Junior High

Chapter 8

I groggily woke up in the morning. I blinked and recalled all the things that had happened last night. Then I tried waking everyone up. Well, everyone except Mom and Dad. 

Dad had already gone to work because, after all, we were on his business trip, but I didn't have a clue where Mom was. I walked over to the kitchen and noticed a note stuck on the fridge door. It read: Girls, I've gone grocery shopping since I just realized that there's a sale going on in the store, so just wait for me until I come back (I won't take long). Then we'll go swimming and do fun stuff after I come back! - Mom :)

Swimming? I thought curiously. I hadn't really expected to go swimming during our time here in New York, but it was still going to be pretty fun, of course.

Skipper tiredly opened her eyes and called, "Bree, is there something going on?"

Oops. Maybe I had made too much noise.

"No, Mom's just out grocery shopping, and she left us a note," I replied. "Apparently, we're going swimming or something after she comes back."

"SWIMMING?" Skipper sat up on her bed.

"Let's just see when Mom comes back. But if we do go swimming, I'm assuming it's going to be at the swimming pool in this hotel," I said.

"I saw it on our way upstairs yesterday, and it looked SO fun. There was even, like, a ZIPLINE and everything!" Skipper said animatedly. "I even saw this cave thingy that I think leads outside! OMG! What if it's actually connected to the SEA?"

 "That sounds pretty fun," I said, my excitement slowly rising.

"Skip, what are you jabbering on about now?" Kiara sat up on her bed.

"Mom said we're going to the swimming pool after she comes back from grocery shopping, Ki-Ki! Won't that be SO fun? Gosh, I haven't gone swimming in MONTHS," Skipper raved.

"Whoa! Swimming? Yay, that's so exciting!" Kiara gushed. "I bet we'll do so much more fun stuff while we're here, too."

"Guys, do you think we should ask Chris to come swimming with us once we figure out if we really are going swimming?" Skipper suggested suddenly.

"Who's Chris?" Kiara said, looking puzzled.

"Yeah, who are you talking about?" Stacie woke up last.

Skipper gave me a teasing look. "Oh yeah, Bree, about Chris . . ."

"What?" I was genuinely confused at Skipper's suddenly weird behavior.

"I think he likes you."

My heart started to pound. I didn't know why.

"What? Of course he doesn't like me. Why would he?" I somehow managed to keep my calm composure even after the announcement of Skipper's outrageous suspicion.

"Because . . . he kept looking at you when you did or said something. And I heard him defend you from Vanessa back at the Converse store yesterday. Not everyone would do that for someone they basically just met at school," Skipper said slyly.

"I don't know what you're talking about. He probably just thinks I'm insanely weird. I don't think anybody would ever like me. I mean, I write stories about zombies and cemeteries, and my nose is always buried in a thick murder mystery novel. How WEIRD is THAT? And besides, all of you guys are WAY prettier and more attractive than I am," I protested.

Kiara, not paying that much attention to the actual conversation, twirled her blonde hair and said, "Wow, thanks, Bree. I think that's the only time you've ever really complimented me."