Crush Alert (4 page)

“What’s the occasion?” Charlotte asked, reaching over to pat the pink poodle.

“Only the most wonderful holiday of the whole year!” Ms. Pink threw her arms up with joy, and La Fanny started barking. The poodle had a dainty voice, and even daintier features. Charlotte wished Marty were there. The little dude had fallen head over heels for Ms. Pink’s pooch the first day they’d met at the park.

“Of course, how could we forget Valentine’s Day?” Isabel laughed.

“That’s right! You must come by and see Think Pink! I have candy hearts, paper hearts, giant fuzzy hearts, and tiny heart beads! Not to mention the heart wallpaper and heart balloons.”

“I’d love to see!” Isabel said. “Want to come, Char?”

“I would, but I have to walk Marty. Can you wait for us, Ms. Pink?”

“Ah, I’m so sorry, Charlotte! Maybe a different day, today…oh, there he is!” Ms. Pink waved to a young man with a rottweiler on a leash. “That’s my new boyfriend, Zak. He said he’d meet us here for a stroll. Doesn’t he have the most adorable dog?”

Charlotte wouldn’t call the brown-and-black bundle of pure muscle marching toward them “adorable.” “Scary” and “intimidating” were much better adjectives. But the dog was looking at La Fanny with a big doggy smile and drooling. That was sort of cute, Charlotte had to admit.
Maybe it’s a good thing Marty’s not here,
Charlotte thought as she waved good-bye to Ms. Razzberry Pink and La Fanny.
He might get jealous.

C
hels, I really have to go,” Nick repeated.

Chelsea blocked the doorway, struggling to keep Nick’s attention in a way that wasn’t totally obvious she was
really
waiting for Trevor. “Maybe we should interview kids arriving at school. How’s this: ‘What do you have in your locker that you couldn’t live without? Your skateboard? What do you looove most about skateboarding’?”

“Aren’t the questions my job?”

“I’m just giving you some ideas!” Chelsea frowned. What was up with Nick today?

He paced in the doorway, accidentally knocking Chelsea’s camera hand aside.

“Ah…sorry, Chels…. This is a big help…but how about we meet before school one day this week?” he said impatiently.

Chelsea stepped back, hands at her sides. She’d never seen Nick really annoyed before.

“Look,” he said, holding up his palms and backing out
the door, “I’m sorry, but now is just not a good time. Okay? Call or IM, and I promise we’ll figure this out.” With that, Nick bolted through the door.

Chelsea stood there, one foot in and one foot out the door, wondering how long she could go on pretending the speckled linoleum tiles on the floor were the most fascinating thing in the universe.

Finally, Jennifer swept past, with a look that said
out of my way
, and Trevor was standing there, right in front of Chelsea. His lopsided grin sent her eyes scrambling for somewhere else to stare before she started drooling on the oh-so-interesting floor. “So you’re the photographer?” Trevor asked.

Please don’t notice how heavy I am.
Chelsea clasped her hands in front of her and forced herself to smile back. But she had to concentrate on breathing in and out.
I guess that’s what people mean when they say someone takes their breath away
, she thought. “Yes. You’re Trevor, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Chelsea.”

Trevor cracked a smile. “Uh…yeah. You told me that before.”

“Oh…yeah.”

They stood staring at each other for a long awkward moment. It was so quiet, Chelsea could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall all the way in the back of the newspaper office.

Finally, Trevor shoved his hands in his pockets. “My dad bought me a digital camera last year. I have some books on photography too. Dad lets me use his Photoshop
software to manipulate the images and stuff like that.”

Chelsea smiled for real this time. “Really? My digital camera is such a dinosaur. I’d love to get a new one. I’ve been saving my allowance, and my parents are going to split the cost with me.”

Before Chelsea knew it, she and Trevor were talking about cameras and photography and how they both loved the same type of ice cream: cookie dough. And, to her amazement, she didn’t see any sign that Trevor was weirded out talking to a girl who was heavy and someone he hardly knew. It seemed like magic, until Avery came charging down the hall. “Hey, Trevor!”

“What’s up, A-Train?”

“Not much, T-Dawg!” Avery greeted him, effortlessly bumping fists in a complicated way that it looked like she had practiced for months. But Chelsea knew Avery had just met Trevor today, along with everyone else.

Chelsea wanted to ask Trevor a million questions about his old school and Photoshop and whether he liked black-and-white or sepia photos better, but she was just a fly on the wall now that Avery was there. Why did that girl have such an easy time talking to guys? Chelsea wished she knew Avery’s secret.

“Hey, Chelsea,” Avery said. “Want to take pictures of the ultimate soccer game? Trevor, you should totally come play! It’ll rock!”

“Um, it’s February,” Chelsea stated.

“Yeah, and that means it could snow again any day! This is our only chance! The team has to take advantage of a February thaw,” she explained.

“Sounds cool.” Trevor ran his hands through his blond hair. It stood up in little tufts all over his head. Even with his hair all messy Chelsea thought he looked adorable.
Thump thump.
Chelsea almost jumped.
Oh, my gosh! Can Trevor hear my heartbeat?

If Trevor was going, she had to go too. Even if he never looked at her. “Okay, but I have to get my camera and stuff from my locker,” Chelsea mumbled.

“Catch you later?” Trevor turned the full force of his dazzling smile on Chelsea.

She nodded as her knees actually began to shake.

Missing You

“Is she here?” Nick demanded, rushing down the steps toward Maeve.

Maeve stared at him in confusion. “Who?”

“Charlotte.” Nick’s eyes darted about.

Maeve shook her head with a smile. “No. Sorry. She left already. Try calling her at home.”

Nick shook his head. “Can’t. Gotta help out in the bakery this afternoon. I guess I’ll talk to her at school tomorrow. Later.”

“See ya.” Maeve waved, watching him lope down the sidewalk. Nick and Charlotte’s puppy love always made her heart flutter. If only Dillon felt the same way about her. Her lips tightened. Well, later this afternoon, Dillon would see she was the perfect girl for him.

Five minutes later, Avery and Trevor emerged from the school, laughing and shoving each other as if they’d been buddies for years.
How does that girl do it?
Maeve asked
herself as she shook her head.
I mean, she doesn’t even want to have a date for the dance, and she’s already, like, best buds with that cute new boy.
He wasn’t as cute as Dillon, though! Not even close.

Maeve danced halfway up the steps to Avery. “What took you so long? I thought you’d never get out here. I’m
freezing
.”

“I had to find Trevor,” Avery said. “He was hanging in the newspaper office with Chelsea. I wouldn’t want anyone to miss an AAJH pickup winter soccer game.” She turned to the blondhaired boy. “Trevor, this is one of my best friends, Maeve.”

“What’s up? You coming?” he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Maeve smiled and shrugged. “I wouldn’t miss the game for the world!”

Avery grinned. “That’s cool. You should round up some more fans. But you gotta cheer for my team, okay?”

Maeve shook her head. “No, Avery. I don’t want to watch. I want to
play
.”

Avery looked at Maeve as if she were crazy. “You’re not serious.”

Maeve put her hands on her hips and tapped one pink boot. “Of course, I’m serious! I’ve played soccer before. You know that!”

“In those clothes?” Avery asked.

“Of course. I have to look my best for our team’s triumphant victory! Let’s go!” Maeve grabbed Avery’s arm and marched out back to the soggy, gloppy field.

Field of Dreams

“Uh…Maeve…what are you doing here?” Dillon asked as Maeve performed her best dramatic entrance onto the soccer field, avoiding puddles and a few clumps of brown snow.

She gave him her brightest smile and tried to hide her disappointment that Dillon didn’t look thrilled to see her. “I’m here to play, of course.”

Dillon glanced at Avery, who looked concerned.

“Play what?” Dillon asked.

Maeve stuck out her lip. Dillon’s face was so gorgeous, even when he was being a pain! “Soccer, silly. This game is the event of the week. After the
Valentine’s Day Dance
, that is.” Maeve dropped the hint with as much emphasis as she could, but it went right over his head.

“Do you even know the rules?” Dillon asked.

“Maeve,” Avery took over. “Our soccer games can be kind of intense. People get knocked around all the time. Maybe you should just, you know, watch for a little while?” she said in a worried tone. Avery hated to see people get hurt. She was kind of a softie that way.

“No way!” Maeve said. “I’m here to play, and I’m ready!”

She stomped one foot and cringed as her soft pink boots sent up a shower of gross mud. It went all over the sparkly fur and splattered her favorite pair of jeans! Maeve took a deep breath.
Compose yourself. An actress must always maintain composure!

“You?” Maeve turned to see Anna kick her blue and yellow soccer ball as hard as she could. Maeve jumped out
of the way, and Avery went running after the ball, yelling, “Use your
head
, Maeve!”

My head!
Maeve thought, horrified.
I have to sacrifice my hair to that ball of flying mud?

“I’m a captain and I pick first,” Anna announced. “Trevor, you’re with me.”

Avery passed the ball as gently as she could to Maeve. It came to a stop between her boots. “Okay, Maeve, you’re on my team.”

“What a waste of a perfectly good pick,” Joline whispered from the sidelines.

That’s when Maeve noticed Chelsea was there, toting her camera.

Maeve gave her a movie star smile, but she was starting to worry. Was she in way over her pink boots?

“I can play! Watch this!” Maeve picked up the ball and tried to twirl it on one finger. It actually worked for a second, but no one seemed to care.

“Maeve, you can’t touch the ball with your hands,” Avery whispered.

“I know that,” she shushed.

“I get Dillon,” Anna announced.

In the end, both Trentini twins, Henry Yurt, and two random guys from Maeve’s math class wound up on her side. The other team was all Anna’s eighth-grade soccer friends, plus Trevor and Dillon.

Maeve wasn’t entirely sure when the game began. It was like a tornado swept in, whipped her up in a chaotic whirlwind, then spun away laughing, only to come back for more.

“You’re on defense, Maeve! Go back,
back
!” Avery shouted.

“Here, take the ball away from me.” Dillon practically passed it to Maeve, earning a furious glare from Anna. “Stop trying to be nice,” she growled at Dillon as she swiped in and stole the ball before Maeve could even swing back her leg.

Was Dillon trying to make me look like a total loser?
Maeve ducked as Anna sent the ball sailing over her head, straight into the goal.

The goalie, Henry Yurt, threw up his hands. “You’re supposed to stop it!”

“Here, try offense,” Avery suggested. “Just follow me, but not too close! I’ll pass it to you.”

Maeve managed to snag the easy pass, and Dillon low-fived Avery behind Anna’s back. “Nice pass, Ave!” Dillon whispered, and they both laughed.

Was this really happening? Her future husband was laughing with her best friend! And they weren’t even on the same team!

An eighth-grade girl came barreling down the field just as Maeve felt her toes cramping inside her boots. The soles kept slipping and sliding in the muck of partially thawed grass. Maeve didn’t dare look down. She knew her perfect pink boots were perfectly ruined!

With a grunt, she kicked the ball back toward Avery. Only Avery wasn’t there anymore.

“Thanks, Maeve!” Anna laughed, and Maeve heard Chelsea’s camera shutter snap. This was bad. She couldn’t believe Chelsea was actually documenting her misery.

Every muscle in Maeve’s body throbbed with pain. What made her think she could play soccer with the best players in school? She must have been suffering from temporary insanity! She felt the tears brimming up behind her lids when Joline whistled from the sidelines.

“Halftime!” Avery shouted, and trotted up to Maeve. “You could sit out for a while, if you want.”

“No! I’m fine!” Maeve snapped, dusting off her jeans as best she could. Her legs pricked from the heat of running and the cold of the air at the same time. A chilly breeze blew across the sweat building up beneath her hair, and Maeve shivered. Avery was smart to wear sweatpants and a ponytail, she admitted.

Maeve thought halftime meant at least ten minutes of rest and refreshments, but after just two seconds of slurping water from colorful bottles, her whole team was back out on the field.

Dillon stood in the opposite goal now, looking cuter than ever with his hair all slicked back and his goalie shirt sleeves rolled up. “You okay, Maeve?” he called.

She couldn’t tell if he was teasing or serious.
Composure
, Maeve reminded herself, and pranced into position. “Are you kidding? I’m better than ever!”

In reality, she wanted to die. She absolutely wanted to die. Whatever had she been thinking? Actresses could take on personalities, but not skills. She couldn’t just become a star soccer player because she wanted to. But there was no way she would quit now. Maeve Kaplan-Taylor was going to show the world she didn’t give up.

“Are we winning?” Maeve asked when she had a
chance to stop and breathe for a second. Avery had stuck close through the second half, and now Billy Trentini was backing up for a corner kick. Before today, Maeve had had no idea you kicked anything from corners in soccer.

“We’re tied,” Avery said. “Look, if the ball comes to you, tap it back to me. I’ll run it up the side, and you get in front of the goal—got it?”

Avery made some sort of signal with her hands. Maeve didn’t understand, but she’d do anything to get this nightmare over with.

“Okay,” she said, and looked at her fingernails. The pink polish was chipped and dirty, and so were her nails.
Oh well, I’ll just pick a new color tonight…maybe magenta?

“Maeve!” Henry Yurt shouted.

The ball was arcing straight toward her! Maeve backed up, but the ball hit her flat in the chest. “Ouch!” she yelped as the muddy missile hit the ground in front of her.

“To me!” Avery yelled.

Maeve tapped it back, and watched her sporty friend weave in and out, dancing effortlessly past Anna, Trevor, and an older girl. Maeve trotted up the center, watching with growing jealousy. Maeve could memorize a complicated dance move in a few minutes, but no way could she dodge so many angry, shouting faces and kicking feet!

Suddenly, she was right in front of the goal, face-to-face with Dillon.

He grinned, and gave a two-finger wave.
Is he grinning at Avery or me?
Maeve didn’t have time to figure it out.

“MAEVE!” Avery screamed.