What If... All Your Friends Turned On You

by Liz Ruckdeschel

  “He’s well!” Dave cried. “He’s alive!”

  “Thank you. Brother David,” RoBro! finished.

  Dave wiped tears from his eyes and hugged the robot. Annie, Hannah, Alex and Haley applauded. Mitchell nodded his head modestly.

  “What can I say? I hate to lose a patient,” he said.

  “That was very stirring,” Alex said.

  “Really touching,” Annie added.

  “We should celebrate RoBro!’s return to life,” Haley said. “Anybody want some ice cream?”

  “I do!” Annie said.

  “Well, sorry, we don’t have any ice cream,” Haley said. “But we do have zucchini bread.”

  They all trooped upstairs to the kitchen. Haley sliced and toasted the mildly sweet veggie bread for all of her guests. Dave requested a small piece for RoBro!—“Just a teensy one, since he’s still recovering. He can’t eat it, of course, but he does like to smell things.”

  “There’s been so much drama, I almost forgot about your big news, Alex,” Haley said as she finally settled down at the table. Earlier that evening they’d all been celebrating Alex’s acceptance to Georgetown, though that felt like ages ago now.

  “It’s a good night for everyone, isn’t it?” Alex said.

  “It certainly is!” Annie said. “So how are things going for Team Eton? And can you get me one of those Devon McKnight T-shirts? They’re the hottest thing at school right now.”

  Eleanor Eton had recently charged Alex with renewing Spencer’s social standing, which had plummeted after Coco De Clerq publicly dumped him. So Alex had hired the talented artist Devon McKnight to design a pro-Spencer shirt to counteract Coco’s smear campaign. Devon had created an edgy instant classic, and soon everybody at school was wearing them—if they weren’t sporting a preppier Team Coco shirt.

  At the mere mention of Devon’s name, Haley felt a pang in her stomach. Those Team Eton T-shirts had brought her scruffy classmate into the limelight and made the artsy/creative junior suddenly cool. Haley had been spending so much time with these science and political brainiacs lately that she sometimes felt she was neglecting her artistic side, and to her, Devon represented this freer, alternate version of her life. Plus, he was way cute. She thought she’d stomped out the flame of that old crush a while ago, but maybe not. Clearly, there was still a kernel of feeling intact.

  “That reminds me, I’ve got to ask Devon to make some more,” Alex said. “I’m giving them away for free but at this point I could sell them, they’re so popular.”

  “Is Mrs. Eton really paying you to make Spencer a teen idol again?” Hannah asked. “Don’t you think that’s kind of unethical?”

  “It’s hard to say,” Alex said evasively. “But it’s good experience for me. It’s like a microcosm of a political campaign. I try to look at Spencer as a candidate. I don’t have to like him personally. I just have to convince the voters—or the kids at school—to like him.”

  Just then, Joan Miller came in and sliced herself a nibble of zucchini bread. “Sorry to break up the party, but I’ve got to march your mechanic off to bed now. It’s getting very late.”

  “Thanks for saving RoBro!, Mitchell,” Dave said. “You’re a genius, and I don’t use that term lightly.”

  “No problem,” Mitchell said. “I was only doing my duty. I took an oath; I must do everything in my power to save a sick machine. Good night, everyone.”

  Haley and Alex helped Dave and Hannah load the revived RoBro! into Annie’s car. After they drove away, Alex lingered in the driveway.

  “I’m very impressed by your brother’s electronic skills,” Alex said. “That was amazing, what he did tonight.”

  “I just feel lucky to have a real brother, and not one I had to build out of scrap metal.”

  “Me too,” Alex said. “I can’t imagine being an only child. No wonder Dave and Annie are so … odd.” He leaned against his car, not quite ready to leave yet. “So listen—what are you doing on Valentine’s Day?”

  Valentine’s Day, eh? Interesting question, Haley thought. She felt her cheeks heat up. “Actually, that’s my birthday. I’m turning seventeen.”

  “Easy birthday to remember,” Alex said. “I was wondering if you’d like to join me for dinner at my house. A special dinner in honor of your birthday and the day of hearts. I’ll cook. I’ll take a stab at it, anyway. You will be witness to my very first steak au poivre.”

  “Wow,” Haley said. “What a lovely invitation.” In the background she heard the sound of a basketball bouncing on asphalt. She glanced across the yard to her next-door neighbors’ driveway. The light was on over the Highlands’ garage, and there was Reese practicing free throws in a ski hat, hoodie and his varsity basketball shorts. He bounced the ball twice, shot and whoosh, made it in.

  Haley knew the basketball team had a major game coming up. It was kind of sweet to see Reese working so hard for it, practicing by himself late at night in the freezing cold.

  “My parents will be out of town with both my brothers,” Alex said. “So if you don’t come, I’ll be all alone on Valentine’s Day.”

  Haley smiled. “Now, that would be a shame.”

  “A terrible shame,” Alex said. “So what do you say?”

  Hmm … Haley could have her birthday plans all sewn up—if she wants to. A boy has just offered to cook dinner for her—what could be better? Still, a combo seventeenth birthday/Valentine’s Day is a big event. Haley is sure to get other offers for that evening, at least from her friends. What should she do?

  The big basketball game against Ridgewood is coming up. It must be important if Reese is so worried about it he’s shooting free throws in the middle of the night. Maybe he could use Haley’s support. They haven’t really been talking lately, but that could change if Haley shows up at the game. Then again, maybe he doesn’t want any distractions.

  Then there’s Devon and his cool new T-shirt business. Haley has always had a little thing for him, and for a time, he seemed to like her too, but lately he’s been so passive about it. Maybe his association with Alex is a sign that he’s finally gotten his act together. Maybe, if Haley makes a little effort now, things could be different between them.

  If you’re sure Haley would love to have Alex cook dinner for her on her birthday, especially if his parents aren’t home, turn to, CANDLELIT BIRTHDAY If you think Haley should support Reese at his game, turn to, RIDGEWOOD RIVALS. Finally, if you think Haley thinks Devon’s new T-shirt business is the coolest thing at school, go find out how he’s feeling about Haley these days, HOT PURSUIT.

  Boys, boys, boys! It’s a tough job to choose, but somebody has to do it.

  SKINNY BRAT

  Keep your friends close and your enemies closer—and don’t let your frenemies out of your sight.

  “Doesn’t Coco look great?” Whitney said. “She’s so skinny!”

  “I don’t know …,” Haley said. They watched Coco sashay down the hall, surprisingly full of pep for a girl who’d hardly eaten in more than a week. As far as Haley was concerned, Coco had gone from skinny to too skinny to waaaay too skinny since she’d broken up with Spencer. It was typical of Whitney to think “the skinnier the better” when it came to Coco’s looks. Whitney had once been a rabid binge-and-purger, and even though she’d recovered, Haley wasn’t sure her body-image issues were fully resolved yet.

  “Are you going to the big basketball game?” Whitney asked, bouncing from subject to subject in her usual spacy manner. “I really want to go, but since half the boys on the team are our enemies now, I’m not sure what to do.”

  “Me either,” Haley said. The Hillsdale varsity boys’ team had a major game coming up against their rival, Ridgewood High, on February 14, and Haley hated to miss it—even though that night was not only Valentine’s Day but also her birthday, and there were sure to be other fun things to do. To complicate matters, she and Reese were on the outs lately. She just wasn’t sure the game was worth the angst.

  “Now that you
guys dumped your boyfriends, it feels like there are no boys left in school to talk to,” Whitney complained. “I wish we could meet some new boys and start over.”

  “I know what you mean,” Haley said.

  Coco stopped to chat with a few senior girls, who were clearly complimenting her on her appearance. Haley had to admit that lately, Coco was looking more and more like the twig-thin models her ex-boyfriend Spencer had gotten caught with over winter break.

  “I wonder how many calories she eats a day,” Whitney said, spooning raspberry yogurt into her mouth.

  “So do I,” Haley said. “In fact, I think I’ll try to find out.” Haley had a bad feeling Coco was dropping pounds in a very unhealthy way. She decided to trail her and find out just how Coco was shedding so much weight so quickly, with so much peppy energy to spare. No time like the present, Haley thought, following Coco into the cafeteria to see what her friend would choose to eat. Coco sat down with Sasha, then pulled a bottle of cloudy liquid from her bag. When Sasha wasn’t looking, Coco proceeded to pop several multicolored capsules into her mouth.

  “Ahem, what is that stuff?” Haley asked, sitting down with them.

  “What, this? It’s just part of my cleansing program,” Coco said defensively. “Hot water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and a little maple syrup for energy. You should try it—it’s great.”

  “No thanks,” Haley said. “And that’s not what I meant.”

  Coco shot Haley a threatening glance that said, Mind your own business.

  “What are you talking about, Haley?” Sasha asked, mildly annoyed. “Don’t be vague, please? All this dieting has wreaked havoc on my ability to concentrate.”

  “I saw Coco taking pills,” Haley revealed.

  “What are you, the lunch police?” Coco snapped. “Don’t worry, this is all perfectly healthy. My trainer at the gym gave them to me.”

  “They’re from Trainer Bobby? Then they must be okay,” Sasha said sarcastically. “That guy sells steroids to half the football team.”

  “Haley the whole point of a cleanse is the special chemical reaction certain ingredients have on your system,” Coco insisted. “I know what I’m doing.”

  Coco could say “Don’t worry” all she wanted, but Haley and Sasha were officially worried. This cleanse was obviously a front for a starvation diet with chemical enhancement. Haley was afraid that Coco might have entered an early stage of anorexia. Not eating at all seemed even more pernicious than Whitney’s flirtation with bulimia.

  Should I do something about this? Haley wondered. But if so, what? And what if getting involved means causing more harm than good?

  Coco’s calorie crunching has clearly gone too far, but what should Haley do about it? If you think she should talk to Coco directly, in private, CONFRONT COCO. On the other hand, confronting her could backfire. Coco has a very controlling personality and does not always welcome Haley’s input. If you think Haley should stay out of this one, especially knowing how cranky Coco’s been acting lately, CALL THE NURSE.

  If you think Haley should forget about Coco’s problems and go spy on Reese’s basketball performance instead, turn to, RIDGEWOOD RIVALS. Finally, if you want to meet some new boys from another school and forget all about the hotties of Hillsdale High for a while, turn to, MUSICAL VALENTINE.

  LOVE AND ROCKETS

  Love is not a team sport, but revenge can be.

  Haley was shocked when she walked down the hall at school and spotted Coco pressed against Devon in a corner. What was that about? Haley bristled. No way was Coco into Devon, and no way Devon was into Coco. But why was she whispering seductively into his ear?

  On closer inspection, Coco wasn’t whispering at all, she was commanding. Devon was wearing a Team Coco T-shirt he’d made as a joking commentary on Coco’s war against Spencer. Coco loved the shirt and, from what Haley overheard, she was asking—no, demanding—no, begging—Devon to produce as many more of them as he could. Coco would even foot the bill; Devon could hand out the shirts to the student body for free.

  “How many more?” Devon asked.

  “Let’s start with three hundred,” Coco said.

  “No problemo,” Devon said. “For the right price.”

  It turned out Devon was making the shirts at Jack’s, the vintage clothing store where he worked after school, using an old silk-screening machine Jack had recently bought and handed over to Devon to use.

  “Money is no object,” Coco said. “I want this school flooded with Team Coco tees by the end of the week.” She stuffed a wad of bills into Devon’s pocket and walked away.

  Devon caught Haley watching and grinned. “Jackpot,” he said, winking at her flirtatiously.

  “Looks like someone’s found a new source of income,” Haley said, marveling at how confident and alluring Devon suddenly seemed.

  “How can I say no to cold, hard cash,” he said, throwing up his hands. “Maybe you’ll let me buy you dinner one of these days.”

  Haley blushed as he walked away without waiting for her answer.

  Devon was as good as his word. By the end of the week, Haley noticed Team Coco shirts all over school. Coco used them as a conversation starter—and the conversation usually went something like this:

  “Did you know I dumped Spencer’s sorry butt right after New Year’s? I don’t care if his mother is governor, he’s a total deadbeat. He’ll be lucky if he even graduates next year. All he does is smoke pot and drink his way through school. Oh, and did I tell you, he’s got problems in the bedroom? Yeah, no wonder he orchestrated all those shots of him with those models in Nevis. It’s like he has to prove his manhood or something.”

  The exchange usually ended up with the classmate joining in with Coco’s insults and then complimenting her polished taste and sense of style, which made Coco beam with joy. Meanwhile, Spencer skulked around the school like a wanted criminal, avoiding social confrontations whenever possible. Not like the superconfident, even egotistical, old Spencer at all.

  Apparently, Alex Martin had noticed the shirts too. “Mrs. Eton was wondering why Spencer hasn’t seemed like himself lately,” Annie Armstrong reported to Haley. “So Alex told her about the Coco shirts and the rumors she’s been spreading about Spencer. So Mrs. Eton told Alex to fix the situation immediately and handed him a stack of petty cash.”

  “But how’s he supposed to fix it?” Haley asked. Alex had a thing for Haley, it was true, and she had personally witnessed him performing miraculous feats in his attempts to get her to date him. But restoring Spencer’s street cred after Coco publicly shamed him? Even Haley thought the job might exceed Alex’s abilities.

  “He’s going to bribe Devon to halt production temporarily on Team Coco shirts and switch over to make Team Eton shirts—with an even cooler design, of course,” Annie said.

  “Wow, Devon must be swimming in money,” Haley mused out loud.

  “That must be a new feeling for him,” Annie said.

  By the next day, the first hundred Team Eton T-shirts appeared. Soon there was an all-out battle taking place in the halls of Hillsdale High. As Team Eton shirts sprouted everywhere, especially on boys supporting Spencer’s lavish bachelor lifestyle, Coco fought back with ever more Team Coco shirts, in baby-doll sizes and appealing bright colors. The school became divided into Coco and Eton camps and, Haley soon realized, you could be on only one team or the other. You had to state your position.

  Coco even reinstated her blacklist. She roamed the halls with a clipboard in hand, monitoring student loyalties. She wrote down the name of every boy or girl she caught wearing a pro-Spencer shirt, and she didn’t count “irony” as an acceptable excuse. You were either with her or against her, and either way, she would never, ever forget it.

  What should Haley do? Do you think she should invest in a T-shirt? Her sympathies may lie with Coco, but what does she think of Coco’s methods? Is Coco taking this revenge thing too far, or not far enough? And if Haley doesn’t join in the boy bashing, will she lose
a spot in the sisterhood?

  Haley’s big seventeenth birthday is coming up, and she’s got a few decisions to make about how to spend it.

  If you think Coco has done a great job of alienating the boys, who totally deserve it, and that Haley should join the sisterhood to take revenge even farther, turn to, MUSICAL VALENTINE. Haley’s got other boys besides Spencer to think about. If you think she was impressed with how Alex jumped right into Spencer’s social life and saved his reputation, turn to, CANDLELIT BIRTHDAY, to help Haley turn seventeen in a romantic setting with a smart high school senior. Lastly, if you think Devon’s business model and creativity were by far the coolest aspects of this whole battle of the sexes, turn to HOT PURSUIT to see if Devon makes an effort on Haley’s birthday this year.

  HOT PURSUIT

  Cold fish are just as tasty as any other, once they’ve sizzled over the coals.

  “What do you mean, you want more?” Irene said. “Devon obviously likes you. He’s spending less and less time with Darcy. You’ve practically got him in the palm of your hand.”

  “I guess,” Haley said. “But I want him to obsess over me. I want to know he’s chosen me of his own free will, and that he doesn’t have even an ounce of regret.” They were hanging out by their lockers after art class, watching a parade of Team Coco and Team Eton shirts go by. Haley was sick and tired of waiting for Devon to get up the nerve—or energy, or whatever it was he lacked—to show her how he really felt about her. She kept thinking he liked her a whole whole lot, but he was always too chicken to do anything about it.

  “Just keep doing what you’ve been doing,” Irene said. “And he’ll obsess over you, believe me. Keep playing it cool. Always. Never show any kind of reaction if possible, good or bad. If you absolutely must respond, err on the side of being a malcontent.”