Ambition (Private 7)

bizarre. "I'm gonna go... get some ChapStick before we shake hands," I mumbled to my friends.

I walked to the far end of the Easton bleachers, hoping to duck out of sight and dig through my soccer bag for a few moments to get

a breather. As soon as I came around the side, though, I stopped in my tracks. Astrid was crouched down in the pile of duffel bags and

gym bags, pawing through my stuff.

For a long moment, I didn't say anything. My heart all but stopped. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Why was she going

through my things? Was Astrid the one who had blackballed me? Was she leaving something else in my soccer bag? I thought we

were friends. I opened my mouth to speak, but at that exact moment she finally stood. There was something in her hand, but I couldn't

tell what it was. She turned, saw me standing there, and nearly tripped herself. Snagged. "You startled me!" she said with a laugh.

"What were you doing in my bag?" I demanded. Her smile faltered, as if she was confused by my tone. "I guess you caught me,"

she said, flashing her palm. "I stole a barrette." She held up her palm. One of my plain snap barrettes sat in her hand. "Sorry. My

bangs are driving me crazy," she said, flipping her short, sweaty hair back to illustrate how the bangs fell right back into her eyes. "I

just wanted something to pin them for the team meeting. Is that okay?" I glanced at the bag again, trying to decide whether to believe

her. It was a simple enough explanation, but my suspicious side was on high alert these days. "Sure," I said finally. "No problem."

Astrid smiled awkwardly and started past me.

As she walked off to join the team, I dropped onto my butt on the ground, pulling my bag into my lap. Quickly but carefully, I re-

moved everything. My sweatshirt, my towel, my water bottle, my extra shin guards. I even opened the smaller nylon pouch where I

kept my key, ChapStick, and hair bands. Everything was there except that one barrette. And there was nothing out of the ordinary.

When the bag was empty, I turned it upside down and shook it, checking to see if anything would fall out. Nothing. The bag was

clean. I looked up and saw Astrid highfiving Bernadette Baskin. Sure, Astrid had always been nice to me, a friend. But with every-

thing that had been going on lately, I couldn't be too careful. It looked like I was just going to have to get used to being suspicious all

the time. At least until I figured out who was to blame.

ENTWINED

After the soccer game, we got down to business. If we were going to throw this fund-raiser, it was time to get serious. I called a

meeting for eight o'clock in the parlor and by seven fifty-five, everyone was seated on the couches and settees. Noelle sat in one of the

two wing- backed chairs. I took the other. She and I had already come up with an agenda for the meeting, so I dove right in.

"First things first," I began. "We know, at the very least, that we want the event to include a dinner, so next weekend, Noelle and I

will be going to New York to scout locations. London, Vienna, we're hoping you'll come with." "Really?" London squealed. "Road

trip!" Vienna added. They lifted their hands and slapped them together, clasping them for a moment before releasing each other. "Why

do they get to go?" Missy lamented. Like I'd take you with me instead. I'd rather endure Chinese water torture. I'd rather be forced to

watch Josh and Ivy make out for ten minutes. Okay. Maybe not. "Because they have the most connections," Noelle replied coolly.