Fabulous Five 005 - The Bragging War

by Betsy Haynes

  "They each have separate rooms, but I'm afraid I can't connect you. We have orders not to disturb them."

  Beth thought quickly. "But I'm Beth Morgan, Trevor Morgan's little sister, and I need to talk to him."

  "You're the fifth little sister of Trevor Morgan's who's called today. I'm afraid it won't work, honey. We have a list of specific people we can put through, and none of you little sisters are on it. Don't try delivering packages, either. Four young female delivery girls have tried that. We took the packages up to his suite on the twentieth floor for them."

  Beth put down the phone in frustration. What was she going to do? It was her fault that The Fabulous Five were in trouble. It was up to her to get them out of it.

  She picked up the paper that had the interview with Trevor Morgan in it and reread it. There was one idea that might work. She would talk to Miss Wolfe the first thing tomorrow.

  "So you vant to borrow the Indian mascot uniform to practice for tryouts. That is very nice, Beth. I vish all the girls ver so industrious. But you must have it back in two days," said Miss Wolfe.

  "Oh, thank you, Miss Wolfe," said Beth. "I'll take good care of it and definitely will have it back day after tomorrow. I really want a chance to be the Wakeman Warrior at the football games."

  Beth took the brightly colored Indian mascot costume with its beautiful war bonnet with red-tipped feathers and put it in her locker. Her idea had to work. It just had to. The Fabulous Five had been walking around with a look of doom all day, and it got deeper during lunch period when people crowded around their table to tell Jana how super she was and to ask when Trevor Morgan was going to be at Bumpers. Jana had just said she didn't know yet and had thrown angry looks at Beth. Beth's telling them that she was doing everything she could to reach Trevor and invite him to Bumpers hadn't made a difference.

  Worse yet, every time Beth looked at The Fantastic Foursome's table she saw Laura smiling at them. Laura must have guessed that she really had The Fabulous Five trapped this time, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

  Beth slipped into the elevator. She had put on the Indian costume over the jeans she was wearing in the ladies' room and had used her lipstick to put streaks like war paint on her forehead and cheeks. She also ran a red line down the center of her nose for good measure. Then she had peeked out the door until there were no hotel employees in sight and run to the elevator.

  She excused herself to the older couple who got on with her and punched the button for the twentieth floor. That was the floor the woman on the switchboard had mentioned when Beth talked to her. Beth hoped it hadn't been a lie they used to confuse people who might want to sneak in to see Trevor Morgan. The man and the woman stared at her until they got off at the fourteenth floor.

  Beth watched the lighted numbers change from seventeen to eighteen to nineteen. She took a deep breath as the elevator stopped at the twentieth floor. The doors opened and she stepped into a beautiful, marble-floored foyer with potted plants on both sides. In front of her were two huge doors that were as pretty as the doors on the cathedral downtown, except they were smaller.

  She brushed the wrinkles out of the costume and straightened the war bonnet on her head. Then she walked forward carefully, listening for the sound of rock music. It was quiet.

  She stepped up to the doors and hesitated with her finger over the bell button. Should she really go through with this? What if she was so nervous she forgot what she wanted to say? How could she think like that? She was going to be an actress, wasn't she? She would act as if she were playing the starring role in a big Broadway play and Trevor Morgan was a costar. Beth punched the button hard and straightened her bonnet one more time.

  The door opened and Trevor Morgan stood before her in just a pair of old sweat pants. His dark hair, the same color as Jana's, hung to his shoulders, and Beth couldn't help thinking that they could actually pass for cousins. "I say, what have we here? It's a bloomin' Indian. Can I help you, luv?"

  "Er, uh . . . yes, Mr. Morgan. My name is Little Fawn. Well, actually it's Beth Barry, but my Indian name is Little Fawn, you see." Beth had her fingers crossed behind her back even though she hadn't told a lie yet. Her name was Little Fawn when she belonged to Indian Princesses back in third grade, and she had a framed certificate on her bedroom wall to prove it.

  "I belong to the Cherokee tribe," she went on. "I saw in the paper that you were interested in American Indians, and I thought I'd come and tell you about us."

  Trevor looked at her in amazement, then he stepped back and made a gallant gesture for her to enter.

  Beth had never seen such a beautiful room. It was filled with luxurious furniture, and an electric guitar was set up, and sheet music was spread all over the floor. One whole wall was glass, and she could see way out over the city. This is the way I'm going to live when I'm a star, she thought. "Wow!" she said, and clamped a hand over her mouth.

  "Kind of like it, do ya?" Trevor asked. "It is a bit of a good view, if I do say so meself. Can I get you a soda or something?"

  Beth shook herself to clear her head, and the war bonnet slipped down over one ear. She straightened it and said, "Oh, no. Thank you very much, though."

  "Well," said Trevor, "have a seat then and tell me about yourself and your tribe. I want to hear all about it."

  Beth sat down on a sofa which was so big that when she scooted all the way back her feet stuck straight out. "Well, let's see," she said. "What do you want to know?" She had decided to let him tell her what he wanted to know. That way her super extralarge mouth wouldn't get her into as much trouble.

  "Tell me about your tribe. Is it on one of those reservations? And how big is it?"

  "No. It's not on a reservation. Not all Indians live on reservations." Beth was sure about that since she remembered it from her history class. "They live all over the United States."

  "They do?" He seemed really surprised to hear that.

  "Yes, and my tribe was, er, is small. The last time I counted there were twenty-two of us."

  "And do you get along well in this country?" he asked.

  "Yes, I do," she answered. "I go to school at Wakeman Junior High right here in town and have lots of friends. I know some Indians don't get along as well as we do, though. The kids at Wakeman are kind of special."

  "I'm glad to hear that. You're a real luv, you are."

  Beth knew that her chance had just arrived. If she were going to get The Fabulous Five out of trouble, it would be right now. "I wonder if you could maybe help me thank the kids at Wakeman for being so nice to me?" she asked.

  "How's that?"

  "Well, they have a special place they hang out. It's called Bumpers. You'd like it if you saw it. It's decorated with old bumper cars from amusement park rides, and it has an ancient Wurlitzer jukebox." Beth stopped to catch her breath. She was getting off the subject. "I know it's asking an awful lot, and you probably can't do it," she said softly, putting on her best poor-little-girl look, "but if you could maybe stop by there . . ."

  Trevor Morgan frowned at her.

  He knows I'm putting him on, Beth thought. I'm dead.

  "I'm really sorry," Trevor said. "But me schedule won't allow for it."

  Beth's spirits dove to the soles of her feet. She was ruined.

  "But I've got another idea, luv. Do ya want to hear it?"

  CHAPTER 18

  The Coliseum was packed with kids as Beth and the rest of The Fabulous Five squeezed through the people already sitting in the row where their seats were located. The noise almost made Beth wish she had brought the earplugs she used for swimming.

  She couldn't wait for the concert to begin so she could hear Trevor Morgan and Brain Damage perform. He hadn't been able to come to Bumpers, but his plan had been even better than hers.

  "Hi, Jana and everybody," called Marcie Bee. "Is Trevor coming to Bumpers after the concert?"

  "You'll just have to wait and see," Jana shouted back above the noise. She looked at Beth and smil
ed. Jana, Christie, Katie, and Melanie had loved the plan, too, and had forgiven Beth for getting them into so much trouble.

  "Oh, look, there are Laura, Tammy, Melissa, and Funny," said Melanie to the others. They were going into the first row just as Laura had said. "And they've got Alexis, Mandy, Dekeisha, and some of the other girls with them."

  "Laura must have gotten them tickets," said Katie. "They see us. Let's wave and smile really big."

  The Fabulous Five stuck their hands up and waved at The Fantastic Foursome. Laura, who was leading the way, saw them and frowned.

  "Wow ! I'll bet she's wondering what's going on now," said Christie.

  "Let her wonder. She'll suffer later," said Jana.

  The lights dimmed, and the warm-up band came on. It was a local group, and the crowd didn't quiet down very much for them.

  Beth spotted Keith two rows over and waved to him. He nudged Scott and Randy, who saw them and waved. Clarence Marshall was throwing popcorn at everyone.

  Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the master of ceremonies came back on and the local band left.

  "GUYS AND GIRLS," he called over the public address system. "THE FEATURED ATTRACTION FOR THIS EVENING, THE GROUP THAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, BEING BROUGHT TO YOU ALL THE WAY FROM LONDON, ENGLAND . . ."—he paused for effect—"I GIVE YOU THAT INCOMPARABLE BAND . . . BRAIN DAMAGE!" The crowd roared as Trevor Morgan jumped onto the stage in black pants with silver stripes running down the sides. His shirt was black with silver studding, and the front was opened down to his belt. His black boots flared all the way up to his knees, and his hair stuck out in spikes.

  The other members of Brain Damage followed him out, jumping wildly. They were dressed in all kinds of wild costumes. Their faces were made up like clowns, creatures from outer space, and things Beth couldn't describe.

  For the next two hours Brain Damage played nonstop, and the kids jumped up and down and rocked back and forth, screaming all the time. Beth and her friends screamed right along and pounded each other during the parts they liked best.

  When Brain Damage started playing slowly, Beth knew they were getting near the end of the concert. She crossed her fingers and prayed that Trevor wouldn't forget her. After two hours of playing the way they had, she didn't know how he could remember anything.

  Trevor Morgan stepped to the microphone. His voice sounded raspy, as if he were about to lose it.

  "Oh, please don't get laryngitis now," Beth said out loud.

  "I want to take a moment to thank you all," said Trevor. "You've been a wonderful audience, you really have, luvs." He pulled a small piece of paper from his belt.

  Beth recognized it and punched Katie and Jana, who were standing next to her. The Fabulous Five all doubled up their fists and bounced on their toes in pent-up excitement.

  "I want to thank the kids from Wakeman Junior High—I hear you call it Wacko—and say hello to my good friends Jana Morgan, Christie Winchell, Katie Shannon, and Melanie Edwards. I hear you're nice to Indians. And of course, I can't forget my very good friend Beth Barry. I love you all and wish I could stop by Bumpers, but you know how show business is."

  The Fabulous Five jumped straight up in the air and screamed. Beth had never felt so wonderful. He had done just what he had said he would do.

  Then Trevor held up his hand for silence again. "As you know, we always pick someone from the audience to join us on stage, and so for our very last number, I'm going to ask another group to come up right now. A group you're going to love as much as I do. The Fabulous Five!"

  Suddenly sirens went off and spotlights beamed down on them out of now here, and before any of the girls knew what was happening, the members of Brain Damage were rushing them onto the stage. Trevor Morgan grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her up the stairs, grinning back over his shoulder at her. She felt a hat plop onto her head and a microphone being thrust into her hand.

  "Sing your heart out, luv!" Trevor shouted. "You're a STAR!"

  Beth clutched the mike and started singing to the familiar tune of a Brain Damage hit. Out of the corners of her eves she could see her best friends singing, too, while the members of the band pranced around the stage. Over the blare of the music the crowd roared its appreciation. It was all too wonderful to be true.

  Beth stood back until Jana, Melanie, Katie, and Christie had finished talking to Trevor in his dressing room. He had told Beth that he wanted to see all of them after the performance.

  "It's been nice meeting you all," said Trevor as they started leaving. "Keep up the good work with those Indians now."

  Beth hung back. Now that she knew Trevor so well, and he had even let her sing onstage, maybe he would give her a real audition with his band if she asked him. Other kids her age had made it big.

  "Trevor, I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you've done," she told him, putting on her most mature face. Would he think she looked like Madonna?

  "No problem, luv. It's been my pleasure, really. Matter of fact, it's been a pleasant change from young girls trying to sneak into my apartment and ask me for an audition. And it's been real refreshing meeting a real live American Indian." He turned and started rubbing makeup off his face.

  "Oh . . ." said Beth weakly. That shot that. There was no way she could ask him for a real audition now. And besides, she was feeling very guilty about telling him she was an Indian when she really truly wasn't one. It was one thing to try and outbrag Laura McCall, but it was something else to lie to such a nice person as Trevor.

  "Trevor," she said meekly.

  "Yes," he answered as two men came into the dressing room and started collecting his guitar and other equipment.

  "I have to tell you something."

  "What's that?" he asked. He was hurrying now.

  "I'm not a true Indian." There, she had said it.

  He stopped and looked at her. Then he smiled and said, "That doesn't surprise me. I've heard about people being part Indian. I guess it's hard to be full-blooded Indian these days what with all the intermarriage. I think that speaks well for you Yanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get changed. We've got to be in Boston tomorrow."

  Beth nodded. She started toward the door to make her exit, but then stopped. Tingles tiptoed up the back of her neck. She still hadn't been honest with him, she thought. Not really. Oh, sure, she reasoned. She had tried, but he still had the wrong impression. He thought she was a heroine!

  She turned around again, praying silently that he hadn't already started to undress. He hadn't, but from his expression she could see that he was getting anxious for her to leave.

  "What I mean is, I'm not any kind of Indian," she began. "I read in the newspaper that you are concerned about American Indians and the homeless, so I borrowed an Indian costume from school. It was just a trick to get to meet you, and now I'm sorry. Not that I met you!" she added quickly. "Sorry that I tricked you."

  Trevor stroked his chin and regarded her solemnly. "So, you tricked Trevor Morgan, did you?" he asked.

  The stern sound in his voice made her stomach flip-flop. "Yes, sir," she murmured, feeling only two inches tall. What did he think of her now? What was he going to say?

  Suddenly his face brightened. "Well, I won't admit it to anyone if you promise you won't!"

  Beth's eyes popped open. "You won't?" she stammered, feeling giddy with relief. "I mean, I won't! I promise!" She kept right on talking as she backed toward the door. "Wow! Thanks a lot!"

  "Wait," he said. "There's one more thing."

  Beth froze to the stop. Her mind was racing. What now?

  "I want you to spend some time finding out about real Indians, luv," he said quietly. "I'll bet you could even think of some ways to help them if you tried."

  "I will. I'll do everything I can. Honest," Beth assured him, and she had never felt more sincere in her life.

  CHAPTER 19

  "Okay, Beth Barry, repeat after me," said Jana. The Fabulous Five were meeting in Jana's room on the Saturday after
noon after the concert, just as they had when they were in Mark Twain Elementary. Beth was facing her four friends and had her right hand in the air. "I, Beth Barry, do solemnly swear . . ."

  Beth repeated the words. "I, Beth Barry, do solemnly swear . . ."

  "That I will not tell any more wild stories . . ." continued Jana.

  "That I will not tell any more wild stories . . ." answered Beth.

  "That will in any way make my friends look dumb," said Jana.

  "That will in any way make my friends look dumb," Beth finished the oath. Her left hand was behind her where her friends couldn't see it, and her fingers were crossed. After all, she reasoned, if she hadn't told Trevor Morgan that she was an Indian, The Fabulous Five would never have gotten to go on stage and sing with Brain Damage and win the bragging war with Laura McCall.

  "Okay, everybody, I think we have now gotten through to Beth. She may have finally learned her lesson," said Jana. The four of them gathered around Beth and hugged her.

  "Please, stay out of trouble," said Christie. "You're such a cute kid, you don't need to tell stories to get attention."

  "That's right," agreed Katie. "We love you just the way you are, big mouth and all, but we can do without your stories."

  Beth stuck her tongue out at Katie. "My Indian story did turn out pretty great, didn't it?"

  "Yeah," said Jana, "Score a big one for The Fabulous Five. Did you see the faces of Laura and her friends when Trevor had us up on the stage? I thought Laura was going to burst into flames."

  "I did, too," said Melanie.

  "When all's said and done, Beth, I guess you did pull it out," Christie admitted.

  "Terrific," said Beth and a sly smile slowly spread across her face. "And now that we've settled that, I want to talk to you about the plight of the American Indians."

  CHAPTER 20

  Jana sank into her seat in family living class just as the final bell rang. She was breathless from running because she had stopped between classes to tell her friend Funny Hawthorne that she was going to be maid of honor at the wedding of her mother and Pink in two weeks. She had tried her best to sound happy about the wedding—happier than she really felt.