The A Team

The next morning when Veronica saw Athena Mindendorfer waiting at the front door of Randolf, she assumed Athena was waiting for Sarah-Lisa. But Athena took her by the arm instead. As though they’d been friends their whole life. It was a dream come true, heaven on earth, except for the fact that the only thing Veronica Louise Morgan hated more than her parents being wrong about everything was when they were actually right about something. Could kids at small private schools be excited to have new people around?

Moments later Sarah-Lisa attached herself to Veronica too, and the three of them formed a blockade of sorts as they walked down the halls. Veronica had no idea if this was some kind of prank, but she enjoyed it, however long it lasted. Mary would have been proud.

“Everything happens for a reason, Veronica. You came to Randolf and were placed at our table because you are meant to be the newest member of the A Team,” Athena said as she escorted Veronica to French. Veronica had no idea what the A Team was, but if Athena and Sarah-Lisa were members, she wanted in.

“Veronica can be on the A Team?” Sarah-Lisa asked.

“Yes! Isn’t that amazing?” Athena beamed. Veronica was desperate to know when her membership began and what she was a member of, but she wasn’t going to ruin the moment by asking.

“Darcy, this is Veronica Louise Morgan,” Athena said to Darcy, as though they had not met each other yesterday. And how did Athena know her middle name?

“Veronica is our new project,” Sarah-Lisa added. Veronica smiled, not convinced she liked being thought of as a project—new friend was more what she had in mind. But she wanted desperately to be part of their world. Everything in there was nicer than it was in hers. This morning she’d added a striped cardigan to her uniform. Her mother told her that stripes clashed with plaid. But obviously that wasn’t the point. The point was wearing a cardigan.

“Hi,” Darcy said, smiling, “I like your bangs. Where do you get your hair done?”

“Um, the kitchen table,” Veronica said.

“Where is that?” Darcy said, not following.

“My mom does it. At the kitchen table—” Veronica tried to clarify, but Athena cut her off.

“It’s downtown, Darcy, her mother is a stylist there,” Athena said, winking. “Right, Veronica?” Veronica was about to set the record straight even though it was an incredibly fun lie, but Athena pulled her away from Darcy.

“Maybe one day we can all get our hair done there,” Sarah-Lisa said. “Right, Veronica?”

“Come, shy one. Must introduce you to more of the girls. Maggie! Maggie! Have you met Veronica?” Athena took Veronica by the hand and raced in the direction of a girl with braids. Sarah-Lisa followed closely behind.

At lunch the other shoe dropped when Athena and Sarah-Lisa disappeared into the bathroom for some important primping. Veronica was on her own. The clanging of all the silverware and the hum of conversation in the cafeteria were terrible. And even though Veronica had been introduced to every girl in her class she hardly felt she could just sit down with any of them. Athena and Sarah-Lisa were her point people.

A shy girl named Melody Jenkins, who was a singer in the children’s chorus at the Metropolitan Opera, waved to her. Veronica was grateful, but when she came over she found that Melody was singing softly to herself in Italian and Veronica was unsure how to interpret this behavior.

“I have a solo next month,” the girl explained, gesturing for Veronica to sit with her all the same.

Veronica noticed an EpiPen on Melody’s tray. She wondered what Melody was allergic to.

“Hey, what is the A Team?” Veronica asked when Melody finally stopped singing.

“The A Team is what Athena and Sarah-Lisa call themselves, because they are popular, of course, and because their first names end in A? Oh my gosh. Your name ends in A!” Melody said it like the name Veronica took for granted was a treasure chest filled with gold. “Since kindergarten there hasn’t been another girl in our class who could join. Except Sylvie.”

“But Sylvie doesn’t end in A,” Veronica said.

“Her real name is Sylvia. She changed it in first grade so she could quit the team.”

Veronica couldn’t imagine wanting to quit the A Team.

“I really think there is a very good chance you will be popular?” Melody continued with her upward inflection. She spoke like Veronica’s mother’s old college friend from Canada. Everything sounded like a question. “According to the news, people who are popular in life have an easier time?” Melody continued. “I can’t be popular, because I am in the children’s chorus and my schedule is very demanding? You are so lucky, Veronica. Last year Coco Weitzner changed the spelling of her name to C-o-c-o-a so she could join the A Team. But they didn’t let her. It’s awful if they’re mad at you? They aren’t very subtle.”

“Were they mad when Sylvie changed her name?” Veronica took off her striped cardigan and slid it underneath her legs. If popularity was truly in her future she didn’t want to mess it up by trying to copy the popular girls’ accessories.

“Um, yes,” Melody said.

*   *   *

“So, your mother tells me you were invited on a playdate,” Mr. Morgan said that night at dinner. Veronica helped herself to noodles in cold sesame sauce, which she was so sick of.

“Daddy, I am not a baby. It’s not a playdate.”

“Ah. Forgive me. What is it I should call it?”

“I don’t know. Going to someone’s house.”

“A Randolf girl named Athena Mindendorfer invited Veronica over. But Veronica says she isn’t going,” Mrs. Morgan said, obviously upset.

“That’s some name. Athena Whatsnedorfer? You’re not going? Why not?”

“Mindendorfer,” Veronica said. “I just don’t feel comfortable.” Which was true. Or at least part of the truth. The other part, which Veronica would never admit, was that she had no intention of acknowledging she was making friends at Randolf and proving her parents right.

“Of course you’re going. It won’t kill you and you might have fun.”

“Oh my gosh,” Veronica said, “as long as I don’t die, it’s okay? What if I almost die?”

“As long as you almost die, but don’t actually die, I think it’s okay too,” her father said. “I agree with your mother. Go to that girl’s house. Who’s ready for moo shu?”

Veronica’s grandmother always said, “You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die.” Veronica meant to ask how big a peck was. She wondered if in the end a peck of dirt had been what killed her grandmother. She hated being young enough to be forced into things she didn’t want to do. Mary said it was time for open windows. Randolf was supposedly an open window. She hoped when she went through the open window that was Athena she wouldn’t fall and hit her head and get a concussion. And die. Ugh.