Class Favorite by Taylor Morris Page B

like no one understood what had happened. The worst thing that had ever happened to Elisabeth was the time she came in second in the 1,600-meter, and that was only because she was getting over the flu.
    â€œGetting your period isn’t a big deal. Don’t let them make you think it is. They’re just being immature.”
    â€œIt’s just so humiliating having everyone know when I got it. Besides, why do you even care?”
    â€œSara,” she said, looking down at me. “I’m your sister .”
    She didn’t state it like it was the obvious, though. More like she just wanted to let me know that there were some things she would always be there for.
    â€œSo will you talk to Coach Eckels for me?”
    She slowly opened the bottle, then continued with steady strokes across each toe, her chin resting on her knee. A heavy silence filled the room, one that I was pretty sure Elisabeth created for the sole purpose of torturing me with anticipation. It worked.
    She exhaled dramatically, and I prepared for my boring days to change—or to stay the same way for eternity.
    â€œFine,” she finally said. “But you owe me.”

6
    Do You Know Who You Can Trust?
    You really need to talk to your best friend about the latest development in the ongoing saga of your love life, but she’s not at school today. Instead, there’s Veronica, a relatively new girl you’ve become friendly with. What do you do?
    a) Tell her your problem, automatically assuming that she’ll keep the information mum.
    b) Tell her your problem, but make her swear on her cat’s life that she won’t tell a soul.
    c) Wait and call your best friend when you get home—you’d rather not take the risk.
    Â 
    In English class the next morning, I couldn’t even look at Arlene. I felt sick to my stomach with worry, thinking that maybe, just maybe, she was out to get me. Despite Kirstie’s advice to just leave it alone, I really wanted to ask her if she was planning on pullingany little pranks on me. I was sure she’d tell me she didn’t know what I was talking about—and would mean it. Still, our lack of any kind of confrontation or miscommunication over the years had left me not knowing exactly how to approach her. So, I stalled. I didn’t even wait for her outside the caf like I normally do.
    Holding my lunch tray, I stood before the half-filled tables, people talking and laughing, and the occasional fry flying across a table. I saw Jason Andersen’s table, which was completely full but for one seat . . . right next to him. To his left was Jessica, who had movie star–blond hair and dated Richie Adams; she and Kayla were laughing with their heads close together. Jason sat quietly, almost alone in the midst of the chaos of the lunchroom table. I thought of what Kirstie had said about sitting at his lunch table and faking confidence. For a daring moment I considered just plopping down at that one empty seat next to him and saying, “So, whaddaya think of that book we’re reading in English? You ready for the game next week?” I wondered how Jason and the others at the table would react.
    Maybe I should try it , I thought. I was looking pretty okay that day. When I woke up that morning, instead of stressing over Arlene, I thought about Class Favorite-dom. With the stat girl thing from Elisabeth in the works, I decided to glam myself up, like Kirstie had suggested. I snagged Elisabeth’s powder, mascara, and lip gloss from her makeup bag while she was in the shower and did my best to apply it all correctly. Assoon as I had gotten the mascara on both eyes—after stabbing my eyeball twice—I promptly sneezed, squeezing my eyes and smearing mascara all over my upper and lower eyes. I had to quickly scrub it all off and start over again before Elisabeth got out of the shower, and then I had to keep my head down and avoid looking at her or my mom for the