Puppy Love!

by Sienna Mercer

No More Puppy Love was full of telltale phrases just like those. If Debi heard him sing it tomorrow night, she would know without a doubt – as would everyone else at the dance! – that Daniel was crushing on her.

  Awkward!

  Worse still, if the band played it during the Homecoming King and Queen’s ceremonial dance, then Daniel could find himself singing a song that was blatantly about Debi while she was dancing with another boy!

  The thought made him gulp with horror.

  Not. Going. To. Happen!

  No More Puppy Love was definitely a dead song . . . at least for now. He just couldn’t take the risk.

  Quickly, he scribbled in the last song on the playlist – Barbed Wire on Fire – a song that rocked safely, without giving away anything embarrassing. Just as he was packing his lyric and music sheets away, he heard his mom call up from the bottom of the stairs:

  ‘Boys? I could have sworn I had a whole bag of peas in the freezer. Have either of you seen it?’

  Uh-oh. Daniel snickered, thinking of Justin’s “medical treatment”. He decided to let Justin answer that question. And thank him later for saving dinner . . .

  I hate peas!

  Chapter Nine

  Well before half-time in the Homecoming Game, Justin was already feeling good. His muscles might still be aching, but they had not let him down. Yet.

  Maybe he wasn’t completely back to top speed, but hey – with Pine Wood comfortably ahead, he didn’t have to be! With the game going so well, he could take it easy. His legs would carry him through just fine, as long as he didn’t push himself too hard.

  Unless Mackenzie keeps on cheering for me! Justin cringed, feeling his focus waver as Mackenzie’s voice rose above the noise of the crowd, aimed straight at him . . . again ! As captain of the cheerleading squad, she hadn’t cheered a single cheer at any other player today.

  ‘Packer, Packer, you’re no fool! On this field, you so rule!’

  Justin’s shoulders hunched. He tried not to look at any of the other players on his team. He was too afraid of what their expressions might be. At least Daniel isn’t here. Justin could just imagine what his twin would say about Mackenzie’s ‘lyrics’!

  Even though Daniel was off preparing for the gig, Justin knew Riley was here sitting in the bleachers, listening to those cheers along with the rest of the school. Could Mackenzie make it any clearer to everyone in hearing range that she considered Justin her new ‘interest’? And could she possibly think of a worse way to embarrass him in front of the rest of his team?

  When Kyle called a huddle, Justin let out a sigh of relief. There was no way he could concentrate on the game right now with Mackenzie staking her personal claim on him in front of Riley and everyone else. It was nothing but a pleasure to huddle safely among the rest of the Beasts . . . at least, until Kyle gave him a hard glare.

  ‘It’s time for you to stop showing off for your girlfriends, Packer!’

  Justin stared at him. ‘I’m not –’

  ‘Save it,’ Kyle snapped. ‘Maybe you’re busy enjoying all that cheering, but Mackenzie Barton isn’t in charge here. I am. I need you back in the game, and I need you to start giving it your all. You can deal with your love life on your own time, Packer. Just don’t let it interfere with the game! If we make this play, we’ll be twenty points ahead. Then we can coast for the second half. Got it?’

  ‘Got it!’ Justin could have cheered himself with relief. ‘Which play are you calling?’

  Kyle’s fierce grin showed all his teeth. ‘We’re going to pull a Rabid Wolf!’

  Oh, no.

  Justin felt all his relief drain away, leaving his legs ready to sag underneath him. He had to clear his throat before he could speak again. ‘Are . . . are you sure about that?’

  ‘Am I sure?’ Kyle gave Justin a disbelieving look. ‘Are you seriously questioning me on this, Packer? You know how strong that play is for us.’

  The Rabid Wolf play was one of the most effective they’d ever developed . . . and the single hardest play for Justin, as the team’s running back, to pull off. He would have to charge straight through the line of scrimmage and sprint downfield to catch a long pass from Kyle, all at top speed, with players from the other team doing everything they could to slow him down.

  Even when he was fighting fit, that play was intense. It took everything he had to do it right, even when everything else was going well. But with his legs still aching from yesterday . . .

  Justin swallowed hard. I don’t think I can make it.

  He tried to sound casual. ‘I’m just not sure we need it right now, when the game’s going so well. Shouldn’t we save it in case we need it later?’

  ‘Hey, we’re the wolves,’ Chris said. ‘Wolves don’t play it safe!’

  Kyle gave Chris a high-five. ‘You’ve got it, dawg. And as for you, Packer . . .’ He gave Justin a knowing look. ‘If you make this TD, we’ll be ahead the twenty points we need. After that, we’ll have to relax so the score isn’t suspiciously high.’

  ‘Right . . .’ Justin shrugged. They all knew they couldn’t afford to win by too much, not if they were going to keep the werewolves’ secret safe. But still . . .

  ‘And that means . . .’ Kyle paused meaningfully. ‘If you make this TD, you’ll be done. You can sit on the bench for the whole second half.’

  Yes! Justin had to hold back a whoop of joy. He forced himself to shrug, adopting an indifferent expression. ‘I guess I can cope with sitting out the next half . . . if you really think it’s a good idea.’

  Silently, he willed his legs: Come on! We can do this! Just one last play, then freedom!

  Unfortunately, his legs didn’t seem to be paying any attention to his bribery. Stabbing pain shot up them as he took his position for the play.

  Justin gritted his teeth. I will do whatever it takes to sit out the next half!

  As he got ready, Mackenzie started up a new cheer: ‘We know we’ll win – ’cos we’ve got Justin !’

  As long as I can do this, he answered silently, I don’t care what you cheer.

  His eyes narrowed as he waited for Kyle’s signal. And . . . go!

  Kyle caught the ball, and Justin barrelled towards the defensive line. Growling as fiercely as a wolf, he forced his way through the line of players, shoving a space clear for himself. No one can stop me!

  With a grunt of effort, he broke through and forced his legs to move faster, ignoring every bolt of pain they sent through him. He had to get downfield in time! As he raced across the AstroTurf, he heard the gasp of the crowd.

  He knew what that meant . . .

  Kyle had hefted the ball downfield. Justin had to get there in time to catch it!

  The shadow of the ball passed over him . . . going much, much too fast.

  I’m not going to make it, he realised.

  It didn’t matter how hard he pushed himself: his wrung-out legs just wouldn’t move fast enough. There was nothing he could do.

  Unless . . .

  It was a gamble. He’d never tried it in practice. But maybe, just maybe . . .

  He thought of Riley forcing herself onward with no sleep. He thought of Daniel winning the battle of the bands, despite having his song stolen.

  With a roar of effort, Justin launched himself into the air, jumping as high as he could.

  The tips of his fingers brushed against the ball . . .

  . . . And his hands closed around it as he landed back on the ground at the opposition’s twenty-yard line.

  His feet hit the ground hard, just at the wrong angle. Losing his balance, Justin started to tip forward. He caught himself just in time, firming his grip around the ball. With a triumphant yell, he gathered himself up – and charged all the way into the end zone!

  ‘Touchdown, Pine Wood!’ the announcer boomed through the megaphone.

  ‘Wooooooooooooo! ’

  ‘PACKER!’

  ‘Way to go, man!’

  The Beasts thundered down the field to surround him, r
oaring their approval as they pounded on his shoulders and his back. Buoyed up by adrenaline, Justin didn’t even stagger under the onslaught.

  ‘Way to fake human-ness!’ Ed whispered approvingly, as he gave Justin a stinging high-five. ‘That was great acting!’

  ‘Heh.’ Justin grinned. ‘Thanks, um, dawg. It was nothing.’

  ‘No?’ Kyle raised his eyebrows, his gaze intent. ‘Don’t sell yourself short, Packer.’ He reached out to grab Justin’s hand for a shake. ‘Trust me. We want to know what you’re really made of.’

  His hand gripped Justin’s and squeezed it – hard.

  Justin froze as he saw Kyle’s eyes narrow in calculation. That extra-hard hand-squeeze wasn’t just enthusiasm or carelessness, was it? No, it was a test – a test of how strong Justin really was . . . whether he would feel pain . . .

  . . . whether he really was a werewolf!

  Justin gave Kyle a big grin and squeezed back with all his might. The TD buzz was so strong, he didn’t even feel any pain where Kyle’s hand crushed into his.

  I made the Rabid Wolf play, after all, Justin thought as he smiled fiercely at the leader of the Beasts. I made our twenty-point lead. And you can’t even try to pretend that I don’t belong here.

  The whistle blew for half-time. Kyle let go of Justin’s hand with a shrug. As the home crowd cheered for Pine Wood, the whole group of Beasts made their way back to the sidelines, whooping and cheering right along with their fans.

  Justin trailed slightly behind, searching the crowd in the stands. Riley had to be somewhere. If he could only spot her . . .

  Oh, no. Someone else had spotted him ! Mackenzie was standing on tiptoes among her cheerleaders. Her lips curved as he met her eye. She lifted one pom-pom to beckon him over.

  Quickly, Justin dived into the middle of the Beasts to take cover. Even in the middle of them, though, he could feel Mackenzie glaring after him. He tried not to look back at her as he settled on a bench between his teammates.

  The whole crowd quieted as Principal Caine strode on to the field, carrying two envelopes in one hand, and a microphone in the other.

  Justin licked his lips nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mackenzie going taut with excitement.

  Here we go.

  Those envelopes could only symbolise one thing right now: the naming of the Homecoming King and Queen.

  ‘Hey, Packer, it’s your moment.’ Chris jostled him with one elbow, grinning. ‘Did you vote for yourself ?’

  ‘Dude, you know he did,’ Ed answered from Justin’s other side. ‘How else would he get to dance with Mackenzie in front of the whole school?’

  Argh! Justin gripped the bench so tightly, his fingers hurt. If he had to dance with Mackenzie in front of the whole school tonight, then he’d be dancing with her in front of Riley! And what would Riley think of him then?

  He couldn’t be Homecoming King. He just couldn’t.

  ‘Now, students,’ said Principal Caine, ‘I’m sure . . .’ she pursed her lips, ‘. . . we’re all thrilled to finally share this moment.’

  She sounded as depressed as if she were at a funeral. I just might be, Justin thought.

  ‘Our Homecoming King for this year is . . .’ Principal Caine opened the envelope.

  Please don’t let it be Mackenzie, Justin thought. Well, no – it can be Mackenzie, as long as it’s not Mackenzie and me! Please not me . . . Please not me . . .

  Principal Caine sighed into the microphone. ‘Justin Packer!’

  Seriously? Justin’s mouth dropped open. He’d expected to feel embarrassed . . . but actually, it felt really good. All those people had voted for him.

  ‘Come on, man!’ Ed pulled him to his feet. ‘Take a bow!’

  ‘Um . . .’ Nervously, Justin pulled himself up and bobbed his head in a bow. The applause from the stands got even louder. Despite himself, he felt his smile become a real one.

  He desperately did not want to be King to Mackenzie’s Queen. But he had to admit . . . it was nice to be liked.

  As Mackenzie beamed at him triumphantly, Justin stood on tiptoes, trying to search out Riley’s face in the crowd. He couldn’t see her anywhere.

  ‘And now . . .’ Principal Caine cleared her throat. The field fell silent.

  Justin held himself poised on his aching legs, waiting for the final judgment. This is it!

  ‘We can hardly have a King without a Queen,’ said Principal Caine dryly, ‘and therefore, the student chosen as Pine Wood’s Homecoming Queen is . . .’

  Is . . .? Justin couldn’t breathe.

  Principal Caine gave a small, tight smile. ‘. . . going to be announced at the Dance itself !’ She slipped the second envelope into her pocket. ‘Enjoy the second half of the game, everyone.’

  All the strength in Justin’s legs gave out in a whoosh. He flopped on to the bench with a groan.

  ‘Geez, Packer.’ Kyle shook his head. ‘You’re taking this all pretty seriously. I didn’t think you cared that much about popularity. Are you that worried you might not get to dance with your girlfriend?’

  ‘Mackenzie is not my girlfriend,’ Justin mumbled. He closed his eyes, feeling pain arc up and down the muscles of his legs.

  ‘She sure cheers like she’s your girlfriend,’ Chris said.

  Ed snorted. ‘She sure looks at you like she’s your girlfriend.’

  ‘Maybe she’ll only be his girlfriend if she wins,’ Kyle said. ‘That would explain why he’s so nervous.’

  ‘Whatever.’ Justin gritted his teeth, but he didn’t say any more, even when they kept on teasing him. He was too tense to argue about it. If he did, he might just explode from pressure and give everything away.

  Why hadn’t Principal Caine just gone ahead and announced the Homecoming Queen when everyone was expecting her to, to put them all out of their misery?

  Please let it be Debi, not Mackenzie. Please let Riley’s campaigning have worked!

  At that, he felt his first small burst of relief. What am I thinking? This is Riley. Of course it worked!

  Riley was brilliant at everything she did. She was the Queen of Organisation! With Riley in charge of Debi’s campaign, it was sure to win . . . and that meant that there was no possibility of Justin having to dance with Mackenzie tonight, in front of Riley.

  Justin sagged with relief at the realisation. Finally relaxing, he waved his teammates off as they took their places on the field for the second half. Stretching out his aching legs, he prepared to enjoy the rest of the game.

  Then he accidentally caught Mackenzie’s gaze. She was grinning straight at him. Across the field, she pointed first at Justin, then at herself. ‘You and me,’ she mouthed. ‘Tonight. ’

  Then she reached up to set an invisible crown on her head.

  Justin groaned. All of his certainty drained away, replaced by sheer desperation.

  Please let Riley’s campaign have worked!

  Chapter Ten

  Daniel had been in his school gym more times than he could count, but it had never felt so big before – or so stomach-clenchingly intimidating.

  This is getting way too real.

  Sure, there were cheerful ribbons and banners hung all around the gym, and tables full of delicious food set out for the dance, all set up by Riley – but Daniel didn’t care about any of those. All he cared about was the makeshift wooden stage raised above the floor on the far end of the gym. Otto’s drum kit was already set up at the back, and the microphone and amplifiers were plugged in, just waiting for the band to hop on once the dancers arrived.

  It looked real. It looked professional. No matter how many students flooded in to pack the gym once the Dance started, every single one of them would be able to see and hear In Sheep’s Clothing.

  Daniel was suddenly feeling sick! Worse than sick, he was feeling like he might turn.

  Pushing one hand hard over his stomach, he bent over his guitar so that no one could see his face. He was standing in the shadow of the stage. To anyone who l
ooked across the gym, he hoped he’d just look like he was taking his warm-up duties seriously.

  Just calm down, he told himself, as he had done when the change had come over him after he argued with Milo. Just calm down and you won’t change . . . This is perfectly normal. You’re just an ordinary thirteen-year-old boy with an ace band who is getting ready for his . . .

  He swallowed hard, as nausea almost overwhelmed him . . . Gig!

  Somehow, the single word that he most loved saying and thinking had suddenly become the most terrifying syllable in the entire English language.

  This is a big mistake.

  His fingers froze on his guitar strings. His mouth went dry as his pulse started pounding in his ears.

  What had he been thinking, auditioning the band for a real gig? They weren’t ready! They needed more practice! Maybe he should go tell that to Principal Caine right now. They might be ready in another month . . . or maybe three months would be better . . . or should he give them a whole year just to be on the safe side?

  I have to call this off!

  Steeling himself, he looked up. Nathan and Otto were grinning and bantering with each other as they chowed down on nacho dip from one of the side tables covered with food. They didn’t look nervous. Why weren’t they nervous?

  Daniel groaned silently. Maybe he really was the only one with something to fear. OK, he admitted it: he had a lot to fear.

  What if he flubbed a note with the whole school listening? What if his wolf nails snapped every string on his guitar? What if . . . He closed his eyes in pain as he realised the worst possibility of all: What if everybody laughs at my lyrics?

  ‘Hey, Daniel! Getting excited?’

  His eyes flew open. Debi was walking straight towards him across the gym, wearing a sleek purple dress that swished around her legs. Her vibrant red hair fell loose around her shoulders, and long purple gloves stretched to her elbows. She looked as if she could have stepped straight out of the pages of one of his favourite comic books!

  ‘Wow.’ Daniel blinked. ‘You look . . .’ Wait. Stop! His words screeched to a halt as his brain caught up with him. Do NOT tell the girl you like that she looks like a comic book superhero! She’ll think you’re a geek!