Crush Alert (7 page)

If only love potions really existed
, she thought wistfully as she marked notes on her lab sheet.

A loud laugh broke her concentration. She whipped her head around to see Chelsea fidgeting on her stool beside Nick. Charlotte wished she had earplugs.

Green Foam and Romance

On the other side of the room, Reggie and Katani worked with their heads close together. They had finished the main experiment, and had the extra-credit ingredients arranged in a neat line. The Tums didn’t cause nearly as much green foam as the baking soda.

“Our stomachs are acidic,” Reggie explained. “Baking soda changes the chemistry completely to a base, which isn’t good. That’s why we take Tums, ’cause they only cut back on the worst acid.”

Katani shook her head. “Reggie, you’re the super kind of nerd! I think you’ll be famous one day…like Bill Gates, even.”

Reggie shook his head, but Katani could tell he was pleased by the comment. “Nah. I just like to learn about how the world works…that’s all.” He picked up one of the soft pink tablets and stared at it intently. “You’re pretty intelligent yourself.”

Katani looked up from her calculator, completely missing his awkward blush. “Well, my grandma is the principal. She’d be so disappointed in me if she saw I wasn’t trying my best. Anyway, if you want to be successful in life, you’ve got
to study hard. I mean, Reggie, how else am I going to start my own business if I don’t learn everything I can while I’m in school? And I have to start my own business,” she said, an urgent tone in her voice. “I just have to.”

“You will. You’ve got it all going for you, Katani. You’re organized, smart, pretty…” Reggie looked down at the Tums again.

Katani leaned over the beaker and whispered, “That’s about the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Reggie squirmed under her gaze and accidentally dropped the Tums into the beaker.

Green froth splashed out, spattering on Katani’s perfect notes and speckling her smile with flakes of foam.

“Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry! I’ll get you a paper towel.” Reggie, his face red, jumped up, but Katani touched his shoulder and took a yellow handkerchief out of her school bag.

“Reggie DeWitt, do you want to go to the Valentine’s Day Dance with me?”

“Sure!” He shrugged, trying to be a little cool. Katani smiled, and caught Charlotte’s gaze. Katani just asked a boy to the dance! Just like that! And it didn’t even matter that she had green foam on her nose!

W
hen the bell rang, Charlotte tripped over Riley’s backpack in her hurry to talk to Katani. One well-worn notebook dropped out and spun across the floor. Charlotte bent to pick it up, then looked around for Riley. He was ducking out the door, his open backpack slung over one shoulder. Maybe he hadn’t noticed? She opened the cover and saw the handwritten lyrics of a new song, underneath a doodle of the logo of his band, Mustard Monkey.

Charlotte quickly closed the cover. This was private. She shouldn’t be reading it at all!

Katani walked over, her bag slung casually over one shoulder.

“What was that look for, girl? And what’s that you’re holding?” Katani made a face at the scuffed, stained, and torn state of Riley’s notebook.

“Oh, nothing,” Charlotte held the notebook behind her back. “Did you really ask Reggie to the dance?”

“Of course! Girl power. We need to take control.” Katani frowned at Charlotte’s expression. “When are you asking Nick?”

Charlotte shrugged and looked at the floor.

“We need to have a talk.” Katani put an arm around Charlotte and led her out of the room. “Just you and me. After school in the Tower?”

Charlotte nodded okay and looked around for Riley. “See you in math class?” She forced a smile, and Katani reluctantly let her go.

Riley was kneeling next to his locker, frantically searching through piles of notebooks and papers. Charlotte held out his collection of lyrics. “Umm, is this yours?”

Riley snatched the notebook. He said nothing, but first his ears and then his cheeks flushed red.

“I didn’t read it,” Charlotte whispered. As she walked
away, she wondered if a boy would ever write song lyrics about her.

After about a million years, the last bell of the day rang and Charlotte joined the crowd of students flooding into the hallways. When she reached her locker, she rummaged inside it, looking for her social studies book. She checked her hair in the mirror, her spirits sinking. Maybe it was time for a makeover. She’d been wearing her hair the same way forever. Katani could give her some tips this afternoon—for something more glamorous and grownup. Avery’s mom had once told her she should try a curler, at least for the ends.

Avery’s mom!
Charlotte leaned her head against the locker.
I still have to break the news about my dad’s date to Avery!

“What’s up, Charlotte?” a familiar voice called behind her. A voice that for some reason made her insides turn into lime Jell-O.

Her heart jumped as she turned around to look at Nick. He stood there with a nervous smile on his face.

“Yes?” she asked, and chewed her bottom lip.

“You wanna meet tomorrow morning at Montoya’s before school?” He smiled and waited, his backpack slug over one shoulder.

Charlotte felt her own expression brightening. She couldn’t keep her excitement inside!
He wants to meet me tomorrow morning? Yes! Yes!
Maybe the whole Nick-and-Chelsea thing was just a figment of her imagination! “Sure,” she told him. “I think I can make it.”

This is it!
she thought.
Tomorrow morning, he’s going to ask me to the Valentine’s Day Dance, and I’m going to say yes!

She turned to shut her locker, but accidentally caught her finger in the locker door. “Ouch!” she shouted, rubbing her finger as she felt her face turning red.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Charlotte gritted her teeth. “Uh…yeah. I’m fine.”

Nick looked concerned. “Tomorrow morning at seven thirty. Okay? Want to walk home together?”

“I can’t!” Charlotte regretted the words as soon as they came out. But it was true—she couldn’t leave before talking to Avery. “But I’ll see you in the morning!” She blew on her sore finger as Nick nodded and waved good-bye.

Charlotte found Avery after a fifteen-minute-long search through the hallways. She was in the gym, shooting baskets with Dillon and the Trentini twins.

“Ave! Can you stop for a second?” Charlotte called out.

Avery landed a perfect layup, then trotted over. “Hey, Char. What’s up?”

“I need to talk to you.” Charlotte twisted her hair around her fingers.

“Okay, shoot!” Avery tossed a pretend basketball to her friend.

“Not now!” Charlotte lowered her voice. “Can you come to the Tower later this afternoon? Just you.”

“I’m practicing with these guys till four, but I can come right after. Is that cool?” Avery frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes…fine. See you later?”

The Ultimate Makeover

Charlotte walked home looking forward to a few minutes of quiet time curled up with a good book and Marty.
That’s just what I need after a day like today.

But there was Katani, already sitting on the front steps, wrapped in a stylish wool coat, a hand-appliquéd messenger bag resting by her feet.

“Where have you been, girlfriend?” Katani tapped her watch. “I was just about to leave.”

“Oh!” Charlotte exclaimed. “I’m so sorry….” She unlocked the door, realizing maybe Katani’s kind advice and style tips would be more helpful than escaping into a book. “I got caught up after school.” She couldn’t tell Katani about meeting with Avery, because their parents dating seemed like the kind of thing that deserved some privacy—even from best friends. She was sure Avery would feel the same way.

“No problem.” Katani took off her coat and opened the messenger bag so Charlotte could see the neat rows of little pink containers, brushes, and spray bottles inside. There was even a curling iron! “Let’s go up to the Tower,” Katani suggested. “I’ve got everything we need right here!”

Katani unloaded her bag on the windowsill behind the lime green swivel, her favorite styling chair. Charlotte thought there seemed to be plenty of makeup items lined up there already, but what did she know about makeovers?

Katani folded her arms just so. “Okay, Char, let’s get this show started!”

Charlotte sat down and touched her hair. “What’s your game plan?”

Katani grinned. “Charlotte Elizabeth Ramsey is in need of a new, confidence-boosting, life-changing makeover so she can get up the courage to ask her dream date to the dance!”

Charlotte giggled, “Katani, I think it’s time you had your own talk show.”

“There, that’s better already, and we haven’t even started yet!” Katani leaned down and gave Charlotte a hug. “I saw what happened in science lab today. And, honestly, Char, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Nick Montoya is just not the kind of boy to ditch a girl without saying something first. He just isn’t!”

Charlotte smiled. “He does want to meet me at the bakery tomorrow morning.”

“Am I right or what?” Katani joked. “Now, sit back and relax while I work my magic.”

Charlotte felt her super-tight nerves release as Katani’s hands worked through her hair.

“Tomorrow morning is the perfect opportunity!” Katani let go of Charlotte’s hair and took out several tubes of cream blush. “Are you dusty rose or peach?”

“Do you really think he’ll ask me to the dance?” Charlotte asked.

Katani stopped with a blob of peach blush on her fingertips. “Oh, no…YOU will ask HIM.”

“I will?” Charlotte squeaked.

Katani nodded and started dabbing at Charlotte’s cheeks. “Remember, blush is an accent! Not too thick, and rub it in evenly.” Katani spoke as if she were already in a TV studio giving directions to a rapt audience of fans.

Charlotte closed her eyes and pictured walking into Montoya’s, sipping hot chocolate with Nick, and asking him…what? “What would I say?” Charlotte asked.

“Here.” Katani pulled over the chair from Charlotte’s desk. “I’m Nick, and this is a hot chocolate.” Katani held up a bottle of hairspray. “Good morning, Charlotte,” she said, making her voice a little deeper.

Charlotte burst out laughing.

Katani, eyes twinkling, said in a stern but kind voice, “This is serious business! Learn from me. I’m Charlotte now. You’ve had half a mug of hot chocolate, and there’s a meaningful pause in the conversation. You ask: ‘Nick Montoya, do you have any plans for the dance on Friday’?”

“Ummm, no?” Charlotte said, stifling the giggles that threatened to burst out.

“Would you like to go with me?” Katani leaned in close, still holding the hairspray. “Now you try.”

They repeated the scenario four or five times, then Katani fussed her way through about seventeen different shades of nail polish, eye shadow, and lipstick.

“Now remember, you’ve got to walk with attitude when you get in there. Make eye contact and look confident,” Katani said as she demonstrated the correct way to apply the sparkly eye shadow she was wearing. That was good because Charlotte was pretty much hopeless at putting on makeup. But with Katani’s masterful tutoring, Charlotte learned how to spread on the eye shadow with a light touch so she didn’t look like a raccoon. Charlotte was having a great time, but she kept glancing at the clock by her desk. What if Avery showed up and Katani was still here?

Katani sighed with satisfaction as she finished curling the ends of Charlotte’s hair. “This is what I love to do—help people reach their full fashion potential.”

Charlotte knew all about her friend’s dreams for Kgirl Enterprises. “I can see it all now,” she said. “Kgirl fashion and style stores in every major city in America! No—in every major city around the world!”

Katani played along. “Ladies who need some serious help in the style department will stampede to my stores and I will hook them up with the coolest clothes and makeup the world has ever seen!”

Charlotte stood up. “And then Kgirl Talk, the number-one TV talk show all over the world!”

“You mean number-two, after Oprah!” Katani scolded. Oprah was her idol and she would never want to dethrone the queen of all talk shows!

Katani held out a hand for Charlotte and directed her friend over to the full-length mirror.

“You look fierce,” she said, staring at Charlotte with pride. Her friend’s hair was down and curled just the slightest bit at the ends. Sparkly lilac eye shadow complemented her light pink nail polish. “You’re going to knock that boy dead.”

“Thanks, Katani,” Charlotte told her, and gave her a quick hug. “I should take Marty out now.”

“What about your outfit?” Katani asked.

“Didn’t we decide I’d wear my favorite purple sweater?” The minute hand inched forward. It was almost four-fifteen! Avery would be there any minute.

“Yes, but you’ve got to try it on!” Katani pointed toward the steps down to Charlotte’s room.

“Okay…” Charlotte dashed down to her room, threw on the sweater, and sprinted back up to the Tower.

“Perfect!” Katani gave the outfit two thumbs-up. “Not too dressy. Comfortable and sophisticated.”

Charlotte gave a quick glance at the clock. “I usually take Marty out right away when I get home…”

“Do you want me to come?” Katani asked.

“Oh, no!” Charlotte said. “I mean, you’d get your nice shoes all muddy, and it’s really not a big deal. Thanks sooo much for your fashion wisdom! I’d be lost without you.” She threw her arms around Katani and gave her a big hug.

“I’m always there for my BSG!” Katani gave Charlotte a funny look, wondering why she seemed so eager to get her out the door.
It’s probably just nerves
, Katani thought. “I have a lot of sewing to get done on my dress for Friday, anyway,” she said as Charlotte walked her down to the front door.

“I’ve done all I can,” Katani announced as she waved good-bye. “Now it’s up to
you
to take control!” She didn’t notice a small figure sprinting down the street from the other direction.