The Seventh Grade Wars

CHAPTEr 39: Hayley

I was supposed to bring the diagrams to school on Monday to show the team, but obviously I didn't have them.

I meant to tell Jordan before lunch, but I could never catch him. He was always heading off with his friends, and I didn't like to approach them.

So at lunch, I basically felt like I was walking to the executioner.

"Where's the diagrams?" said Jackie. "Jordan told everyone you'd bring them."

Even Chelsea looked eager to see them.

I gulped. "I...don't have them," I whispered.

"What did you say?" said Jordan. "I can't hear you, Hayley."

"I don't have them," I repeated.

"Did you forget them?" asked Chelsea.

I could have said yes and lied, but I couldn't.

"No," I said. "Someone stole them."

Jordan looked completely shocked. "What—how? They were at your house all weekend, weren't they?"

"There was a girl. She was invited over to our house because she said she wanted to 'talk to me.' I guess she swiped them when I wasn't looking...but I don't know how she knew I had them!"

Diane snorted. "Great job, Hayley," she said nastily.

Chelsea had a funny look on her face. "Who...who was it?" she said quietly.

"It was Cricket," I said, looking down. 

"Cricket? From which Side?" asked Riley.

"C," I said, ashamed.

Chelsea spoke up. "It's not your fault, Hayley," she said. 

"Well, of course it is," I said.

"No. Cricket was texting me on Friday. Now that I think about it, I must have let something slip to her. That's how she knew. I'm so sorry, Hayley. I just got riled up."

I lowered my voice. "Was she talking about me?" I asked.

"What—no! Well, yes, she was," Chelsea said timidly.

"Point is," said Jackie, "Hayley lost our prank and now we're prank-less. It's all her fault."

"Don't blame her," said Jordan immediately. "Of course Hayley didn't want to lose it. But we'll think of another prank."

I turned to Jordan as we headed back to our classes after lunch. "Are you mad?" I wanted to know.

"No," he said. "I'm definitely not mad, Hayley! Like I said before, it's not your fault."

"Okay," I said miserably. "But there's no chance of getting it back now. C Side's not going to want to give it up."

Jordan wrapped his arm around me, which I thought very sweet. "So? We'll of course think of something else."

The next day, Diane and Jackie were standing by their lockers when I walked into school that morning. I hated having Diane's locker above mine.

"Excuse me," I mumbled, kneeling down to unlock my lock.

Diane jumped back. "Don't touch me, nerd," she said.

I ignored her, only started filing away my books and pulling out my binders. I was just about to stand up when something cold and wet and cinnamon-smelling landed on my head. I looked up in horror to see Jackie holding an plastic Starbucks drink above me...open and dripping right onto me.