Home Sweet Drama by Jessica Burkhart

doorjamb.
    â€œI’m sure you’ve already come up with a
fantastic
, brilliant idea for an outfit,” Heather said, her tone oozing sarcasm. “But since we all know you haven’t, I’ve obviously come up with a solution.”
    Heather pulled open her closet door and reached inside. She pulled out an outfit and held it up. “Interested?”
    All I could do was stare. It was a crisp show shirt, red jacket, and ivory breeches. These were show clothes I’d drooled over in catalogs but couldn’t afford.
    â€œOh, and these,” Heather said. She leaned down and grabbed a pair of tall black boots. She set them in front of me and I almost stopped breathing. They were Cavallo boots. Fifteen-hundred-dollar Cavallo boots. I had to force myself not to reach down to pet them.
    â€œHeather, that outfit’s gorgeous,” I said. “Wow. But it’s probably too small for me.” I wasn’t willowy like her.
    Heather snorted. “Puh-lease. I live in Manhattan. I knew your size two seconds after I met you. Everything will fit. We’re all wearing our best show clothes. You in?”
    I hesitated. If I took the clothes, what did that mean?
Oh stop it,
I told myself. It meant nothing. They weren’t inviting me into their group—all they were doing was offering to let me dress up with them.
    â€œSilver? Hello?” Heather said.
    â€œOkay,” I said, smiling. “We’re going to have the coolest outfits.”
    Alison tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Of course we are. And everyone else can be jealous of us.”
    â€œAs if they ever aren’t,” Julia said with a smirk.
    Heather handed me the clothes and boots. “These better come back in the same condition that I gave them to you or you’ll have to sell Charm to pay me back.”
    â€œI’ll be careful with them.” But I was already wondering if I should really take the expensive clothes and boots.
    Heather shook her head. “Oh my God, take them and go. I was just kidding.”
    â€œOkay, thanks. I’ve got to go anyway and get back to my homework.”
    â€œI’ve got a ton of homework too,” Alison said. “Ugh.”
    â€œSee you,” Julia said. With a smile, I left them and walked out of Heather’s bedroom. I let myself out of their suite, carrying Heather’s clothes and boots. I wasn’t becoming part of the
Trio
, was I?

9
    A SURPRISE … FOR PAIGE
    YAWNING, I DRAGGED MYSELF OUT OF BED on Tuesday morning and Paige bounded up to me.
    â€œHi!” she said, her voice way too high for this time in the morning. She looked as if she’d been up for hours.
    I rubbed my eyes. “Did you have chocolate-covered espresso beans or something?”
    Paige shook her head. “Nope! I just have a surprise for you.”
    That made me wake up a little more. “Ooh, a surprise. Tell me!”
    Paige turned toward her clothes and looked back over her shoulder at me. “I have to show you. Close your eyes.”
    I sat at the end of my bed and closed them. I heard Paige shuffle through her closet, then there was silence.
    â€œAll right,” she said. “Open!”
    I did and Paige stood in front of me, beaming, and holding out two outfits on purple hangers.
    â€œI’m going to be a chef and you’re my sous chef!” Paige said, grinning. “Isn’t that awesome? The white one’s mine and yours is the black.”
    Paige’s outfit had a jacket, chef’s hat, and pants. Mine had a jacket, pants, and an apron. I chewed on my lower lip and tried to think of what to say. Paige had gotten the outfits and she was so excited. Plus, it was a fab idea since idea since she hosted
Teen Cuisine
, a cooking show on The Food Network for Kids.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” she asked. She hung the clothes on her closet doorknob. “If you don’t like it, we can totally do something else. I should have