Kate spent the remainder of the day hiding out in the nurse's office. She
told her that her tummy hurt. The nurse assumed that it was cramps and
asked no more questions. As soon as school was out she hurried out of the
building and headed straight for the park. She had told her mother that she
was going over to Lizzie's after school and her mother, who had recently
decided that she needed to bond with her only child, would wonder as to why
she was home so early. At times like this she regretted that her mother had
stopped going away on business trips.
She knew exactly where she was headed when she entered the park. She just didn't know why. She stopped in front of the all too familiar tree. The day before she went away to camp the summer before sixth grade, she, Lizzie and Miranda had come to this park. To this exact tree and carved their initials underneath the words 'Best Friends Forever'. They had told Gordo that no boys were allowed but later in the day they felt guilty and has returned to the park with him to carve his initials with theirs. That was back in the days when they cared about hurting each other's feelings. Well it didn't work that way anymore. She went to camp and was constantly told to 'act her age!' She listened and felt that the year she had over them made her superior. Even if they didn't know about it. She changed and they changed and nothing could change things back to the way they were.
She was getting hungry. Maybe she should go home. She could just tell her mom that she didn't feel so good and decided to come home. Curling up in bed with the TV remote for the rest of the day didn't sound like such a bad idea anyway.
As she reached her front door she saw Ethan turning the corner of her street. Oh no. She did not need to talk to him right now. She rushed inside and spied a note taped to the staircase. "Sorry honey. Emergency came up. Had to fly to Japan for a few days. Call you later. Mom." Ok, so maybe SOME things could return to the way they were before. Her doorbell rang and was followed by Ethan's voice.
"Kate are you in there?"
"Nobody's home." Oops. Her big mouth. Wait this was Ethan. He just might buy this.
"If nobody's home then who just said that?" She could almost see his self- assured grin when he thought he had figured out something smart. Think fast Saunders.
"Ummm. Kate bought a new animated answering machine for her doorbell. If you leave your name and number I'm sure she'll get back to you. BEEP." She cringed. Was that the best she could do? Then she heard him muttering something about having to get one of those as his footsteps faded. She let out a sigh and plodded up the stairs. She opened her bedroom door and gasped.
"You didn't think that I would actually buy that crap did you?" There was Ethan lounging on her bed, grinning at her.
"How did you get in here?"
"Dude how does any guy sneak in a girl's bedroom. You have a trellis leading up to your window."
"So have you had much practice sneaking in and out of girls' bedrooms?" She couldn't help it. She was jealous.
"Nah but my big brother was right. It's a piece of cake, once the girl has a trellis." He wiggled his eyebrows at her making her laugh. "So tell me. Why did you get so mad with the others today?"
"Why don't YOU tell ME? You probably heard."
"I heard that you don't want Lizzie and Miranda to perform at the dance. I also heard what they thought was the reason. Now I want to hear the real one." Her eyes started to tear up. When did he become the Einstein of emotions? She gave in and told him the whole story including Big Red's plans for the dance. When she was done she drew a long breath and looked at him.
"I'm going to make cheerleader Ethan, no matter what I have to do." He looked at her with a peculiar expression on his face.
"Kate you've seen 'Bring It On' half a million times. You even dragged me to see it. Hell that's why I love it so much now. It reminds me of you. Now you know as well as I do that if people followed tradition all the time that Missy would have never gotten in. But she did, because she was the best. Even if you don't do this stupid prank you'll get in because you're the best." Kate was still apprehensive. There was no 'Torrance' to stand up for her on this squad. This was reality, not some movie, even if her archrival felt that she had stepped out of the same show.
"And if I still do this prank. Would you stop talking to me too?" He had gotten up and was now investigating the contents of her vanity. He seemed quite interested in the perfume named 'Tigress'. So that was what had her smelling all playful, spicy, and seductive. He made a mental note to remember that when her birthday came around and instantly forgot it. He then realized that she was watching him anxiously. She was waiting for an answer. What was the question again? Oh yeah. Would he ever stop talking to her? He considered it for a moment and then decided that it wasn't even an option but something else was. He bounded back unto her bed and tried portray his best reclining bikini model pose.
"Nah. Boyfriends aren't allowed to do that."
"BOYFRIENDS?!"
"Oh did I forget to tell you? Sorry dude but we're going out now." She giggled nervously and hit him lightly with her pillow. It was bad etiquette, after all, to injure your new boyfriend.
She knew exactly where she was headed when she entered the park. She just didn't know why. She stopped in front of the all too familiar tree. The day before she went away to camp the summer before sixth grade, she, Lizzie and Miranda had come to this park. To this exact tree and carved their initials underneath the words 'Best Friends Forever'. They had told Gordo that no boys were allowed but later in the day they felt guilty and has returned to the park with him to carve his initials with theirs. That was back in the days when they cared about hurting each other's feelings. Well it didn't work that way anymore. She went to camp and was constantly told to 'act her age!' She listened and felt that the year she had over them made her superior. Even if they didn't know about it. She changed and they changed and nothing could change things back to the way they were.
She was getting hungry. Maybe she should go home. She could just tell her mom that she didn't feel so good and decided to come home. Curling up in bed with the TV remote for the rest of the day didn't sound like such a bad idea anyway.
As she reached her front door she saw Ethan turning the corner of her street. Oh no. She did not need to talk to him right now. She rushed inside and spied a note taped to the staircase. "Sorry honey. Emergency came up. Had to fly to Japan for a few days. Call you later. Mom." Ok, so maybe SOME things could return to the way they were before. Her doorbell rang and was followed by Ethan's voice.
"Kate are you in there?"
"Nobody's home." Oops. Her big mouth. Wait this was Ethan. He just might buy this.
"If nobody's home then who just said that?" She could almost see his self- assured grin when he thought he had figured out something smart. Think fast Saunders.
"Ummm. Kate bought a new animated answering machine for her doorbell. If you leave your name and number I'm sure she'll get back to you. BEEP." She cringed. Was that the best she could do? Then she heard him muttering something about having to get one of those as his footsteps faded. She let out a sigh and plodded up the stairs. She opened her bedroom door and gasped.
"You didn't think that I would actually buy that crap did you?" There was Ethan lounging on her bed, grinning at her.
"How did you get in here?"
"Dude how does any guy sneak in a girl's bedroom. You have a trellis leading up to your window."
"So have you had much practice sneaking in and out of girls' bedrooms?" She couldn't help it. She was jealous.
"Nah but my big brother was right. It's a piece of cake, once the girl has a trellis." He wiggled his eyebrows at her making her laugh. "So tell me. Why did you get so mad with the others today?"
"Why don't YOU tell ME? You probably heard."
"I heard that you don't want Lizzie and Miranda to perform at the dance. I also heard what they thought was the reason. Now I want to hear the real one." Her eyes started to tear up. When did he become the Einstein of emotions? She gave in and told him the whole story including Big Red's plans for the dance. When she was done she drew a long breath and looked at him.
"I'm going to make cheerleader Ethan, no matter what I have to do." He looked at her with a peculiar expression on his face.
"Kate you've seen 'Bring It On' half a million times. You even dragged me to see it. Hell that's why I love it so much now. It reminds me of you. Now you know as well as I do that if people followed tradition all the time that Missy would have never gotten in. But she did, because she was the best. Even if you don't do this stupid prank you'll get in because you're the best." Kate was still apprehensive. There was no 'Torrance' to stand up for her on this squad. This was reality, not some movie, even if her archrival felt that she had stepped out of the same show.
"And if I still do this prank. Would you stop talking to me too?" He had gotten up and was now investigating the contents of her vanity. He seemed quite interested in the perfume named 'Tigress'. So that was what had her smelling all playful, spicy, and seductive. He made a mental note to remember that when her birthday came around and instantly forgot it. He then realized that she was watching him anxiously. She was waiting for an answer. What was the question again? Oh yeah. Would he ever stop talking to her? He considered it for a moment and then decided that it wasn't even an option but something else was. He bounded back unto her bed and tried portray his best reclining bikini model pose.
"Nah. Boyfriends aren't allowed to do that."
"BOYFRIENDS?!"
"Oh did I forget to tell you? Sorry dude but we're going out now." She giggled nervously and hit him lightly with her pillow. It was bad etiquette, after all, to injure your new boyfriend.
