Bring It On by Jasmine Beller

isn’t as tight as one of those,” Devane protested.
    â€œThat’s true, Gee. The shirt—” M.J. began.
    Gina silenced him with a look. “It also said nothing too revealing,” she reminded Devane. “I don’t want to spend class time every week debating what is okay and what isn’t.” She looked from person to person as she spoke. “Some of you might have trouble making a call on what’s appropriate. But I think you all know when there’s no question something is okay. Just wear basic gear and you’ll be fine.”
    She opened the classroom door. “We’ll all be glad to see you next time. And it would be great if you could get in touch with one of the other kids in the group and have them go over the new moves with you.”
    â€œI’ll do it!” Max called, bopping up and down on her toes. “We can meet here early. I’ll teach it all to you. No problem!”
    Devane shook her head. She couldn’t deal with Max’s extreme pep right now. She started for the door. Everyone was watching her. She felt like the door was a couple of football fields away.
    â€œI have a sweatshirt you can borrow,” Emerson called as Devane passed her.
    Emerson tugged off the DKNY sweatshirt she was wearing. Underneath, she wore a plain, ordinary T-shirt that should have come from Kmart but probably came from Bloomingdale’s.
    â€œThanks, Emerson,” Gina said.
    Thanks, Emerson. Thanks for coming to the rescue of Devane, who is obviously so needy, she has to make her own clothes.
    Devane cringed at the thought that had slammed through her head. “No, thanks,” she said loudly. “I don’t need charity,” she added under her breath to Emerson.
    â€œI wasn’t—” Emerson began.
    â€œDevane, it would be a much better class if you stayed,” Gina protested.
    But Devane was outta there.
    Like Gina really wanted her to stay. She was the one who decided that the top was inappropriate. It said no leotards on the rule sheet. Well, Devane wasn’t wearing a leotard.
    And Emerson. Why had the girl gone and gotten in Devane’s business? Gina might have backed down if she knew Devane really didn’t have anything else to wear. But Emerson had to jump up and down, squealing about how she had a sweatshirt.
    Now Devane was going to be stuck in the back row for the rest of her life. And it was all their fault.

CHAPTER 6
    Is it all my fault? Emerson wondered as she headed into the Aventura Mall. Maybe Gina would have let Devane stay in class if I hadn’t opened my mouth about the sweatshirt. Maybe Gina would have let her off with a warning about appropriate clothing if Gina knew for sure that Devane didn’t have anything else she could possibly wear.
    â€œMaybe, maybe, maybe,” Emerson muttered. She was making herself insane going over the same maybes again and again.
    And she was still dealing with the issue of appropriate clothing. Not Devane’s, but her own. Her mother had told her to take the car service to the mall after class and find an appropriate dress to wear to the dinner party her parents were having a week from Friday.
    Appropriate. Gag. Everything Emerson owned was appropriate, down to the little tracksuits. She totally loved those wild purple-and-orange camouflage pants that Sophie had and the goofy Happy Little Puppy T-shirt Chloe was wearing in class today. And she’d almost drooled over that top Devane had made. But her mother would have vetoed all three of those. She probably would have burned Devane’s top!
    Emerson couldn’t fight the veto. Which didn’t put her in the shopping mood. She decided to hit L’Occitane first. Her mom had asked her to pick up some linen water. Lavender Harvest. Largest size. Pour top, not spray. She found it quickly and paid.
    She wished her mother had just told her exactly what dress to buy, too. It’s not like