Fabulous Five 025 - The Fabulous Five Minus One

by Betsy Haynes

"No, he didn't kiss me. I've got another problem, though, and it's big-time."

  Christie's friends looked at her in surprise and waited expectantly for Christie to tell them about her problem.

  "We may be moving." Christie's voice cracked as she said it, and tears welled up into her eyes.

  "Moving? We who? Who may be moving?" asked Beth.

  "My family," answered Christie. "To London, England."

  The Fabulous Five stared in shocked silence at Christie.

  "You can't move to London!" Beth wailed plaintively. "That's a million, zillion miles away!"

  "You've got to be kidding, Christie," Katie gasped. "This is a joke, right?"

  Christie shook her head and spoke softly. "It's not certain yet, but my father's been going to work in England every week for a long time. Now they're looking for someone to do what he's been doing full-time. It might be him."

  "Eeek!" said Jana. "What can we do to sabotage his chances for getting the job? Could your father maybe break a leg and not be able to go?"

  "What if you got terribly sick, Christie? You couldn't go then," suggested Beth. "We could use my costume makeup to make you look as if you're about to die. Remember when I painted that big wound on my head that looked so real, my mother nearly fainted?"

  "Yeah, and all that got you was grounded for a week," said Jana sarcastically. "Come on, guys. We've got to put our heads together and think of something smart. We can't let The Fabulous Five break up."

  "It would be like the end of the world. There'd be no more Fabulous Five," Katie moaned. "You can't go, Christie."

  "Just think how I feel," Christie responded. "I'm the one who'll be in London while you guys are all together. I can hardly bear to think about it."

  "Look," said Jana. "Let's not panic. You said there's a chance it may not even happen, right, Christie? So let's not get carried away before we know for sure. We've got to act as if nothing's going to happen, and maybe it won't."

  "And let's not talk to anyone about it," added Katie. "Think how Laura McCall would gloat if she knew there might not be a Fabulous Five anymore."

  "She'd be wrong," said Jana firmly. "There will always be a Fabulous Five, even if we aren't together."

  "I know that," protested Katie. "But that's what Laura would say."

  "Eeeyew!" said Beth, making a face as if she had just swallowed something terrible. "We can't let that happen."

  "No way," Melanie chimed in.

  "Okay. We all agree that it's our secret, then, right?" asked Jana. The others nodded solemnly.

  "Don't worry, Christie," said Melanie, patting her on the arm. "Everything will turn out all right."

  Jana, Katie, and Beth nodded their heads in agreement. But in spite of what they were saying, Christie didn't think her friends looked very confident.

  The school bell rang, interrupting their conversation. As Christie headed toward the main entrance to the school, Chase fell in step beside her.

  "Hi," he said with his usual grin.

  "Hi," she said, returning his smile. "How did the studying go for your history test last night?"

  Chase pulled the door open for her. "Super. I'm sure I'll ace it."

  "That's great." It pleased Christie to know she had helped him, even if she still didn't feel right about letting him copy her homework. "Do you want to study together this evening?"

  "I sure do. What time should I come over?"

  "Seven o'clock. Okay?"

  "I'll be there. Got to get to class," he said, turning down a hallway. He called over his shoulder. "I'll catch you later."

  Christie looked after Chase and shook her head. He was like a miniature whirlwind, laughing, joking, and always dashing off to talk to somebody. There was a feeling of energy about him. Maybe that was what made him one of the most exciting boys she had met. Then she remembered that she wouldn't be seeing Chase much longer if her family moved to England, and her blue mood returned.

  CHAPTER 6

  After supper that evening Christie rushed upstairs to clean her room just in case Chase looked in when he came to study. She straightened the pile of stuffed animals on her bed and rearranged the tennis trophies on her dresser. It would be a good idea for Chase to see my trophies and ribbons, she thought. Then he'll know I'm a good athlete, too. She'd have to think about how to manage that without being too obvious.

  Next Christie looked at the clothes in her closet. Should she put on a skirt, or would she seem like she was trying too hard to impress him? Maybe she should just wear jeans. No—he might think she was sloppy.

  Christie pulled three or four outfits out of her closet and laid them out on the bed. She finally settled on a white skirt and a light blue blouse that looked great with her blond hair. Then she brushed her hair and pulled it back from her face with barrettes. She decided that eye shadow would be too much and spritzed just a little perfume behind each ear. She was taking one last look in her mirror when the doorbell rang.

  "Hi," said Chase when she opened the door. "Hey, you look super."

  Christie gave him a big smile. "Thanks," she said. "Come on in."

  "Who is it, Christie?" called her mother from the living room.

  "It's Chase Collins, Mom," said Christie as she took him in to meet her parents. "I told you he was coming over to study.

  "Oh, yes. I'm pleased to meet you, Chase," her mother said, extending her hand.

  Chase took it. "Gee, this is a great house, Mrs. Winchell. I really like it."

  "Why, thank you, Chase. That's nice of you to say. Christie, I got more popcorn yesterday, if you and Chase want some later."

  "Thanks, Mom."

  "Hello. Who have we here?" her father asked as he stepped into the room.

  "Daddy, this is Chase Collins. He just moved here from California."

  "Hello, Mr. Winchell," Chase said, reaching out to shake her father's hand. "I was just telling Mrs. Winchell what a great house you have. Christie says you travel a lot to England. You must have a real important job."

  "I guess you could say it's somewhat important," her father answered, smiling appreciatively at the compliment. "It's a job that somebody had to do, and I got elected."

  "I bet you were chosen because you know more than anybody else," said Chase.

  "Well . . . hmm." Her father's smile broadened, and he straightened his shoulders. "I like to think I know a little bit about the business." Then, looking hastily at his wife, he added, "But there are others that know a lot about it, too. What part of California are you from?"

  "San Diego, sir."

  "Is that right? I was stationed at the U.S. naval air station on Coronado Island when Mrs. Winchell and I were first married. That was in 1975 B.C.—Before Christie," he said, chuckling.

  Christie cringed at the little joke her father had told a million times before.

  "Daddy, we've got to study. Come on, Chase," said Christie, pulling him by the arm. "We'd better get busy if we're going to get everything done."

  "Nice meeting you, Chase," said Mr. Winchell.

  "Yes, very," agreed her mother.

  Christie felt great as she and Chase left her parents smiling in the middle of the room. Chase had made a fantastic impression on them. He was Mr. Perfect.

  "Will you stop joking so much? We'll never finish these math problems," Christie said. Her sides ached from laughing.

  It was almost ten p.m., and they were still sitting at her kitchen table. It had taken them almost two hours to write a two-page essay for English. Chase had kept up a hilarious running commentary the entire time. It had been almost impossible for Christie to keep her mind on what she was doing. Now they were having the same problem with the math assignment.

  "Time for a popcorn break," Chase announced.

  "But we're only half finished. When we're through, we can make popcorn."

  "I'll have to leave as soon as we finish," protested Chase. "You wouldn't send me out in the cold without fortifying me with supernutritious popcorn, would you?"
<
br />   "It's not cold out."

  "Well, what if I run out of energy during practice tomorrow and drown? It would be your fault." He put on a hangdog look that made Christie laugh again.

  "Well, all right, if you keep working."

  "Fantastic. I can taste the popcorn already. Put extra butter on it."

  Christie had just put the popcorn into the microwave when the phone rang.

  "Christie, it's for you," called her father.

  She took the receiver from the wall phone.

  "Hello."

  "It's me, Melanie, Christie. Is Chase still there?"

  "Yes."

  "Great! What have you two been doing?"

  Christie lowered her voice so Chase couldn't hear. "What have we been doing? Studying, of course."

  "Studying!" Melanie sounded amazed. "What am I going to do with you? This is your big opportunity to get a date with him, and you're going to blow it."

  "I'm not blowing anything, Melanie."

  "Tell me what he's doing this very moment."

  Christie looked over her shoulder. "He's working a math problem."

  "Do this, Christie. Move your chair real close to his, so he has to touch you, and look deep into his eyes. He'll know you like him then. And ask him to help you with something, maybe a math problem."

  "I'm the one who's helping him with math."

  "I know, but can't you ask him for just a little bit of help?"

  Christie sighed. "Not when I don't need it. That's silly. Melanie, I'm going to hang up."

  "Well," said Melanie, sounding hurt, "don't say I didn't try to help."

  "You tried. Good-bye, Melanie." Christie hung up the receiver.

  "Who was that?" asked Chase as Christie came back to the table with the buttered popcorn.

  "Oh, it was just Melanie. She wanted to talk."

  Chase took a big handful of popcorn. "Hey, did you hear the joke about . . ." Chase told a string of jokes as they ate. Finally, he looked up at the clock.

  "Oops! It's ten-thirty. I've got to go. Say," he said with a grimace, "we were talking, and I forgot all about doing the rest of the problems. Could you maybe, uh . . . do them in homeroom tomorrow and let me see them?"

  Christie bit her lip and thought a moment. She really didn't want to get in a situation where she was doing Chase's homework all the time. Then she glanced down at the page his notebook was opened to. Printed in large letters under the last problem were the initials:

  C.C. + C.W.

  A little flutter of excitement went through her, and she forced a smile. "Sure," she said.

  As they walked to the door, Chase stuck his head into the living room, where Christie's parents were reading. "Good-night, Mrs. Winchell, Mr. Winchell. It was great meeting you."

  "Good-night, Chase. Come anytime," said Christie's mother.

  "We'll have to talk more about San Diego one of these days," her father said.

  "Right, Mr. W. We'll do that."

  "Nice folks," said Chase when they were standing in the outside entry way.

  "Thanks," said Christie.

  Chase put his free hand on the back of her waist.

  Christie was glad the overhead light was dim, so he couldn't see her blushing. "The light," she whispered.

  He pulled her into the shadows.

  Christie couldn't believe how wonderful his kiss was. Her knees turned to jelly, and all her reservations about doing his homework melted away.

  "Would you go to the movies with me tomorrow night?" he asked.

  "Yes," she answered softly.

  After Chase had left, Christie floated up the stairs. She felt as light as a feather as she pirouetted across her room. She was sure the evening had turned out romantic enough to satisfy even Melanie.

  CHAPTER 7

  Mr. Dracovitch slowly stirred the water in the fish tank in front of him with a wooden paddle. The PEAK class watched intently as the fish darted out of his way. Spread around on the table were several pieces of lab equipment Christie couldn't identify.

  "Water is all around you and in you. We sail our ships on it, we build our cities on its shores, we get food from it, we bathe in it, and we drink it. Over seventy-five percent of the earth's surface is covered by water. The same seawater makes up over sixty percent of our bodies." Melinda Thaler and Whitney Larkin looked at their arms as if they expected to see them turn into water.

  "Before you were born, you were immersed in water. All living things depend on water. There's life in the smallest of puddles and the deepest of oceans. Can anyone give me an example of something that lives in puddles?"

  "Mosquitoes?" asked Melissa.

  "Right."

  "Microbes," said Curtis, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

  "Right again. Now, have you ever thought about what it would be like to live on the ocean floor, the way some sea creatures do?"

  "It'd be very cold and wet," said Dekeisha.

  Mr. Dracovitch chuckled. "Certainly. Do you think we ought to send tiny little wet suits down so they can keep warm?"

  Christie giggled at the idea with the rest of the class. Mr. Dracovitch was definitely funnier than any of her other teachers.

  "Seriously," he continued, "the further down in the ocean one goes, the greater the pressure and the darker it is. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have to find food when it was too dark to see? What if it was night and the power was out at your house and you were very hungry? And what if somebody moved the refrigerator on you? Could you find it? Let's find out.

  "Everyone take a paper sack," he said, pointing to a stack of grocery bags on a table. "Then I want you to cut holes in them where your eyes are when the sack is over your head. There are scissors in the box."

  The kids moved to the table as they were told. Christie put a sack over her head and felt for the place where her eyes were located. Then she pinched the paper to mark the spots.

  "Why are we going to cut holes in them if there's not supposed to be any light?" asked Curtis.

  "You're jumping ahead of me," said Mr. Dracovitch. "Wait until everyone's finished, and you'll see.

  "Okay, now here's a roll of waxed paper and some tape. Cut a piece of the paper, and tape it on over the hole to make a window." He watched as they did what he instructed.

  "Now for the important part of the experiment," Mr. Dracovitch said dramatically. He reached under the table and pulled out a Mama Mia's pizza box.

  "Wow! Lunchtime," said Melinda.

  "Voilà!" said Mr. Dracovitch, opening the box to reveal a pepperoni and sausage pizza. "But this is not a pizza."

  "It's not, Mr. D?" asked Curtis, straightening his glasses again. "It looks like pizza to me."

  The science teacher smiled. "No. It's fish food. If you were a fish living deep in the ocean where there's hardly any light, you'd be in competition with all the other fish for food, wouldn't you? Let's see how well you'd do.

  "I want each of you to put your bag over your head. Then I'm going to put a slice of this fish food somewhere in the room, and it will be up to you to find it."

  Christie slipped the bag on as she was told. When she tried to look through the waxed paper window, all she could see was a dim glow. Her classmates were such vague figures, she couldn't even tell Curtis from the girls.

  "Okay, fish," said Mr. Dracovitch. "There's food somewhere in this room, and if you want some, you'd better find it. And no peeking!"

  Christie sniffed and smelled the sausage and pepperoni in the air. Maybe I can follow the smell, she thought. But the stronger the smell, the nearer I must be to the pizza box. He wouldn't hide it there.

  She swung her sacked head back and forth trying to see anything. She heard feet shuffling and knew the other kids were moving around, too. Suddenly she felt two hands on her neck.

  "Oops! Excuse me," Whitney said. Whitney's shadow figure turned and went off in another direction.

  "Hey! Watch out," someone said to her left. It sounded like Melissa.
r />   A chair scraped across the floor, and Curtis exclaimed, "How'd that get there?"

  Christie giggled and moved in the direction where she saw the most light, hoping she wouldn't run into someone or something. This is silly, thought Christie. I'll never find the fish food by just wandering around. She giggled again when she realized she was thinking of the pizza as fish food. The thought of eating the pizza made her mouth water.

  Okay, she thought. It's time for me to use logic. Where would Mr. Dracovitch have put the pizza slice? She tried remembering the furniture in the room and where it was located. There was the big table Mr. Dracovitch had been using and ten or twelve chairs. The chairs were lined up in front of the table. Then she remembered a small table in the corner of the room with an overhead projector on it. Christie looked both ways for more moving shapes. The corner with the table, was it to her left or to her right? She took a chance and went to her right.

  Twice she had to stop to avoid a dark shadow that passed in front of her. When the window of her sack darkened, she knew she was near a wall.

  Christie put her hands out and found it and then began working her way to the left. Just as she was beginning to think the room had grown, like the one in Alice In Wonderland, her leg hit something metallic. She reached out and touched the table. Working her hands up its sides, she felt the projector. When she reached the top of it, her fingers felt something soft and gooey.

  "The Christie Winchell fish wins!" Mr. Dracovitch shouted.

  Christie tore off her paper sack and grabbed the slice of pizza. Laughing, she took a big bite and waved it at the other kids.

  "Darn! said Curtis. "I wanted to find it. I'm starved."

  "Okay, everyone," said Mr. Dracovitch. "Back to your seats." When everyone was settled, he said, "I guess we can't let the rest of this pizza go to waste, can we? Here, Curtis, pass it around."

  As the class munched on their snack, the teacher continued. "Now you know what it's like for some animals that live in the twilight zone in the ocean. Can anyone tell me why it gets darker the further down in the water you go?"

  "Because there's stuff in it?" asked Dekeisha. Everyone laughed.

  "You've got it," said the teacher. "Stuff like teeny-tiny little animals called zooplankton feeding on teeny-tiny little plants called phytoplankton. And just think, there are things that live even deeper in the ocean, where there's no light at all. Can you imagine never being able to see a thing?