Fabulous Five 009 - The Boyfriend Dilemma (4 page)

Christie sat in a chair in front of Mr. Neal's desk. Her
mind raced as she tried to sort out what had happened. How had the cards gotten
into the folder that Miss Simone had given her to deliver to her mother? Or was
the folder really Mr. Neal's? It couldn't be. How could she have gotten it?

She felt like wilting in her seat as she faced Mr. Neal. She
had never seen him look so stern.

"Tell me about how you got the note cards," he
ordered.

"I don't know how I got them, Mr. Neal. Honest."
She gave him a pleading look. "On Wednesday, Miss Simone asked me to bring
home a blue folder from Mr. Bell for my mom. When I saw the folder with my books
this morning, I thought my mother had given it back to me to return."

"You need to think very hard about how you got the note
cards, Christie. It doesn't look good. I've known you for a long time and I've
never known you to cheat, but you know how it's going to look to other people.
When could you have gotten my folder?"

"I don't know. I just don't know," she said,
making tight fists in her lap.

Mr. Neal sighed. "I hope you realize just how serious
this is, Christie. I'm on your side, but I need help. If we can't find a way to
prove you got the cards without knowing it, I'm going to have to take you off
the match team with Trumbull. I don't want to suspend you from the Super Quiz
team, but I can't promise it won't happen. It depends on how things go."

His words hit Christie like a bolt of lightning, and she
sank back in her chair dumbfounded. Suspended from the Super Quiz team for
cheating! That couldn't happen! She had worked so hard all her life to make
good grades and to do the right thing. How could this be happening to her?

Her astonishment must have shown on her face. "I'm
sorry, Christie," Mr. Neal added more gently. "I don't want to do it,
but right now it looks as though I won't have any other choice."

Christie's lower lip quivered and she fought back the tears
that threatened to spill out. She clenched her fists so hard her fingers hurt.

"You think about it hard, Christie. If we're going to
come up with anything, we have to do it by Wednesday so I'll know if I should
tell Melissa whether or not she will be taking your place. Come and talk to me
anytime you think of something that might solve it for us, Christie."

Christie whispered, "Okay," and got up and walked
out of the room like a zombie.

What could she do? What could she say to her friends and
everyone else? Mr. Neal would have to take her off the team for the match with
Trumbull Junior High and maybe even suspend her from the team altogether. It
would be the biggest embarrassment of her whole life. How could she face her
friends and everyone else? What would she tell her parents? And Melissa
McConnell, of all people, would take her place on the team. Laura McCall would
have a field day over that.

As Christie walked down the hall, she felt like a convicted
criminal. Tammy Lucero, the gossip of The Fantastic Foursome, was talking to
Sara Sawyer and Heather Clark. They were looking at Christie, and she knew that
Tammy was talking about her. Tammy and her Fantastic Foursome friends would
tell everyone in school as fast as they could. Christie felt her face heat up
and she turned and walked away.

When lunchtime came, she dreaded walking into the cafeteria
by herself, so she stood outside waiting for one of The Fabulous Five. It was
almost worse standing there by herself as Melinda Thaler and Alexis Duvall
passed her and started whispering to each other. Christie knew they were
talking about her. She was relieved when Tim stopped to talk. She could ignore
everyone else.

"How's it going?" he asked. "Did you find
where the cards came from?"

"No. But I didn't take them,
honest
I didn't. I
don't know how I got them."

He looked sympathetic. "I believe you. What's Mr. Neal
going to do?"

Christie's voice cracked when she replied, "He says
that if we can't prove I didn't take them, he's going to have to take me off
the team for the Trumbull match." And then she whispered, "He might
even have to suspend me from the Super Quiz team. I've got until Wednesday to
find out how it happened."

Tim frowned. "Can't you think of any way the folder
could have gotten in with your books?"

"No. I just don't know."

"Did anyone touch your things at the tryouts?"

"I don't think so. I had them with me all the time. Why
would someone do it, anyway?"

"To keep you off the team?" he asked.

Christie hadn't thought about that. Would Melissa McConnell
have done it? When would she have had an opportunity to get Mr. Neal's folder
and put it with Christie's things? She thought hard but couldn't think of when
it might have happened.

"Tell you what," Tim said. "I'll ask some of
the other kids on the team if they saw anything. Don't worry. We'll find out
what happened." He squeezed her arm reassuringly.

"Thanks," said Christie. It was nice to have
somebody on her side. Just then Jana and Katie came up.

"Hi!" they both chirped.

"Hi. I'll see you later," Tim said as he turned
and left.

"How did the tryouts go?" asked Jana.

"Terrible," Christie answered. "You mean you
haven't heard?" She was so glad to see her friends that the words tumbled
out as she told them what happened.

"Gee," said Katie with a shocked look on her face,
"how
could
you have gotten the cards?"

"I don't know," answered Christie. "That
seems like all I've been saying, but
I just don't know.
Tim said he'd
ask the other people on the team if they had any ideas."

"You don't think it was Melissa who put them there?"
asked Jana.

"I don't know how it could have been," Christie
answered. "But believe me, The Fantastic Foursome's not wasting any time
telling people about what happened. I saw Tammy talking to Sara and Heather,
and I know she was telling them about me. That's why I was waiting for one of
you to come by. I didn't want to go into the cafeteria by myself."

"Don't worry," said Katie. "Just stick with
us. We'll take care of Laura and her crowd if they try to make trouble."

Christie felt relieved that she was with two of her best
friends. Jana, Katie, Melanie, and Beth would stick by her, no matter what. And
Tim was trying to help. And there was Jon, too. Jon was one of her very best
friends. He really cared about her and would definitely be on her side. There
was no doubt about that. She could hardly wait to talk to him and see if he had
any ideas to help her get this whole thing straightened out. He could surely
come up with something. She felt relieved just thinking about it.

Jana and Katie each got on one side of her, and the three of
them locked arms, straightened their backs, and held their heads high. Christie
felt a swelling of pride as her two friends marched with her into the
cafeteria.

She looked around the room defiantly, and the first thing
she saw was Jon sitting next to Kimm. They were at a table in the corner
sitting so close they touched, and they were laughing.

Christie's heart dropped into her shoes. What were Jon and
Kimm doing together? She felt as if something had been stolen from her.

But no, she shouldn't feel that way, she reminded herself.
She had told Jon she just wanted to be best friends, hadn't she? And she had
even thought that his getting interested in Kimm or some other girl might help
keep her own relationship with Jon from getting too serious. So why shouldn't
he talk to Kimm?

But did he have to sit so close to her? He seemed to be
having a lot of fun talking to her, too. Knowing that she and Jon were just
best friends now didn't help that little feeling of jealousy that had crept
into her at the sight of Jon and Kimm together.
He has every right to be
with her,
Christie thought, pulling herself up to her full height.

She headed with Jana and Katie to their table without
turning to look at Jon and Kimm again. Melanie and Beth were already sitting
there.

"Christie," Melanie whispered as if she were a spy
with a big secret. "What's this about your getting kicked off the Super
Quiz team?"

Christie drew a deep breath and glared at the table where
Tammy Lucero sat with the rest of The Fantastic Foursome. Laura McCall smiled
back. Christie gave her an angry look.

"I have
not
been kicked off of the Super Quiz
team," she insisted. "There's been a big mistake. Somehow I got Mr.
Neal's folder with the questions for the tryouts mixed in with my books, and I
dropped it and the cards with the questions spilled out. I don't know how I got
the folder.
And that's THAT!
" she added firmly.

"Sorry," said Melanie, drawing back. "I didn't
mean to make you mad."

"
I'm
sorry," said Christie, putting her
hand on Melanie's hand and smiling apologetically. "It's just that I think
I've explained it a million times already.

"What am I going to do?" Christie implored as
Melanie smiled back at her. "Tammy Lucero is telling everybody that I've
been kicked off the team already. I know the rest of The Fantastic Foursome is
doing the same thing, but Mr. Neal said I've got until Wednesday to find out
what happened."

"Everybody knows you, Christie," said Beth. "They
know you didn't have to cheat to win."

"You don't have
any
idea how it happened?"
asked Jana.

"None at all."

"We could all spread the word that it's a mistake,"
said Melanie. "Like Beth said, everyone knows Christie wouldn't have to
cheat to win."

"That's great," said Christie. "But if I don't
find out what happened by Wednesday, Melissa McConnell will take my place in
the match against Trumbull, and everyone will think I cheated, regardless."

"Let's put our heads together and figure it out,"
said Jana. "There's got to be a way. Why don't we all go to the auditorium
after classes and go over the scene of the crime? If anyone can figure it out,
we can."

"Right," said Katie. "The Fabulous Five can
do anything."

"Oh, Christie, I heard you had a problem in the
tryouts." Laura McCall's voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

None of them had seen her come up. She was smiling broadly,
and Christie could tell she was overjoyed at Christie's predicament.

"It's none of your business, Laura McCall," said
Beth.

"Just like the fact your boyfriend is sitting with Kimm
Taylor is none of my business, Christie?" she said sweetly. "I guess
you're right, only I hear you didn't do so well at the tryouts, and it doesn't
look as if you're doing too well with Jon, either." She smiled her
icky-sweet smile again.

"Some people win, some people lose," Laura said,
flicking her braid over her shoulder. "Well, I don't suppose any of you
Fabulous Five will be at the Trumbull match since
none of you
will be on
the team. The Fantastic Foursome will all be there, of course, since one of our
group
did
make the team."

"There's no proof that Christie took the folder with
the questions," countered Jana. "In fact, we're sure we can prove she
didn't have the folder. Someone must have stuck it in with her books." Jana
looked coldly at Melissa.

"Oh?" said Laura, raising one eyebrow. "I
hear that someone saw Tim giving Christie a blue folder, just like the one Mr.
Neal had the questions in, Wednesday after school."

For the second time that day Christie felt as if she had
been hit with a brick. Everyone stared at her, even The Fabulous Five.

Christie dropped back down on the bench without even trying
to explain that she had gotten that folder from Miss Simone. It hadn't been
proven that she had taken the questions, and she had until Wednesday to prove
that she hadn't, but that hardly mattered anymore. Laura McCall had just made
it clear that Christie had already been found guilty.

After classes had ended for the day, Christie trailed along
after her friends to the auditorium. She couldn't help feeling gloomy about her
chances of proving she was innocent, but her friends had insisted on going over
what had happened.

"Laura McCall makes Joe Isuzu look honest," Katie
said, giving her a sympathetic look. Christie smiled at her friend gratefully.

"Okay, Christie. Tell us exactly what happened during
the tryouts," ordered Jana.

"Well, we came in, and Mr. Neal told us to sit where we
had been sitting the day before."

"Where
was
everyone sitting?" asked
Melanie. "Show us."

"Kyle Zimmerman and Holly Davis were sitting on one
end, Daphne Alexandrou and Brad Cochran were in the middle. I was next to Brad
and Curtis was next to me."

"Where was Melissa?" asked Katie.

"Over there, at the other table," answered
Christie, pointing.

"Where did you put your books?" asked Jana.

"I put them right in front of me on the table where I
was sitting."

"Did you put them down someplace else before you sat
down?" asked Beth.

Christie bit her lower lip and thought a moment. "No .
. . I had them in my arms until I sat down." Her four friends' eyebrows
wrinkled into frowns almost in unison.

Katie walked over to the podium. "You didn't talk to
Mr. Neal and put the books down over here, did you?"

Christie shook her head. "I
didn't
put the books
down, except at the table where I was sitting. And
no one
came near
them. That's why I can't understand how the folder got in with my books."

"Curtis or Brad?" asked Jana. "They were
sitting next to you. Could either one of them have done it?"

Everyone looked at her.

"Why would they?" asked Katie. "There has to
be a motive."

"Speaking of motives," said Beth, "Laura said
she heard that
Tim
gave you a blue folder. You have to admit that he's
been hanging around you a lot ever since the tryouts started."

"Right!" said Jana excitedly. "And he's a
real brain so he's sure to make the team."

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" asked
Melanie, nodding to the others and opening her eyes dramatically. "He
wanted to make sure Christie made the team, too, so he gave her the questions
without her knowing it."

"He wouldn't do that," Christie insisted. "Besides,
I know the folder he handed me was the one Miss Simone gave me to take home to
my mother. There has to be something else."

"But what?" asked Jana.

The Fabulous Five stared at each other in gloomy silence. "I
don't know what else to tell you," said Christie quietly. "That's all
that happened." She felt the tears beginning to well up in her eyes again.

Jana came over to her and hugged her. "Keep thinking,
Christie. We all believe you didn't do it, and there has to be an explanation."

"That's right," said Katie, wrapping her arms
around both Christie and Jana. As Beth and Melanie joined them, Beth raised her
hand for a high five and shouted, "One for all, and all for one!" The
others slapped it, but Christie could tell they weren't enthusiastic. They
knew, just as she did, that her chances of finding out how she had gotten the
Super Quiz questions before the Wednesday deadline were pretty slim.

Christie braced herself as The Fabulous Five entered
Bumpers. The room was filled, as usual, with the after-school crowd, and the
old Wurlitzer jukebox was blaring loudly. Mr. Matson, the owner, was working
the cash register as kids lined up with sodas, dishes of french fries, and hamburgers.

"All the booths are filled," said Christie.

"Why don't we stand by the jukebox? That way all the
boys can admire us," suggested Melanie.

"Yeah," agreed Beth. "And we can talk to them
when they come up to play songs."

"Who wants a cola?" asked Katie cheerfully. "I'll
go get them if somebody will help."

"I do and I'll help," said Melanie. "I see
Scott in line and I want to talk to him." Christie, Jana, and Beth gave
them their orders.

"There's Randy," said Jana. "I'll be right
back." Then she added, looking at Christie, "I'll be watching in case
you need help."

Christie surveyed the crowd, telling herself that she was
not
looking for Jon but knowing deep down that she dreaded the possibility of
seeing him with Kimm again.

Dekeisha Adams and Mandy McDermott were sitting with Bill
Soliday and Tony Sanchez. Dekeisha waved when she saw Christie and Beth. Laura
McCall and her friends were sitting together, and when Christie noticed them,
they started whispering to each other and pointing in her direction. Christie
had the feeling it was all for her benefit.

"Hi," said Shelly Bramlett as she came up to put
money in the Wurlitzer.

Christie and Beth said "Hi" back.

"Did I see Jon sitting with Kimm Taylor in the
cafeteria today?" Shelly asked Christie as she punched the buttons. "You
and Jon haven't had a fight, have you?"

Christie tried not to show any reaction to Shelly's
question. "Oh, no. Jon and I aren't going steady. We're just good friends."

Shelly looked at Christie. "Hey, Christie. I think you're
prettier than Kimm Taylor any day. You don't have to worry about her."

"I'm not worried about Kimm Taylor," responded
Christie. "Jon can talk to her all he wants."

"Well, if he were my boyfriend, I wouldn't let someone
take him away without a fight," said Shelly. "See you later."

Christie looked at Beth. Beth shrugged noncommittally. Why
can't people understand about Jon and me? Christie wondered. But still, Shelly's
words left her feeling depressed.

Looking around again, she saw Jon sitting with Keith
Masterson and Randy Kirwan at the booth where Jana had gone to talk to Randy.
Jon gave Christie a big smile when he saw her.

"Here are your sodas," said Katie, coming up from
behind them. "Where's Jana?"

"Over there, talking to Randy," answered Beth.

"I'm glad I got in line. Scott just asked me if I'd go
to the movies with him tonight," said Melanie. "Is anyone else going?"

"I'm going with Tony," answered Katie. "We're
going to double with Jana and Randy. Randy's dad is dropping us off."

"Keith and I are going, too," said Beth. "Why
don't we all meet in front and sit together."

"That sounds great," responded Katie. "What
about you, Christie? Are you and Jon going?"

"We haven't talked about it," answered Christie. "I
don't know what he's doing."

"Are you two still just best friends?" asked
Katie.

Oh, no, thought Christie, glancing in Jon's direction. Not
more questions about us.

"Nothing has changed," she answered, trying not to
show her frustration at the question.

Going to the movies with The Fabulous Five and their
boyfriends was always fun, but she didn't really have a boyfriend of her own
now, and Jon might not want to go with her. He might want a
real
date.

"Look out, here comes Laura and her friends,"
whispered Beth. Laura, Melissa, Tammy, and Funny had gotten up from their booth
and were headed toward The Fabulous Five.

"Have you found the
mystery
person who
supposedly
put the answer cards in your folder?" asked Laura. She had the end of her
long braid in her hand and one eyebrow was raised arrogantly.

"It's just a matter of time until we do," Christie
said with more confidence than she really felt.

"There are only a few people in Wakeman who would do
such a dirty trick," said Beth, stepping forward. Christie knew Beth
wanted to protect her from Laura's insults and appreciated her friend's
efforts.

"Well, you don't have a lot of time left,"
interjected Melissa.

"I've got until Wednesday," responded Christie.

"Maybe not," said Tammy with a sneaky grin.

Christie looked at her questioningly. "What do you
mean? Mr. Neal said I had until then."

"Well," piped up Melissa, "
we
don't
think it's fair for me to have to wait that long to know if I'm going to be on
the team, and I'm going to tell Mr. Neal that. After all, I need to know
whether or not I should study, don't I? Wednesday is too late to find out.
We
think he'll change the day to Monday." The Fantastic Foursome smiled in
unison, although Funny Hawthorne seemed uncomfortable.

"Studying won't do you any good," said Melanie. "You've
got
too
much to learn." She and Melissa gave each other angry
looks.

"We'll see,"
said Laura. She turned and
headed for the door with Melissa, Tammy, and Funny following her.

"I'm glad they're gone," said Katie. "Do you
really think Mr. Neal would change the date on you, Christie?"

"I don't know. I bet they ask him to, though."

"Hey, Christie. Things are looking up," said
Melanie, nudging her. "Here comes Jon. Maybe he's going to ask you to the
movies."

Christie turned and saw Jon headed toward them. Was Melanie
right? Was he going to ask her for a date? Or was it something else? Maybe he
liked Kimm so much now that he wanted to break off everything, even his
friendship with Christie. Maybe she had been wrong to think that a boy and a
girl could just be best friends. She cringed at the thought of losing him
completely, especially now that she needed his help and his friendship so
badly. She looked questioningly at him as he approached, but she couldn't tell
anything from the expression on his face.