version of voodoo.
“You have to have talent for that,” Brooke huffed and punched off the video. “More than just looking good.”
Seeing myself on film felt strange; what I saw did not match up with my image of myself. In my mind, I was always battling those last few pounds that had plagued me in junior high. But I didn’t see chipmunk cheeks and curvy thighs on the video camera. Still, I wasn’t comfortable in the spotlight, even if I didn’t look like a train wreck.
“Folks, we’re wasting time here. Can we get a real shot of Cameron and Kayla kissing?” Gollum pointed from the couch to us. “Over there.”
“Actually,” Brooke cut in. “I’ve decided that shot doesn’t work for me creatively. I’m putting Eli and Brittany there instead and Rafe and Siobhan by the ficus tree.”
The couple emerged from behind the tall plant, red-faced, Siobhan pulling a penguin hat over her mussed hair.
Relief washed over me as the spotlight moved away from me. I didn’t want to kiss Cameron or be in a Brooke White video, and now I was off the hook. I joined Alex by the back window and hip-bumped with her along to Brooke’s new tune. Maybe hearing it for the thousandth time today had us brainwashed.
“Did you ask Nick to switch partners for the CIT program?” I asked, twirling a little as we changed places. Dancing was fun, especially when no one was watching. But then I looked up and caught sight of Nick. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, a bag of pink candy in hand, his eyes searching, then stopping on me. I used to know what he thought before he said it. Now his face gave nothing away.
Alex whipped her hair back and forth, arms overhead. “He won’t change partners. Weird, considering he supposedly hates you.”
I turned my back on Nick and faced Alex. “So I’m stuck with him?”
“Do you really think he doesn’t like you?” Alex stopped dancing and brushed her damp hair off her forehead. “Because he’s, like, always looking at you.”
“He’s trying to intimidate me.”
Alex shrugged and started dancing again. “There’s only one way to find out.”
“How?”
“Spend the rest of summer as his CIT partner.”
I groaned, imagining him as my partner in every way but the one that counted. “I’ll drop out.”
Alex put her arms around me and slow danced me into a corner, then stopped. “Tell me the truth. You don’t want to try at all? See if you guys could get back together? He may not like you now, but that doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind when he spends more time with you.”
“How about a Cam sandwich?” Cameron wriggled his way between us.
Alex pushed him away. “Sorry. This dance is mine.”
“Not trying to make me jealous are you?” he joked, but I wasn’t laughing.
I glared. “First of all, I’m not your girlfriend, so stop acting like I am. And secondly, don’t kiss me again unless I ask you to.”
Cameron threw up his hands and backed away. “Didn’t know this was PMS central.”
Alex and I stared at him, open-mouthed.
“Oh, no, he didn’t,” spoke up Emily beside us. “I’m over men using that as an excuse for our assertive behavior…and binge-eating.” She held out a bag of popcorn. “Want some?”
“No thanks, Em. I’m done with the boy-drama for today. Thanks for trying to help me, but I think I’m going to pass on the program.”
Alex and Emily frowned, their expressions perfect mirrors of one another. I had to give them props, though—they didn’t try to change my mind.
I waved at them over my shoulder and pushed my way past Cameron, through the throng, and out the door.
My flashlight blinked on and startled Nick who’d been standing on the lower step, his head tipped back, eyes on the stars.
“Leaving already? It looked like you were having a good time in there.”
“What do you care?” I spit my words out. They tasted as bitter as I felt. What was it about Nick that made it impossible to bury my emotions where
“You have to have talent for that,” Brooke huffed and punched off the video. “More than just looking good.”
Seeing myself on film felt strange; what I saw did not match up with my image of myself. In my mind, I was always battling those last few pounds that had plagued me in junior high. But I didn’t see chipmunk cheeks and curvy thighs on the video camera. Still, I wasn’t comfortable in the spotlight, even if I didn’t look like a train wreck.
“Folks, we’re wasting time here. Can we get a real shot of Cameron and Kayla kissing?” Gollum pointed from the couch to us. “Over there.”
“Actually,” Brooke cut in. “I’ve decided that shot doesn’t work for me creatively. I’m putting Eli and Brittany there instead and Rafe and Siobhan by the ficus tree.”
The couple emerged from behind the tall plant, red-faced, Siobhan pulling a penguin hat over her mussed hair.
Relief washed over me as the spotlight moved away from me. I didn’t want to kiss Cameron or be in a Brooke White video, and now I was off the hook. I joined Alex by the back window and hip-bumped with her along to Brooke’s new tune. Maybe hearing it for the thousandth time today had us brainwashed.
“Did you ask Nick to switch partners for the CIT program?” I asked, twirling a little as we changed places. Dancing was fun, especially when no one was watching. But then I looked up and caught sight of Nick. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, a bag of pink candy in hand, his eyes searching, then stopping on me. I used to know what he thought before he said it. Now his face gave nothing away.
Alex whipped her hair back and forth, arms overhead. “He won’t change partners. Weird, considering he supposedly hates you.”
I turned my back on Nick and faced Alex. “So I’m stuck with him?”
“Do you really think he doesn’t like you?” Alex stopped dancing and brushed her damp hair off her forehead. “Because he’s, like, always looking at you.”
“He’s trying to intimidate me.”
Alex shrugged and started dancing again. “There’s only one way to find out.”
“How?”
“Spend the rest of summer as his CIT partner.”
I groaned, imagining him as my partner in every way but the one that counted. “I’ll drop out.”
Alex put her arms around me and slow danced me into a corner, then stopped. “Tell me the truth. You don’t want to try at all? See if you guys could get back together? He may not like you now, but that doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind when he spends more time with you.”
“How about a Cam sandwich?” Cameron wriggled his way between us.
Alex pushed him away. “Sorry. This dance is mine.”
“Not trying to make me jealous are you?” he joked, but I wasn’t laughing.
I glared. “First of all, I’m not your girlfriend, so stop acting like I am. And secondly, don’t kiss me again unless I ask you to.”
Cameron threw up his hands and backed away. “Didn’t know this was PMS central.”
Alex and I stared at him, open-mouthed.
“Oh, no, he didn’t,” spoke up Emily beside us. “I’m over men using that as an excuse for our assertive behavior…and binge-eating.” She held out a bag of popcorn. “Want some?”
“No thanks, Em. I’m done with the boy-drama for today. Thanks for trying to help me, but I think I’m going to pass on the program.”
Alex and Emily frowned, their expressions perfect mirrors of one another. I had to give them props, though—they didn’t try to change my mind.
I waved at them over my shoulder and pushed my way past Cameron, through the throng, and out the door.
My flashlight blinked on and startled Nick who’d been standing on the lower step, his head tipped back, eyes on the stars.
“Leaving already? It looked like you were having a good time in there.”
“What do you care?” I spit my words out. They tasted as bitter as I felt. What was it about Nick that made it impossible to bury my emotions where
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