, and his short black hair was still damp.
"Randy!" called Jana as she stood on her toes and waved. The boys saw them and headed in their direction.
"Hi," Chase said, looking squarely into Christie's eyes. His look made Christie feel as if she were going to melt down into her shoes.
"Hi," she said softly.
Jana put her arm through Randy's and guided him toward the door. "Why don't we all go to Bumpers? You'll come, too, won't you, Chase?"
"You bet I will," he said, not taking his eyes off Christie.
The after-school crowd had gone when they reached Bumpers. Except for two families with little kids having sandwiches, the place was empty.
The boys went for sodas as Christie, Jana, and Katie slid into the large booth in the corner.
"I think Melanie is right, Christie," whispered Katie. "Chase does like you. He hasn't taken his eyes off you since we left the pool."
"Yeah," agreed Jana. "And I saw him put his arm around your shoulders. Don't you like him, too?"
"I don't know," Christie whispered back. "I mean, I don't know what I think."
"If you don't date him, I know about a dozen other girls who will," Katie added. "Half the girls I've talked to are bonkers over him, and he won't even look at them."
Christie felt warm all over. It was almost overwhelming to think that this handsome boy from California, who was also a champion swimmer, liked her. She had to get to know him better.
"Shh! They're coming back," said Jana.
"One gigantic cola, coming up, Your Honor," Tony announced as he set a soda down in front of Katie.
"Thanks, macho man," Katie responded, laughing.
"What can I say?" answered Tony, shrugging. "When you've got it, you've got it."
"That's a neat chain you've got around your neck, Tony," Chase said. "What's that on the end of it?"
"Katie got it for me when The Fabulous Five went to Barbados during Christmas vacation. She says it's black coral, but I think it's just a piece of coal," Tony said with a grin.
Katie hit him hard in the ribs with her elbow. "I'll have you know that piece of coal cost me four whole weeks' allowance, Tony Calcaterra!"
"Just kidding! Just kidding!" Tony said, putting his arms up to defend himself.
"The Fabulous Five? Where'd you girls get a nickname like that?" asked Chase.
"We started calling ourselves The Fabulous Five in elementary school," answered Jana, "and we've been that ever since."
"All the kids call them that," added Randy. "It seems natural."
Chase's and Christie's eyes locked together. "I'd say fabulous is a pretty good way of describing you," he said.
Christie felt her cheeks get hot. She tugged her eyes away from his.
As the six of them sat talking, Christie kept sneaking little glances at Chase. He was laughing and talking to her and her friends as if he had known them forever. She couldn't believe how natural it felt to be with him.
"Gee! I'd better be getting home," Katie said, looking at her watch. "Mom will be wondering what happened to me. It's my turn to start dinner."
"Me, too," said Jana.
As the two other couples got up to leave, Chase said, "I guess that leaves you and me, Christie. Is it okay if I walk you home?"
Christie's heart leapt. "Yes."
"I bet you hated to leave California," Christie said as they walked together.
"Yeah, it's a neat place. There are lots of things to do. Have you ever gone wind-surfing?" Before Christie could answer, he continued. "Man, it's the greatest. I was just starting to learn to do flips when we moved. Hey, do you know what I'd be doing right now if I were still there?" he asked, turning to look at her.
"What?" asked Christie, shaking her head.
"I'd be at the beach. I used to go there most days after school, the way you and your friends go to Bumpers. I'd meet all the guys there. We'd wind-surf, or play volleyball, or just hang out."
"That sounds fantastic!" said Christie. Watching his face light up as he talked about California made her excited, too. "But didn't you have swim practice after school?"
"Yeah, but I'd tell the coach I had to study for a humongous test or write a paper, and he'd excuse me. I did it all the time."
"And he didn't mind?"
"How could he? I won six gold medals in the Souther
n California Junior Olympics. And that was swimming against some kids who were a year older than me. If it hadn't been for me, the school wouldn't have won any meets."
"Six gold medals?" she repeated, in awe.
"Didn't you say you lived someplace around here?" Chase asked.
Startled, Christie looked to see where they were. "Oh, yes," she said with a sheepish grin. She had been listening so intently to him, she hadn't recognized her own home. "That's my house we just passed."
"Nice place," said Chase, looking at the large house with the well-manicured lawn. "Are you coming to watch practice again tomorrow?"
"Yes. Swimming is nearly my favorite sport," she answered. Then she added quickly, "I mean, I like to swim. I haven't gone out for the swim team, though. I play tennis a lot."
"I heard that you're pretty good," said Chase. "Maybe you can teach me to play tennis, and I'll teach you some tricks about swimming I bet you don't know."
"That would be great," Christie said enthusiastically. She couldn't believe that he wanted to see more of her!
After he had left, Christie let herself into the house, dropped her books on the table in the hall, and went to check the bulletin board in the kitchen. A note in the lower corner said:
Christie,
Please set the oven at 350°. The casserole's in the fridge. Set the timer for one hour. Thanks.
Love,
Mom
Christie thought about Chase as she followed the instructions. He obviously liked her. He had walked home with her, hadn't he? And hadn't he asked if she was going to watch him practice again tomorrow? On top of that, he wanted to play tennis and swim with her. She couldn't help grinning as she stuck the casserole in the oven.
When she finished, she went to her room and flopped across her bed. Grabbing her white tennis-outfitted bunny, she hugged it tight. Then she held it at arm's length and looked it in the eyes.
"Chase Collins likes me," she told the bunny. "I think he really likes me." Saying it out loud made it seem even more real. She squeezed the bunny tight to her chest, closed her eyes, and tried to visualize him the way she had seen him that day. She was still lying on her bed when she heard her mother come home.