Take Charge (3 page)

“That water is freezing cold,” said Chelsea when they finally got out.

“Yep,” said Carlie. “Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”

“Makes me feel like I wish I’d brought a towel.”

“The sun will warm us,” said Carlie as she picked up her sandals. “Let’s just walk on the beach for a while until we’re dry.”

“Okay,” said Chelsea. “If you’re sure we won’t catch pneumonia and die out here first.”

Carlie laughed. “For a girl who was threatening to kill herself just an hour ago, I’m surprised that you’d be the least bit worried about pneumonia now.”

“Yeah, whatever!” As they walked, Chelsea opened up a little. And Carlie began to relax some. Maybe this wasn’t such a mistake after all.

As they walked down the beach, Chelsea told Carlie about her best friend that she’d left behind when they moved here. “I mean, Audrey and I had been very best friends ever since second grade,” she said. “She was like the only person on the entire planet who totally got me.”

“But you can still be friends,” said Carlie. “You can write or phone or email her. There are lots of ways to stay in touch.”

“She already made a new best friend,” said Chelsea in a hurt voice, “with this other girl named Kirsten Powers, and she’s such a jerk. She just couldn’t wait for me to leave. I mean, seriously, the second I was gone, Kirsten jumped in and took my place with Audrey.” She sighed. “Now they do everything together. I don’t think Audrey even misses me at all.”

“Oh, I bet she does.”

“Ha!” Chelsea bent down to pick up a stone and tossed it out into the ocean.

“Well, if that’s true,” said Carlie. “Then maybe it’s time you start making some new friends anyway.”

“Yeah. I’m sure that’s easier said than done.”

“It’s a whole lot easier when you’re not a total grump.”

“Are you saying I’m a total grump?” asked Chelsea.

“Hey, that’s putting it mildly. You were way worse than a grump when I met you earlier today.”

“Thanks a lot.” She made a pouting face then put her hands on her messy hair. “Can I help it if I was having a bad hair day?”

Carlie laughed.

“You’re hair is almost as curly as mine, Carlie. I’d think you would understand.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I guess I kinda do.”

“So I haven’t scared you off for good yet?”

“I guess I’m getting used to you.”

“And I guess I’m getting hungry,” said Chelsea suddenly. “I wonder what time it is anyway?”

So they turned around and headed back. And by the time they were in Chelsea’s kitchen again, Carlie was actually starting to feel comfortable around this strange girl. She was even starting to get used to their very fancy house. She didn’t see her aunt anywhere, but she figured she was probably busy cleaning something or putting something away. It was still kind of strange to think that Tia Maria was here to work and Carlie was here to play, but there wasn’t much she could do about it anyway.

“Is there anything to eat around here?” Chelsea asked her mom.

“There’s some leftover pasta and salad,” said her mom.

“I mean something
good.”

Her mom just smiled. “Well, what sounds good to you girls?”

“Pizza!” said Chelsea. “Double cheese and pepperoni.”

“How about if I have one delivered?” said her mom happily.

“Sounds good.”

Mrs. Landers reached over and touched Chelsea’s still damp hair. “Did you girls go swimming? I didn’t see you out by the pool.”

“We went swimming in the ocean,” Chelsea proudly told her.

Mrs. Landers looked surprised. “You swam in the ocean? That’s, uh, very interesting.”

“And it was really cold.”

Her mom nodded. “I’ll phone in the pizza. Why don’t you go get cleaned up.”

“You have a pool?” asked Carlie as they walked toward the stairs.

“Yeah.” Chelsea pointed toward the glass windows in the family room. But the shades were pulled and Carlie couldn’t see outside. “It’s out there.”

“Cool,” said Carlie.

Chelsea looked slightly surprised. “Don’t tell me you want to go swimming again?”

“Sure!” said Carlie. “Why not?”

So for the rest of the afternoon, Carlie and Chelsea swam in the pool, ate pizza, drank pop, sunned themselves, and just had plain old fun. When they got too hot outside, they went up to Chelsea’s room and started playing video games. Chelsea beat Carlie at most of them. Still, Carlie didn’t mind. She was just glad to see Chelsea happy and acting like a normal girl.

“What’s up with the bracelet?” asked Chelsea, pointing to the special bracelet that Morgan had made for her friends. “What do the letters mean? LYNAY? Is that like your middle name or something?”

“It’s an acronym,” said Carlie as she adjusted the bracelet. “It has to do with our club.”

“So what do the letters stand for?”

Carlie wondered if someone like Chelsea would even get it. Not that it mattered since it was supposed to be a secret anyway. “We’re not supposed to tell. It’s for club members only.”

Chelsea rolled her eyes. “You and your dumb club.”

“It’s not dumb.”

“Well, why do you have secrets?”

“All clubs have secrets. It just makes it more fun.”

Chelsea looked at the letters. “Let’s see … I think it stands for Last … Year’s … Nerds … Are … Yutzes.”

“Real nice.”

“That’s it! Last year’s nerds are yutzes. I’ve solved the mystery!” Chelsea laughed loudly.

Despite trying to appear offended, Carlie started laughing with her. “Well, that should include you too, Chelsea. Last year’s nerds are yutzes. What are yutzes anyway?”

“I don’t know. It just sounds like it fits.”

“I hate to interrupt the party,” said Tia Maria as she tapped on the door, “but it’s time to go now.”

“This was fun,” Carlie told Chelsea as she stood up.

“Yeah, I’m glad you came over,” said Chelsea as she followed them downstairs. “Even if I
didn’t
invite you.”

Carlie wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“But I would’ve invited you,” said Chelsea quickly. “If I’d known you, that is.”

“Well, thanks for everything.” To Carlie’s surprise, she was almost sad to leave. It almost felt like she’d spent a day in paradise, actually living out the “lifestyles of the rich and famous.” She was afraid she could get used to this.

“Can you come back again tomorrow?” asked Chelsea eagerly.

Carlie could see Chelsea’s mom standing behind her daughter vigorously nodding her head.

“I’m not sure,” admitted Carlie. “But I can ask my mom and call you later.”

So the girls exchanged phone numbers, and Carlie and Tia Maria got in the little red car and started driving across town.

“Sounds like you two hit it off pretty well,” said her aunt.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“I know that Mrs. Landers was hugely relieved to see Chelsea coming out of her slump.”

“Yeah, Chelsea was acting pretty weird when I first got there. I can see why her mom was worried.”

“Well, I owe you one, Carlie. And if you still want me to talk to your mom about school clothes, I’ll be glad to!”

“Cool!”

“So are you going to introduce Chelsea to your other friends?”

Carlie considered this. “I don’t know … maybe not right away. I guess I should get to know her better first.”

Earlier today, Carlie had felt worried that Chelsea might offend her friends by saying something rude or mean. But now she wasn’t so sure she wanted her friends to get to know Chelsea for a totally different reason. Carlie knew that Morgan, Emily, and Amy were pretty cool and interesting girls — maybe even more interesting than Carlie. What if Chelsea liked one of her friends better than she liked Carlie? As selfish as that sounded, Carlie wasn’t sure she could handle it.

“I’m going in to chat with my sister,” said Tia Maria as she pulled into Carlie’s driveway.

“Cool,” said Carlie, getting out of the car.

“Hey, Carlie!” called Morgan from the other side of the street.

“Hey!” Carlie yelled back as she headed over to where her three friends were waving at her. “I’m so glad to see you guys!”

“How’d it go today?” asked Amy.

“And what do you think of the new girl?” asked Morgan.

“She’s pretty nice,” said Carlie. Then she laughed. “Well, to be honest, she was kinda scary to start with. But then we talked and stuff. And I think she’s okay.”

“Do you think she’ll want to join our club?” asked Morgan.

Carlie considered this. “Maybe. But I think I should get to know her better first.”

“And we still need to decide whether or not we’re open to new members,” said Amy. “We need to discuss it and vote on it.”

“I vote yes,” said Emily.

“This isn’t an official meeting,” said Amy.

“We do need to talk it through before we start voting.” Then Morgan carefully removed something from her shorts pocket. “We made this for you, Carlie.” She held up a choker of red and purple beads.

“Oh, that’s beautiful!” exclaimed Carlie. “Really, you made this for me?”

“We all helped,” said Amy.

“Thanks,” said Carlie as Emily helped her to fasten it in back. She smiled at her friends. “You guys are so great. I’m so lucky to have you!”

“I have to go,” said Amy as she glanced at her watch. “I’m supposed to help at the restaurant tonight.”

“I better go inside too,” said Carlie. “I’m sure my mom is wondering why I didn’t come in. See ya later!”

Carlie fingered the beaded necklace as she went into her house. Her friends were the best! Even if Chelsea did live in a big, fancy house with a swimming pool. Carlie would rather have friends like Morgan, Emily, and Amy any day!

Carlie entered her house through the front door just in time to overhear Tia Maria’s and her mom’s loud voices coming from the kitchen. It sounded like they were having an argument. In Spanish. It was funny how her mom seemed to assume that if they argued in Spanish, Carlie and her little brothers wouldn’t understand what they were saying. But Carlie knew enough Spanish to eavesdrop, and it only took a few seconds before she figured out that this hot-headed disagreement was about her.

“Why are you so stubborn?” Tia Maria’s voice got louder.

“She’s my only daughter!” said Carlie’s mom. “I want her to dress like a girl! You go and have your own daughter and then you can dress her how you like.”

“But it makes her look different,” argued Tia Maria.

“Carlotta
is
different,” said Mom. “She’s my pretty little girl!”

“She’s going to seventh grade soon. Do you want kids to pick on her because she’s dressed like
your pretty little girl
?”

“Why should they pick on her for that?”

“She’s not a baby anymore, Lena!”

Now Carlie came fully into the room. And Tia Maria just held up her hands and shook her head. “Sorry,
mija
,” she said to Carlie. “I’m not getting through to my big, smart sister.”

Mom looked at Carlie. “You don’t want to look pretty?”

Carlie felt bad, but she wanted to be honest. “I just want to dress like other kids. I don’t want to stick out … like
there goes that weird Latina girl
.”

“Is that what your friends think?”

“Maybe my friends don’t. But other kids do, Mom. Besides, I’ve been saving my babysitting money all summer long, and I just want to use it to buy some normal things, like some nice jeans and T-shirts — the kinds of stuff that other girls wear to school.”

“But that’s not ladylike, Carlotta,” insisted Mom.

“Listen, Lena,” said Tia Maria in a calming voice. “Carlie always acts like a lady, whether she’s wearing a frilly dress or old blue jeans. Why can’t you let her dress in a way that makes her feel good about herself?”

Mom frowned. “I don’t know … ”

“Please, Mom,” Carlie pleaded.

Mom sighed loudly. “I’ll talk to your father about this, Carlotta.”

Carlie looked at Tia Maria in time to see her wink. They both knew this would settle everything. Dad would side with Carlie.

“Thanks, Mom,” said Carlie, giving her mom a big hug. “I’ll watch the boys while you make dinner.”

“See,” said Tia Maria. “She’s a good girl, Lena. You should be proud.”

Mom said a word in Spanish that Carlie didn’t understand, but she had a strong feeling she shouldn’t ask either. Instead she gathered up her little brothers and took them outside to play in the backyard for a while. It was actually Carlie’s special place — her secret garden — but she and Dad had fixed up part of it as a play area for the boys. She opened the lid to the sandbox, and both boys dove for the dump truck. She turned on the hose and began watering some of her flowers, listening as her brothers argued over whose turn it was to use the shovel now.

“Hey, Carlie,” called Tia Maria as she came outside a few minutes later. “Mrs. Landers just called me on my cell phone, and she’s begging me to bring you again tomorrow. Chelsea is going to call and invite you tonight. But please consider it, mija. Mrs. Landers thinks that you made a good connection with Chelsea and she was so happy about it. Chelsea really likes you.”

“Oh …” Carlie lifted up Pedro, who was crying because Miguel had thrown a handful of sand in his face. She held him on her hip as she brushed sand from his mouth and scolded Miguel. Carlie considered the invitation to the Landers’ and wondered how she could turn it down without
hurting anyone. She’d really been hoping to hang with her old friends tomorrow.

“Not that you owe me anything …” Her aunt gave her a sly grin now. “But it does look like you’re going to get to wear what you like to school this year. That is worth a little something, isn’t it?”

Carlie had to smile. “Yeah, that was good. Thanks.”

“So will you go with me again tomorrow?”

“Okay,” she agreed. How could she not?

“Thanks!”

The next morning, Carlie decided to give her mom a little test. What would happen if she wore her favorite khaki shorts and a T-shirt to Chelsea’s house today? Would Mom make her go back to her room and change into something more “ladylike”?

“That’s not what you’re wearing to visit your new friend, is it, Carlotta?” Mom asked as she filled a bowl with Cheerios.