CHAPTER 11
The Biggest Dare
The next day, more bad stuff than good stuff happened.
In the morning, ten sixth graders signed my petition. Adam, Tommy, Peter, and Becca signed it too, but mostly so that I’d stop asking.
Before lunch, I saw Brad Turino in the hallway. I knew I had to ask him to sign the petition. I’d regret it if I didn’t.
I talked fast so I wouldn’t get tongue-tied. “Will you sign my petition to make picking cheerleaders more fair?” I asked.
“Sure!” Brad said. He smiled. “That’s just good sportsmanship,” he added.
That’s why Brad is the love of my life. He’s cute, cool, and totally not conceited or selfish.
Then I had a total of 19 signers. I only needed 81 more to reach 100.
At lunch, Monica wouldn’t talk to me. She talked to Becca a little. But she sat with Anna and Carly.
All my friends recycled their straw wrappers. Adam reminded them. That was TERRIFIC.
After school, I saw Monica walk into the locker room. It was time for her last practice before the final tryouts the next day.
I went outside and waited for Becca on the sidewalk. After a few minutes, she ran out the doors. She was breathless when she reached me.
“I’ve got something terrible to tell you,” Becca said. She sat down on the grass to catch her breath. Then she added, “It’s about Monica.”
“What’s the matter with Monica?” I asked.
“I’m not exactly sure,” Becca said. “This morning she told me that she wouldn’t be going through all this if she didn’t have a chance to make the squad.”
“Going through all what stuff?” I asked. “Practice? Keeping her hair combed? Smiling at everyone except us? Being nice to Anna?”
“I thought Monica meant practice,” Becca said. “Then I heard her talking to Kristin about the final test.”
“She was probably talking about the tryouts,” I said.
At the tryouts, the new girls had to perform cheers. So tryouts were like a test.
It didn’t really mean anything. Gina had already decided who would make the squad.
“I don’t think so,” Becca said quietly. She frowned and added, “They said they could get suspended if they got caught!”
* * *
Monica can be ultra-yuper-unbelievably stubborn. When she makes up her mind, she’s like gum stuck on a shoe. Nothing can get it off. Nothing can ever change her mind.
Monica was determined to be a cheerleader. She might even do something awful because Gina told her to.
So when we got to my house, Becca and I called Monica. Becca told Monica that it was IMPORTANT.
After cheerleading practice, Monica showed up in the treehouse in my back yard. I could tell that she thought we wanted to apologize and wish her good luck at tryouts.
“What do you have to do to be picked?” Becca asked.
Monica told us the things she had to remember for tryouts.
Monica’s Tryout Reminders
1. Smile and relax
2. Be peppy and enthusiastic
3. Keep hair off face
4. Use a loud, clear voice
5. Keep going if you make a mistake
6. Look like you’re having a good time even if you’re totally tired, nervous, and stressed out.
“That’s not what Becca meant,” I said. “We’re worried about the big dare.”
“What big dare?” Monica asked.
She tried to look innocent, but she was tapping her foot and nibbling her lip. She always did that when she felt GUILTY.
“The one that could get you suspended,” Becca said. “What did Gina ask you to do?”
Monica sighed. She looked down at the ground.
“We have to put vegetable oil on classroom doorknobs so they’ll be slippery,” she told us. “Then no one will be able to go to class.”
“Can’t they just Wipe it off?” Becca asked.
Monica shrugged. “I guess,” she said.
“What if a teacher sees you?” I asked.
“Why do you care?” Monica snapped. She glared at me.
I knew she wasn’t really mad. Sometimes people act mad when they know they’re wrong.
“We’re your friends, Monica,” I said. “We don’t want you to get in trouble.”
A Real Friend
… tells a friend when she’s making a mistake, even if it makes her mad.
Sooner or later she’ll get over it.
“I have to go,” Monica said. She stood up and headed out the treehouse door.
Becca started to follow Monica, but I grabbed her arm.
“We have to trust Monica to do the right thing,” I explained. Monica had to figure out the right thing to do.