KRISTEN’S BEDROOM
Friday, September 25th
7:26 P.M.
Prickly heat spread throughout Kristen’s entire body. Was the room hotter than seventy-six degrees? Had her antiperspirant stopped working? Were Dempsey’s eyes always army green? She wiped her palms on her blue-and-white striped Victoria’s Secret pajama bottoms, wishing she had worn something less . . . cotton. But her mind and body were like plaids and stripes, refusing to work together, leaving Kristen to wonder why, exactly, her internal crush furnace was overheating to such an obvious degree.
Was it:
A) The thrill of having a boy—any boy—at her first sleep-over?
B) The pressure she felt to save Dempsey for Layne? Even though Massie had sprayed him?
C) Knowing on some deep subconscious level that in
two days Dune would be standing in her doorway and she couldn’t
wait? 
D) Something else she didn’t dare consider?
Kristen always chose C when she didn’t know the answer.
A sudden waft of Chanel No. 19 filled the room.
“What’re you doin’ here?” Kristen managed, trying to sound casual.
“He must have seen your note,” Massie blurted sharply, alerting her to play along. “You know, the one you slid under his door that said to stopby and letusknow if you made the team. Heart—only as a friend—Kristen?”
“Oh yeah.” Kristen blushed again. “So, did you make it?”
Dempsey stepped into the room. His dirty blond hair was sweaty and matted. His black soccer shorts were perfectly baggy, his cheeks ah-dorably pink. Why did he have to look so soccerlicious?
“Yup.” He grinned. “I quit the play and everything. There’ll be another one next semester.”
“Yayyyyyyy!” The girls applauded.
He smiled wide, like someone who had no clue he’d just broken Layne’s heart.
“Congratulations, cheerleaders, that was your first official cheer,” Massie said in her coachiest voice.
“Is this the whole squad?” Dempsey chuckled, helping himself to a handful of “Italian popcorn” as he scanned the other snack options.
“Tryouts are on Monday,” Massie spoke up before anyone else could.
“But we’re automatically in, right?” Alicia leaned, restretching her stretched hamstring.
“Given.” Massie gave her a reassuring shoulder tap. “But we still have to hold auditions.”
“To give everyone a fair chance?” Claire tightened her ponytail.
“No, Kuh-laire. To find LBRs for the bottom of the pyramid.”
“Opposite of a good idea.” Alicia stood up on Kristen’s bed.
“’Scuse me?” Massie lifted an eyebrow.
“Pyramids are out. But don’t worry. I’ll show you some sequences I learned at Body Alive and—”
Massie side-glanced at Dempsey, then stood. “Um, Alicia, are you on the track team?”
Alicia took a step back. “No.”
Massie stepped forward. “Then why are you trying to run with this?”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“I’m gonna tell Layne to audition.” Dempsey examined the bowl of Sweet ’n’ Salty Surprise with delight. “She was just telling me what a huge soccer fan she is.”
“Sad times ten.” Massie fake-sulked. “But our practices will conflict with play rehearsals, so—”
“It’s okay!” Dempsey grabbed Kristen’s soccer ball off her trophy shelf and spun it until the black and white patches blurred. “We made a pact. We both dropped out of the play so we could be in the next one together. I bet she’d love to be on your squad.”
Kristen’s stomach lurched. OMG! He likes Layne!
“But she doesn’t have any dance training,” Alicia whined.
“Massie can teach anyone anything.” Dempsey smiled fondly at the alpha.
Kristen’s stomach lurched again. OMG! He likes Massie!
She peeked at Claire, who was scrutinizing the cuticle on her left thumb. Did she feel uncomfortable too? Burdened with too much information and doomed to carry the weight of that knowledge alone?
Claire had to know how Layne felt about Dempsey. After all, they were best friends OTPC (Outside The Pretty Committee). And everyone knew how Massie felt.
If only she could ask Claire’s advice. She’d want to know:
A) Which friend did she feel more obligated to help?
B) What was the best way to ask Dempsey who he liked?
C) Who did she think liked him more, Massie or Layne?
D) Who did she think deserved him more, Massie or Layne?
E) Who did she think was a better match for him, Massie or Layne?
F) Could she trust her enough to tell her about the Witty Committee?
G) All of the above. 
Yes, Claire had kept Kristen’s scholarship secret, but conspiracy to cover a friendship with an LBR? That was a serious Massdemeanor.
“This is gonna be so cool!” Dempsey clapped once.
Yeah! If you considered . . .
A) Being a double agent for your friends while they crush on the same guy COOL!
C) Pretending soccer has cheerleaders so your BFF can stalk a player COOL!
C) All of the above COOL! 
Then sure, this was gonna be great!