Set the Record Straight! by Rachel Wise

at my lunch table, Hailey had finished her cookie-based lunch.
    I looked sideways at her. “You know, you said yourself that the idea is that these bonus items ‘supplement’ the existing lunch.”
    â€œWell, my existing lunch would have been the cookies,” she reasoned. “So I’m just supplementing them with a few more. Anyway, guess what? I joined the chess club. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play. I think it will help with my soccer strategy, don’t you?” She was talking a mile a minute, wired on sugar.
    I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Wait, let me guess. Scott Parker is in the chess club, right?”
    Hailey was the picture of innocence. “What? I don’t know. Maybe. Well, yes. Okay, but that’s notthe reason I joined. Not the only reason, anyway.”
    â€œRight,” I said, laughing. “So why did you join?”
    â€œShut up. It’s going to be interesting.”
    â€œI’m sure it will be fascinating,” I said, still smiling as I ate some buttered rice.
    â€œWell, how’s your love life progressing? How was your date yesterday?”
    â€œI wouldn’t exactly call it a ‘date,’” I said, lowering my voice. “I did the dumbest thing.” I told Hailey about how I’d accidentally declared my love to Michael.
    Hailey covered her mouth with both hands, she was laughing so hard. “Oh, Sammy! You didn’t!”
    I shook my head. “Yes, I did. Can you believe it?”
    â€œThat’s even more extreme than asking a guy out on a date!” she said, laughing.
    â€œUgh. Don’t remind me,” I said. Oops.
    â€œRemind you about what?” Hailey asked.
    Oh, I really wanted to tell her everything! I hated the secrets between us now. “Oh, just—”
    And then who should walk by but Scott Parker, bless his little heart. “Hey, Hailey,” he said as he walked by. The way he said it was kind of flat, likehe was greeting her out of duty or something, but for a shy guy like him, I knew it was a major step for him to speak first, and especially when Hailey was sitting with a friend.
    Hailey, however, was speechless. I kicked her gently under the table, and she got my drift. “Oh, hey, Scott! How’s it going?”
    â€œGood.” He nodded, and he kept walking.
    We didn’t move a muscle to watch him walk away, though I know we both wanted to—especially Hailey! Instead we raised our eyebrows really high and looked sideways at each other with big smiles on our faces. Thaw Begins in Frozen Crush.
    â€œYay, Hails!” I said.
    â€œDo you think that means he likes me?” she whispered.
    â€œSeems like it!” I said cautiously.
    â€œSo what do I do now?” Hailey was beside herself.
    I flashed back to my mother’s advice from a week ago (had it really only been a week? It felt like months). Keep your advice open-ended. Don’t tell people to do anything you wouldn’t do.
    â€œJust take it nice and slow,” I advised. “Letit develop naturally.” Whatever you do, don’t ask him out , I added silently.

    That night I sat down at my computer to write the Dear Know-It-All column without an idea of what I would say. It took a while (okay, I was procrastinating, checking all the news sites, reading blogs, including Mrs. Moseby), but when it came, it came in a big fat rush. I read it and reread it until my eyes were blurry. It was a little raw and unpolished, but I kind of liked it like that. I took one last read and then I pushed send, and off it went to Mr. Trigg for editing.
    Here is what it said:
    Dear Tired of Waiting,
    I am sorry things worked out for you the way they did, and I am sorry my advice to you was bad. Looking back, it seems like you ignored the fact that your crush didn’t like you right from the beginning. Then you took my advice, and it made things worse, and for that I apologize. But to turn