Chapter 1 (Chrissa stands strong)
BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING By: Nicole Li
Lake Chandler called to me. Though I usually love shopping with mom for back-to-school clothes, all I wanted to do this Saturday morning was to get back to the lake. Tryouts for the Edgewater Swim Club were on Monday-only two days away-and I wanted to keep practicing my dives from our swim raft. As music blared overhead, I pulled on another outfit and then stepped out of the dressing room. In front of a three-panel mirror, I turned this way and that. “Hey, I tried on that outfit and it looked awful.” The voice sent a twinge from the end of my hair to the tip of my toes. I didn’t turn around, but I glanced at the reflection behind my own. It was Tara James- the biggest bully in last year’s fourth grade class. ” But it looks really great on you!” Tara nodded at my reflection. I smoothed the top of my waist. Tara being nice? I doubted it. “Honest,” she continued, ” It’s cute.”I forced myself to turn around. Petite and with flashing eyes, Tara wore her usual nothing-can-stop-me attitude. In a flash, the second half of fourth grade played over my head. From the moment I’d arrived as a new student in Mr. Beck’s class the day before Valentine’s Day, Tara had been unfriendly. More than unfriendly- she’d been mean. She and two other girls, sometimes called the Queen Bees and sometimes called the Mean Bees, had played tricks on me and Gwen, another fourth-grader who had plenty of troubles of her own. And then, when one of the Mean Bees-Sonali- finally left their group because she was tired of their mean pranks, Tara had been furious at me and accused me of stealing Sonali. Now the Mean Bees were down from three to two: just Tara and Jadyn. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Tara said with a teasing smile. In only a few seconds, my stomach had managed to get as tangled as a ball of yarn after my grandmother’s cat has attacked it.But at least Nana’s cat attacks only out of playfulness! It’s different with Tara. I couldn’t be too careful.” Hi, Tara,” I finally said.” And, um, thanks, I guess.” I turned back to the mirror.”So where’s Jadyn?” I said to her reflection. It somehow felt safer talking to her face-to-face. “She’s meeting me here in a little while.” Tara turned into a different dressing room and returned with a dress.” Hey, you should try this one. It didn’t work on me, but I bet it’ll look great on you.” I hesitated, then accepted the dress. I slipped into my dressing room but in seconds was standing back at the mirror. I was surprised how much I liked it. “You have to get it. It’s totally you, “ Tara said. Just then, Mom walked back into the dressing room corridor. She had a few more outfits draped across her arm. In the reflection, I saw her shoot a questioning glance at Tara. She knew how hurt I’d been and probably wondered why I would come within a mile of Tara if I didn’t have to. Then her gaze shifted to me and my reflection. Her face cleared and she smiled. ” That’s adorable on you Chrissa! I would never have guessed. Let’s get that one for sure.” “Um, it wasn’t my first choice, but Tara suggested it. Uh, Mom,you remember Tara? Mom nodded. ” And Tara, this is my mom, Dr. Maxwell.” Well Tara,” Mom said studying my reflection again. ” It’s clear you have an eye for fashion.” “I know.” Tara looked pleased. ” Thats what everybody tells me.” Mom’s right eyebrow flicked ever-so-slightly upward at Tara’s outright boastfulness. It made me think of one of Nana’s rules: Don’t boast. Clearly, no one had drilled Tara on that one. I took one last glance at the dress, which I loved, and headed to my dressing room. “Mom, I think I have enough now. We can go.” ” Enough?” Tara mimicked. Then she said in a silly queeny voice, ” But a girl can never have enough clothes!” Mom laughed, and I giggled too. After checking out, I followed Mom past racks of shirts and skirts, pants, and dresses. Just as we were leaving the store, someone touched my elbow. ” Before you leave,” Tara said. I stopped and pivoted. ” We’re going to be competing for spots on the swim team,” She began. I braced myself. If I knew Tara, she was probably going to tell me that I didn’t have a chance or that I shouldn’t even try out, just to give herself an advantage. She had been the best fourth-grade girl swimmer and diver until last year, when I arrived at Edgewater Elementary. It turned out that we were pretty well matched. ” I know things didn’t go well last year,” she said. ” But this year, things could be different… Maybe we could be friends this year.” There was something soft in her eyes and the way she angled her head. She seemed, well… sincere. “Yeah maybe,” I said cautiously. ” That would be good.” As I pushed through the mall doors into the steamy outside air, I passed Jadyn-the other Mean Bee-with her mother a few steps behind her. “Meet you at food court in five,” she said into her pink cell-phone, Then clicked it shut with a snap. I was apparently invisible to her, which was fine with me. A conversation with one Bee was enough for the day. I still couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. I glanced at my shopping bag. In it were not just one-but two- outfits that had come with Tara’s compliments. I would never have guessed. Gwen and Sonali were not going to believe this!
最新评论