Always, Abigail (22 page)

After Kip carried my tray to the trash, he offered me a piece of spearmint gum. I knew what that meant. AlliCam and I had read it in one of our magazines last summer. “When a boy offers you gum or mints, it's usually a sign that he wants to kiss you.”

AC,

Kip gave me gum!!!!

SPF,

A

A,

GUM!!!! OMG!!!!

SPF,

AC

I drew more hearts and TLFs all over my folders and spiral notebooks.

1.
Gabby kept bugging me about making cookies, and I kept making excuses.

2.
AlliCam kept making sure the three of us were together ALL THE time, so I couldn't spend any time with Gabby.

3.
I kept making sure I was everywhere Kip was and kept wondering if he really did want to kiss me. Thinking about that made me excited and petrified all at the same time, which ended up making me feel like I might throw up any minute.

1.
I never made cookies with Gabby, but she showed up to our story time with a boxful of supercute gingerbread cookies. One for each of the kids. They loved them! She even made extra cookies for the teacher. She said her brother helped her make them.

I felt like a slug.

2.
McKenzie heard from a girl on her bus that Gabby and I had done “The Gingerbread Man” story, so at practice on Thursday, she and Jackie kept singing, “Run, run as fast as you can. Flabby can't catch you, but Abigail can.”

Of course, they only did it when Ms. Jenson wasn't around.

3.
Gabby showed up to the basketball game on Friday night and sat in the front row, AGAIN.

4.
Kip kept giving her weird looks AGAIN.

The poms went to Chitchat after the game. We had a great time—talking, laughing, joking. It was so fun I felt like I was in a movie. It was just the best! And then it got even better when the basketball players showed up.

Kip actually made someone move so he could sit right next to me. I told him he played great. He told me I
looked
great! Then he talked about each point he made in the game. After that, he talked about how many times he stole the ball from the other team. It was like listening to my favorite song on the radio over and over. I could've listened to him talk all night.

And finally, when most of the other kids had moved to different tables, Kip offered me another piece of gum. I couldn't believe it! I was going to get my first kiss right there in Chitchat. How awesome was that?

I felt the excitement of speeding down the biggest hill on a roller coaster.

Scary but FUN!

Kip leaned a little closer to me, but then things took a sharp turn, the way roller coasters sometimes do, jerking you in a completely different direction.

He said, “You gotta lose Flab Girl.”

“What?” I asked, confused that my exhilarating ride had just turned into something that could give a person whiplash.

“Gabby,” he said. “You really got to lose her. She's a freak.”

I didn't know what to say, but I didn't have time to say anything because someone yelled, “C'mon, Kip! Brandon's dad's here to take us home.”

“See ya, Abigail!” Kip said, and he got up and was gone.

Wrote two lists.

1.
Cute
☺

2.
Cool
☺

3.
Great smile
☺

4.
Athletic
☺

5.
Likes me
☺

6.
I
think
he wants to kiss me.
☺

1.
Always have fun together
☺

2.
Always covers for me
☺

3.
Bizarro laughter
☹

4.
Crestdale Heights biggest outcast
☹

Wrote two math equations:

1.
2
☺
s + 2
☹
s = A Big Fat Zero

2.
But are 6
☺
s <, >, OR = A Big Fat Zero?

Both equations were easy, but solving the problem was impossible.

I knew if I blew off Gabby it would mean I was a worse troll than Jackson Dawber. But at the same time, it would mean Kip would be happy, which meant I'd probably be getting that kiss soon. I could go on as part of the Fab Five living the blissful, popular life of a pom-pom girl, and no one but Gabby would know I was a troll.

Gabby,

You can probably tell how demanding it is being a pom-pom girl. I really have to focus on this opportunity. After all, I'm representing our school. Anyway, I'm not going to be able to do the story thing with you anymore. I'm sure you understand.

Abigail

Dear Miss Hendrick,

I know you are going to be disappointed in me, but I am quitting the kindergarten storytelling. You probably know I am a pom-pom girl now. This takes a lot of my time, and I feel I cannot devote the appropriate effort to reading to the younger children.

Sincerely,

Abigail Walters

Okay.

Good luck,

Gabby

Dear Abigail,

You more than disappoint me, you surprise and shock me. To commit to something and then decide not to fulfill that commitment is simply unacceptable. I was counting on you. Mrs. Carwell was counting on you. And those darling little kindergartners were counting on you too. That's not to mention your dear, new friend Gabby Marco.

I can only hope that you do not make this a pattern in your life. If you do, my friend, you will find yourself going down a very dangerous and treacherous path.

Sincerely, your very disappointed teacher,

Miss Hendrick

P.S. And I have not forgotten that temper of yours. I'm keeping my eye on you.

1.
With Gabby and Old Hawk off my back, I felt great. (Old Hawk's lecture had been hard to take, but I found that when I crumpled up her letter and threw it in the cafeteria Dumpster, I felt A LOT better about it. I mean, I wasn't trying for the teacher's pet award, so why should I care if Old Hawk liked me or not? In fact, her whole sinister warning about my life going down a “dangerous and treacherous” path was actually sort of funny.)

2.
I got an invitation to McKenzie's birthday party. The party was in two weeks. It was at the bowling alley, and her parents were letting her invite boys. The only kids invited were pom-pom girls and basketball players. It would be the perfect crowd! More importantly, it would be the perfect place for my first kiss.

3.
After practice, Kip always sat with me on the late bus. Having his sweaty leg touching mine was the best, most wonderful, terrifically awesome thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life.