Freaked Out (15 page)

M
aeve, Katani, and Charlotte had been on the phone or e-mail all morning, so getting together at Charlotte's to talk and get dressed made sense. Maeve's mother had taken her on a fast shopping trip, so Maeve had a new top to wear.

After shopping, Maeve told her mom that she was going to run over to Irving's to pick up some Swedish fish for the pre-party at Charlotte's. Mrs. Weiss and Swedish fish were two of Maeve's favorites. When she got there, Mrs. Weiss looked up from her seat next to the candy display and smiled. Maeve was blowing on her still wet nails that she had manicured in the car.

“Going somewhere special?” Mrs. Weiss asked.

“Big party tonight, Mrs. Weiss,” Maeve said, waving her fingers back and forth a few times before picking up the Swedish fish.

“Well, have a wonderful time, and be careful,” Mrs.
Weiss said, handing Maeve change for a five dollar bill. “You never know….”

“I will see you soon, Mrs. Weiss, thanks for the fish!” Maeve opened the door and speed-walked home, thoughts of the party racing through her head. She ran up the apartment stairs and pulled out her Think Pink bag to organize her stuff for the evening.

“Do you have everything, sweetie?” Maeve's mother said as she put her things in the car. “Sam and I are going to get something to eat and then go to a movie. I won't be home until closer to the time the party should be over.”

“We're seeing
Young Frankenstein
at the horror flick festival,” Sam said. “Remember, it's really funny.”

“Yes, Sam, I remember. And I'm ready, Mom. I could probably borrow from Katani or Charlotte if I put my outfit on and it's all wrong.”

“Have a good time tonight, Maeve. No worrying about school, math, or anything else. Okay? Promise?” Her mother smiled at her and waved. “Then, Monday you start on your new schedule.”

Maeve sighed. She'd wondered how long it was going to be before her mother remembered schedules. Her mother loved schedules. Maeve figured she was born that way. Maeve, on the other hand, found schedules to be a burden. They always had you paying attention to something that interfered with the excitement of the moment.

“I'm totally thrilled about the party, aren't you, Charlotte?” Maeve said when Charlotte answered the door.

Maeve would have knocked and gone on in, but her
arms were loaded. She had brought a suitcase of emergency stuff.

“Are you moving in, Maeve?” Charlotte laughed.

“I had to have choices.” Maeve dumped her things in Charlotte's bedroom and danced around the room with Marty.

Katani hurried into Charlotte's room five minutes after Maeve. “Wait 'til you see what I did to my shoes. You're going to want me to make some for both of you.”

“Let's see.” Maeve hurried to help Katani. “Did you paint them?”

Katani pulled out a pair of stone-pink, suede flats. “I found these shoes at Filene's bargain basement. They were cheap but pretty plain. Then when I was upstairs I saw a pair the exact same color, except the expensive pair was decorated. I mean, the upstairs pair cost $350 dollars.”

“You paid $350 dollars for a pair of flats for the party!” Charlotte gasped.

“No way, Charlotte. I just saw them upstairs and made the basement shoes to look like upstairs shoes. I realized I could decorate my own, so I raced back downstairs before someone grabbed up the bargain pair,” Katani explained.

“Wow, Katani, you are so creative.” Charlotte took the
Kgirl
pair and looked them over.

“And a really smart shopper,” piped in Maeve.

Across the toes, with wine-colored paint and sequins,
Katani had fashioned flowers, dotted them with sequins, and then painted dark green vines around them. For accent, she had outlined everything, including the flower petals, with a thin line of gold paint.

“These are like totally vogue,” Maeve said. “You're right, I have to have a pair. What are you wearing, Charlotte? Are they heels?”

Charlotte shook her head. “No way.”

Katani walked over to where Charlotte had her new top, her shoes, and her bracelets laid out. “I guessed right, Char. You're wearing plain black flats.”

Maeve laughed. “Those are so in right now. Very Audrey Hepburnish…You know,” she added when she saw Charlotte's quizzical look “
Breakfast at Tiffany's
.”

“Wow, I'm a fashion winner.” Charlotte laughed at Maeve's theatrics. “But don't you think they're a little bit boring for a hula party?”

“Not totally, but in case you want to jazz it up, I brought a miracle cure for plain shoes.” Katani pulled a pair of butterflies from her overnight case. “I made these. You'll wear them, and it'll be like free advertising. Everyone will want some.”

“Shoe clips. How clever.” Charlotte took the clips from Katani, and sure enough, they fit right on the flats. “My shoes have been transformed! How'd you make these?”

“I used a scrap of crinoline. I had gotten a piece to make a petticoat so I'd have one of those new bell skirts. I just cut it into the shape of a butterfly, sprayed it with some gold paint, and added gold sequins.”

“I love these, Katani. They're magical. And they look
great with my top.” Charlotte put on her shoes and felt as if her feet would float like a butterfly. “I can dance without worrying about stepping on anyone's toes. I'll be really careful and give them back after the party.”

“No, they're yours. They cost me almost nothing to make. But if anyone asks where you got them, say she can order a pair from me. I'm going to make butterflies, lady bugs, and maybe some flowers.”

“I think you should do fruit, too. Everyone loves cherries and strawberries,” Maeve added.

“Great idea. I'll offer those too.”

“Clip them on a card, Katani, and stamp the card with your logos. Put each pair in a Ziplock bag, and charge at least five dollars.” Charlotte spun around the room, bumped into a chair, and had to catch herself to keep from falling.

Marty barked and jumped and danced on his hind legs. He was so happy to have the girls together, not knowing they were going to leave as soon as they got dressed.

“Marty loves butterflies,” Maeve laughed. “Guys, don't you feel just a little bit guilty that there aren't five of us here getting dressed?”

“Yeah, but I got an IM from Avery earlier that said she was helping her mother at the hospital. So she found something to do. I'd feel horrible if I knew she was sitting home.” Katani laid out her makeup.

“Charlotte,” Mr. Ramsey called out. “Come here. Hurry. There's going to be a story on the evening news you girls might want to see.”

“TV? We don't have time to watch TV. Char—”

“Dad wouldn't have called us if it wasn't important.”
Charlotte headed out of her room toward the living area and the television set.

“Hurry, they just showed a preview clip.” Mr. Ramsey moved so all three girls could sit on the couch.

Suddenly a familiar face appeared on the screen.

“Avery, that's Avery!” Maeve squealed.

“And Isabel,” Charlotte added.

“And—and Betsy. What are they doing?” Katani's eyes got wide as she watched and listened. Then she started to laugh.

The clip was long enough to tell the whole story of the kids from the hospital making a car so they could go through the drive-thru window at the fast-food restaurant.

“I love it! They're famous. Not only did they find something to do today, they got the story on the news. I can hardly wait to hear every word of what happened from Isabel and Avery.” Charlotte grinned. “Thanks, Dad. We would have missed it if you hadn't called us in.”

“So much for worrying that they were sitting home bummed out,” Katani said, leading the way back to Charlotte's room.

“Wait until we tell all the kids tonight. The Queens of Mean are going to be so jealous,” Maeve said, pleased that her excluded friend would not be considered a loser. “But what about our TV star friends? We have to let them know we're their biggest fans. Let's send them an e-mail.”

“Okay, let's get glamorous.” Katani stepped away from the computer and pulled out her makeup kit. Katani loved putting makeup on her friends. It was so rewarding to enhance their best features. It was almost like being a painter.

Katani decided that Maeve's makeup should be done in peach tones, which would play up her natural redhead skin tone. Just for a special effect, she painted a little peach on Maeve's cheekbone.

“Katani, I look completely fabulous!” Maeve's grin was a mile wide as she looked in the mirror.

When it was Charlotte's turn, she whispered to Katani, “No peach for me.”

Katani was insulted. “Charlotte, I never make two faces up the same way. I'll just do a little dab of rose-colored blush and soft lip gloss.” Charlotte felt bad that she had ruffled Katani's feathers, but she was a low-maintenance kind of girl. She wanted to look special for the party, but she would feel foolish if she was flashy. Maeve could be flashy. That was her style. Not Charlotte's.

“Do you think we'll get to dance?” Katani asked.

“Absolutely. What's a party without dancing?” Maeve practiced a few steps.

“You look like America's Next Top Model,” Charlotte added. “Alongside you, I feel as if I'm about eight years old.”

“You are losing the pigtails.” Quickly, Katani pulled out her friend's pigtails and, with a gleeful smile, turned her curling iron to Charlotte's hair. Like magic, Charlotte's hair fell in soft waves around her face. “Voilà!” Katani smiled.

“Charlotte, you look amazing!” exclaimed Maeve. Charlotte had to admit Katani had done everything just right. Not over the top glam, but enough to transform Charlotte from frazzled Abigail Adams student newspaper feature writer to oh-so-cool party goer. Charlotte was pleased. She blushed when she realized she was wondering what Nick Montoya would think.

All three of the girls were wearing jeans, but Katani was wearing a gold satin top with spaghetti straps. She made a little cropped gold brocade jacket to wear as well. Along with her big hoop earrings, she looked very exotic.

“How much longer?” Mr. Ramsey called through the door. “The party will be over before you girls even get there.”

Laughing, they tumbled out of Charlotte's room. They each strutted down a pretend model runway for Charlotte's dad. He clapped his hands and, in a perfect imitation of a British accent, pronounced: “Absolutely smashing.”

Maeve giggled and decided that she was going to use the word “smashing” more often.

T
he Fabers' house was lit up like a Hawaiian Disneyland. There were a million white lights on the picket fences that surrounded the house. Palm trees lined the front walk, strung with pink and lime green lights. Hula music floated from a CD player set on the porch. A young woman dressed in a grass skirt waited to toss a lei of fresh flowers over each girl's head. The most popular kids in the seventh grade were there, and Katani had to admit that their presence gave the party that “special star quality.” She felt a little special herself, and then felt a twinge of guilt because Avery had been excluded. Life was so complicated sometimes. Katani sighed. But the surrounding sparkle quickly drew her attention back into party mode.

“Look at the palm trees!” Charlotte said. “They're real.”

“They're in pots. You can probably rent them from some nursery in town,” Katani stated.

Maeve was completely transfixed by the effect. This
was going to be a fabulous party. She could just feel it in her bones.

“You can rent palm trees?” Charlotte stored up that information for future reference. Oh yes, I'd like to rent five palm trees, please. They're for a Tower room. How soon can you have them here? She giggled at the idea.

Pink flamingos covered in lights lined the walk, as well.

“Are there flamingos in Hawaii?” Katani asked.

“I know they have them in Africa, and I think, Florida,” Charlotte replied. “I don't know about Hawaii.”

“Are you going to sit in the car all night, or go see what's going on inside?” Mr. Ramsey joked. “Maybe I could sneak in, just to see for myself?”

“Please, Dad, no.” Charlotte leaned over and hugged him. “I'll tell you all about it on the way home tonight.”

Maeve got out of the car and started moving right away. She did a hula dance right to the door.

“Call when you want to come home, Charlotte. The party is over at eleven, right? I'll read or grade papers until then.”

Charlotte nodded and waved, then walked to the door with Katani. She could feel her party butterflies beginning.

“Do you think Nick and the other guys are here yet?” asked Katani.

“He said he'd be here right when it started.” Charlotte inhaled the perfume of the flowered necklace she'd been given. Suddenly, she was transported to a beautiful Hawaiian beach, surfers riding the big wave and beautiful Hawaiian women handing out beautiful flowers.
The Fabers had put up a big screen with projected images of Hawaii, which you could see through the big picture window. It looked so dreamy. Maybe she and her father would have to travel there soon.

They didn't bother ringing the bell, since the woman at the door said to go on in. The music from downstairs was too loud anyway.

But when they walked inside and down to the huge family room in the basement, almost cleared of furniture, the party wasn't exactly raving. No one was dancing. In fact, it was vaguely similar to the first party of the year at Abigail Adams Junior High. Girls were standing on one side of the room. Boys hung out on the other side, looking at the refreshment table. Some had grabbed a soda before they froze into zombies. Others stood, hands hanging at their sides like dead fish.

“Hey, they need us to liven things up,” Maeve whispered.

“I bet Julie wishes you-know-who was here right now,” asserted Katani. Avery would have had everybody going in a second.

Julie Faber's face was set in an icy pout. Girls hovered around her, but she acted as if she had no idea what to do.

Chelsea Briggs stood near the refreshment table, ready to take photos. She wasn't dressed in party clothes, just black pants and a wine-colored T-shirt.

“Get any photos yet?” Charlotte asked. “Be sure to get pictures of the entrance with all those palm trees and pink flamingos. It's really amazing!”

Chelsea grinned. “Yeah, I got a couple of good shots of the entrance. Now I'm waiting for something to happen
that's worth a photo here. Slow start, I'd say.”

Maeve, Katani, and Charlotte moved closer to Julie's circle. Charlotte looked at Katani, who shrugged. Maeve's eyes searched the room, looking for Dillon. “Do you see Nick and Dillon?” she whispered.

“Nope, only Henry Yurt, our famous class president, and Pete Wexler, super JV football star,” Katani said. “They're just standing around, too.”

Julie whispered, but loud enough for the BSG minus two to hear. “Why isn't this working? I invited all the popular kids. Kids who know how to have fun. What can I do?”

None of Julie's friends had any answer to her dilemma.

“There!” Maeve pointed. “Dillon and Nick are here. Finally. Let's take them a can of soda before they get trapped on the boys' side.”

The three girls each grabbed an extra soda and headed for Nick and Dillon.

As soon as Nick spotted Charlotte his face lit up.

“Hey,” he said, but he didn't get to finish the sentence.

Despite Charlotte's wearing flats and there not being even one rug on the floor, she managed to trip over a speck of dust, a missed dust bunny, or maybe her own foot, which was supposed to be light as a butterfly. “Oh!” she squealed. “Oh, no!” Half the open soda she carried jetted into the air and came straight down onto the front of Nick's sweater.

Being the gentleman that he was, Nick caught Charlotte before she sprawled onto the floor.

“Hi, Charlotte,” he said. “Trying to liven up the party?”

“Oh, Nick, I…I'm so sorry. I'm—”

“Going to get a bunch of napkins before the dance floor gets sticky?”

“Yes, yes, right. I'll get several.” Charlotte spun around and hurried back to the big table which was laden with sliced pineapple, chunks of fresh coconut, and little cups of fruit salad. She grabbed a handful of the palm tree–covered paper napkins and hurried back to Nick.

By that time, his sweater had absorbed all the soda. All she could do was dab at the damp wool.

“I told Mom I didn't need a sweater tonight.” Nick whipped off the sweater. “I'll just take it off. It's hot in here anyway. Is it supposed to
feel
like a tropical island?”

It
was
hot in the basement. Part of the heat was in Charlotte's cheeks and lungs as she tried to breathe normally. “I'll be right back.” She ran in the direction of a hall that might have a bathroom. Maeve and Katani hurried right behind her.

“So embarrassing. Right at the beginning of the party. Why do I do things like that?”

“You wanted to fall into Nick's arms?” Katani looked at the mirror to make sure her own makeup wasn't smeared.

Now Charlotte giggled. “I didn't even get to stay in his arms that long.”

“You can't blame it on high heels.” Katani laughed. “Look at it this way. Maybe you got the party to loosen up a little. I did hear a lot of people laughing.”

“Yeah, right.” Charlotte would have hidden in the
bathroom the rest of the night, but Katani and Maeve pushed her back out into the hall and then into the party room.

Someone had put on a CD of some slower Hawaiian music, and Yurt and Anna were dancing. Had Yurt grown a couple of inches overnight? He was almost as tall as Anna. Little by little, other couples joined them.

A voice behind Charlotte asked, “Want to dance?”

“That's risky.” Charlotte turned around without looking at Nick.

“I'll take the chance.” He held her at enough distance that she could look at his feet and breathe. Charlotte was about to risk looking into his eyes when Mrs. Faber stopped the music and spoke in a loud voice.

“Welcome, everyone, to Julie's thirteenth birthday party. Thank you all for coming. And now, Mr. Faber and I have a big surprise. Julie didn't even know we were doing this. We have invited a live band as part of the entertainment. Please give Mustard Monkey a big welcome.”

Mrs. Faber stepped aside as Riley Lee and the Mustard Monkeys came into the room carrying guitars, drums, loud speakers, and a microphone.

“Riley Lee?” Julie said, right behind Nick and Charlotte. “I didn't invite Riley. It's my party. I didn't know I could have a live band. I can't believe my mother did this.”

A live band was really special. Charlotte thought Julie sounded awfully spoiled. As soon as Riley got set up and started to play, the party began to loosen up. Riley knew what he was doing. He played some old-time rock 'n' roll that got everyone up and going. Peter Wexler and Dillon,
who were really fabulous dancers, started parading across the floor like rock stars. They pretended they had guitars and were performing for the crowd. Their antics succeeded in getting the party really hopping. The boys clapped and acted goofy and enticed the girls to dance. Julie's icy pout had turned into a beaming smile. Charlotte guessed it would be really difficult to throw a party and have everybody act like it was boring.

“Did you know Riley was coming, Maeve?” Charlotte whispered as she, Katani, and Maeve danced in a big group.

“Are you singing?” Katani asked. “And you didn't even tell us. No wonder it was so important to have a new outfit.”

“I had no idea.” Maeve shook her head, denying keeping a secret from Charlotte and Katani. “And, no, I'm not singing.”

“Mustard Monkey may be just what the party needs.” Katani smiled.

“Go, Riley,” Maeve said as she and Charlotte stepped close to Nick and Dillon. “How about some hula music with a rapper beat?”

Charlotte enjoyed Maeve's enthusiasm, but when she looked at Dillon, she could see that not everyone at the party was so glad to see Riley Lee. Dillon was definitely jealous of Riley. Riley was talented and had a big crush on Maeve. Her sparkly, friendly personality made it so fun to be around her. And the red hair…even the boys knew that there was something special about red hair. Now Dillon and Riley stared at each other, each wishing the other were somewhere else.