Late Edition Page 6

  “A little of this, a little of that,” Hailey said. I could tell she was still annoyed around Molly, despite the teary bathroom scene earlier.

  “Just getting ready to wrap it up,” I added. I pulled out my phone and texted my mom for a ride. “What are you guys up to?” I asked, just to be polite.

  “Well, we saw the new Anne Hathaway movie. It was sooo awesome! Then we had dinner in the food court. And now we’re kind of just walking around. Hailey, what’s your favorite store?” asked Molly.

  Hailey just shrugged and smiled. I knew there was no way she was giving Molly any more information.

  My phone buzzed with an incoming message and I looked down. It was from my mom and it said, Find Allie. She’s there too. Then txt me. Will pick u up together.

  I laughed. “Hey, Allie’s here somewhere,” I said.

  “She is?” Hailey perked right up.

  “Oh, that’s your sister, right? Who’s in high school?” asked Molly.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “Where is she?” asked Hailey eagerly. “Want me to text her?”

  Annoying that Hailey has Allie’s number but whatever. “Sure.” I shrugged.

  Hailey eagerly began punching into her phone.

  Seconds later, her phone buzzed back. “Oh, they’re at the tea place,” said Hailey. “Let’s go. Bye!” she said to Molly and her friends.

  “See you guys!” I said.

  “Um . . . ,” Molly began. “Hey! I mean, is there any way I could come with you guys and find out about getting the pink out?”

  I looked at Hailey. She was not psyched but couldn’t figure out how to say no politely. I wished I could help her, but we were kind of on the spot. We both hesitated for a second and then Molly said, “Thanks,” and started walking along with us. Her friends hung back at a polite distance. After all, it’s not like seventh and eighth graders ever really hang out, you know? At least they understood the rules.

  Hailey basically ignored Molly on the walk over to the tea store, so I had to do all the answering (because Molly did all the questioning). By the time we reached the tea shop, Molly knew where Hailey gets her hair cut, who Hailey thinks has the best shoe selection in the mall, what kind of moisturizer Hailey uses, and Hailey’s favorite brand of jeans. I felt thoroughly interrogated. I actually considered asking her if she’d ever thought of joining the Cherry Valley Voice as a reporter, but I wasn’t sure I could stand to be around her that much. She definitely had a future in the CIA if she wanted it.

  Allie was sitting at a table inside with her friends, and she rolled her eyes when we arrived, which didn’t stop Hailey from waving enthusiastically at her from outside the plate-glass window of the shop.

  “Stop. She won’t like that. And then we’ll suffer,” I said to Hailey, pulling her hand down.

  Hailey shrugged. “She waved back.”

  Allie continued sitting inside and chatting with her friends as if we were of utterly no consequence to her. I tried to catch her eye to indicate that we were ready to leave, but she wouldn’t look my way. I sighed heavily in frustration. Going in to get her was not an option. Allie would come when Allie was good and ready. Until then we’d just have to wait.

  “So is she coming?” asked Molly hopefully.

  “Eventually,” I said with an eye roll.

  “Maybe you should just write in to Dear Know-It-All about fixing that hair,” suggested one of Molly’s friends, giggling. My ears perked up at the name of my column.

  “That would take too long!” replied Molly. “It doesn’t come out until next week.”

  “Plus the answers haven’t been so great lately,” said Molly’s other friend.

  I restrained myself from attacking her. Journalist Blows Cover in Mall Brawl. Can you just imagine?

  “Well, they’ve been shorter, but they’re just as good as ever,” said Molly.

  Did I ever say Molly was annoying? I take it back. I wanted to thank her but couldn’t do that either.

  “I guess,” said her friend.

  Molly continued. “It’s just . . . it seems like lately it’s like Know-It-All has been in a rush, you know?”

  The other girls agreed. Inwardly, I cringed, knowing it was true. Feathers, nest, you know the rest.

  Now Hailey joined in. “I agree. I look forward to reading it every week. I mean, I feel like Know-It-All is my friend! Sometimes it’s like she reads my mind. Spooky,” said Hailey with a little shudder.

  She is your friend, you dope! I wanted to yell, but obviously I couldn’t. I distracted myself by staring daggers at Allie, hoping she’d turn and look out here so I could signal her to go.

  Molly and her friends got into a side discussion of where they wanted to go next, and Hailey slid down the outside window of the shop to sit on the floor. I couldn’t bring myself to join her. It would mean we had totally surrendered to Allie’s schedule.

  “Hey, um, excuse me, but would it be all right to go in there and just ask your sister what she did to get the pink out earlier?” asked Molly. “ ’Cause we have to go.”

  “Suit yourself,” I said with a shrug.

  “Thanks,” said Molly, and I watched as she entered the shop, marched right over to Allie, and began chatting her up. Allie looked a little surprised by the interruption at first, but when Molly lifted off her hat, Allie and her friends all began chattering at once and gesturing, and Molly was laughing, and then so were they. What-ever, I thought, turning away.

  “What are you making for the bake sale?” asked Hailey, picking at her fingernails. “My mom says I can make carrot cupcakes,” she added with a frown of distaste.

  I stared at her blankly. “What bake sale?”

  Hailey looked up quickly. “Seriously?”

  “Um . . . ,” I said.

  Hailey slid back up the wall until she was facing me. “You’re joking, right?”

  “No . . . I . . . ,” I stammered. Was there a bake sale I was supposed to know about?

  Sighing in exasperation, Hailey said, “Hell-o? The bake sale to raise money for the new computers in the library? This Thursday? I signed you up to bring three things. We discussed this!”

  “We did?” I said.

  Hailey laughed. “You’re a pretty good joker,” she said. “You actually fooled me for a minute.”

  “I’m not joking,” I said, because I wasn’t. “And I can’t do it. I have an article due and a huge science project, not to mention my regular work.” And my column, I added silently.

  Hailey narrowed her eyes and looked at me. “I was counting on you. Rice Krispies treats, cupcakes, and those insane chocolate chip cookies your mom makes. This is one of my first duties as vice president of the student council. It was my idea, and it has to be a success!” She was starting to get worked up.

  “Um . . .” Mentally I tried to think of all the ways my mom had made me practice saying no. But the thing was, a tiny bell was ringing in the back of my mind that I had, actually, agreed to this a while back. “Well . . .”

  Hailey glared at me.

  “Okay?” I said halfheartedly. Another feather from my nest.

  “Thanks,” said Hailey grimly.

  I glanced inside. Molly and Allie and their friends were all still yukking it up. Suddenly I was exhausted and I wished that tonight was a good sleep hygiene night for the experiment instead of a bad one. I texted my mom.

  Ready. Thx., it said.

  Then I rapped on the window with my knuckles and waved Allie out. She looked at me in surprise, as if how dare I tell her when to leave, but she did begin (very slooowly) putting on her coat and picking up her things.

  Out came Molly, though, who said, “OMG! Your sister is so awesome! She invited me over tomorrow to help with my hair! Isn’t that sooo unbelievably nice?”

  “Yes. It is unbelievable,” I said.

  “Wow, you Martone girls are the best. Almost as cool as Hailey Jones!” she joked.

  Easy there, seventh grader, I wanted to say, but I didn�
��t.

  “Thanks,” I said instead. Then I nudged Hailey.

  “What? Oh. Thanks. Bye,” she said, clearly disinterested.

  Molly left and finally, finally Allie rolled out, laughing. “I should open a beauty salon!” she said.

  Hailey perked right up on her arrival. “Totally! You’d be great at it!” she said supportively.

  I rolled my eyes and said, “Let’s go. Mom’s going to be downstairs any second.”

  On the car ride home, Allie and Hailey chattered about Allie opening a hair salon and I tuned them out, wondering how I’d ever get everything done this week.

  Chapter 9

  DROWNING GIRL SOBS AS LIFEBOAT TURNS OUT TO BE ILLUSION

  Well, my bad sleep hygiene went well. Hailey and I stayed up way past midnight and slept until ten a.m. on Saturday. We were on Buddybook till all hours, with my computer on my bed, drinking more Diet Coke, and we basically broke all the good sleep hygiene rules we could. Tonight I was sure I’d pay.

  However, in the interest of following all the good sleep rules, I went to Hailey’s soccer practice with her and I ran/walked laps around the track while she played. (Okay, I mostly walked, but still.) It was kind of boring, but I knew it was all for the sake of my article so I went along with it.

  We went back to my house after and Molly was there with Allie. They each had a friend with them. It was kind of like a dream—Molly Grant in my house with my sister? Weird. But they were having a grand old time and Hailey had to go. I wasn’t about to hang around with that strange group, so I decided to have a quick PB and J, then pack up and head to the library, where I could get some work done.

  Once there, I found a table in a quiet area and went to fill my water bottle, when whom should I spot but a familiar hunky shape huddled over a desk.

  “Psst! Mikey!” I whispered.

  He jolted up and looked at me in surprise.

  “Were you asleep?” I asked quietly, stifling a laugh.

  “Me? What? No.” He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. “Maybe.”

  I wagged my finger at him. “Remember, no naps today! It’s a good sleep hygiene day.”

  Michael grinned and his dimples deepened. My heart soared. “How did last night go for you?” he asked.

  “It was awful. I broke every single rule, I think.”

  “Good.” He nodded. “Me too.”

  “How’s the project going?” I asked.

  Michael shook his head. “Okay. Not great. I got bogged down in researching the article instead. It was kind of more fun,” he admitted.

  “See? I told you. You’re the one who wanted to prioritize the science thing.”

  “Yeah, well, I still think we should. Have you done anything else on it?”

  “A little, but that’s why I’m here.”

  Michael nodded. “Well, we probably shouldn’t sit together. We’ll never get anything done.”

  It was kind of a backhanded compliment, but it still stung a little. “Right,” I agreed, trying to seem businesslike. He was right, after all.

  “So I’ll see you around. Where are you sitting?” he asked. I pointed out my table.

  “I’ll stop by before I go. Okay, Pasty?”

  I nodded and waved and set off for my desk.

  It was kind of distracting and a bummer knowing Michael, cutie-pie crush of my life, was in the same building as me and I couldn’t hang with him. Especially because the majority of what I was working on (article and project) were things I was doing with him! I tried to focus on getting work done. If I didn’t, this week would be a nightmare. That fear and the lack of other distractions (besides ML!) allowed me to really concentrate.

  I drafted a really good sidebar with a timeline of printing technology and developments for the science poster. I was psyched about that. I planned out my side of the flow chart and did a little rough paragraph for each stage. I’d edit it later and then print out the final versions, cut them out, and paste them on the poster board in order. I was basically finished with the poster. Yay!

  Tapping my teeth with a pen, I considered drafting Michael’s mini paragraphs, too, just as a gift. I was on such a roll, I could have easily whipped them off. But I knew he’d get mad at me, and that’s the last thing I wanted. A tiny part of me regretted—just for a flash instant—partnering on this project. I could have finished it this weekend on my own, after all. I mean, I’m glad to have one more reason to talk to Michael, but I’m starting to think maybe it’s better to keep love and academics separate.

  Next I mapped out an outline for our sleep article, laying out which paragraphs would be about what and what the two sidebars would cover. I was really cooking!

  I decided I had time for one more thing, so I took out my trusty journalist’s notebook and began brainstorming a few things I could say in my DKIA column. (Like, ‘Make use of the weekends to get stuff done. Long blocks of time can reduce workload.’ Or ‘Practice saying No or Maybe to your friends so you don’t agree to everything when they put you on the spot.’). Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and I jumped about three feet in the air.

  Michael chuckled. “Sorry, Paste.”

  I put my hand to my chest to slow my rapidly beating heart. “Don’t do that to people. A little warning, please?”

  Michael shrugged, his light blue eyes still twinkling. “It’s a library. You’re supposed to be quiet.”

  “Hmmm,” I grumbled. “Are you done?”

  Michael looked away. “No, but I have to go.”

  “Why?”

  “Basketball tryouts.”

  “Oh. Did you get a lot done?”

  “Sort of. Mostly homework for Monday.” He shrugged.

  “Okay. So . . .”

  Michael looked back at me. “I’m going to work on the science project tonight. And the article. As soon as I get home. I’m all fired up. I promise.”

  I hoped so. We were getting down to the wire a little. I didn’t want to say anything mean, but . . . Instead, I decided to keep it light. “Just remember, early to bed and early to rise!”

  Michael saluted me and smiled in relief I’d let him off so easy. “Got it! See ya later, Pasty. Wish me luck!”

  “Good luck!” I whispered as he walked away. “Wish me luck, too!” I added even more quietly. Drowning Girl Sobs as Lifeboat Turns Out to Be Illusion

  At eight thirty that night I went downstairs in my house to eat a few crackers and then say good night to my mother. I had taken a cool shower and I was in my pj’s and socks. I hadn’t looked at my computer or the TV for more than an hour.

  “Samantha! What a surprise! Are you feeling well?” She put her cool palm on my forehead.

  I laughed. “Yes. It’s part of my sleep project. I’m using good sleep hygiene tonight.”

  “Well, that is just the best news I’ve heard all week!” she cheered. Giving me a hug she continued. “Is everything going okay?”

  I nodded a little, which was difficult because my head was wedged under her chin. She held me away and looked into my eyes.

  “I’m good,” I said. And it was pretty true.

  “School okay? Friends okay? Newspaper okay?”

  “Yup.”

  “How’s the prioritizing going?”

  “Good,” I said, thinking of Michael’s not working on our project.

  “How’s the saying no to friends going?”

  “Great,” I said, thinking of Hailey’s upcoming bake sale.

  My mom looked at me carefully. I crossed my toes inside my socks. “Okay,” she said finally. “Just remember to look out for yourself, all right, sweetheart?”

  I nodded. “ ’Night, Mom!”

  “Good night, my love.”

  Back upstairs, I made sure my window was open a crack to let in the cool air. I set up the fan I usually use in the summer. Its whirring sound would make me feel like I was sleeping in a car or on a train or something, but that might be okay. (I’ve obviously proved that sleeping in cars is easy for me.)
I dimmed my lights, tightly closed my shades and curtains, set my alarm for seven a.m., and flipped the clock facedown. Then I went to brush my teeth in the darkened bathroom.

  Of course, while I was in there, Allie came barreling in, flipping on the light. She jumped when she saw me. I squinted at her in the mirror.

  “Sam! What are you doing in here in the dark? With the light out, I didn’t think anyone was in here!”

  “Can you turn it off, please?” I said through my toothpaste.

  “Why?” asked Allie, but she did. She stood in the doorway while I spit and rinsed.

  “Sleep project,” I said, blotting my mouth on a towel. “Now get out, please. I need some privacy for a minute and then it’s all yours.”

  Annoyingly, she waited for me. Outside, I clicked the hall light off and explained everything to her in the dim light. She obviously found my sleep hygiene boring because she immediately changed the subject.

  “Your friend Molly is so cute. Or, I should say, Hailey’s friend.”

  “She’s neither of our friends. She’s not even in our grade.”

  “Really?” said Allie, turning on the light to look at me. “Well, she talks about you all like you’re friends.”

  I sighed and snapped the light off. “I’m sure. Please tell me you didn’t give her Hailey’s exact hair?”

  “Why?” asked Allie, flicking the light switch back on. She obviously had. “That’s what she wanted.”

  “Aargh!” I slapped my forehead; then I smacked off the light. “I meant to tell you, but Hailey was here and then Molly herself so I couldn’t. Molly drives Hailey crazy copying her. Now Hailey will be back to have the blue taken out—mark my words—then Molly will be back for the same. You’re going to have to start charging. Good night.” I couldn’t take any more of this frustrating conversation. I’d be too riled up to fall asleep.

  Allie turned the light back on and stood there with her arms folded. I took one last look and could see an idea brewing on her face and I wanted no part in it. I closed my eyes against the hall light and speed-walked to my room.

  Inside, I arranged my notebook next to my bedside table in case I needed to jot anything down. Then I climbed into my bed with a kind of mild book (no spy thrillers tonight!), and started to read. I read for about half an hour, and then guess what? I began to feel really drowsy! So I turned off my light and went to sleep! Just like that!