Fabulous Five 005 - The Bragging War (3 page)

"You told them WHAT?" shrieked Katie. Beth had
motioned her four best friends to her locker when the first bell rang and
everyone was getting their books. She had explained her plan, and Katie
exploded. "There isn't even going to BE a slumber party, much less a party
with BOYS!"

"Pipe down!" insisted Beth. "We have to
outbrag Laura, don't we? Besides, how is anybody going to find out? They'll all
be at Laura's. We could
pretend
to do anything we wanted to, and they'd
never know the difference."

"Yeah . . . but . . ." fumbled Melanie.

"You should have seen the look on Lisa's and Kim's faces
when I told them," Beth interrupted happily. "They were absolutely ILL.
And Whitney Larkin, of all people, wanted to make up an excuse to back out on
Laura's party and come to our party instead. Don't you see? Now we look like
the big deals, and Laura and her friends look like the losers."

"It is sort of funny," admitted Jana. "Yesterday
Laura had everybody all fired up to go to her party, and now, they all wish
they were coming to ours."

By lunchtime it seemed to Beth that every girl in seventh
grade wished she could be invited to Beth's nonexistent slumber party. Heather
Clark and Melinda Thaler, seventh-graders from Riverfield, stopped Beth in the
halls between classes to ask if what they had heard was true. The two girls had
tried out for cheerleading along with Beth and Melanie, and Beth thought they
looked more disappointed now because they couldn't come to her party than they
had when they didn't make the squad.

Other girls had talked to her in classes during the day.
Some of them were upset that they had been left out, and others were sorry that
they were going to Laura's party instead of Beth's. But it was the reaction of
Laura herself that made Beth the happiest at cheerleading practice after
school.

"Does Laura know about our fake party yet?"
Melanie asked when Beth trotted out to join her on the gym floor.

"I don't know," admitted Beth, "but I'd be
awfully surprised if someone hasn't told her."

Just then Laura came breezing out of the dressing room with
Tammy Lucero. Beth swallowed a giggle. Tammy was not only one of the members of
Laura's exclusive clique, but in most people's opinion, she was the biggest
gossip in the seventh grade. If anybody in The Fantastic Foursome had heard
about Beth's boy-girl slumber party yet, it would be she.

Tammy was several inches shorter than Laura, and she had to
skip to keep up with her tall friend's long strides. Beth watched in amusement
as Tammy bounced along talking a mile a minute.

". . . and wait until I tell you what I just heard . .
." she was saying to Laura.

"Okay, girls. Attention, please," called Miss
Wolfe, interrupting Tammy in midsentence. "Time to stop talking and start
the
varm-ups.
Get into position for the leg-spread exercise."

Tammy tossed the German gym teacher a look of disgust and
plopped down on the padded mat beside Laura. It was obvious to Beth that Tammy
was bursting with news for her friend. It was also obvious that Tammy was
avoiding looking in hers and Melanie's direction even though they were sitting
opposite one another in a large circle on the floor.
She knows,
Beth
thought, and she felt so terrific that she wanted to laugh out loud.

The girls spread their legs as far apart as possible, and
Miss Wolfe led them in the exercise, counting out loud to ten as they touched
chins to right knees and held the count. Next they touched chins to left knees
for a ten count and then reached forward to rest their chins on the mat between
their legs, and again, Miss Wolfe counted to ten. Beth hated this exercise. It
was supposed to strengthen the muscles of the inner leg, and it hurt like
crazy. But today she hardly felt a thing as she thought about how she was
putting something big over on Laura McCall.

The girls remained on the floor for the leg squeeze and
then, at Miss Wolfe's instruction, did five slow laps of the gym while Miss
Wolfe hauled the floor mats to one side of the room. Beth watched out of the
corner of her eye as Tammy and Laura lagged behind the others during laps. They're
probably hoping that they can hang back and gossip while they're running
without Miss Wolfe's seeing them, Beth mused. She stifled a laugh as the gym
teacher called out to them to catch up with the others.

After the warm-ups the squad practiced cheers for the rest
of the session, and there was still no talking allowed. Beth kept an eye on
Tammy and Laura, and Melanie nudged her a couple of times between cheers when
it looked as if Tammy might get her chance to tell Laura about the party, but
each time Miss Wolfe interrupted with new instructions.

"For our final cheer today," Miss Wolfe said at
last in her thick German accent, "ve vill do 'Electrify.'"

It was a favorite with most of the squad—short, snappy, and
ending in a jump—and the girls began to applaud. Miss Wolfe held up her hand to
signify that she had not finished talking, but out of the corner of her eye
Beth could see that Tammy and Laura were having a conversation of their own and
were not listening to Miss Wolfe.

"Ve vill make one change from the vay ve usually do
this cheer. Instead of finishing vith a spread eagle, I vant you to end the
cheer vith a herkie. Now line up, please."

"Wow," Beth muttered under her breath. The spread
eagle was the easiest cheerleading jump, but the herkie was definitely the most
difficult. While the left leg and arm are out to the side in half of an
airborne split, the right leg is bent at the knee and the right arm is straight
up in the air. Beth had only done the herkie correctly two or three times in
cheerleading practice, while Laura McCall was practically an expert.

Beth glanced quickly at Tammy and Laura while the squad was
lining up. They were at the far end of the line from Miss Wolfe, and Tammy was
keeping one eye on the teacher while she talked rapidly into Laura's ear. At
first Beth was disappointed that Laura's expression was blank, but then she
began to notice a change, the eyes enlarging and the chest swelling as if
something was boiling up inside the tall, blond girl and was about to erupt.
Beth didn't have time to react because head cheerleader Dekeisha Adams was
starting the cheer.

Gonna raise our spirits
Up up high
Gonna raise our spirits
ELECTRIFY!

On the last word of the cheer the squad vaulted into the
air, all, that is, except for Laura McCall. "What!" she shrieked,
turning an angry, red face toward Beth.

Beth knew that Miss Wolfe didn't notice how poorly she
executed her herkie or that Taffy Sinclair and Dekeisha almost bumped into each
other in midair or even that Tammy had done the spread eagle instead of the
herkie. She couldn't have. She was glaring straight at Laura.

"Laura McCall, for that outburst and for failing even
to attempt the jump, you vill stay late and do ten perfect herkies," she
commanded. "The rest of the squad is dismissed."

Beth grabbed Melanie's arm and rocketed out of the gym. She
didn't even bother to look back at Laura, who stood alone in the center of the
gym floor. Who needs to? Beth reasoned. My plan is working. Laura's the one who
looks foolish now, and I'm the one who's winning!

Friday evening was always a bigger zoo than usual at the
Barry house, and this Friday evening was no exception. Beth marched into the
family room after supper in the middle of an argument between Brian and
Brittany, who were each trying to persuade their father that it was their turn
to take the van. "You had it last night," argued Brian.

Brittany raised her eyebrows. "So I had to go to the
library. That doesn't count."

"It does so," insisted Brian. "Dad, she can't
have it two nights in a row. It's not fair."

"Oh, NO?" Brittany protested. "Who had it
both Friday and Saturday nights last weekend? Huh? Tell me that!"

"Not me!" Beth interjected brightly. "I never
have it. Which means that I ought to at least get to have a friend over
tonight."

Brittany threw her a drop-dead look. "I thought you
were grounded."

"So-o-o-o? My friends aren't."

"Bug off, Beth," Brian demanded. "This is
important."

"Oh, yeah?" Beth pushed her face up close to Brian's.
"Since when did you get to be such a big deal?" Then turning to her
father, she said, "So can I have a friend over?
Please
.
"

Before he could answer, Mrs. Barry came into the room.
Alicia and Todd hurried after her, each waving a VCR tape. Agatha bounded after
all of them, jumping for the waving tapes as if they were treats.

"I've got to watch
Conan The Destroyer
first!"
shouted Todd, pushing Agatha aside.

"Lady and the Tramp! Lady and the Tramp!"
chanted Alicia. "I HATE
Conan The Destroyer.
And Agafa, you get
down!"

I might as well forget about getting a chance to ask
anything, Beth thought, sighing with resignation and burrowing her face into
Agatha's furry black-and-white head. It was always the same. Everyone got
attention but her. Besides, she reasoned, I'm grounded and they wouldn't let me
have one of my friends over anyway. It's useless to ask.

Dragging Agatha with her, she drifted upstairs and into her
room feeling like the loneliest person on earth. The kitchen clock had said a
quarter of seven a few minutes ago when she left that room to look for her
father in the family room. That meant girls were beginning to arrive at Laura's
apartment now for the big slumber party. She didn't even have to close her eyes
to picture the scene. She could see it all.

Laura would be standing at the door looking cool and in
control, as usual. Girls would be pouring in, tossing their sleeping bags
wherever they could find floor space and giggling in anticipation of a terrific
time with
no parents
around to keep an eye on them. The other members of
The Fantastic Foursome—Laura's slaves, thought Beth—would probably be serving
refreshments while Laura flicked her long blond braid and sent Mrs. Skinner to
her room.

"Close the door and don't come out until morning,"
Beth could almost hear Laura call after her.

"Poor Mrs. Skinner," Beth said aloud to Agatha. "I
know just how she feels."

By eight-thirty the Barry house had quieted down. The front
door had slammed twice. Just after it slammed the first time a car started up
in the driveway. The second time it slammed, a boy's voice called out, "Come
on, Brian, jump in." All of this told Beth that Brittany had won out in the
battle over the van, and Brian had been left to call a friend for a ride.

Beth's thoughts went back to Laura's party for the millionth
time. "What do you suppose they're doing now, Agatha?"

The dog twisted her head from side to side as if she were
trying to understand.

"Probably having a super time. Gorging themselves with
food. And smoking. Girls always smoke at slumber parties," she assured
Agatha, who lowered herself onto the floor with a bored sigh.

Beth sighed, too. It wouldn't be long until nine o'clock.
Had everybody sneaked out of Laura's apartment by now to do whatever big deal
thing it was that she had planned?

"It's probably nothing," Beth scoffed. "Laura
just likes to brag and make people think that she has it made."

Feeling restless, she opened her closet door. A full-length
mirror hung on the inside. I could practice cheers, she thought. Miss Wolfe had
told them that ninety percent of their practice time away from the gym should
be spent in front of a mirror. She claimed it helped to get good definition of
movement, which meant that your arms and legs were straight and moving in
perfect time with the beat. Beth sighed. She was restless, it was true, but she
didn't really feel like working on good definition of movement, no matter how
important it was. Not tonight. Not with everyone but her and her friends at
Laura McCall's party.

Just then the doorbell rang. Beth jumped in surprise, and
Agatha ran to the window, put her front paws on the sill, and barked like crazy
at whoever was below at the door.

"Beth! You have company," her father shouted from
below.

My friends! she thought. I knew they wouldn't desert me.

She raced down the stairs with Agatha right behind her,
feeling glad that she hadn't pressed her father to let someone come over. He
would probably have said no anyway, she reasoned. But now, with her friends
here on their own, surely he wouldn't make them leave.

Mr. Barry was in the foyer frowning as she approached, and
he reached out and grabbed Agatha by the collar. Beth wondered for a split
second why he did that. The big sheepdog loved all of The Fabulous Five. She
only growled at strangers. Then Beth threw the door open wide and froze to the
spot.

The front lawn was covered with seventh-grade girls, and on
the doorstep stood Laura McCall.

Beth could just barely hear Agatha growling over the
pounding of her heart. She prayed she would faint, or die, or anything that
would keep her from having to stand there in front of Laura McCall one second
longer.

Laura stood with her hands behind her back and smiled slyly.
"So, where's the big party you're supposed to be having tonight?" she
asked loudly so everyone could hear.

Beth cringed. In the darkness beyond the glow of the porch
light she could make out lots of familiar faces waiting for her answer.
Dekeisha Adams and Mandy McDermott were on the sidewalk leading up to the front
door. Alexis Duvall and Kim Baxter stood beside the oak tree with some girls
from Copper Beach. Even Whitney Larkin was peering at her from the shadows.

Giggles rippled through the crowd on the lawn.

Beth reached behind and closed the front door so that her
father wouldn't be able to hear. Her mind was racing. She couldn't let Laura
McCall make an idiot of her in front of all these girls.

"Everybody's downstairs . . . in the basement playroom,"
she stammered. "I'd invite you in, but it's already too crowded."

"The boys are there, too?" Laura asked innocently.

"Sure," answered Beth. She was feeling more
confident by the moment. Laura wasn't going to make a fool out of her.
Everybody believed that she had invited boys to her party, and she was going to
make sure they kept right on believing it. "They're having a blast. Too
bad you couldn't think up something as great as inviting boys to your party.
Then you wouldn't have to go out looking for a good time."

Laura chuckled. "Oh, we've already had a good time. But
tell me more about the boys. What are they doing right now?"

Red warning lights flashed in Beth's mind. Laura was up to
something. But what? The crowd of girls was slowly drawing in closer, and the
rest of The Fantastic Foursome had gathered around Laura. Now she could see
Gloria Drexler and Marcie Bee moving forward too.

"Since I can't see them
right now,
I couldn't
tell you exactly what they are doing, could I?" she answered nervously.

"So, what do you
think
they're doing?"
prodded Laura.

"Eating, maybe," offered Beth. "Or dancing.
That's what they're probably doing right now. Dancing with the girls."

"Or maybe they're at home," challenged Laura. "At
home watching television like Keith Masterson is doing at this very moment."

Beth gasped, feeling as if she were part of an old
vaudeville act and had just gotten a pie in the face.

Laura's eyes were gleaming as she went on. "We just
came from Keith's house, and he acted as if he had been home all evening."

"So did Randy Kirwan," added Melissa McConnell.

"And Tony Calcaterra and all of the other guys,"
said Tammy Lucero.

"You haven't been to Keith's house," Beth shouted
angrily. "Or any of the others' houses, for that matter."

"Oh, yes, we have," shouted Funny Hawthorne. "We've
been out TPing cute guys' houses ever since it got dark. Wheee!" she
squealed, and pulled a roll of toilet paper from behind her back and tossed it
toward the tree that grew by Beth's front door. "And we've saved our
leftover toilet paper for
your
house!"

As if on cue, toilet paper streamers filled the sky, falling
over bushes and trees, and almost empty rolls landed with a
thunk!
on a
dozen spots on the roof. Beth ducked as one of the rolls slid down the peak and
bounced off her head.

Girls were running back and forth across the lawn, laughing
wildly and spreading toilet paper over everything until the Barry front yard
looked as if it had been hit by a pastel blizzard. Only Laura didn't join in.
She stood to one side of the front steps, arms folded over her chest, and
watched, wearing a satisfied expression.

So that was what Laura had dreamed up for her party that had
everyone so excited, Beth mused. TPing cute boys' houses! And that was also how
she had been able to find out that Beth hadn't invited Keith and the others to
a big party. Still, she reasoned, she had never said which boys were invited.
For all Laura knew, she might have invited eighth-graders or boys from another
school. And if Laura really had mentioned her party to Keith, well . . . She
had until the football game tomorrow to figure out what to tell Keith.

Inside her own house Beth could hear Agatha going crazy,
barking and throwing herself against the front door. That made her remember her
parents. What were they doing? Even worse, what were they thinking?

She didn't have to wonder long, because suddenly the door
opened and her father stepped out. "Hey! What's going on out here?"

"Oh . . . well, just . . . a few of my friends . . ."
Beth sputtered, ". . . having some fun."

Crinkles appeared around Mr. Barry's eyes, and his face lit
up. "TPing, eh? We used to do that when I was a kid. Looks like you'll
have the job of cleaning it up, though," he added with a laugh. "They're
your friends."

Just then another roll slid off the roof and bounced on his
head. He looked startled for an instant, then said as he backed through the
door, "Yup. We used to do a lot of TPing when I was a kid."

When he had gone inside, Beth nearly collapsed from relief.
Not only had her father not been angry, but most of the girls had disappeared
as soon as he came out of the house. The rest were scurrying away now. Even
Laura was gone. Thank goodness, Beth thought. If she had said one more thing
about the boys, I would have absolutely
died.

Agatha greeted her excitedly when she went back into the
house, jumping up and licking her face as if she had been gone for ages. She
was still wrestling with Agatha when Alicia tugged at her shirt.

"There you are, Beth Barry!" Alicia scolded, as if
she had been searching all over for her sister. "The phone's for you. You'd
better hurry. It's Keith, and he sure sounds mad."