Class Favorite by Taylor Morris

probably completely gorgeous, right?”
    â€œOh, my gosh, totally,” I said, feeling the words ready to tumble out of my mouth. “I mean, you might not think he’s good-looking, but I think he is. He has these clear hazel eyes, and he’s all tall and lanky. He plays basketball, but he’s not a dumb jock.”
    â€œSo what are you going to do about him? You love him, right?” She grinned.
    â€œI don’t love him!”
    She laughed and I couldn’t help but smile with her. “Seriously, what’s the game plan for this guy?”
    â€œI don’t know. Maybe a satanic cult will kidnap me and he’ll come to my rescue?” All I had done so far was let my mouth drag on the ground every time he passed me in the halls. I loved watching him at his locker as he and Richie talked about plays and the previous night’s game. I loved English class because I could stare at the back of his head without anyone knowing I was totally lusting.
    Kirstie said, “You gotta have a goal if you want to go out with this guy. Even if your goal is to just walk up to him, tell him he’s completely beautiful, then walk away mysteriously. I know! We could make up a list of things that make popular people popular, and you just make sure you do those things. The nomination will just fall into your lap then.”
    â€œA list like . . . what? What did you do at your last school that I can do too?” I asked.
    â€œHmmm, good question,” she said, grinning happily at me. “Okay, so, I guess I would start by glaming myself up. Not that you’re not gorgeous already, but you could benefit by stepping it up a notch.” I tried not to cringe, looking down at my standard-issue jeans and nondescript top. “A little lip gloss goes a long way. And then, infiltrate this Jason’s world. Sit where he sits at lunch. Find out where he hangs out, then we’ll start hanging out there. Make him notice you.”
    â€œI don’t know. Sounds kind of pathetic—like stalking.”
    â€œIt’s not pathetic,” she defended. “What’s wrong with wanting him to like you, wanting other people to like and respect you? So you want people to dig you for being something other than a period-obsessed spaz. Who cares? Why do you think there’re so many movies about being popular in school? It’s like, part of our genetic code. There’s no avoiding it.”
    I thought about that. I guess there was some truth there.
    â€œWhat about basketball?” Kirstie continued. “Since you don’t play, do girls do anything else for the guys’ teams? I don’t know, like give them water or something?”
    â€œOh, man, that’s it.” It was so brilliant. “Stat girl!”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œThey’re the girls who write the statistics for the players. You know, how many baskets a guy makes, how many free throws, fouls, stuff like that. They have them all year, for all the sports. Stat girls get to hang out with the guys through every practice and every game. They’re like part of the team. You know what?” I paused, thinking. “This one girl did stats until the girls’ team complained that they needed her more. Her slot might still be open.”
    â€œSo there it is. Do that. How do you get to be one? Isn’t the season almost over?”
    â€œYeah. There’s only a few more games left, I think.” I thought for a moment and then remembered. “I could ask my sister. She and Coach Eckels are super tight. She still asks forhis advice on, like, a weekly basis. Maybe I could ask her if she could ask him?”
    â€œThat’s so cool you have a sister you can turn to when you need stuff,” Kirstie said, tearing the edges of a Cosmo . “My mom is cool and all, but sometimes I wish I had a little sister to take care of.”
    â€œHumph.” I thought about all the times my