What If... All the Rumors Were True (7 page)

Whitney has a lot of dish for Haley, but what of it is true? Unlike the SATs, taking an educated guess in this case probably won't get you to the bottom of the Hillsdale rumor mill. After all, Whit hasn't always been innocent herself. Is she just manufacturing all this gossip to draw attention away from her own past transgressions?

If you think Haley is itching to catch up with Sebastian Bodega, even if it means encountering the wily Mia, go to
"SPANISH FLY"
. If you think Haley is bored with the political scene and ought to be seeking her own stage, have her go out for the school play on
"ON A ROLE"
. Want to rekindle those dwindling flames with Reese Highland? Send Haley hopefully to find her man at the
"OPEN MIKE"
. Finally, if you think Haley needs a chance to catch her breath and pull herself together,
"THE BAG LADY"
.

Haley's just a small-town girl living in a fishbowl world. Some of what she hears may be too much information. But then, the more you know, the easier it is to make decisions. In theory, anyway.

SPANISH FLY

How do you say “Step aside for the new girl” in Spanish?

“H
aley! Annie!
Hola!
”

Haley and Annie spotted Sebastian Bodega in the rotunda on their way out of math class. It was the first time Haley had laid eyes on him since the end of sophomore year, and she had to admit he looked hotter than ever.

“Sebastian must have trained all summer,” Annie whispered, gawking at the strong swimmer's physique. “Now that's a backstroke I'd like to see up close.”

It was true; Sebastian's build was even leaner and more muscular than it had been the previous spring. Of course, those old familiar dark curls and warm brown eyes didn't hurt his overall impression either.

“Hi,” Haley managed, trying hard not to seem too eager for the long-lost Spaniard's attention.

Just as Sebastian was about to respond, a kittenish voice purred, “Oh, it's you. Hah-ley, is it?” A rail-thin olive-skinned fifth appendage slithered out from behind Sebastian's back. Her name was Mia Delgado, and she was a budding international supermodel who also happened to be Sebastian's childhood girlfriend. Ever since the stick-thin mannequin had arrived in the United States, she hadn't strayed from “Sebbie's” side—a fact that annoyed Haley no end.

“Hi, Mia,” Annie droned. “I see you're adjusting well to Hillsdale High. As official new-student ambassador for the junior class, I am obligated to say welcome, and offer you my services should you need any help navigating the campus.”

“No thank you. I already have an excellent tour guide,” Mia cooed, batting her lashes at Sebastian, her arm possessively sliding around his waist.

Haley had come to the rotunda to decompress between classes, but the sight of Mia now made relaxing in the sun a total impossibility.

“Ugh, if Mia's always talking about how great it is to live in Spain, why did she move to New Jersey?” Annie muttered under her breath.

“Good question,” Haley responded, forcing a smile to conceal her displeasure with Mia's sudden appearance.

It was an unseasonably warm day, and the rotunda was crowded with juniors and seniors enjoying their midmorning study breaks. Every male eye in the place was on Mia—that is, except for the pair belonging to senior Alex Martin, who had his nose deep in
The Brothers Karamazov.

Thank goodness someone here has some taste,
Haley noted, fondly admiring the cute conservative upperclassman. If it weren't for his far-right-leaning politics, Alex might have been Haley's soul mate. He was way smart, a member of the math team and also cocaptain of the debate squad, which he led with none other than Annie Armstrong. And then there were those clear hazel eyes and his firm build, toned by years of fencing and rowing crew.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to date a Republican,
Haley thought, imagining what Alex must look like under his tweed blazer and green patterned necktie. He was certainly a far cry from the other guys present, who were all tossing footballs, kicking soccer balls and generally doing everything they could think of to show off for the newest and most glamorous Hillsdale resident, Mia Delgado.

When Haley and Annie had entered the rotunda, they had barely caused a stir. Haley suddenly realized with a sinking heart that she'd now been at Hillsdale for a full year already. She was no longer the cute new girl, rousing everyone's interest. That title now belonged to Mia—and so, apparently, did Sebastian Bodega.

“How was your summer, Haley?” Sebastian's eyes twinkled with genuine interest now. Mia was sufficiently distracted by a pair of football jocks, who were showering her with compliments and asking her all about the modeling world. Sebastian was, for the moment, free.

“My summer was…not exactly scintillating,” Haley replied, pursing her lips.

“
Scintillating:
brilliantly lively, stimulating or witty,” Sebastian said, rattling off the definition.

“I see someone studied his SAT words over break.” Haley was impressed. Sebastian had lost a bit of his accent, and his English was improving dramatically.

Haley looked away and thought she saw
…Was Alex Martin just ogling me?
she thought, blushing. Sebastian incorrectly interpreted this as flirtation on Haley's part.

“All I did was study this summer, apart from swimming laps and lifting,” he said, flashing his dazzling white smile.

“Are you sure that's all you did?” Haley asked, annoyed, her eyes traveling in Mia's direction. “I heard Mia spent quite a lot of time modeling in Miami. Isn't that where you were training?”

“Well,” Sebastian began, “she was adjusting to life in the U. S. How could I not help her with her…culture shock. Plus, there is a lot of work for models in Miami.”

“How convenient,” said Haley, stealing another look in Alex's direction, just in time to catch the senior staring back at her. Alex quickly looked down and resumed his reading.
He
was
ogling me!
Haley thought, unable to contain her excitement. She beamed, and Sebastian once again mistakenly thought Haley's smile was directed at him.

“Oh, Haley, how can I explain? Mia will always be…Mia. But you, you are different. You are new. And American. And exciting.” He caressed her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that this was not going over well with Alex, who was now shoving his things into his backpack and hurrying out of the rotunda, well in advance of the bell.

“Not so fast, lover boy,” Haley said, brushing Sebastian's hand aside. “You're taken. Remember?”

“Oh, Haley, sometimes I don't think so,” Sebastian replied, nodding in Mia's direction. The model was feeling up the biceps of one of the meatheads while another jock lifted her heavy book bag off her shoulder.

“Sebbie, these nice boys are going to walk me to my next class. That's okay with you, isn't it?”

“Of course,” Sebastian called out, trying not to sound peeved, but clenching his jaw just the same. “It is good you are making new friends!”

“Oh, and remember,” Mia added, “I have, how you say…drama this afternoon.”

“Ugh,” Annie interjected. “I can't believe she scored the lead in
A Midsummer Night's Dream.
It's almost enough to ruin Shakespeare for me.”

“Mia thinks this acting business will help her English,” Sebastian said, wistfully staring at her retreat. “She also, it will not surprise you to know, may have ambitions at a Hollywood movie career.”

“Sebastian, how was your summer, really?” Haley asked, sensing that Miami was not the palm-treed lovers' paradise she had previously thought it to be. “Mia must have been quite the sensation down there.”

“She does…attract attention to herself,” Sebastian conceded. “But what am I saying, I was focusing on swimming the whole time! It is not so glamorous, I know, but I hope it will pay off this year when the college recruiters come to see me compete.”

“Keep telling yourself that, sweetie,” Haley said, collecting her books and patting Sebastian's hand as the bell rang.

Mia Delgado has arrived in Hillsdale with all the subtlety of a steamroller—and she's about to flatten Haley's ego, along with that of every other girl at Hillsdale High who stands in the beautiful vixen's way. Understandably, Haley is threatened by the new diva on the block. But what exactly is going on between Mia and Sebastian? Rumors are flying—everything from barely speaking all summer to spending weeks frolicking seminude on the beach.

Perhaps Mia is an unstoppable force, and Haley should throw in the towel and try to forget the Iberian
modelo
even exists. Especially with that cute prepster Alex Martin eyeing Haley from a distance.

If you think the wisest course for our heroine is to hang with the brainy kids,
"IT'S DEBATABLE"
. If you think Haley should keep an eye on Mia's antics—and maybe even throw a wrench into her plans for total high school domination—have Haley nab a part in the school play on
"CASTING CALL"
. Maybe you think what's really at stake here is Sebastian—does Mia have a firm hold on him or not? Is he still interested in Haley? Is Haley interested in him? Send her to the
"SWIM MEET"
to find out.

Haley should have known she couldn't be the new girl forever. But the flavor of the month lasts only…a month. After that, it's time to find a more permanent identity—or get lost in the crowd.

THE BAG LADY

Handbags can be practical, pretty or political—but they always make a statement.

“T
wo trips to the mall in one month,” Haley's mother grumbled. “I should just rip off this
Protect the Pine Barrens
button from my lapel and replace it with an
I Support the Malls of America
pin.”

“This was your idea, Mom,” Haley said. Of course, Haley realized she might have had something to do with suggesting it.

Haley's old backpack was so worn it had a hole in the bottom—a tiny hole that Haley had “accidentally” poked at all summer until it got big enough for, oh, her house keys to slip through. Once the tear was of a suitable size, she gave it a test run by tossing her keys into the bag. They hit the floor in seconds.
Perfect,
she thought, putting the next phase of her plan into action.

One morning before school, Haley waited until her mother was in the kitchen before gathering up her things to leave. She then picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, just as the keys, on cue, dropped at Joan's feet.

“What was that?” Haley's mother said, frowning.

Haley bent down and picked up the keys. “Huh,” she said. “How did that happen?” She turned over her backpack and made a big show of peering through the hole in the bottom as if staring down a bottomless abyss. “Hey, there's a hole in my backpack.”

“I could install a magnet in there if you want, Haley,” Mitchell said helpfully. “It will help keep your keys inside that holey backpack, where they belong. Plus, that way you can find them easily. They're always in the right place.”

Haley gave a look intended to silence her gadget-minded little brother.

“Let me see.” Joan took the backpack and examined it. “Maybe I can get this patched up somewhere.”

Patched up?
That was not in the plan. Backpacks were so over at Hillsdale. Everyone she knew, from the often fashion-challenged Annie Armstrong to the fashion rebel Irene Chen, had a different kind of bag for carrying around their tons of stuff—a statement bag, a huge shoulder bag that held everything one would need to live on for up to three days. Backpacks were for middle-schoolers.

“If you put a magnet in there you won't need to patch it,” Mitchell persisted. “Unless of course the hole was big enough for the magnet to fall through. Then we would have a problem.”

“No magnets,” Haley said. “And no patches, please. Don't you know how many books I have to carry? It'll just tear again. I think I need a new bag.” Joan frowned. “I'll pay for part of it myself,” Haley offered. “With my summer babysitting money.”

That clinched it. “I guess…,” Joan said, finally worn down. “I'll run you over to the mall after supper tonight.”

Which was how they ended up roaming through stores that evening, in spite of Joan's complaints.

“I've had that backpack for three years, Mom. And I'll probably have this bag for three more. This is not an extravagant purchase,” Haley rationalized. She was all for her mother's social justice and environmental awareness, but sometimes a bag was just a bag—something you needed to carry your stuff in. Or was it?

Joan went off to look for a new business suit—work clothes used to win cases against corporate polluters being exempt from her anticonsumerist stance—while Haley browsed the accessories aisles. She saw several bags she liked, but she had only enough money for one. It was so hard to decide. There was a snappy white patent leather purse with a hip late-sixties vibe, perfect for an artsy, individual type like Irene Chen. Then there was a versatile black satchel, a timeless classic that would fit well in Coco De Clerq's wardrobe. The peach suede purse looked girlish and safe, like something Annie Armstrong would wear. And finally, Haley was tempted by a red-trimmed canvas tote, which was sporty and fun and reminded her of Sasha. Haley looked at the bags over and over. The school year was still young, and she wasn't quite sure what kind of bag she'd need. Which one would suit her junior-year persona?

What will it be? The bag Haley chooses now will determine her path for this, the most important of school years. Should Haley assert her artsy individuality? Have her buy the white patent leather bag and send her to try out for the play on
"ACTING COACH"
. Maybe you think the canvas tote would be best. If so, go to the soccer game
"FANCY FOOTWORK"
. To stick with the academic, college-bound set, it's the peach suede purse and the debate team all the way
"IT'S DEBATABLE"
. Or maybe you think Haley should opt for the elegant black satchel, in which case,
CASTING CALL
.

You are what you eat? Maybe. You are what you wear? For sure—at least while you're wearing it. Or carrying it, as the case may be.