The Kissing Deadline (5 page)

Coach stepped into the aisle, holding the
ribbons like trophies. Ryan’s big foot stomped down on the message,
hiding it from Coach’s view. He was turning out to be a pretty good
lab partner.

Sierra turned around expectantly, so Cassie
pointed down at Ryan’s shoe. Sierra nodded. The note didn’t worry
her at all. Ryan had already proven his moral fiber.

“If a student receives four STOP flags, he’ll
have to wear a shame ribbon.”

They laughed.

“Every day,” Coach Ameen said.

The laughter died.

“My dad's an attorney. I'm pretty sure we
won't have to wear those,” Brooke said.

“True. Wearing the shame badges will be
voluntary. It shows you accept responsibility for your actions.”
Coach stepped closer to Brooke. ”Sometimes we give a lot of
homework, sometimes we don’t. How much do you like homework?”

* * *

After school, Cassie and Sierra ran to the
commons to read the cast list. Amber beat them to the announcement
board. She jumped up and down, jabbing her nail at the list.

CAST LIST: The Dragon's Nest Cast

Heroine Madrageen-Amber

Hero Yourgath-Ryan

Shopkeeper--Mike

Dragon--Sierra

Baker-Brooke

Poor Boy-Larry

Jeweler--Paige

Villager #1- Brennan (understudy Poor
Boy)

Villager #2--Megan (understudy Dragon)

Villager #3--Trevor (understudy
Yourgath)

Villager #4-Cassie (understudy
Madrageen
)

“Knew it.” Amber turned and gave a dramatic
hug to Megan and a fake apologetic shrug to the disappointed
crowd.

“The administration probably chose the cast
before we even auditioned.” Paige shot a photo of the board.

Carrying a soccer ball under his arm, Ryan
moved into the crowd, and people shifted out of his way. He stood
behind Cassie. “Did I get one?”

Wishing she didn’t get tongue-tied around
Ryan, Cassie stepped aside so he could read the cast list. She
breathed in his cologne.

“See,” Amber said to Ryan. “Aren't you glad I
made you audition? I told you. I told you we'd get the leads. My
name should be in bold since I’m the star.”

Ryan shrugged one shoulder and turned to the
door. “Great. I got practice. See you after?”

“No,” Amber said, “I have plans with Megan.”
Megan shook her head, and Amber kicked her. The shake turned into a
pinched-lipped nod.

“Okay.” Ryan bounced the soccer ball on his
knee, caught it, and walked off.

Sierra waved a hand in the air, renouncing
the cast list, and swiveled toward the exit.

Mike headed them off when they reached the
parking lot. “So how'd it go?”

Sierra growled and swiped a clawed hand at
the hem of his soccer jersey. “I got the part of the dragon.”

Mike let her reel him closer. “Good job,
babe. You were scary. What’d I get?”

“Shopkeeper.”

“Okay.”

“You get to wear a nice apron,” Cassie told
him.

“And you?”

“Villager #4--wearer of burlap.” Cassie used
an ominous voice.

Mike laughed. With a quick kiss for Sierra,
and a wave, he jogged toward the soccer field.

They met Brooke in the usual spot by Sierra’s
bright yellow Toyota Yaris. Brooke tucked her hair behind her ears
and gave them a weak smile. “At least we all got parts.”

“Congratulations, y’all deserve them.” Sierra
looped her arm through Cassie’s. “You were great. You should have
gotten the lead.”

Secretly pleased she didn’t, Cassie didn’t
confess how much she liked the idea of her non-speaking part.
Though she did wonder how villager #4 differed from villagers 1, 2
and 3.

Sierra shifted her zebra-print book bag so
she could insert her key in the driver’s door. “Well, it’s not the
first time a cheerleader got a part she didn’t deserve.”

Brooke shrugged. “Amber volunteers a lot.
People know her, and she’ll spread the word about the play. A large
crowd is better for the theatre department.”

Sierra ignored Brooke’s logic and defended
their plan. “Cassie’s the understudy. It could still work.” She hit
the unlock button on the inside of the driver’s door.

As they drove away, Brooke gasped and pointed
at Amber’s golden convertible. Amber shoved a guy into her backseat
and climbed in after him. A black fedora tumbled to the
asphalt.

“Skank.” Sierra steered the Yaris left onto
Quinn Street and hit the gas. The engine groaned a protest. Sierra
pressed the gas pedal harder and turned up the radio.

Brooke’s eyes got huge. “Was that
Kristnaldo?”

“Looked like it.” Sierra took the turn and
eased off the pedal.

“How could she cheat on Ryan?” Cassie was
genuinely bewildered. Amber may be the prettiest girl in school,
but Ryan more than matched her in looks and popularity.

Brooke sat up straighter, and tapped her
fingers on her knee. She wore her plotting expression. “If Ryan
breaks up with her, maybe Amber will step down, and Cassie can take
over the lead.”

“Nah,” Sierra said. “Ryan won’t break up with
Amber.”

“But she’s such a--”

“Yeah.” Sierra turned right on Main Street.
“Mike told me Amber cheats on Ryan all the time.”

“All the time?” Cassie asked.

“Ryan started going out with Amber around
Thanksgiving. By Christmas, Ryan wanted out, but then his parents
split up.”

Cassie shifted forward in her seat, mouth
open. She didn’t know any of this.

“Are his parents divorced?” Brooke asked.

“I don’t know. I think they’re back together,
maybe not. I don’t know,” Sierra said. “So anyway, Ryan thinks
couples should just stay together and work stuff out.”

“Maybe if you're married, but not if your
girlfriend's a big ho.”

“She’s insane,” Cassie said. “Ryan is so
hot.”

The trip home was short, and before Cassie
had heard the entire story, Sierra had parked at the curb in front
of her house. “Mike's working on him,” Sierra assured them.

Cassie popped open the door. “Thanks for the
ride.”

“See ya after dinner,” Brooke said.

“’K.” Cassie waved her friends off and headed
up the sidewalk with her usual glare at the gutters and shutters on
her brick home. When they moved in six years ago, Dad had planned
to install a swimming pool. After researching resale values, he
opted instead for the fanciest drainage system in the neighborhood.
Cassie couldn’t look at the leaf-filled gutters without seeing the
loss of her mermaid dreams.

* * *

The dining room smelled like homemade rolls,
a rich doughy smell. Spencer took the basket between both palms.
Staring at his choices, he shook the basket and moved several rolls
aside in order to free one from the bottom.

Cassie’s stomach rumbled while she watched.
Why did he always want the one at the bottom of the basket? What
did that mean? Did guys just want the unattainable?

“How did auditions go?” Mom asked.

“Um, well, I was picked to…”

Spencer grabbed a second roll before passing
her the basket. “She's just the understudy, or is it villager
#4?”

“Both,” Cassie said. How did Spencer
know?

“So, Cass,” Dad said. “I thought about this
weekend.”

Cassie chose a pale one, and lifted the soft,
warm roll free. Yum.

“You can get any dress you want.”

Her fingers tightened, denting the smooth
top, and she lowered the roll to the rim of her porcelain plate.
“What do you mean any dress I want?” Dad didn’t make offers like
that. The accountant in him always set a price range, and last
time, he made it sound like she’d have to wear her old dress. Not
that she would, she’d totally borrow one from Sierra first.

“Hey, I'm just in a good mood. Did you know
I'm definitely up for that promotion?”

Spencer propped his elbows on the table.

Mom said, “Great news, honey.”

The warning light flashed in Cassie’s
brain.

“Yes, yes it is. The guy transferring here is
making all promotion decisions.”

Mom pushed Spencer's elbows off the table
just as his ringtone played a jarring bit of dance music. He
reached for it. Mom gave him the evil eye, and he lifted his hand
slowly away, like a suspect confronted by the police.

Cassie gave him an evil eye for a different
reason. How had her fourteen-year old brother talked her parents
into a cell phone before she got one?

“My co-worker’s going to take him and his son
David fishing while they’re here. You don't fish. Do you,
Cass?”

“No.” Cassie felt a little sorry for David at
hearing this. The town carnival would look exciting after a day of
fishing. She tore off a bite of the roll, warm, sweet, yeasty.

“One date with the boy would sure mean a lot
to me,” Dad said. “It might even help me get that promotion.”

“Date?” Since when was she allowed to date?
She raised an eyebrow at Mom. Mom nodded. Okay, she could
definitely put up with a blind date if it meant she had permission
to date from now on. Not that a boy had ever asked but still it
would be nice to be able to say
yes
if he did. And, tonight
she could surf the internet for a new formal, maybe something
purple.

Spencer jabbed his fork in the air. “Dad's
pimpin’ you out, Cassie.”

“Spencer!” Mom chastised and pushed Spencer's
arm down. Spencer speared another roll with his fork.

Dad wore a big grin. “You can meet him at the
carnival Saturday. Then get any dress you want.”

Spencer said, “Take one for the team. I'd
like Dad to get this raise.” He touched his phone. “I could use an
extended data messaging plan.”

The front doorbell rang, cutting off
Spencer’s plans for Dad’s raise.

“That's Brooke and Sierra for our school
project. May I be excused?” Cassie rose from her chair.

“Oh, I can't take an important call, but she
can have guests at all hours?”

The doorbell rang again.

“So, I’ll tell him you'll meet David this
weekend?”

“Okay.” Cassie dropped her napkin into her
seat and pushed her chair under the table. It was only one date,
how bad could that be?

She left the table, let Sierra and Brooke in
and led them to the basement. Time to see more of the kissing
plan.

Brooke snagged the remote and flipped the
channel until it stopped on music videos. Guys in eyeliner danced,
somehow managing to look straight. The video ended, and
MTV Teen
Cribs
came on next. A teen guy in skinny jeans waved the camera
toward his sixty-inch flat screen television.

“Nice,” Cassie said.

“It’s in his bedroom.” Sierra made a hand
gesture, indicating the reality show star was a pervert. “He thinks
he’s hot.”

The teen on TV puffed out his chest and
bragged about how the store had delivered a forty-inch and he’d
sent it back.

“Weird how reality shows magnify who’s a
tool,” Brooke said.

Sierra made a hammering motion. “Most rich
guys are tools.”

“Those are the guys who deserve no
kisses--not poor Cassie.” Brooke moved to the poster to reveal row
four of the kissing plan.
BLIND DATE
.

“No way. I have that covered! Dad just set me
up with his associate's son.”

Sierra said, “Yeah, Dad.”

“Hmm, that’s great, Cassie.” Brooke’s tone
belied her words. “Blind dates always rock.”

Sierra widened her eyes and hit Brooke. “It
might.” She handed Cassie a pack of spearmint-flavored gum and
Listerine pocket pack strips. “New stuff for your kiss kit.”

Cassie eyed the green foiled wrapped pack and
sniffed. “Spearmint?”

“Spearmint attracts challenging guys like the
debate team,” Sierra said.

“I think antenna guy is on the debate team.”
Brooke covered her mouth to stop a laugh.

Sierra threw an arm over her head. She bent
toward Brooke as if trying to kiss her but rebounded back when her
faux antenna poked into Brooke’s forehead. That didn’t stop her
from diving forward in three more failed attempts.

Cassie grimaced. She’d heard the appendage
got amazing reception for audio equipment, but still, Sierra might
be right.

“One more for today,” Brooke said, her voice
gurgling with laughter.

“Why don’t you show me all the steps? Maybe
I’ll have better luck,” Cassie said.

“You can’t handle that,” Brooke assured her.
“We need you to focus and put all your efforts into each
stage.”

“Yeah, you’d probably quit if we threw it all
at you,” Sierra said.

“Fine. Show me.”

Sierra lowered the binder clips and revealed
row five--
SCHOOL CARNIVAL
. Cassie raised her eyebrows.

Brooke smiled, a grin full of confidence. “We
signed you up for the kissing booth.”

Trallwyn High School Dragon Scoop

STOP flags must be worn at all times on
campus.

Yearbook photos: see Paige Goehl

Parking lot C is for staff only.

Coach Ameen tossed Cheryl a bottle of
sanitizer. “More kids are out with mono. Spray down the
doorknob.”

Cassie watched, glad she didn’t sit in the
front. Cheryl always got picked for tasks. The geography teacher
had sprayed down surfaces in first period too. It must be a new
office mandate.
Squirt, squirt.
Cheryl used the hem of her
flannel shirt to wipe the knob. The sharp fumes from the spray made
Cassie’s eyes sting and nose burn.

“Ew,” Megan said with teary eyes. “Can we
have class outside?”

“No,” Coach said. “You’ll survive. Mike,
crack a window.”

The window opened with a
swoosh
, and
the rush of humid air absorbed the stench. Cassie sucked in a
breath.

“That’s a nice lead-in for today’s
topic--Darwin’s survival of the fittest. This theory is best
illustrated using a March Madness diagram.” Coach jerked a finger
toward the laptop. “Brooke.”