Freaked Out (4 page)

“Can we talk tonight?” Charlotte stood up. “I'm not very hungry. I guess I'll go over to the newspaper office and work.”

The girls agreed, returned their trays, and split up for the rest of the lunch break. Riley Lee caught up with Maeve on the way out of the cafeteria. Soon they were deep in conversation about a music video that Riley had seen.

Sam the Man

Maeve's afternoon got so busy that she almost forgot about the party and the “not invited” list. Right after school she went to math tutoring. Poor Matt; she whined the whole time. When she arrived home for dinner her mother was rushing about.

“I hope you don't mind Chinese takeout.” Ms. Kaplan placed several white containers on the table. “I have a class.”

“Wait, Mom, I have Hebrew School, remember?” Maeve usually looked after her younger brother Sam after school and at night if her parents were busy. But since her mother and father separated, her mom seemed to have something extra every night. She seemed to be completely ignoring Maeve's schedule.

“Sam, can you go over to Gary's house until Maeve gets back?” Ms. Kaplan picked up the phone. “It won't be late.”

“Yeah!” Sam looked at Maeve and raised his eyebrows clear to his bangs. His friend Gary was a blast and a half.

Ms. Kaplan arranged the visit, promised to let Gary visit Sam another day, and dashed out the door. Sam followed, still chewing.

Hebrew School was in walking distance from the theater. The class was so boring she almost fell asleep. Sometimes Hebrew was as complicated as math to Maeve, but she liked all the stories. Tonight she couldn't wait to get home and look through her closet for something to wear to Julie Faber's party. Her Bat Mitzvah portion would just have to wait.

She arrived home at the same time Gary's mother dropped Sam at the door. No one kept two eight-year-old boys longer than was absolutely necessary.

“I'm still hungry,” Sam said. “Gary's mom didn't have any good snacks. She wanted me to eat fruit cocktail. Yuck!”

Maeve gestured to the takeout containers that were still on the kitchen table, half eaten.

“I'm having seconds. Want some?” Sam asked.

“Okay. Where's Mom?” Maeve was really hungry, but suddenly the idea of cold Chinese made her feel queasy. She looked in the freezer and pulled out some strawberry ice cream instead. She sliced a banana into what was left in the container and smushed it all together.

“I don't know. You think she has a date?” Sam tried to use chopsticks to pick up a grain of rice.

“I have no idea what Mom is up to. I almost liked it better when she fussed at me all the time.”

Maeve had hated all the scheduling and her mother's obsessive attention to “everything Maeve” before her mother and father split up. But now, Maeve was practically feeling neglected. First, the upcoming test she knew she wasn't ready for. Then a party she wasn't going to be able to go to, all because Julie Faber felt like being mean. Maeve had seen a picture of a guy who was trying to carry the world up a mountain on his shoulders. That's how she felt right now. Maeve the Magnificent carrying a pink globe on her shoulders. NO ONE was home to help her.

“What's wrong, Maeve?” Sam asked. “Are you getting ready to cry?”

“I hate math!” Maeve nearly choked on a banana bite.

Finally Sam said, “You'll make the ice cream salty if you cry.”

That did it. Now Maeve giggled and stuffed her mouth with sweet, cold spoonfuls of strawberry ice cream. Strawberry was her favorite.
Who could not love strawberry ice cream? It was so pink
, she thought with pleasure.

“You goin' to Julie's party?” Sam asked.

“How do you know about that?” Maeve asked back.

“Gary's sister is going and he says she's making him sick with all the planning about what to wear.” Sam attacked the grains of rice again.

“NO! I'm not going!” Maeve was practically yelling. She tried to calm down. She took a deep breath. “Julie didn't invite Avery, who is practically my best friend in the whole world, along with Charlotte, Katani, and Isabel. So none of us are going. So, we're going to do something with Avery instead. We're making a statement!”

The class had just talked about people making a statement in social studies. Rosa Parks had died. She was noted in history as the black woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. She figured she paid her fare. She deserved the seat as much as anyone. She had no idea that her actions were going to spark an entire movement in the South. Now, that was really making a statement. But ordinary people could make a statement over little things, too.
Not that Julie's snub was equal to what happened to Rosa Parks, but it was excluding someone she knew
, thought Maeve.

Maeve came out of her daydream to see that Sam was frowning. He appeared to be thinking about what making a statement meant.

“It means—”

“I know what it means. It's like when Mom buys me clothes that nobody, I mean nobody, is wearing, and I wear my old torn jeans and stained Blue Guys T-shirt.”

Maeve closed her eyes and sighed. “Do you think Mom is losing it, Sam?”

“I guess. But there's nothing we can do about it.”

Sam tried to grab some food and missed. He gave up on his chopsticks, speared a chunk of sesame chicken with his knife, and poked it in his mouth. “I could help you with your math. I already know fractions!”

“Sam, if you tutored me, we would get in the biggest fight of our lives. And even though I'm having trouble, I'm so beyond third-grade math. But thanks for offering anyway.”

“What are you going to do about Julie and the Hawaiian party?” he asked, slurping up a noodle.

Maeve couldn't believe it. She was actually sitting at the kitchen table having a real conversation with Sam. Was this real, or was she so desperate for conversation that she would sit and chat with anyone, even her little brother?

“No. Well, yes, not go. We've all decided we won't go without Avery.”

“But you love parties, don't you?” Sam took the other side of the argument in Maeve's head.

“Yeah, Sam. I love parties. I am
really
good at parties.”

Maeve could see herself dancing with Dillon. Then all of a sudden Riley popped into her head. Maeve and Riley could talk about music for hours. Like this afternoon. It was so much fun having a heated discussion with Riley about his fave new band. And they were planning another song for her to sing with his band. She could dance with Riley and Dillon. She would be wearing the orchid lei. Eating coconuts and pineapples. Both boys would bring her punch in a cup made from a coconut shell that had a little umbrella. She'd take a deep breath of the sweet perfume of Hawaii. Reality check. Riley wasn't invited to the party.
That was so mean
, thought Maeve.

“What should we do about all this food?” asked Sam.

“I don't know. Put it away. Eat it. Don't eat all of it, though. You'll be sick.”

“I know that. I'm not a—”

“I know. You really aren't a baby, Sam.” Maeve turned around and hugged her brother.

“Ugh. Get away from me.” Sam pretended he was going to sword fight Maeve with his chopsticks, but he was smiling.

Maeve smiled back, helped Sam clean up the kitchen, and hurried off to bed before the good feelings about Sam faded.

Just as she was falling asleep, she felt her mother kiss her lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart, for taking care of Sam and cleaning up the kitchen. You are my special girl.”

Maeve murmured, “I love you,” to her mom.

C
harlotte heard Avery call from downstairs, “Char, it's me.” She was a little surprised to hear her friend's voice.

Usually Avery called the night before when she was coming over early to walk Marty. She ran halfway up the elegant staircase, then slid down the banister while Charlotte and Marty ran after her.

“What are you doing here, Ave?” Charlotte asked.

“Just felt like it. And I missed Marty. You missed me, too, didn't you, little guy?” Avery grabbed Marty up in her arms and the little dog licked her face.

Just as Charlotte, Avery, and Marty were heading out the door, Miss Pierce suddenly appeared.

“Charlotte, why don't you stop by for tea and cookies some afternoon?” she called after them. “I have some wonderful new images from the Hubble telescope. I think you would find them fascinating, and my new recipe for Chocolate Coconut Surprises is scrumptious.”

“I'd love to, Miss Pierce,” Charlotte said. “We have to get going now; Marty is going to have a heart attack if we don't walk him.” The little dog was practically hopping on one leg.

“I see that. Run along, girls, run along.” Miss Pierce patted Charlotte on the shoulder as the girls rushed outside. Charlotte was so surprised. Usually Miss Pierce refrained from any physical contact. She was so shy.

“Maybe she is starting to come out of her shell,” Charlotte said to Avery when they got outside. “How nice of her to invite me. I'd love to see some Hubble photos.”

Charlotte's landlady was a mysterious recluse, but Miss Pierce had so many hobbies she kept busy night and day. She was an astronomer who studied deep space. Before they knew anything about Miss Pierce, the BSG had discovered her telescope up in the Tower. She worked for NASA and was always getting packages and visits from men in black. Charlotte wondered what secret assignments they might be giving Miss Pierce. Avery was convinced that Miss Pierce was researching aliens. Isabel said she didn't want to think of alien visitations—little green men with black holes for eyes gave her the willies.

“I think Marty missed us when we went to Lake Rescue.” Charlotte pulled on her vintage denim jacket—the one that had belonged to her mother years ago. It was the most important piece of clothing Charlotte owned, and she hoped it would last forever.

Marty jumped and barked and wagged his stub of a tail as if to say, yes, I missed you BSG, and now you need to make up for leaving me practically alone. But meanwhile,
wanna see me dance? See how high I can jump?

“I know he missed us. Huh, boy!” Avery bounced beside the little dog.

The outside air was autumn brisk with a hint of rain. Charlotte savored all the seasons and loved having them change. But, Charlotte didn't want any more change. She'd had all she could handle for a long time. She and her father had moved so often after Charlotte's mother died. Now Charlotte felt she could live in Brookline and in the old Victorian house forever.

“Let's jog. Marty needs the exercise.” Avery picked up the pace.

Charlotte didn't feel like running. “Can we just walk fast?”

“Okay.” Avery bent down to pat Marty on his funny little head.

“Avery,” Charlotte took a deep breath and jumped in. “We decided that none of us are going to Julie Faber's party. If you aren't invited, we aren't going. That's totally unfair for Julie to leave you out. She knows that all of us are best friends.”

“Well, I'm not best friends with Julie. I don't even like Julie Fabulous Faber.” Avery looked away as she spoke. “And I don't want you to stay home because of me. Then I'll feel like a total loser.
Avery wasn't invited, and we're going to stay home and make her feel good
. No, I want all of you to go.”

“But, Ave. We want…”

Avery stopped to pick up Marty's little chew toy Happy Lucky Thingy. She threw it and the perky little dog flew
off after it. He was back in seconds for another throw.

“Forget it, Charlotte. I don't want to talk about this.”

Charlotte gulped. She didn't want Avery to be uncomfortable. She just wanted her friend to know that the BSG were loyal. Everybody they knew was going to the party. What would Avery do that night?

When they caught up to Marty the second time, he was shaking his toy as hard as he could. Happy Lucky Thingy was the only thing Avery had brought with her from Korea when she was adopted as a baby. It was a testament to how much she adored Marty that she would give him the toy. Avery growled and stood tall, her hands over her head, then brought them down, pretending to attack Marty.

Marty was ecstatic. He'd play with his girl Avery all day.

Charlotte took a deep breath and stopped to look at a flower bed. “Don't you love zinnias?”

Avery smiled in spite of her sad feelings about the party. Charlotte could be so quirky sometimes.

“How's your ankle?” Charlotte asked.

“Not too bad. I'm so glad that I didn't break it or sprain it worse. I felt so stupid getting hurt anyway.” Avery was relieved to be talking about ankles and sports instead of parties.

They walked slowly back to Charlotte's, talking about basketball and newspaper work and avoiding the one topic Charlotte wanted to talk about. Charlotte glanced at her watch. They were okay on time. Before she could say anything more to Avery, her friend turned to her.

“Charlotte, you have to promise me that you, Isabel, Katani, and Maeve will go to the Fabulous Faber's party. Especially Maeve. I know she wants to go really bad. Maeve just loves parties. Dillon was invited, and I'm sure Nick was, too. You want to go. You know you do. So…please, just go.”

“But—”

“Someone needs to stay home and dog-sit. Right, Marty?”

“Ruffff,” Marty agreed. “Ruff.”

“Promise you'll all go, Charlotte?” Avery looked at her friend.

Charlotte sighed but she nodded yes.

They tucked Marty inside the house, grabbed their book bags, which they had left inside the front door, and took off down Corey Hill. Charlotte waved to Yuri, who was just about the first friend she had made in Brookline. Charlotte noticed that today Yuri had bouquets of fall flowers, all the varieties and colors she'd seen in the park. They coordinated with the fall vegetables. Sometimes she wished she could paint. She needed to think about how to write a poem about colors changing with the seasons.
Colors wild and true
…
that could be the first line
, she thought.

They skipped past Party Favors—according to Avery, home of the best chocolate cupcakes in the world—then turned left onto Harvard Street. Crowds of kids mingled outside Abigail Adams Junior High, all of them glad the rain had stopped and the sky was clear.

Every group of seventh graders they passed, it seemed,
was talking about Julie's party. What they were going to wear, what things Julie might have planned. Charlotte and Avery pretended they didn't hear the buzz, although Charlotte noticed that Avery's cheeks were flushed. They ran up the steps, slipped into the busy hall, and hurried to their lockers. Charlotte felt sorry for her friend, and she wondered if Julie Faber knew how it felt to be left out.

Maeve was the first to see them. “Hi, guys. What's up?”

“Charlotte and I took Marty for a walk,” Avery said. “He was tired of being cooped up. He needed to conduct a squirrel raid.”

“I can't believe you can get up so early. I have to be dragged out of bed.” Maeve yawned. “I'll walk Marty after school on Friday if I'm not grounded forever.”

“Are you still obsessing over that math test?” Avery tossed books into her locker and pulled out a couple. “It's no big deal.”

“Maybe not to you, but what if I fail? It could be the end of the world as I know it.” Maeve's face was so long, her friends bit their lips to keep from laughing.

“I can help you study, Maeve,” Katani said.

Katani never got nervous on tests and was so organized, she prepared for them days in advance.

Maeve tried to make a joke of the whole thing, but Charlotte could see the panic oozing out of her friend's pores. And today was only Wednesday.

“You have two days left to study,” Isabel said.

“My tutor almost gave up on me last night. I don't think anyone can help me. I am doomed.”

Going Out for the Team

That afternoon, Avery and Isabel headed to the gym for basketball tryouts. Avery was excited, but she still couldn't stop thinking about not being invited to Julie Faber's party. Avery wasn't used to not getting picked. She was always one of the first people chosen for sports teams and even for academic groups at school, because she was also a good student. She wasn't friends with Julie, but neither were Charlotte or Isabel, so why was Avery the only one left out?

Avery glanced at Isabel as they arrived at the gym doors. Maybe she could talk to Isabel about being left out of the party. But Isabel was invited, so Avery didn't want to make her feel bad by complaining about it. Avery had almost talked to her brother Scott that morning before school. Normally he was a good listener and gave good advice, but Avery didn't think Scott would understand—he was always invited to everything.

This party thing was just too confusing. She took a deep breath as she walked across the gym floor to the bleachers. Avery tried to stop thinking about parties and to start thinking about a much more pleasant topic: basketball.

“Isn't this great, Isabel!”

“Yeah, I guess…But I'm so nervous!” said Isabel as she adjusted her knee brace. Isabel had injured her knee ballet dancing and had to wear a protective brace. “Maybe I shouldn't have let you talk me into trying out. What if I make a fool of myself?”

“Don't worry, Izzy,” Avery said reassuringly. “You'll
do awesome! Being confident is half the battle.”

“But I've never played on a real team before, just at the park in my old neighborhood.”

“Think positive, Isabel. You know all the rules and you already know how to shoot…so you're all set!”

“Thanks, Avery. You know, I think you're right!” Isabel was starting to feel less nervous after Avery's pep talk. “Hey, is that Betsy Fitzgerald?”

Avery looked toward the gym door and was surprised to see Betsy Fitzgerald, teacher's pet and class know-it-all, walking into the gym dressed for tryouts. “I didn't know Betsy played basketball.”

“And there's Anna and Julie Faber,” said Isabel, looking around to scope out the competition. There was a group of eighth graders standing together at the end of the bleachers. “Those eighth graders are so tall!”

“Well, being tall isn't everything,” commented Avery with a smile. Avery was the shortest girl in their class, but she made up for it by being really quick on the court and always playing hard.

Coach Porter called all the girls over to the bleachers to explain how tryouts would work. They would have two days of competition. The first day, they would be working on some simple dribbling, passing, and shooting drills. The second day would concentrate on defense and game play.

“I'm pleased to see such a great turnout. I'm really excited about this season, and I hope you're all ready to work hard and most importantly, have a lot of fun! We'll start off with warmups, then we'll get into the drills.”
Coach Porter was really enthusiastic. “Okay, girls, let's get started!”

For the first half hour, the girls ran through dribbling and passing drills. Avery knew most of the girls that were trying out from the many teams she had played on since elementary school. Everybody was working hard to impress the coach with her basketball skills.

Avery thought that Isabel was doing great, and she really hoped she would make the team. It would be so fun to have another BSG on the basketball team. She was really surprised to see that Betsy Fitzgerald actually knew how to play. Avery had always thought that Betsy was only interested in getting into college.

Julie Faber was also a pretty good player, which really annoyed Avery. She had been hoping that Julie wouldn't make the team, and then maybe Julie could be the one who was left out. But if she did make the team…well, Avery would deal with that when it happened. For now, she had to concentrate on making the team herself.

Coach Porter blew her whistle. “Now we're moving on to shooting drills. First, I'd like to see everyone practice free throws. We'll split into two groups, one at each basket. Let's count off one-two-one-two, and the ones will be at the other basket and the twos will stay here.”

The girls counted off one-two-one-two. Avery was a two, and so were Isabel, Betsy, Julie, and a bunch of eighth graders, including Amanda Cruz, who had been the star of the team last year.

“Okay, everyone get in line at the top of the key. You'll all take ten free throws each turn. Free throws are a very
important part of the game, and everyone can improve their percentage with practice.”

Avery and the other girls jogged over to form a line. Avery was third in line, right behind Betsy. Amanda Cruz was up first, and she got seven out of ten.

“Great job, Amanda,” said Coach Porter, as she made some marks on her clipboard. “All right, Betsy, you're up next.”

Avery heard someone giggling behind her. She looked over her shoulder and realized it was Julie Faber and a tall eighth grader, Sarah Meyers, who appeared to be laughing at Betsy.

“Did you see her sneakers?” Julie whispered to Sarah.

“Those are so fifth grade,” Sarah sneered. “I can't believe she thinks she would actually make the team. As if.”

Avery couldn't believe how snobby Julie and Sarah were being. Who cared if Betsy's sneakers were “last year.” Fashion didn't matter in basketball!

Betsy was calmly bouncing the basketball at the line as she prepared to start taking free throws, acting like she couldn't hear Julie and Sarah. She carefully lined up her shot, bent her knees, and sent the ball sailing in a perfect arc, straight into the hoop.