Fabulous Five 026 - Laura's Secret (4 page)

"What!"
Alexis cried, her voice rising an
octave above its normal pitch. "This is
my
bracelet, Laura McCall! I
can't believe it! Now you're calling me a thief!"

The kids surrounding the two girls gasped at Laura's
accusation. Laura heard murmurs of disbelief run through the crowd. But
suddenly another sound caught her attention. Giggling! She spun around angrily
just as Funny clamped a hand over her mouth and looked at Laura in wide-eyed
panic.

Dropping the hand, Funny whispered so softly that only Laura
could hear, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to laugh. It's just that
sometimes when I get nervous—"

"You can't say that about Alexis!" someone called
from the back of the crowd, drawing Laura's attention away from Funny.

"Alexis is as honest as anybody I know!" cried
Beth Barry.

Of course The Fabulous Five are going to stick up for
Alexis, Laura thought.

But they weren't the only ones taking Alexis's side.
Obviously there were a lot of kids who respected Alexis enough to stand up for
her.

Laura felt a twinge of envy creep over her. It must be nice
to have such loyal friends. The Fantastic Foursome sure weren't being too vocal
in her defense. And Funny's outburst of laughing was outrageous. Sure, she
giggled a lot of times when she shouldn't, but how could she laugh
now?

"That's my charm bracelet, Alexis, and you know it,"
Laura repeated, forcing herself to keep her voice under control. She had to
forget about Funny for the time being and concentrate on the problem at hand.

I'll let Alexis rant and rave while I stay calm and cool,
Laura decided.
She'll look hysterical.

Katie Shannon, who was standing with the rest of The
Fabulous Five, stepped forward and placed a hand on Alexis's shoulder.

"You're accusing Alexis of stealing," Katie said
to Laura. "That's a very serious charge."

"You bet it is!" Laura spat out the words. "And
it's also none of your business, Shannon! So butt out."

"Well, all I have to say is that if you're going to
accuse Alexis of stealing, you'd better be able to prove it," Katie replied.

"She
can't
prove it," Alexis said. "It's
a lie."

Laura glanced around at the faces surrounding her. Everyone
was watching her closely. Would she be able to pull this off? she asked
herself.

Laura thought fast. "I
can
prove it," she
countered. "Here, give the bracelet to me."

Alexis angrily tore off her bracelet and thrust it at Laura.

Laura's pulse was racing as she turned it over slowly in her
hand. Some of the kids moved in closer to look over her shoulder. The charm
bracelets, which were being sold by the school's Spirit Club to raise money for
new cheerleading uniforms, were designed to depict various elements of life at
Wakeman Junior High. On Alexis's bracelet there was a tepee charm, representing
The Wigwam,
Wakeman's yearbook; the name
Wakeman
spelled out in
cursive letters; a bumper car for Bumpers, the kids' favorite hangout; and a
comb and mirror. Laura bit her lower lip, hoping no one would notice that this
bracelet did not contain a megaphone, which members of the cheerleading squad,
like Laura, wore.

Suddenly she spotted a tiny scratch on the tepee charm. "There!"
she said triumphantly. "There's your proof." She shoved the bracelet
back into Alexis's hand.

"What?" demanded Alexis.

"The scratch on the tepee," Laura said. "I
accidentally scratched it with a piece of silverware one day when I was washing
dishes."

Alexis looked closely at the tepee charm. Then she looked
back up at Laura and narrowed her eyes. "That must have happened before
you got your
maid,
" she said.

Laura felt her face heating up.
Was Alexis going to break
her promise and tell about the note on the mirror?

"I remember when that happened." Tammy rushed to
Laura's defense. "I was at your apartment that day. Remember?"

Laura stared at Tammy. She was obviously trying to make up for
blabbing Laura's rumor about Alexis all over school.

"That's right," Laura said. "Sure I remember."

Tammy turned to Melissa and Funny. "Don't you remember
that day? When Laura was washing dishes and she scratched her bracelet? She
almost came unglued." Tammy glanced hopefully back and forth between
Melissa and Funny.

"No," Melissa answered flatly. "I don't."

"I'm sorry." Funny turned her eyes away from
Laura. "But I just don't remember it, either."

"Well, I still have a witness," Laura said to
Alexis. "And I guess you don't have anything." She grabbed the
bracelet back again and slipped it into her pocket. "Not even a charm
bracelet."

"Okay," Alexis retorted, her face red with fury. "Okay,
Laura, since you have branded me a thief in front of everyone here, I'm sure
you won't mind if I tell them what I found taped to your dresser mirror that
afternoon at your apartment, will you?"

Laura's heart jumped into her throat, but she refused to let
Alexis see that she was scared. She lifted her chin and said sarcastically, "No,
Alexis, I don't mind. What
did
you find taped to my dresser mirror that
afternoon at my apartment?"

Alexis looked around at the crowd of kids and directed her
answer to them. She spoke softly, without anger, as if she were telling a
simple fact.

"There was a note from Laura's father," Alexis
began. "He was angry because Laura had thrown dirty laundry into his
bedroom when he had asked her to clean up the apartment."

No one spoke.

"You see," Alexis continued, "Laura had been
bragging to everyone that she had a maid who waited on her and her father hand
and foot, cleaning up the apartment, cooking them dinner, everything."

Alexis turned and faced Laura. "I think Laura was
embarrassed that I found that note. It proved she was lying about the maid to
impress everyone. So"—Laura could hear the anger returning to Alexis's
voice—"she accused me of going through her things and stealing her
bracelet!"

Laura lifted her chin even higher and looked at Alexis
icily. "You can make up all kinds of lies to hide the truth, Alexis, but
it won't work. It's your word against mine, and I have the proof, the scratched
bracelet."

Laura looked around at Tammy, Melissa, and Funny. "Come
on, let's go," she said. "This is boring me."

She turned and walked away with Tammy right behind her. Out
of the corner of her eye she could see Melissa and Funny hesitating.
What's
the matter with them?
Laura panicked.
Aren't they coming?

Finally Funny shrugged and said, "Well, I have to get
to my locker. I left my history notes there last night, and I have to cram for
class today."

"I'll go with you," Melissa said quickly, hurrying
after Funny.

The nerve of those two! Laura thought, stalking away
angrily. They don't believe me. Some friends they are.

"That was awful!" Tammy said, skipping to keep up
with Laura's furious pace. "All those kids siding with Alexis and standing
around gawking at you both, as if it was some kind of show."

"Oh, shut up, Tammy," Laura snapped, stopping to
stare Tammy in the face. "You started it all."

Tammy's face turned white. "I did?"

"Of course you did!" Laura cried. "You
blabbed all over school about Alexis going through my things. I
told
you
I didn't want anybody to know about that."

"Well," Tammy replied, her voice quivering, "I
only told Sara Sawyer, but I told her that she absolutely could not tell
anyone
about it. You just can't trust Sara. She's the biggest blabbermouth I've ever
known!"

"Next to you," said Laura. She whirled around and
stomped off, leaving Tammy standing alone at the corner of the school building.

The rest of the morning was terrible. Word of Laura's
face-off with Alexis was all over school, and everyone was taking sides. Most
kids seemed to think that Alexis couldn't possibly be a thief. But what
bothered Laura most was Melissa and Funny. Not only had Funny acted like a ditz
by giggling at the absolutely worst moment, but even worse, neither of them had
defended her in front of the crowd. Deep down, Laura knew that they weren't any
more convinced that Alexis was a thief than were most of the other kids.

So what!
Laura slammed down her hand so hard on her
book that kids around her in history class stared. Whose friends are they,
anyway? They're part of The Fantastic Foursome, of which I am the leader, and
they owe me their loyalty!

Laura sighed. It had been a long time since she had made
them
prove
their loyalty. She had always liked the feeling of control it
gave her when the three of them did extra special things to convince her of
their friendship. Like the time she ordered them to do all her homework for an
entire week. Or when she made them spy on The Fabulous Five to see if they were
gossiping about her. With all the orders she had to take at home, sometimes it
was the only part of her life where she felt in control.

Laura couldn't possibly concentrate on schoolwork that
morning. She stared off into the distance instead, turning the whole mess over
and over in her mind and examining every detail.

She knew she was getting in deeper, but what choice did she
have? If she admitted she'd made up the story about Alexis stealing her
bracelet, she'd become the laughingstock of Wakeman Junior High. Anyway, it was
Alexis's word against hers. Laura would just have to ride it out. But it sure
was going to be a bumpy ride.

At lunch Laura was amazed that not one of The Fantastic
Foursome mentioned Alexis or the bracelet. Instead they exchanged worried
glances when they thought she wasn't looking. They're chicken, she thought
angrily. They don't believe me, but they don't have the nerve to say it. By the
time the dismissal bell rang at the end of the day, Laura couldn't stand it any
longer. She had to do something to get her friends back in line. She called a
meeting of The Fantastic Foursome at her locker.

"I know what you're all thinking," she began.

The other three girls glanced at each other, confirming
Laura's suspicions. She plunged right in.

"You're wondering about the bracelet," she said.

None of the girls spoke, although she waited a moment in
case someone wanted to rush to her defense.

Laura cleared her throat. "I can't prove what I said
about Alexis taking my bracelet. And I can't prove that I scratched the charm
washing dishes."

She looked at her three best friends. They were looking back
at her expectantly. They obviously wanted to believe her—but they still weren't
sure.

Laura began to cry. All the frustration and guilt she had
been feeling the entire morning gave way to tears. "I just can't
understand why you guys don't believe me," she sobbed, her face wet with
tears. "You're my best friends, and you won't even defend me."

She was aware of the change in her friends the moment she
started to cry. The doubt on Funny's face immediately disappeared, and Melissa's
eyes filled with sympathetic tears.

Tammy rushed forward and threw her arms around Laura. "Oh,
Laura," she exclaimed, "this is all my fault! Me and my big mouth! I
feel so awful!"

Funny put a hand on Laura's arm. "I've never seen you
cry before, Laura," she said softly. "I'm sorry I doubted you, even
for a moment."

"Me, too," Melissa added, squeezing Laura's
shoulder. "We should have known better. We're The Fantastic Foursome! We
stick together through thick and thin."

Laura sniffed and pulled a tissue out of her pocket.

"Thanks," she said, smiling weakly through her
tears. "I knew you guys wouldn't let me down."

Even though it took crying to do it! Laura thought
triumphantly.

Still, she felt better.

Laura put the finishing touches on her makeup and stepped
back from the bathroom mirror. She smiled a little and nodded approvingly.

Old Trudy will have to look pretty terrific to top me
tonight, Laura thought.

Her hair had come out just right this morning after she'd
washed it, blown it dry, and braided it, starting at the top of her head. Not a
loose strand anywhere.

And she felt as great as she looked. The rest of The
Fantastic Foursome were loyal to her again, and now she was going to meet her
dad's new girlfriend.

Trudy Dwyer. Hmmm, mused Laura. An okay name. How about
Trudy McCall? Eeeek! That sounded weird! Laura wondered if Trudy had ever tried
out that name. Did Trudy want to marry her dad? More important, how did her dad
feel about marrying Trudy?

Laura sank onto her bed and stared at the wall. What would
it be like to have a stepmother? She giggled as a picture of Cinderella and her
wicked stepmother flashed into her mind. Actually, she reasoned, it might be
nice to have another woman in the house. She could do all my chores. And I
could talk to her, about girl things. Laura smiled. Of course it depended on
the woman. If she wanted to be my friend, that would be wonderful, Laura
thought. But if she started acting like my friends' mothers, always telling me
what to do and putting restrictions on my freedom, that would be horrible.

Laura glanced again at her reflection in the mirror. She saw
the frown on her face and immediately wiped it off. She was worrying about
nothing, she told herself. Her dad wasn't
marrying
Trudy tonight, just
going
out
with her. She could handle that.

Laura stood up and straightened her black miniskirt. It fit
her like a glove. The pink silk blouse clung in just the right places and made
her figure look better than ever.

Laura unbuttoned one more button on the front of her blouse.
Perfect, she thought. Trudy was going to see that she had plenty of competition
for attention at the McCall house.

She went to her jewelry box and took out the gold necklace
that her father had given her on her last birthday. It had a cultured pearl
hanging from it, and looked very expensive, even though it probably wasn't. She
put it on and admired the overall effect.

She was ready for Trudy!

She checked her watch. Her father would be home any minute
for a quick shower and change. Then he'd go pick up Trudy. Sure enough, she
heard the front door open.

"Laura?" her father called out.

"Hi, Daddy," she answered.

"Remember about tonight?" he said from the living
room. "I'm bringing Trudy home for a few minutes to meet you. Are you
ready?"

"I remember," said Laura. She hurried in to greet
him.

Her father glanced up from the pile of mail he was going
through. His expression changed from nearly blank to horrified.

"Why are you dressed like
that?
" he
demanded, staring at her.

"Like what?" Laura asked, surprised. She knew she
looked terrific.

"Like—like
that
!
" he sputtered. "All
painted up, with that short skirt! And button up that blouse! What do you think
you're doing?"

"What do you mean?" Laura wailed. "I've been
working on myself for over an hour."

"That outfit is unacceptable," Mr. McCall
insisted, striding across the living room and into Laura's room.

Laura followed her father. "What's wrong with it?"
she demanded.

"It's . . . it's just all wrong," he said. He
opened his daughter's closet and began flipping through the clothes. He stopped
at the yellow dress.

"I think I look . . . nice," Laura said. Nice!
That was an understatement. She looked fantastic!

"This is what I asked you to wear," he said
patiently. "
This
looks like my little girl, Laura."

"But I'm
not
your little girl anymore. I've
grown up, Daddy. Haven't you noticed?"

"You may think you're grown up, Laura, but you're only
in seventh grade," he said. "Now, I want you to look like the young
lady that you are. And I want you to be very nice to Trudy when she gets here.
Got it?"

"That dress is ridiculous!" Laura cried. "Look
at all that silly lace. It's totally babyish!"

Walker gazed at his daughter a moment. "Well, you're
still my baby," he told her, "no matter what you think. Now, no
arguments." He thrust the dress toward her.

Laura let out an exasperated, "Aghhhhhhhh!" and
snatched it from her father. She stalked into the bathroom and slammed the
door.

An hour later Laura sat on the living room couch dressed in
the yellow dress, glumly watching television. Her father had left to pick up
Trudy half an hour ago. They were due any minute.

"I look so incredibly stupid in this dress," Laura
grumbled to herself. "I look like Pollyanna."

She sat up straight.
Pollyanna! Why not?
Her dad
wanted a sweet little girl, and that was just what he was going to get.

Laura laughed and hopped up from the couch. She ran into the
kitchen, threw open the freezer door, and pulled out a plastic container of
chocolate chip cookies, left over from her fateful after-school party last week.
She put a dozen cookies on a plate and set it on the coffee table. Next she ran
to the hall closet and pulled out a box filled with wrapping paper and ribbons.

She rummaged through the ribbons and came up with a large yellow
one, which she cut into two pieces. Quickly, she unbraided her hair and
rearranged it into two ponytails. Then she tied a ribbon on each side.

Laura checked herself in the bathroom mirror and giggled.
She looked seven years old! "Perfect!" she said, squealing with glee.

She ran to her bureau and pulled out a pair of short, white
socks. She put them on and then put her flats on top.

Just then she heard her father's key in the lock and the
front door open. Her dad and Trudy were here!

She took a final look in the mirror. "Like a little kid
going to a birthday party!" she whispered, giggling.

"Laura?" her dad called out. "Laura, we're
home. Come and meet Trudy."

Laura took a deep breath and
skipped
out into the
living room.

"Hi, Daddy!" she sang, plastering a big, Shirley
Temple smile on her face. "I'm
so
glad you're home!"

Her father's face went pale. "What the—"

"Would you like some cookies?" Laura asked. She
skipped over to the coffee table and picked up the plate, extending it toward
Trudy. "I made them myself."

Trudy glanced sideways at Mr. McCall as if to say, "Is
this kid for real?" But she didn't open her mouth.

"Uh, well," her father said, his face turning red,
"Trudy, this is my daughter, Laura. Laura, this is Trudy."

Laura looked Trudy up and down. At her super-fashionable,
short, curly haircut; at her leather jacket, slightly open to reveal a low-cut silk
blouse and leather slacks.

Trudy extended her hand to Laura, and jangles of bracelets
sounded from her slender wrists.

"Hi, Laura," she said.

Laura took Trudy's hand, then dipped in a little curtsey.

"Pleased to meet you," Laura responded, smiling her
sweetest smile. "And, oh, I really like your outfit, Miss Dwyer. It's so .
. . so
feminine
." She turned to her father. "Don't you think
so, Daddy? Don't you think Trudy looks nice?"

"Well, yes, it's—" Her father stopped in
midsentence. His eyes got big, and he turned back to Laura, looking at her
sternly. "Oh, I see what's going on here."

Trudy turned to Mr. McCall and gave him a nudge. "Then
will you let me in on it? This doesn't seem like the daughter you described."

He cleared his throat. "Laura has gone to great lengths
here to make a point."

Trudy looked interested. "Oh? What point is that?"

Mr. McCall looked at Laura, who smiled at him with sweet
innocence. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother," he mumbled, and Laura
stifled a giggle.

"Laura and I had a discussion about what she would wear
to meet you tonight," he explained.

Trudy gazed at Laura in surprise. "And you wanted her
to dress like
that
?
"

Laura's father let out a heavy sigh of defeat and collapsed
on the couch. "I just wanted you to see Laura in pretty, feminine clothes."

"I'm his baby," Laura added wryly. She sat down
next to her father and rested her hand on his shoulder.

Trudy's eyebrows shot up. "Just how old are you, Laura?"
she asked, sitting down on the other side of Mr. McCall.

"Thirteen. I wanted to wear my black skirt and silk
blouse."

"Sounds nice," said Trudy.

"
Short
black skirt and
unbuttoned
blouse,"
her father elaborated.

"Oh." Trudy nodded. "I see why your dad
wanted you to wear the yellow dress instead."

Mr. McCall sighed again. "How about meeting me halfway,
Laura?"

"Sure," agreed Laura. "Anything's better than
what I'm wearing now."

"I'll accept the short skirt—I guess that's the fashion
now—if you'll keep that blouse buttoned up," he said.

Laura grinned. "Deal."

Her father nodded. "Good."

Laura put out her hand to Trudy. "Hey, thanks. You're
okay."

"Oh, yeah?" Trudy said, grinning. "Well, you're
okay, too, Laura."

"Thanks." Laura sank back into the cushions on the
couch. "It's such a relief."

"What's a relief?" asked Trudy.

"That you're dressed that way," she answered. "It's
good to know that my dad has taste after all."