Mixed Messages (12 page)

“Okay,” Jasper agreed, standing.

“Really?” Landon asked.

“Really?” Zee echoed.

Jasper took the microphone from Zee. “No reason to be a stick-in-the-mud.” He looked at Landon.

“Do they say that in England a lot?” Landon asked. “Because I don't even know what it means.”

“It means this.” Jasper started the music. “‘One for the money! Two for the show!'” He pretended to play a fake guitar just like Elvis Presley. He slid across the patio and spun around.

“Whoa!” Landon whispered to himself.

Zee couldn't believe her eyes, either! Was this shy Jasper? Her heart tried to jump out of her chest. She'd never seen him perform with so much spirit—having so much fun as he wiggled his hips and tapped his toes in time to the music. Zee wondered if he could see her blushing.

“Let's go again,” Kathi suggested when Jasper finished.

Zee checked the time on her iPhone. “I think we should practice our music for Saturday.”

“Oh, come on,” Kathi urged. “You're spoiling everyone's fun.”

“My mom's coming to get me soon,” Zee explained.

“And I have a ton of homework to do,” Jen said, pulling out her marimba mallets.

Kathi stared at Jen. She looked like she didn't know what to say. Then when the other group members started to get their instruments ready, she just said, “Fine,” and took out her violin.

Kathi had been so proud of how she'd pulled the group together, Zee hated to spoil her moment. But The Beans needed to practice. With so many people hearing about their upcoming performance on Bluetopia, they had to be ready.

“Let's practice ‘My Heart,'” Kathi suggested when everyone was in position. “It needs the most work, especially Zee's part.”

Zee rolled her eyes, but as the band began to play, she could tell everyone had taken Ms. Vardolis's advice seriously. The band members hit their parts perfectly. And something inside Zee changed as she sang along with Landon. She kept picturing Jasper on the karaoke stage. The words flowed out of her mouth without her even thinking.

“Your idea for us to warm up with karaoke helped,” Missy told Kathi. “We sounded great.”

“Roxy is going to be really proud when she hears us tomorrow,” Kathi said.

Chapter 11
Bad Buds

A
fter rehearsal, Zee, Ally, Chloe, and Jasper waited for Mrs. Carmichael outside of the Barneys' house. Zee pulled out her iPhone and looked at its clock.

“That's about the hundredth time you've checked,” Ally told her. “I think your mom forgot again.”

“But she said she'd come, and she's not picking up the house phone,” Zee pointed out. “She must be on her way.”

“Try her cell phone again,” Chloe suggested. “Maybe she turned it back on.”

“Perhaps we should call my mom to pick us up,” Jasper said, looking around. “It's getting late, and everyone else has left.” Even Jen's mom had come to get her after work.

Zee couldn't stand the thought that her mother might have forgotten about her again. She was determined to wait until Mrs. Carmichael showed up. But how long would that take? It had already been thirty minutes.

Zee's iPhone buzzed in her hand. “A text from Mom,” she announced triumphantly, pleased her mother had not forgotten her after all.

Where r u?
the text read.
I've been waiting outside BA a long time.

“BA,” Zee read out loud, then told her friends. “My mom is looking for us at school.” She was picking them up at the wrong place!

Zee quickly texted her mother back to tell her to come to Kathi's house.

Then Chloe took out her cell phone.

“What are you doing?” Zee asked.

“Going on Bluetopia, of course,” Chloe said. “To see if José made any doodles in my notebook or sent me any gifts.”

“I guess you don't like Marcus anymore,” Ally teased.

“Of course I do,” Chloe protested. “He's just not writing me as much as José is.” She looked at her screen. “I got something!”

“I think José needs to sleep,” Zee said. “It's like”—she paused to calculate the time difference between California and Spain—“three
A.M.
there.”

“There's your mom!” Ally shouted, pointing to Mrs. Carmichael's Prius as it came down the block. “I call shotgun!”

“I guess I'll take the hump in the back since I'm the smallest,” Zee volunteered. But as she crawled into the car after Jasper and settled into the small space between him and Chloe, she realized she'd forgotten how squished she'd be—right next to Jasper. As a warm, happy feeling rushed through her body, she realized she didn't really care. She waited until she got home to write on her blog.

 

Hi, Blogness,

Problem #1: I'm trying to be really positive about the idea of having new sibs. Babies are incredibly cute. I guess that's why it's a problem. Being adorable will get them a lot of attention. Maybe all of it.

Solution #1: The Beans' performance is taking my mind off my mom and babies. Plus, Ms. Vardolis is giving me all of the attention my mother isn't. She's not exactly my mother, but I really like her and am flattered that she thinks I'm so talented. So until Mom can start paying attention to me again, I think I'll just focus on all the nice things Ms. Vardolis says about me.

Problem #2: I don't get what is going on with Ms. Vardolis and Kathi. Something doesn't feel exactly right. Kathi is trying so hard to impress her—too hard. And I think Kathi is blaming me when things go wrong.

Solution #2: Watch out for Kathi! She might take her anger out on me.

Problem #3: I'm 99.99999 percent certain I have a crush on Jasper. Here are the signs:

• my heart beats fast when he's around

• my palms get sweaty (which is really gross) when he's around

• everything he says sounds super-smart

• my head gets all mushy when I think about him

• I think the school uniform actually looks good on him

I don't get it. Why do I like him so much now? He's one of my very best friends. Am I going to ruin that because of a crush??!!

Solution #3: Forget about Jasper being my boyfriend. Right?

Zee

 

After Zee finished her blog entry, she visited the Fashionista Club. She wanted to see what people said about the photos she had posted. But she definitely wasn't ready for what she read.

Next to a photo of Zee in a flowing cotton skirt and a denim midriff top with a camisole underneath, someone had posted: When was this ever in fashion?

Under a picture of Zee's favorite homemade sundress, a red tank top sewn onto a floral skirt, was the message: Time to milk the cows!

Scrolling down the page, Zee saw that all of the messages were similar. At first, Zee thought she had finally found a compliment. Very American! Then she kept reading. Leave fashion to the French.

Zee's heart sank to the bottom of her shoes. Ally's French friends were posting these mean comments. Zee knew her style wasn't like everyone else's, but that's what she liked best about it. It wasn't French—or American. It was Zee.

But Zee had an even bigger problem than fashion. How was Zee going to tell her BFF that some of her new friends weren't very nice?

“Look at what people are saying in the Fashionista Club notebook,” Zee said as calmly as she could.

Ally looked at the computer screen, then shrugged. “They aren't being mean. They just think about fashion in a different way.”

The comment stung. Ally was supposed to be her very best friend. How could she stick up for them?
I'm the one she should be defending,
Zee thought.

“But—” Zee stopped herself. Ally would be in town for only a few days, and Zee didn't want to fight with her. It wasn't Ally Zee was mad at. It was those French girls.

Still, the comments hurt, so when Ally went to play Wii, Zee sent a private message to Chloe and Jasper.

 

C&J,

Check out the Fashionista Club and you'll see how horrible Ally's French friends are. She must be so happy to be in Brookdale with us, because they are really really mean. I'm lucky to have you guys. So is Ally.

Zee

 

Almost immediately, Jasper sent a message back.

 

Do you want me to take the comments down? The administrator can do that.—J

 

How sweet!
Zee thought, smiling.
Jasper would do that for me?
Then she typed a response.

 

No, if it doesn't bother Ally, it's OK with me.

 

Secretly, though, Zee hoped that Ally would ask the French girls to take down the comments.

Ally's friends weren't the only things bothering Zee at that moment. She kept thinking about how her mother had forgotten her that afternoon. Chloe, Ally, and Jasper told her everything was going to be okay. But based on the way Mrs. Carmichael had been acting, Zee found it hard to believe. Zee realized there was only one person who would know for sure . . . Missy.

 

Missy,

OMG! My mother is completely losing it!! She left me stranded after rehearsal today! Can u believe it??!! I don't think I'm ready 2 have twins.

Please send me some good advice.

Zee