Chloe forced a smile. "These are fightin' duds. You got your 'Abolish Animal Slavery' T-shirt," she held her coat open, "your 'Animal Lib' button, 'Wail for the Whales', and oh, yeah, 'Stop Species-ism' banner." She pulled the rolled-up cloth out of her bag and unfurled it in front of her.
"You look like you're going to—"
Chloe shut the door and locked it. "Would you like to ride the bus with me downtown? Ditch school for the day?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he focused on a spot over her head. When he looked down at her, he said, "I can't. I love you too much."
Her spine stiffened. She felt the anger rising up the back of her neck. "No, you don't," she replied. All those months of pent-up emotions suddenly burst through the dam. "You don't love me, Brett. You love the person you want me to be."
With an electric jolt of reality, she realized what she'd said was true. She'd known it for a long time now; she just didn't want to admit it. Just like she didn't want to admit a lot of things. He didn't love the real Chloe Mankewicz. He didn't even know her. He loved that she was different. Interesting. But he must've thought it was an act. Chloe had given up her identity for him. Now she felt afraid. Afraid of where this revelation was leading.
"It's not your fault," she added hastily. "I mean, I'm the one who changed."
"Yeah. You sure did," he said coolly. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked off toward school.
She wanted to call out to him, to make him stop. But his name stuck in her throat and she could only manage a hoarse, "Brett. Don't go."
At the corner he sprinted across the street and disappeared in a blur. Commanding all her strength to stanch an avalanche of tears, Chloe took off running for the bus stop. The downtown express was just pulling away from the curb when she arrived, out of breath and wheezing. She slumped onto the bench to wait for the next bus.
Chloe fought to erase the memory of Brett running away. What was going to happen between them? Would he still love her after this? Would he accept her the way she really was? Did she love him? Maybe that was the real question.
She'd have to reconcile her feelings about Brett, about Gran, about everything. But not today. Today was for the animals. "I wonder what Muriel did about the speech," she thought out loud. "I hope she didn't cancel it."
Chloe didn't notice the car pulling up at the curb. It was the hum of an electric window scrolling down that made her glance up. "I thought that was you. Would you like a ride to the capitol, darling?" her mother said. "It's on my way."
CHAPTER 20
"Let me off a couple of blocks away, Mother," Chloe said, fastening her seatbelt. "I don't want to be seen driving up in this car."
Her mother smiled vaguely. She glanced into the side view mirror before merging the lavender Lexus out into traffic. With a sigh she said, "Yes, my trophy on wheels. I suppose I'll have to give up my chariot when I leave the company."
Chloe widened her eyes at her. "You're quitting Desiree?"
"Well, I'm glad your first inclination wasn't to ask if I was fired. Yes, as of yesterday, I am no longer the Western Regional Director for Desiree Cosmetics, Inc." She swerved between two buses to change lanes, then slammed on her brakes behind a stalled car.
Chloe, bouncing off the padded dashboard, said, "So, what are you going to do?"
Her mother lifted her rose-tinted sunglasses and smooshed them into her hair. "Remember at Thanksgiving, when I noticed how pretty you looked with makeup? You mentioned the products you use are, how did you put it, crueltyless?"
"Cruelty-free," Chloe said, blushing at the compliment.
"That's right, cruelty-free. Well, that started me thinking. I've been noticing how this movement of yours is catching on. All this sudden social consciousness to save the planet."
Not so sudden, Mother, Chloe thought. You've just been living in Barbie's dream world.
They lurched out into traffic again, brakes squealing. Chloe thought, I'm going to lose my breakfast. "So, you're joining up?" she asked, wondering how upchucked granola would go with lilac upholstery.
"Do I have a choice?" her mother answered. "Let's just say I'm positioning myself for the opportunities available for someone with my unique talents."
Chloe wanted to laugh. She restrained herself, but her mother must've noticed. She pressed on the gas pedal. "I've been hired as a beauty consultant at the Palm Springs Health Resort and Spa," she said. "It's basically a fat farm, but the over-indulgent deserve to feel beautiful—for a week at least."
A sudden warmth spread through Chloe. She was feeling benevolent today, thankful for any stability in her life. Even her mother. Then the words struck her. "Palm Springs? As in California?"
"I'm not deserting you," her mother added quickly. "We'll see each other on holidays and summers. Probably more than we do now."
Chloe felt a twinge of regret, which lingered, surprisingly. "Couldn't you find something closer? Something here in town?"
Her mother blinked across at her. A car horn blared, and she blinked back. "I guess I could keep looking. If it means that much to you."
Chloe bit her lip.
Her mother reached across and squeezed Chloe's hand. She slammed on the brakes again and cursed the taxi in front of them, bringing the magic moment to an abrupt halt.
"Well, here we are." Chloe's mother pulled into a reserved parking space at the curb across the street from the state capitol building. "Good luck on your speech. By the way, how's Brett?"
Chloe swallowed hard as she opened the door. "Don't ask."
Her mother frowned. "Oh, darling." She looked concerned. "I'm sorry. Maybe we can have lunch next week and talk about it. I'm an expert on exes." She arched an eyebrow.
Exes. It sounded so final. Chloe's stomach twisted. She perched on the edge of the car seat for a moment, then looked back over her shoulder and thought, I really do need someone to talk to. "Thanks, Mom," Chloe said. "I'll call you."
The schedule board said the animal rights legislation hearing was slated to begin at 9:00 in room 312. Chloe searched the labyrinth of hallways until she found the room. The double doors were closed with a sign that said: In Session. Chloe checked her watch. 10:08. She heard the muted voice of a speaker inside. No guards were around, so she pulled on the handle and tiptoed in.
The speaker was finishing an announcement. "That was Mary Stimpson from PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Thank you, Mary."
Chloe felt a tug on her coat sleeve. Glancing down, she found Nicole motioning Chloe into the empty seat next to her on the aisle. Chloe slid in, whispering, "Where's Muriel?"
Before Nicole could reply, the announcer said, "Our next speaker was selected by the Humane Society to represent the voice of youth." Someone tapped the speaker on the shoulder. He held his hand over the microphone while a message was relayed. "There's been a change," he told the audience, jotting on his program notes. "The voice of youth will be represented by Miss Muriel Blevins."
"What?" Chloe whipped her head around to gape at Nicole.
Nicole smiled. "She volunteered."
Chloe looked back. Muriel rose from her chair at the back of the stage and approached the microphone. "Hooboy. She's really going to do it," Chloe thought out loud.
Muriel tapped her note cards on the lectern and cleared her throat. "L-l-l-adies and g-g-g-gentlemen," she began.
Chloe winced. She could feel Muriel's panic.
Muriel swallowed hard and began again. "Ladies and gentlemen. My friend C-Chloe Mankewicz was supposed to give this speech today." Muriel's voice shook like Jell-O. "Believe it or n-not she's a much better public speaker than I am." Her pained expression sparked a current of chuckles throughout the audience.
"Chloe's the most dedicated, outspoken, committed animal r-rights activist you could ever know. If she were here today, I know you'd feel assured that the animals of the earth will be protected in the future." Muriel paused and drew a deep, trembling breath. "But she's not here, and I'll tell
you why. The people who wanted her out of this assembly—the same people who believe animals were put on this planet to serve us—these people broke into Chloe's house and tried to steal her eleven-year-old deaf cat to sell to a medical laboratory."
As cries of outrage filled the committee room, Chloe felt her own tears welling up again. She lowered her head and breathed deeply to rein them in. Nicole squeezed her hand in her lap.
"Thankfully, they didn't get her cat, but they threatened to try again. I'd like to address those people now," Muriel continued, her voice still quivering a little. "Congratulations. You succeeded in eliminating Chloe. Now what are your plans for silencing the rest of us?"
A rally of spontaneous applause erupted. Chloe looked around. There must've been two hundred people in the audience; lots of people her age, and younger.
Chloe didn't hear all of Muriel's speech. She didn't have to. She watched its effect on the room as people reached out to clasp hands in a gesture of strength and unity. Muriel's words, though fluttery to the end, inspired a standing ovation. Chloe clapped the loudest. She jumped up and down. In the end she just couldn't help herself. In her most resonant contralto she began the chant, "Give life a chance. Give life a chance."
The people around her all linked arms and began to sway. They joined in her appeal. Tears clouded Chloe's eyes, but they were tears of joy and she welcomed them. She watched Muriel shake hands with Governor Eicher, with the president of PETA. Chloe felt a lump rise in her throat. Those could've been her handshakes, her moment of glory. No, Chloe told herself. This is Muriel's victory. She was there when it counted. She never wavered in her convictions. She never let anything, or anyone, change her.
Chloe was so proud Muriel. And so ashamed of herself. Through the tears, she felt a warmth inside her core begin to spread, and she knew this was where she belonged. This was home. Here, among these people, where something mattered. Where Chloe Mankewicz, one small, insignificant human being on the planet, could make a difference. Could make it better. Yes, she thought. I'm back. And I'm stronger than ever. She smiled to herself. "Look out world."
CHAPTER 21
"The bill passed the committee and is for the House of Representatives," Muriel said. She peeled back her carton of soy yogurt. "They'll be voting on it during the next term. Keep your fingers crossed."
Chloe said, "Keep everything crossed." She crossed her eyes at Muriel and they both cracked up.
"So, how's your grandmother doing?" Muriel asked.
Chloe finished her couscous salad and closed the Tupperware lid. "Better than expected. When the other residents at Meridian found out she was a CIA operative, they were, like, in awe. She's a celebrity."
Muriel arched an eyebrow. "But—"
"Yeah, I know. She worked for twenty years as a Merry Maid. Don't tell her that."
Muriel laughed. From her backpack she pulled out a red folder and said, "Mr. Keifer agreed to moderate the panel on Friday. I guess he's not so bad. Although he's probably on the pro side." She curled a lip at Chloe.
Chloe jabbed Muriel in the shoulder. "The chemistry just wasn't right between you. Don't worry, Mur. There'll be other men, men of real class." She stood and grabbed a handful of papers. "We'd better get these flyers out so people will know about the debate."
Chloe straightened her shoulders. "You've seen it on TV," she announced in her clear contralto to the crowded cafeteria. "You've read it on the news. It's not science fiction anymore. Come hear a debate on the ethics of cloning."
Chloe's beret lifted off her hair. The guy in a muscle shirt jammed it over his head and made a goofy face. "The ethics of clowning?" His friends whooped.
"Faber!" Chloe sneered at him and clucked. "Not clowning, you idiot. Cloning. You know, making copies of animals? Copies of people? Can you imagine a room full of Fabers?" Chloe's fingers formed claws at Faber's buddies. "Scareee."
Faber's friends intoned, "Oooh. She got you good." They elbowed him in the ribs.
Faber's eyes narrowed, then twinkled at Chloe. "How 'bout a world full of maniac Mankewiczes?" He shuddered all over. "Arc, arc," he crowed.
Everyone laughed. Even Chloe. "Come to the debate Friday," she said to him, to all of them. "You might learn something."
Faber took the flyer she offered. As he turned to leave, he handed back her beret.
She waved him off. "Keep it. It looks better on you."
He snorted and swaggered away.
"Genetic engineering," Chloe bellowed. "It's the ultimate power trip of man over beast. A total violation of animal rights. Who are we to mess around with evolution?"
She felt his presence before she saw him. Her scalp tingled. The faint scent of soap tickled her nose. She swallowed hard and ended, "Who died and made us God?" She turned.
Brett met her eyes. "Good question," he said.
The air between them crackled. Silence stretched. He'd been avoiding her for a week now. She knew she'd have to face him sometime. Finally, Chloe found her voice and said, "We're organizing a debate about cloning on Wednesday during lunch. The ethics, pro and con. Although there isn't anything to say in favor of it. Here." She handed him a flyer.
He stared at it for a moment before shoving it in his pocket. She noticed on his tray a hamburger and fries, the works. He blinked at her and said quietly, "You can't save the world, Chloe." Lowering his head, he backed off and sauntered away.
"I can try!" she yelled after him. Her eyes welled with tears. Oh, God, she thought. I'm going to lose it, right here in the cafeteria.
"Chloe," Muriel called to her back.
Chloe swallowed the catch in her throat. Inhaling a shaky breath, she whirled back around. A group of people hovered around the ARC table.
"This is Tyler and Cameron," Muriel said. "I didn't get everyone else's name."
Chloe scanned the group. "Lyssya?"
"Hi, Chloe," she said. "I was telling everyone about what you told me. You know, about killing baby animals for food, and all the other horrible things we do to animals. It's not right. We want to help. We want to join your club."
Chloe's jaw dropped. She looked at Muriel.
"I told them they've have to talk to the president," she said.
Chloe counted five, six people. "Well, Mur," she replied. "Give them membership forms."
Muriel widened her eyes. Her lips curled in a smile and she rummaged through her backpack. "Darn," she snapped her fingers, "I forgot the forms at home."
Chloe shrugged at the group. "You just can't get good help these days." She winked at Muriel. "I'll bring the membership forms tomorrow. Meanwhile, why don't you write down your names and phone numbers so we can text you when the next meeting is."
Muriel shoved a notebook and mechanical pencil at Lyssya.
Chloe spun in place. "Yes!" She punched a fist in the air. You're right, Brett, she thought. I can't change the world. Not alone. But guess what? I'm not alone. There are others just like me. Well, maybe not just like me. That would be cloning. She giggled to herself. But people who share my philosophies, my beliefs, my respect for all living things on this planet. And you know what? I'm going to find those people, or they're going to find me. And together we will change the world. We're a team. Get it? We've got the ball now and we're going all the way.
###
Julie Anne Peters has been writing books for children and young adults for more than 20 years. She's not as fervent as Chloe in her beliefs, but she's been a vegetarian and animal rights advocate for most of her life.
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