Best Friends (Until Someone Better Comes Along) (20 page)

When the video ended, Skylar got up and went over to the DVD player. She pushed the eject button and studied the DVD carefully. Then she pulled another video off the top of the DVD player and pushed it into the machine. A moment later, the first dancer from the afternoon's auditions was dancing on-screen.

“Well,” I said, coming out of my crouch. “I think we've done what we can do.”

“If we were true spies”—Bailey scratched her cheek, smearing the black-eye eyeliner across her temple—“we would stick around and try to listen to their discussion about the auditions.”

We all looked at each other. “I think I'd rather not know what they say,” Ava said softly.

“You and me both,” I said, cringing. “So now we wait.”

Ava nodded. “Now we wait.”

W
hen it was time for
the list to be posted the next morning, there were dozens of girls packed around the bulletin board outside the school office. Everyone was buzzing about who would get a slot. There were even a few people hanging around who I didn't even remember from tryouts the day before—I think they were just curious onlookers who liked the drama or something.

“What if we all get a spot?” Heidi whispered, nervously chewing her lip. “Can you even imagine?”

“It would be so amazing,” Sylvie agreed. She turned to me and squealed. “I'm just so glad you changed your mind and decided to try out, Iz. It will be a million times better with all three of us on the dance team together.”

I tried to smile but couldn't. I knew I wasn't going to get a spot. That would be totally insane. But Heidi and Sylvie had no idea what I'd done the night before. The word hadn't yet gotten out about my weird stunt on Skylar's lawn. It
would
get out (I definitely knew how gossip worked, since I was usually the source), but it hadn't yet. When it did, it would be interesting to see how everyone would respond. I was ready for whatever happened. I think.

Skylar pushed through the crowds of people. “Excuse me!” she crooned. “I have the list!” Everyone moved to the side, and Skylar marched past. She slowly unfolded a piece of paper. Then she pulled some tape out of her bag and affixed it to the corners of the paper very slowly and carefully. It felt like it was taking forever, and my heart was beating like crazy in my chest.

Finally . . . it was up on the board and the names of the dance team were right there, in black letters on a pale-pink piece of paper. I scanned the list, but the words all blurred together into a bunch of smeared ink in front of my eyes. Beside me, Sylvie squealed. “I made it!” she said, grabbing my arm. “That's my name.”

My eyes adjusted, and I scanned the list.

“Sylvie!” I cried, seeing her name at the top of the list.
“Yay!” My eyes shifted down, then down again. No Heidi. But finally, there—in the final spot—was the name I was most anxiously looking for:

AVA YOUNG.

My arms filled with goose bumps as I realized what this meant. Ava had made it.

“I didn't get it,” Heidi said, slumping beside me. “Neither did Izzy.”

“I'm sorry,” I said, turning to give Heidi a hug. “I wish you were on the list.”

Heidi looked at me suspiciously, like she assumed I really meant I wished
I
was on the list. “This is so embarrassing,” she grumbled.

“There were only four spots,” I said, putting my arm around her shoulder. “There's really no reason to be embarrassed. Just disappointed.”

Sylvie was buzzing with energy next to us. She'd already pulled out her phone to text her mom, and she was chatting with one of the other girls who had made the team. “I feel awful,” she said to us through a smile when she took a break from celebrating. “I wish you guys could have made the team too.”

“I can't believe that freak Ava Young made it, and we
didn't,” Heidi said, leaning into me. In that same moment, Sylvie was whisked away, showered with hugs and congratulations from other people near us. “Ava was awful, and one of us deserved that slot. She stole it, and now I think we should make her pay.”

“She was not awful, and you know it,” I said, annoyed. “She was one of the best dancers out there, and it would have been a big mistake if they'd left her off the team.”

Heidi scoffed, saying nothing.

“Seriously, Heidi. Lay off. You're just bitter, and it's not nice. You sound mean and jealous.”

Heidi's eyes bugged out at me. Between yesterday and today, I think I'd made my point.

Suddenly, I spotted Ava making her way up to the front of the crowd. Because she was so tiny, she couldn't see over anyone. So she had to get right up to the front before she could see the list. I watched as her eyes scanned the four typed names, then I saw her body tense as she realized she was looking at her own name. I smiled.

“So maybe she wasn't
that
bad,” Heidi said, watching me watch Ava. “I guess she was actually pretty good, wasn't she?”

I nodded.

“She really didn't steal your dance?” Heidi said quietly.
“And you didn't plan that whole thing to try to embarrass her and ruin her chances?”

I shook my head. “That dance was all hers, and I'm really, truly happy she made the team. Ava's amazing.”

“I don't know if I'd go that far,” Heidi said, shrugging.

I laughed. “Someday, maybe we can all hang out, and you can see for yourself.”

“Let's not get any crazy ideas, okay?” Heidi said. Then her expression brightened and she added, “But I guess it wouldn't hurt to be sort of nice to her, now that she's on the dance team.”

“Oh, Heidi,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Just stop.”

“What?” she said, shrugging. “It's true. Admit it—you were thinking the same thing.”

Three months ago, I probably would have been thinking the same thing. But now, it surprised me to realize that the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Unfortunately, other people would probably assume I was only being nice to Ava now because she was on the dance team—but they'd have to get over it. Because that wasn't it at all.

“No, actually, I wasn't thinking that.” I looked at Heidi and said, “But I was thinking that it would be awesome if you were nice to her just because you want to be. Not because you
want something, or because you think she'll do something for you. Just because it's easier than being nasty. Sometimes it's more fun to be nice than it is to be mean. Trust me.”

Heidi laughed. “Well, la-di-da, Miss High and Mighty. I hereby nominate you for Miss Congeniality.”

I laughed, then looked back at Ava just as she turned away from the list. Her face was flushed, and her eyes searched the crowd. I waved. When she saw me, she gave me a thumbs-up and I gave her one back. Then she turned and walked down the hall with Bailey, who was filming Ava's reaction to making the team.

“Don't you want to go with your new BFFs?” Heidi scoffed, her voice suddenly angry and defensive. “I'm just the loser
old
best friend, the one who
didn't
make dance team. I get it if you need to ditch me. Out with the old, in with the new, right?” She held her head high, but there was something in her voice that made me realize Heidi really
was
scared that I might leave her behind. I suspected she thought both Sylvie and I were going to abandon her, because someone or something better had come along—for me, Ava and Bailey; for Sylvie, the dance team. But I wouldn't do that. Because that would be a different kind of mean, and I wanted to get away from
all
mean.

“I'll find them later,” I said, and linked my arm through Heidi's. “For now, I want to hang out with you. We can be sad about not making the team together. And maybe later, we can get some ice cream to dull the pain.” I bumped my shoulder against hers and added, “
If
you ditch the mean-girl attitude.”

Heidi chewed her lip, then smiled. “I'll try. For you, Isabella Caravelli. Only for you—and ice cream.”

I knew life wasn't going to change overnight. I couldn't undo years of a snobby reputation in just a few days. But I knew I was on the right track. Sure, it would take time to show people that I really was trying to be a nicer person. And it would take time to make sure I really
was
being a nicer person.

Maybe some kids in our class would always think of me as the girl who spread rumors about people or the girl who played pranks that hurt people's feelings. And maybe some people would always hold a grudge. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to erase what I'd already done except apologize and try to move on.

Some days, I was sure, it would be tempting to slip back into the old routine, just because it was easier to
tease
than it was to
be
teased. And that middle school reality wasn't going to change just because
I
was.

As I walked down the hall, arm in arm with Heidi, I realized one other important thing: maybe Bailey and Ava and I wouldn't necessarily be BFFs back at home . . . but there was always next summer.

In the meantime, I was confident that I could change my attitude
and
my reputation at school. I'd done it once already, this summer. If I set my mind to it, I knew I could do it again.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ALADDIN M!X

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Aladdin M!X edition April 2014

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Text copyright © 2014 by Erin Downing

Cover illustration copyright © 2014 by Helen Huang

Cover designed by Jeanine Henderson

Book design by Jeanine Henderson

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

ALADDIN M!X and related logo are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event.

For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
www.simonspeakers.com
.

The text of this book was set in ITC Berkeley Oldstyle.

Library of Congress Control Number 2013930315

ISBN 978-1-4424-8519-8 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-4424-8520-4 (eBook)