Part 9 (1/2)
11.
THE NEXT MORNING ON the way to the bus stop, I had the envelope in my hand, which was sweating inside my sweats.h.i.+rt pocket. Well, it's not like I could have left it overnight in the mailbox with the flag up the way I did when I was little and I left notes out there for the tooth fairy. (I know, I know, you're supposed to leave your tooth under your pillow, but there was no way I could go to sleep thinking some lady was about to fly into my room and take away one of my body parts for a minimal payment-sorry, that's creepy.) First of all, I wasn't completely convinced anybody but the tooth fairy checked the mailbox for outgoing mail, and didn't want to offend Evangeline so early in our friends.h.i.+p. But second and more importantly, one or both of my parents could easily notice the flag up, I realized, and if they went to investigate, I'd be cooked. the way to the bus stop, I had the envelope in my hand, which was sweating inside my sweats.h.i.+rt pocket. Well, it's not like I could have left it overnight in the mailbox with the flag up the way I did when I was little and I left notes out there for the tooth fairy. (I know, I know, you're supposed to leave your tooth under your pillow, but there was no way I could go to sleep thinking some lady was about to fly into my room and take away one of my body parts for a minimal payment-sorry, that's creepy.) First of all, I wasn't completely convinced anybody but the tooth fairy checked the mailbox for outgoing mail, and didn't want to offend Evangeline so early in our friends.h.i.+p. But second and more importantly, one or both of my parents could easily notice the flag up, I realized, and if they went to investigate, I'd be cooked.
So I had to drop the letter in the mailbox halfway up our street toward the bus stop.
My plan was to be up and out early and for once leave without Quinn, but it didn't exactly work out. Phoebe had taken my flip-flops again over the weekend and I had to sc.r.a.pe the muck off them before I could wear them, and then our toaster was freaking out as usual (our appliances have way too much personality), and by the time I was in a sweat and das.h.i.+ng out the door, Quinn was right by my side.
So I decided, as we approached the mailbox, to just be casual. ”Oh, Dad asked me to mail this,” I said, as if, What a pain but no big deal, What a pain but no big deal, waving the letter carelessly but quickly so she couldn't read the address. I opened the mailbox door and, as it creaked, flipped the envelope onto it, facedown, and let go fast. waving the letter carelessly but quickly so she couldn't read the address. I opened the mailbox door and, as it creaked, flipped the envelope onto it, facedown, and let go fast.
Only, Quinn's hand was on it, holding it open. With her other hand she lifted the letter off. The mailbox creaked shut.
”What is it?”
”How should I know?” I said, a little too high.
”You addressed the envelope,” Quinn said, showing it to me.
I raised my eyebrows.
”So...?”
”It's a subscription, if you must know,” I lied. ”I just decided I need to learn more about, well, fas.h.i.+on. And celebrities. And how to do my makeup. You know. I know I've always made fun of those stupid magazines, so I'm a little embarra.s.sed and didn't want you to know, but...”
”It doesn't say Subscription Department Subscription Department,” Quinn pointed out. ”It says The New Teen Contest The New Teen Contest.”
”Um,” I said. ”We're gonna miss the bus if we don't hurry.”
”Tell me what this is,” Quinn said in her slow, slow way, ”or I will rip it open and see for myself.”
She lifted her other hand and was starting to rip when I caved.
”Okay, okay. I'll tell you.” She froze, waiting to see if I really would tell. ”It's that thing I went to with Roxie. They chose me.”
”As what?” Quinn asked.
”As a security guard,” I said. ”What do you think? As a semifinalist.”
”Seriously?”
”Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
”No, it's not...I mean, you're gorgeous, everybody knows that; it's just-”
I had to blink away a surprise tear. ”No, I'm not!” I yelled. ”Stop mocking me!”
”I'm totally not, Allison,” Quinn said. ”You're mad beautiful. I mean, you were kind of a weird-looking kid, but you're really coming into yourself these days.”
I sniffled and punched her shoulder. ”Great, thanks.”
”I'm just saying, what did Mom and Dad say? How did you explain it to them?”
”I haven't yet.”
We heard the bus rumbling half a block away.
”So what is this?” Quinn asked.
”I just had to fill out a form with my information,” I told her half truthfully. ”The last thing Mom and Dad need right now is to worry about me, right? It's meaningless. The other girls are all probably, like, professional models. The most that could happen is what? I get a certificate for being a semifinalist?”
”So then why are you doing it?” Quinn asked.
The tears welling up in my eyes caught us both by surprise when I answered, truthfully for once, ”Because I never get the certificate.”
”Oh, Allison,” Quinn said, softening.
”You have no idea how that feels, Quinn.” I sniffed hard and collected myself. ”Can you put it in the mailbox so we don't miss the bus, please? I really don't want to push my luck and be late.”
Quinn frowned. She has never been late in her life. She sighed and opened the mailbox. Before she placed the envelope in, though, she lifted it to her lips and kissed it. ”For luck,” she whispered.
”Thanks,” I managed, and then we sprinted toward the bus together.
It wasn't until Jade and Serena were on their way onto the bus at the next stop that I realized I was going to have to come up with something to tell them about why I wouldn't be going with them to Tennis Europe. It hit me that I should've come up with a story ahead of time, but honestly, how much deception can I be expected to plan in one night?
Jade must have seen my face looking shocked, because her face morphed from her usual look of determined innocence to one of concern, and she slipped right in beside me. ”What's wrong, Allison?”
I opened my mouth but for once nothing came out.
”Did they find out you ditched school?”
”Yes,” I told her, secretly thanking her for solving my problem.
”How?” Serena asked from across the aisle.
”I don't know,” I admitted, panicking afresh. ”How could they have found out?”
”Maybe the school called,” Jade whispered. ”Or one of the teachers who's friends with your dad.”
”Right,” I agreed. ”That must be it.”
Jade shook her head. ”I told you, Allison. I don't know why you did that. It's so not like you. So what did they do? How much trouble are you in?”
It was almost hard not to grin, this was going so well. I could keep my family's business and my own all private without breaking a sweat. I really am the Fort Knox of secrets, I congratulated myself, while saying, ”Large trouble.”
Serena leaned into the aisle, her elbows on her knees. As a soap opera addict, she had to be in heaven with this.
”I'm out of Tennis Europe.”