Mackenzie Blue (5 page)

A
s soon as Zee hit Send, her Sidekick rang. A text message from Jasper.

Zee laughed. Jasper was the only person she knew who would give himself homework on the first day of school.

Thirty minutes later, Jasper rang the doorbell.

“You forgot to put on a tie,” Zee said after she opened the door. Jasper had changed into a pair of khaki chinos with a navy blue polo shirt. Zee was certain it was the uniform for the Sprigg School, another private school in Brookdale.

“I hope you amuse yourself,” Jasper said, stepping into the foyer.

“I do.”

Zee's mother placed a giant flower arrangement on to a table by the door. “Hello, Jasper,” Mrs. Carmichael said as she adjusted the stems. “Would you like a snack?” Ally always called her Brookdale's Snack Queen. No one ever went hungry at Zee's.

“Yes, please,” Jasper said eagerly. “I am a bit peckish. If you don't mind.”

“You're always so polite.” Mrs. Carmichael turned to Zee. “Why don't you two wait in the TV room, and I'll bring it in to you.”

Zee shoved her book bag off the couch, dropped herself
on to the cushion, and picked up a Wii game control. “Wanna play?” she asked.

“Of course,” Jasper said, picking up another remote and sitting next to Zee.

“Big Brain Academy or Boogie?”

Jasper gave her a sideways look. “Big Brain Academy.”

“You just can't get enough school, can you?”

“I
can
get enough dancing,” Jasper said. “Now prepare for me to crush you with my enormous brain.”

After a while, Mrs. Carmichael entered the room with a tray overloaded with pita chips, cheese, beans, and salsa. At the
sight of the feast, Jasper forgot all about the video game and nearly dived on to the tray. “Thank you, Mrs. Carmichael!”

“Bon appetit,”
Mrs. Carmichael said as she turned to leave the room. Given Zee's mother's hostess obsession, that was one French phrase she already knew.

Zee watched Jasper as he scooped chips into his mouth, barely taking time to breathe. So much for “proper” English manners. “I'll leave you guys alone and go get that book,” she said, grabbing a gooey lump for herself.

“Mmmphssst,”
Jasper replied as he took a swig of lemonade.

When Zee returned, Jasper was licking his fingers. “Did you get enough to eat?” she asked sarcastically, handing him the book.

“I have a healthy appetite,” he defended himself.

“Sometimes I think you're just using me for my snacks,” Zee said.

“Oh! That's a
brilliant
idea.” Jasper looked at his watch. “I'd better go. I need to get started on my project.” He picked up the tray and carried it into the kitchen. “Thanks again, Mrs. Carmichael. That was delicious.”

“You're welcome, Jasper,” she said. As he walked away, Zee heard her mother mumble, “What a nice boy.” Zee rolled her eyes.

 

That night, Zee laid out her clean uniform alongside a pair of multicolored striped tights. To top it off, she chose a necklace with a peace sign pendant that she'd made out of sparkly red beads. Then she put on her polka dot pajamas, pulled up her comforter, and sank into her pillow.

“Ohmylanta!” Zee sprang out of bed like a bird out of a cuckoo clock.
I almost went to sleep on the first day of school without writing in my diary.
She already had an idea for a list—“Ten Reasons It's Going to Be an Awesome Year After All.”

Zee reached into her book bag. There were pencils and pens, her new binder, and a couple of spiral notebooks. But no diary. Zee looked again. She took everything out, one by
one. Still no diary. She looked in every compartment of her binder. Nothing. She put all the items back in her bag. Then she did it all again.

The diary was gone!

“Double ohmylanta!” Zee shouted. But just as she was about to panic, her memory flashed.
It probably fell under the couch when Jasper and I were playing video games,
she told herself. She ran downstairs, got on her hands and knees, and searched the floor. A pen. A quarter. Three pennies. No diary. She pulled off the cushions. She looked in vases and on bookcases, underneath the rug, and behind throw pillows. She raced up to her room and searched in every imaginable space. She even checked inside the refrigerator.

Adam looked up from the kitchen table, where he was working on his MacBook. “What are you looking for?” he asked.

“My diary,” Zee told him.

“I ate it,” he said, then continued typing.

“Ha ha,” Zee said, eyeing her brother suspiciously. “You
wouldn't know anything about why it's missing, would you?”

“Hmmm. Stealing your diary? Well, that would be lots of fun, but right now I've got more important things to do—like work on these college applications,” he said. “Now quit bothering me.” Zee knew Adam was telling the truth. He'd been obsessing over college applications for weeks. Princeton and Berkeley were his top picks.

Zee had been only two places that day—her house and school. Oh no! If the diary was at school, maybe someone had found it and read it. Zee imagined the next day's morning announcements:

The thought of public humiliation was unbearable. Zee
had
to find her diary. She went back to the TV room and searched again.

“What's going on?” Mrs. Carmichael asked as a flying couch cushion nailed her in the face.

“Sorry, Mom,” Zee said, then quickly added, “I can't find my diary.”

“When did you see it last?” her mom asked, concerned. That was one of the great things about Zee's mom. She understood that a missing diary was a real crisis.

Zee thought. “On my way to school.”

“I bet it's in Dad's car.”

Of course! Maybe she had accidentally left it on the seat.

Mr. Carmichael stepped into the room and surveyed the mess. “Should we call the police? They'll want to catch whoever did this before he hits another house.”

“I need to look in your car for my diary, Dad,” Zee explained. “Can I have your keys?”

Mr. Carmichael's eyes grew wide. “Ummm…I'll help you look, sweetie,” he offered. Zee knew he only wanted to save his car from the same fate as the TV room. But she didn't care if he searched, too, since she could use the help.

Zee and her dad looked under the seats, in the glove box, and even where the spare tire was stored, but they couldn't find the diary. After having torn up both the house and the car, Zee had to admit, the diary wasn't at home.

That night, Zee had trouble sleeping. Her mind raced. When had she lost the diary? Before school? Lunchtime?
Was it in her book bag when she'd gotten home? It was no use. She just couldn't remember.

Zee climbed out of bed and reached for a notebook. On a piece of paper, she scribbled a new heading for her list:

Zee IM'ed Ally the next morning.

She's probably in school,
Zee decided. Would she ever get used to the new schedule?

Zee pulled a piece of paper out of her printer.

 

 

 

Zee stared at the nothingness in her locker. She'd had her father drop her off in the exact spot as the day before, then slowly followed the same path to school from the SUV, past the giant solar tracking panels that helped power the school, up the front steps, and to her locker. She'd found a ruler, a hair clip, and a tofu-and-banana sandwich—
interesting
—but no diary.

Zee pulled out the textbooks she'd placed on the top shelf, and flipped through the pages for the hundredth time. Discouraged, she shut her locker with a soft
thud
. Like the other lockers at Brookdale, it was made out of boards from recycled wheat straw. She stared at the golden-colored door, trying to figure out what to do next.

“Lose something?” a voice behind Zee asked.

“Iyeee!” Zee screamed as she spun around, her heart pounding from the surprise. Chloe stared back at Zee, a bright pink cello case strapped to her like a backpack. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.”

Zee put her hand on her racing heart. “I didn't know anyone else was here.”

“My parents made me come early because I missed music yesterday,” Chloe explained. “They wanted my nanny to walk me to class today—until she convinced them I was too old for it. That would have been embarrassing.”

“Definitely not cool.” Zee giggled. “I'll go with you.” She picked up her guitar case, which she had stenciled to look like a flag, from the floor beside her. The girls headed to their first-period class.

“What's
your
excuse for getting here so early?” Chloe asked.

“Actually you were right. I did lose something,” Zee ex
plained. She told Chloe all about the missing diary and how she was clueless about where it could be. “I'm scared that someone found it and read it.”

“Well, you shouldn't freak about it until you know,” Chloe told her. “Maybe someone already found it and will give it back today. You're probably worried about nothing.”

Everything Chloe said was pretty obvious—and pretty positive! Chloe's attitude was contagious, and Zee decided not to worry as they entered the classroom. Instead, when Chloe started pulling her bow across the cello strings, Zee tuned her guitar and then began practicing her
Teen Sing
song.

Zee strummed the song she'd worked on at the pool over the summer.
“Jump in the water—it's cooler, baby,”
she sang as Chloe played a classical piece.
“Dive in the water—it's better, baby.”

“That note you're starting on is high.” Someone else was in the room. Zee twisted around in her chair to find Mr. P. He looked only slightly less frazzled than he had the day before, and he was clutching his coffee cup like a drowning man holding on to a life preserver.

“I'm sorry,” Zee said, bending over to put her guitar in its case.

Mr. P sat down next to her with his own guitar. “You shouldn't stop,” he said. “Try this chord.” He sang back the
song's words in a different key. Somehow Mr. P's gravelly voice made it sound like a totally different song. Zee got a little shiver when he looked at her. “Your turn,” he said.

Zee tried the song again—Mr. P's way. She couldn't believe how much better it sounded!

“Cool!” Mr. P said, getting up. “I've got to get ready for class, but you should keep practicing.” He turned to Chloe. “You must be my missing mystery student from yesterday. I'd like to hear you play later, too. I bet you have some rock and roll in you. Everyone does.”

“Suuure,” Chloe said, looking doubtfully at her cello.

“That was unbelievable!” Zee whispered as Mr. P walked to his desk. Chloe nodded but she wasn't smiling. Zee could tell something was wrong. “Don't you like Mr. P?” she asked.

Chloe's expression changed to a forced grin. “I dooo,” she said hesitantly. “He's just not what I expected.”

Considering Zee expected Mrs. Bradley—a round, serious, fifty-five-year-old woman—to be the teacher, she thought she understood what Chloe meant. As her new friend listened, Zee played and sang.

Zee adjusted her fingers and tried again.

“Ugh!” Zee sighed.

“What's wrong?” Mr. P asked, looking up from his work.

“I can't remember the next line.”

“Did you write it down?”

“Well…yes,” Zee said. “But I lost the…um…notebook—maybe at school.”

Mr. P stood up from his desk. “You still have time to check the lost and found before the bell rings. I'll go to the office with you,” he said, picking up a sheet of paper. “I have to make some copies there.”

 

“Mackenzie Blue Carmichael!” Mrs. Sayles cheerfully greeted Zee across the long counter in the main office. “What can I do you for?”

“I think I lost something yesterday,” Zee explained. “May I look in the lost and found?”

Mrs. Sayles motioned toward a box on the floor near her desk. “Sure. It's right there.”

Zee went behind the counter. As she rifled through the container, searching for her diary, Kathi came into the office.

“Good morning, Kathi,” Mrs. Sayles said.

“Is Dr. Harrison here?” Kathi asked. Dr. Harrison was the upper school's head of school. Most kids dreaded a trip to the principal's office, but Kathi loved it. She always bragged about how much money her family contributed to Brookdale Academy and how that meant the administration had to pay attention to whatever she said.

“She's expecting you,” Mrs. Sayles assured her. “Go right in.”

Zee held her breath, hoping Kathi wouldn't notice her as she walked to the private office door. She didn't! Whew! Unfortunately Zee's trip to the lost and found was not so successful. The only items in the box were a couple of iPods, a Nintendo DS, a retainer, and a few phones. She gave up and returned to the music room.

By the time Zee got back to first period, all the students were there. Something was definitely weird. Everyone was staring at the front of the room.

 

MACKENZIE BLUE WONDERS WHEN

SHE'S GOING TO DEVELOP.

WE DO TOO!

 

Bold purple letters were printed on the dry erase board.

Mr. P stepped into the room behind her and rushed to erase the note while Zee hurried to her seat. She looked at the ground, but as she passed Landon, she caught his friendly smile out of the corner of her eye. “Develop what?” he said, shrugging.

Jen placed her hand over her mouth to hold back a giggle.

As Zee turned to Chloe, she could see the concerned look on her face. They were both thinking the same thing: Someone had Zee's diary!

Kathi walked into the room and handed Mr. P a late pass. Then she sat in the seat Jen had saved for her.

“What's going on?” Kathi whispered to Jen.

“I'll tell you later.”

Zee was sure they were not the only ones who would be talking about it.