“And … pencils down,” Ms. Peterson called. She stepped away from the whiteboard and stood in front of the desks. “Pass your quizzes forward.”
I handed my quiz to the guy in front of me. Julia and Alison passed their papers forward and looked back at me for a second. They were counting on me to get a good score so I could go to regionals.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly flipped it open under the desk. It was from Alison. How did she even get my number?
How’d U do?
? Ok. I think. I texted back.
“All right, class, let’s open your books to page ninety-eight and look over today’s lesson. You’ll get your quizzes back on Friday,” Ms. Peterson said.
Throughout class, my eyes kept zeroing in on the pile of quizzes on her desk. Suddenly, from now until Friday’s biology class seemed like forever.
I trudged out of my creative writing elective and headed to the library. I had a paper to write for history, prep for an English quiz to do, and practice problems for algebra to finish.
Inside the library, I found a quiet table in the back and dumped the entire contents of my backpack on the table. I spread my books to one side and got out a sheet of paper. The librarians should have given me my own room; I was here enough!
A couple of hours later, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
My caller ID said Paige. “Hi,” I whispered. The no-phone rule in the library was strict, but I didn’t see any librarians around.
“Where are you?” Paige asked. “You were supposed to help me with my video!”
“Omigod!” I said, forgetting to use my library voice. “I’m so sorry! I was studying and I completely forgot. I’ll be right there.”
In record time, I was packed and running out of the library.
By the time I got inside the dorm, Paige was proofreading her application essay for the thousandth time.
“I’m so, so sorry,” I said. “I had a bad lesson and the bio quiz freaked me out and then—”
“Sash,” Paige interrupted. “It’s okay! I forgot your bio quiz was today.” She gave me a sheepish smile. “How did it go?”
I tossed my bag on my bed. “Okay. I think. Hopefully.”
“Well, if you need to do homework, I can work on this by myself,” Paige said. She pushed back the sleeves of her clover green keyhole top. She’d paired it with a black, bubble-hem skirt and she looked application-amazing. “I can do it.”
“No way,” I said. “If I study for another second, my brain will explode.”
Paige smiled.
We packed up our gear and staked out the common room as ours for the evening. I set up the camera while Paige gathered her ingredients and spread them onto the counter.
“What recipe did you pick?” I asked.
“Blackberry crumble,” Paige said. She grabbed a bowl of fresh blackberries from the fridge. “I wanted a Southern dish.”
“Oooh, that was one of my favorites during the Friday’s Great Taste Test.”
While I finished setting up the camera, Paige readied her ingredients. She tied an apron around her waist and stepped up to the counter.
“Let’s do it!” Paige said.
I peered at the camera’s digital screen. I pushed the on button and the camera’s red light started blinking.
“Paige Parker’s winning audition for The Food Network for Kids. Take one. Ready and … action!”
Paige smiled and started the dialogue she’d rehearsed. “Hi, everyone! I’m Paige Parker—welcome to my kitchen! Today, we’ve got a sweet treat guaranteed to give you a taste of summer during the winter months. We’re baking a Southern dessert favorite—blackberry crumble.”
I kept my eyes on the screen. Paige sounded like a pro! She wasn’t even nervous in front of the camera.
“First, let’s preheat the oven to 350 degrees,” Paige said. She turned on the oven, while keeping her back from the camera. “Next, let’s run through our ingredients. We’ve got two and a half cups of blackberries, a two-thirds cup of sugar, the juice from one lemon, three tablespoons of butter, a two-thirds cup of flour, and a pinch of salt.”
Paige pulled out a glass baking dish. “Now, pour the blackberries into this pan and sprinkle half of your sugar over them.” Paige did and I watched her movements through the camera. “Add the lemon juice and then get a clean bowl.”
Under the counter, Paige pulled out a bowl and carefully added the rest of the ingredients. She creamed them and then sprinkled it over the berries.
“We’ll pop this into the oven at 350 degrees for forty minutes,” Paige said as she slipped the pan into the oven. “When the crumble’s top is golden-brown, it’s done! I’ve got one already made, so let’s see …”
Paige put on yellow oven mitts and reached into the second oven. She pulled out a dish that smelled heavenly. “Ooh, it looks good!” she said. She cut out a small square and put it on a plate. Paige held it up to the camera. “There you go! Blackberry crumble to satisfy your sweet tooth any day.”
She totally deserved her own network!
“Thanks for joining me. I hope to see you again soon!” Paige grabbed a fork and took a delicate bite of crumble. “Bye!”
“And … we’re done!” I said when I pushed the off button. “You’re amazing, Paige! You sounded so professional. I don’t even think we need a second take.”
Paige squeezed her hands together. “Really? Yay! Want some?”
“Do you have to ask?” I took the plate and let the warm blackberries melt over my tongue.
“I’ll help you clean up,” I said after we’d eaten our desserts. “You’re so going to get this.”
Paige turned to me with an armful of dirty dishes. “I hope so. I’ll format the DVD and give it to Livvie to mail tomorrow. Then, all we can do is wait!”
Yeah, for my quiz grade, for the Sweetheart Soirée, for regionals, and now for Paige’s news. Waiting never got any easier.
SASHA GETS A BROTHER
REGIONALS WERE EIGHT DAYS AWAY, BUT judging by the expression on Ms. Peterson’s face, my chances of going didn’t look good.
“These were not the best batch of quizzes,” Ms. Peterson said. She frowned at us from her spot at the front of the classroom. She adjusted the glasses perched on her head and held the papers close to her chest so no one could see the grades. “From most of you, I expect more studying. But for a lucky few, your grades reflect your hard work.”
Well, it was over. No way was my grade in the latter category. In my biology class experience, hard work didn’t always translate to good grades. I hunched down into my seat to avoid Ms. Peterson’s gaze as she passed our quizzes back. She moved around the room and put the papers facedown on the desks.
The guy next to me turned his over, pumped a fist in the air and then high-fived the girl next to him.
Please let it at least be a B–, I repeated in my head. Or even a C+.
Ms. Peterson paused by my desk and put down my quiz. I looked at her and she gave me a slight nod.
With one eye shut, I lifted up the corner of the paper and looked. B+. Oh, my God! A B+?! I grabbed the paper in my hands and looked again to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
Julia and Alison turned to look at me.
“What’d you get?” Alison mouthed.
“B plus,” I mouthed back.
Alison nodded and Julia sighed before whispering, “Good.”
The riding team needed this.
Under my desk, I pulled out my phone and texted Paige. B+!! I wrote and sent the message.
Seconds later, U rock, SS! *
I wasn’t even out of the classroom when I dialed Union’s library and asked for Mom. “Sasha?” Mom answered. “Are you okay?”
I never called her at work unless it was an emergency. The last time I’d called her there, I’d set an Arby’s sandwich on fire in the microwave when I’d tried to reheat it in the foil. I stopped by the w
ater fountain. “I got my quiz back,” I said.
“And?”
“B plus!”
“Sasha! Way to go, honey. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Lane, my creative writing teacher, giving me the get off the phone now look. “Gotta go. Love you,” I said and shut my phone before she could answer.
I walked down the hallway with a giant grin on my face. I couldn’t wait to see Charm after school and tell him. I didn’t even care that we had a pairs lesson with Heather today. But along my way, a flash of red caught my eye on the bulletin board.
It was a red flyer shaped like a connected XO. I squinted to read the fancy script.
The Sweetheart Soirée is drawing near.
Do you have your eye on someone dear?
Even if so, you must come solo.
Bringing a date is a definite no-no.
No dates? That seemed odd for Valentine’s Day … which I now realized was three weeks away! Well, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about asking Jacob.
I tore myself away from the flyer and slipped into class. After this period, I’d have to take a pic of the flyer for Paige in case she didn’t see it yet. We could play Nancy Drew and look for any secret messages together.
Charm and Aristocrat huffed as Heather and I slowed them. We’d spent most of our lesson on flat work, coaching each other’s seats. And we hadn’t even argued once.
“Ready to cool them out?” Heather asked.
“Yeah, Charm’s pretty warm,” I said.
Charm and I were ambling around the arena when my phone buzzed. I slid it out of my coat pocket.
“Hey, Jacob,” I said, emphasizing his name so Heather would hear me. “What’s up?”
I watched Heather’s head snap around and her mouth tighten.
“Hey, Sash,” Jacob said. “You busy?”
“Nope, just finished my riding lesson.”
“Still doing that horse thing, huh?” Jacob teased.
“Yeah, but I might trade him in for a car in a few years,” I joked back. Charm’s ears swiveled back toward me. I covered the phone with my hand. “Just kidding, boy,” I whispered to Charm. He snorted in relief.
“I’ve got to write a paper about life in the South for my English class. We’re supposed to read a classic book about it and I can’t think of a good one. Got any recommendations?”
“I’m reading Huck Finn,” I said. “That’s a good one. Or try Tom Sawyer. Have you read those?”
Heather reined Aristocrat closer and practically tipped off his side as she listened.
“Nope. I did see the old Disney movie of Tom Sawyer,” Jacob said with a laugh. “I think I’ll try that book.”
“If you need help, IM me or something,” I said.
After we hung up, I put the phone back in my pocket and Charm and I continued to circle the arena.
“You’re such a good sister,” Heather said.
“Sister?” I asked.
“That’s so sweet of you to help your brother with English class.”
“That wasn’t my brother,” I told her.
Heather rolled her eyes. “Sure it was. You had him call and pretend to be Jacob. How creative.”
I pulled Charm to a halt and glared at her. “It wasn’t my brother! I’m an only child!”
Heather circled Aristocrat sharply and headed out of the arena. “Sure, whatever you say,” she said through raspberry-tinted lips. “Later.”
“We’re NOT getting another shirtless Nick Ryan film,” I told Paige. “We’ve watched him for the last three weekends. I need a new visual!” I put my phone on my other ear as I walked to the media center. I’d volunteered to go out and rent a video for our usual Friday night flick.
Paige laughed and I heard popcorn popping in the background. “Fine. You pick the guy this time.”
“Will do.” I put my phone away and stepped into the crowded media center. People were lined up for snacks and movie tickets.
I stuck my hands in the pocket of my UConn hoodie and passed one of the common rooms.
Wait, what? I backed up and peered through the glass window on the door.
Jacob.
Callie.
The Trio. And a few other people packed the closed-door common room. MTV was on the plasma television and sodas, chips, and candy filled the table. Heather sat next to Jacob on the blue couch. Callie was laughing and talking to one of the guys on the eighth-grade riding team. Julia and Alison were listening to a story that Ben was telling them.
I couldn’t believe it—this couldn’t be a coincidence. Someone had planned it. The same someone had also conveniently left my name off the invite list. I’m guessing it was the blonde in the sparkly pink shirt and low-rise jeans sitting next to MY film partner.
Calm down, I told myself. Don’t go all crazy jealous girl on him. Guys HATE that. But that wasn’t all I was worried about—besides Jacob, what was Callie doing hanging with the Trio? We each had separate friends, but I didn’t know she partied with them. Or with Jacob.
When I pushed the door open, Heather was the first one to look at me. Jacob’s head was craned in the opposite direction as he talked to one of the other guys. Heather flashed her teeth at me in a giant grin and scooted closer to Jacob.
“Hi,” I said over the roar of the TV. Callie’s head snapped around and she jumped up for the remote.
“You’re so late,” she said. She turned down the volume.
“Late?” I questioned. “I wasn’t invited.”
“What?” Callie asked.
The three girls and one guy I didn’t know glanced at me before busying themselves with a bowl of chips.
“No one told me to come,” I said, eyeing Jacob and Heather on the couch.
Jacob hopped up and walked over to me. “Didn’t Heather ask you to come?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“Sorry,” Heather yawned. “Guess I forgot. But you’re here now, right?”
Please. No one was buying that. She pulled this Witch with a capital W move on purpose.
“She said she asked you,” Callie whispered. “Heather told me you had a dorm meeting with Livvie. Sash, I swear. I’m sorry.”
“C’mon,” Jacob said. He plopped back on the couch and waved at me. “Stay.”
I ignored him and started to turn toward the door.
Heather stood up and walked over to me. She got inches away from my face so Jacob couldn’t hear. “Better get used to it, Sasha.” She turned back to Jacob and put on her angel face. “Stay, Sasha,” she said in a loud voice. “We were just about to watch a movie.”
“I’ve got to go,” I said. My stomach churned, and I could feel an angry sting of tears threatening to spill over my eyes. “My roommate’s waiting for me.”
“I’m going with you,” Callie said. She grabbed her black coat off the recliner.
“You don’t have to,” I said.
“I want to.” Callie’s voice was firm. I didn’t even look at Jacob on my way out—and I noticed that he didn’t exactly try to stop me, either. If Jacob wanted to stay, fine. I didn’t want to talk to him now anyway.
Callie followed me to the movie rental room. She shuffled quietly behind me without saying a word.
“Paige and I are watching a movie, if you want to come,” I offered. My eyes scanned the racks of films.
Callie gave me a grateful smile. “Definitely. And you should know … Jacob didn’t do anything wrong—I was there the whole time. Heather didn’t even sit by him until two seconds before you came in.”
I blew out a breath. “Thanks for telling me,” I said. But he was still hanging out with her now. They were in there watching a movie together, so it was obvious that he’d rather be spending time with her than me.
When my text alert sounded, I looked down, half expecting it to be Jacob, apologizing for what had happened. Maybe he’d want to talk in person. But when I read the name on my screen, my heart sunk
. It was only Eric.
Hey, Sash! Hope 2 C U 2mrw @ the stable.
I sighed.
“Not him, huh?” Callie asked.
“Nope—just Eric,” I said. “So, what kind of movie are you in the mood for?”
“Can we forget the movie for a sec?” Callie asked. “You know Eric likes you, right? Like-likes you.”
I rolled my eyes. “No he doesn’t.”
“He does too. He texts you, he’s always smiling at you—and he runs over to talk to you every time you’re around him.”
I almost laughed. “Please. He’s new—he just wants someone to talk to. He doesn’t like me that way.”
Callie shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
We browsed the rest of the shelves, but I couldn’t pay attention. I let Callie pick the movies and pretended to care when she asked me if the choices were okay.
I knew Callie was wrong about Eric liking me, so it didn’t even bother me if she didn’t believe me. What bothered me wasn’t what Callie said, it was what she hadn’t said—she hadn’t said that Jacob like-liked me.
GROUNDED
“C’MON, GUYS,” MR. CONNER SAID. “WHAT DO you think this is, Monday morning?”
The Trio, Callie, and I had been yawning all morning. It was barely seven thirty on Monday morning and Mr. Conner had gathered us for a group lesson. The show was less than two weeks away—and we had some serious practicing to do. Gray light filtered through the arena windows and Mr. Conner flipped on the overhead fluorescent lights.
“Start warming them up and then we’ll do drills,” Mr. Conner said.
Callie and I followed the Trio and began circling in the arena. Up ahead, Julia and Alison had pulled Trix and Sunstruck side by side so they could whisper.
“Wonder what they’re talking about,” I whispered to Callie.
Callie looked over to be sure Mr. Conner wasn’t watching. Talking in class was the number one way to get kicked out of a lesson. “What else? The Sweetheart Soirée. It’s ALL they talk about.”
“Are you going?” I asked.
The Canterwood Crest Stable of Books Page 23