Times Squared (11 page)

“Yes, she loses her balance a lot,” Nima added. “Remember that day in science class . . . ?”

“I'm okay,” I said loudly. “Thank you for asking.”

“Well, then, let's keep moving, people,” Mrs. James said. “We don't need any more distractions. It is almost time for mathematics.”

“Yay!” everyone cheered.

I cheered the loudest, to show Jazmine I was just fine. I channeled Payton and was all spirity and excitable. My twin might be the actress, but I would perform like a champion once the mathletics competition began.

BACKSTAGE

“You did a great job onstage, Payton,” Tess said to me as we stood in line.

That wasn't acting. That was real life! Let's see, I had to bow down and be a servant to Ashlynn from summer camp. And act scared of her. And look beaten-down. And act like I was wearing secondhand clothes.

Yup, it was just like real life.

Although, now I'd have to really start acting. The mathletes had all gone off to do their math thing. And the Drama Club people were in line for something everyone thought was so exciting:

Getting Ashlynn's autograph.

I obviously did not want Ashlynn's autograph.

“I'm so thrilled to meet her,” Sydney said.

A part of me wanted to say “I lived with her for the summer.”

That would impress Sydney and Cashmere for about three seconds. Then they would want to know why Ashlynn and I hadn't acknowledged each other onstage. And why I was hiding from her now.

I decided I'd fake a huge sneezing fit right before it was my turn. I'd have to run off and if I got dragged back, I'd tell them I didn't want to get my germs on the star.

I didn't want to see Ashlynn. She already proved onstage she would humiliate me. I didn't want her to have the chance to humiliate me anymore. Especially while I was wearing her hand-me-downs!

We inched closer to the front of the line.

“Drool,” Sam said. “I'm going to ask her out.”

“You're going to ask her out?” Sydney, Cashmere, and I all said at the same time.

“She would be an excellent girlfriend.” Sam nodded. “Don't get too jealous.”

Yeh.

Then I noticed Reilly smoothing his hair down.
Every
guy seemed to be drooling over her. I glanced over
and saw Nick in the autograph line behind us. I wondered if he was drooling, too.

“I love how she wears her hair like that,” Sydney said to Cashmere.

“Totes,” Cashmere agreed.

I noticed Sydney trying to fix her hair to look more like Ashlynn's.

Seriously, Ashlynn could do that to people. She had like superpowers or something.

At camp I wasn't the only one under Ashlynn's spell. Okay, I was the only person who was a slave for her clothes publicly. But everyone else did what she wanted too.

So really, I wasn't surprised Ashlynn was an almost-Broadway star now.

There were about four people ahead of me. It was time to plan my escape.

Achoo! Wachoo!

I fake-sneezed loudly.

“Ew! Disgusting!” Sydney shrieked loudly. What a drama queen.

I hated to be called disgusting, but between Sydney's shriek and my sneeze, Burkle looked over. Good, now I had my escape.

“Go ahead!” I doubled over in a hard-core sneeze position and waved them on. “I don't want to get the star sick.
Achoo!
”

I walked away, toward the back of the line. I stood off to the side, doing a dramatic sneeze now and then when someone looked over at me. I watched as Cashmere quickly got Ashlynn's autograph. Sydney took a long time to get one, since she was probably trying to become BFF with Ashlynn. I watched Ashlynn look freaked as Sam apparently really did ask her out. Sam shrugged and walked away after two seconds.

“Achoo!”
I sneezed again.

And then I watched Nick go up and get her autograph. He was there for more than two seconds. He was saying something to Ashlynn. She laughed. She smiled at him. She leaned forward and touched his wrist as he took the autographed picture.

Ugh!
She was flirting with Nick, using her Ashlynn Flirting Secret Move! She told us about that secret move at camp!

“I lean forward,” she said. “I smile into their eyes. And then I touch their wrist. Gets 'em every time.”

“If I looked like you it would,” one of the other girls had whined.

“That helps too.” Ashlynn had laughed.

Was it working on Nick? Was it working on Nick? Ashlynn was still talking to him, even though there were other people in line. He was smiling. I slumped against the wall.

Me + Ferris wheel fiasco vs. Ashlynn and her Flirting Secret Move? Obviously Ashlynn for the win.

It stunk that when I liked a boy, I couldn't even talk to him! I always made fun of Emma for turning purple when she talked to guys. But Ox liked her! I was destined to be alone for life!!!

(Okay. Sydney wasn't the only drama queen. I'm in seventh grade. I don't need a boyfriend. But . . . it would be nice if I didn't totally screw up any boy
friend
, right? Right. Thank you very much.)

I watched as Ashlynn signed the last picture. Then I saw her looking around.

I shrank against the wall. She couldn't be looking for me, could she? I flattened myself even more. I watched as Mrs. Burkle went over to talk to her.

Whew. She was probably saying thank you, and that it was time for us to leave. And we would see Ashlynn onstage, from the audience. And then?

Never, ever again!

“Attention all Drama Geckos!” Mrs. Burkle called out. I waited for her to announce that we would be leaving. Buh-bye, Ashlynn! See you never!

“Ashlynn has exciting news!” Burkle continued. “She wants to give a few of our students a chance to experience her world as a professional actress! Ashlynn will randomly select one or two of our students to shadow her!”

Everyone was like, Oooh! I hope she picks me! Besides me, of course.

“I'll close my eyes and point to someone,” Ashlynn said. She put her hand over her eyes and waved her hand around.

Lucky for me, Tess was tall. Great to hide behind. Sydney was practically knocking people over to get to the front row. Anywhere Ashlynn's pointing went, so did Sydney.

“You!” Ashlynn pointed. At Tess!

I gave her a nudge forward. And that's when Ashlynn kept going.

“The girl in the black shirt with the sparklies!” Ashlynn said.

Tess wasn't wearing a black shirt. She was wearing yellow. And there were no sparklies.

Oh no.

“Payton, she means you!” Tess squealed.

“She couldn't mean me!” I protested, hiding behind her even more. “I was behind you! There was no way!'

“The lucky Dramatic Gecko is . . . hm . . .” Mrs. Burkle was looking, but luckily couldn't see me behind Tess.

“Sydney!” I said. “You go ahead! I don't want it!”

Sydney smiled and started forward.

“Not you,” Ashlynn said. “I said black shirt with sparklies. Hiding behind the tall girl.”

“Ah, you have selected Payton!” Burkle said.

“Bacon! Come on up!” Ashlynn said.

Everyone cracked up. I stayed frozen behind Tess.

“Actually, it's Paaaaytttton,” Mrs. Burkle said, enunciating. “Payton! We're waiting!”

Everyone turned to look at me. There was no way to get out of this. I trudged up to the steps and walked onto the stage.

Ashlynn smiled at me kindly, showing no sign of recognition. I knew this could not be good.

MATHLETICS AUDITORIUM

Finally!!!! We were at the mathletes arena!

Well, actually, we were seated in a school auditorium. But it was exciting, because we were all mathletes.

Three competing schools. Our school was in the middle row—Mrs. James's group on the left side and Coach Babbitt's on the right. Ox was seven seats to my right. I really wanted to try to work things out with Ox, but he was too far away.

So I would have to concentrate 100 percent on the math. I put on my concentration face.

“Thinking about how you stole your sister's boyfriend?” Jazmine whispered to me.

Well, that explained why Jazmine forced her way through everyone to sit next to me. She wanted to distract me.

“I'm thinking about continuing my reign as mathletes champion,” I whispered back.

Two could play at that game. Ha.

A woman walked onstage, stood at the podium, and spoke into the microphone:

“Welcome to our school and our mathletic competition! I'm Dana Lindsley, Head coach of the home team.”

“Go, Gargoyles!” someone shouted from the front.
Gargoyles? That's even weirder than Geckos.
The home team started chanting loudly: “Go, Gargoyles! Go, Gargoyles! Go, Gargoyles!”

“We are all looking forward to team spirit, good sportsmanship, and most especially . . . fun with math!”

Most of the audience cheered. Jazmine just sat looking bored. I clapped.

A man took the stage and introduced himself as the coach of the visiting team from Brooklyn.

“Go, Panthers!” He said into the microphone, pumping his fist in the air.

“Go! Panthers! Go! Panthers!” His team stood up, shouted, and pumped their fists.

Then Coach Babbitt walked out and took the Panthers' coach's place. The place went quiet.

“I'm Coach Babbitt of—”
Screeeee!
The microphone screeched.

“Ow!”

“Youch!”

Everybody plugged their ears and groaned.

“Sorry,” Coach said. “Feedback. As I was saying, I'm Coach Babbitt of the Geckos.”
Scree!
He paused, adjusting the microphone.

“Go, Geckos!” Nima shouted. She was sitting next to me, and I jumped a little, not expecting that loud volume coming from her.

“Go, Geckos!” someone down our row yelled. We all started cheering, but our timing was off. It sounded like “Go-Geck-Go-Go-Geck!”

“Okay, it's fixed,” Coach Babbitt announced. Our team “cheer” stopped. “I will now read the rules and regulations from the official
Mathletics Handbook
. Rule one point on: All participants must be in the seventh or eighth grade,” Coach Babbitt began.

“Daddy!” a small voice called out. “Look at me!”

I froze. I knew that small voice. Everyone's head
turned to look toward the back of the auditorium. And there was Mason Case-Babbitt.

“Watch this!” Mason yelled.
Oh. No. Way.

Mason was balancing on the back of a seat! He hopped to the seat in the row ahead of him. Hop! Hop! Mason was jumping across the tops of the seats and headed down toward the mathletes.

“Mason!” Coach Babbitt's voice boomed. “Get down before you get—”

“Whoa!” Mason lost his balance and disappeared in between rows. The room was still quiet, until Mason started to wail.

“Ow!!!” he shrieked. “Mommy!”

And there was Counselor Case racing down the aisle. She zoomed into the row where Mason was and picked him up. Mason quieted down.

“He's okay,” Counselor case called up to her husband. “Sorry. We just arrived in the city, and Mason's a little overexcited. He'll behave. Please, continue.”

Some people from the other schools started giggling. Not the Geckos. We knew from experience how much trouble Mason could be.

“So,” Coach Babbitt said, his voice a little shakier than usual.
“The competition consists of two rounds. First, the workbook round, where you will each fill out and answer ten questions to the best of your ability. There will be a break, while the judges score them, and then the team with the highest total score will be announced. Then, the individuals with the top twenty highest scores will compete onstage in the head-to-head lightning round.”

“You forgot the calculator rule!” another small, familiar voice yelled. And there, walking across the stage, was Mason's twin brother, Jason. He reached up and took the microphone from his stunned father.