Initiation by Jessica Burkhart Page A

school can get so serious . You and KK seem good for each other. Just don’t steal her away completely.”
    Despite the smile on her face, I detected a hint of seriousness in that one and I took note that Lexa liked people in her circle to share. She was the cutest—and had been nothing but kind to me. But still, I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.
    â€œI’d never steal her,” I promised. “Not that she’d stand for being stolen.”
    Lexa laughed. “Sounds like you’ve got it down. Nah, you don’t need my help.”
    â€œLike I said—I take everything I can get,” I said again.
    â€œThe way Canterwood lets us set up our schedules is so cool,” I said to Lexa, changing the subject. “At my old school, we had to meet with a guidance counselor who pretty much decided our schedules for us based on previous classes and test scores. This way is so much better.”
    â€œIt’s actually new for seventh graders and above,” Lexa said. “Last year, we had to meet with a guidance counselor too—Ms. Utz, you’ll meet her soon enough. She basically helped us decide our schedules. The new system is so much easier.”
    â€œI might have obsessed about it a teensy bit,” I said, totally understating the degree of my obsession.
    â€œObsessed to the point where I’d needed an intervention” would’ve been more accurate. I’d spent hours every day of summer break looking at the Canterwood course catalog. I’d received a copy of the eighty-three page catalog. Eighty-three pages! For seventh graders alone! I read the catalog cover to cover multiple times. I highlighted. I sticky-noted.
    At one point, Becca, half-asleep, had stumbled into my room at three in the morning one of the many nights when I’d been up with a sticky tab on every finger and a highlighter permanently affixed to my right hand. Without saying a word, she’d taken the catalog from me and walked out of my room. The next morning, I crawled into bed with her and she pulled the catalog out from under her pillow. She told me she’d done it for my own good and that if I didn’t choose my classes today , she’d do it herself and mail it in.
    Khloe held my schedule out for me to take it and snapped me back to reality. She pulled up a chair, facing Lexa and me.
    The schedule swap was on!

SCHEDULE SWAP
    â€œLET’S SEE WHAT WE’VE GOT,” KHLOE SAID , tracing her schedule with her right pointer finger. “We better have some classes together or this will be the worst year of my entire life!” She sat back in her chair, fanning herself with the paper.
    Lexa, smiling, rolled her eyes, and looked at me, holding up one finger—as in, rule number one—don’t take anything Khloe says too seriously.
    I made a check mark motion in the air so she knew I got it.
    She turned to Khloe. “I’d give that performance a B minus,” she told her.
    Khloe’s mouth fell open. “No way. B plus , easy.”
    Lexa shook her head. “The best I can do is a solid B.”
    Khloe paused, contemplating this. “Was it the fanning? I knew I was pushing it.”
    Lexa shrugged. “The fanning is too dramatic.”
    â€œHmm. Okay, I can take direction,” Khloe said. “No fan.”
    â€œYou could have made wide eyes and chewed your bottom lip,” I suggested, playing along with the banter.
    Khloe put a hand over her heart. “When I’m accepting my first Oscar, I’ll thank you both in my speech.”
    â€œWhat about your second Oscar?” Lexa asked.
    Khloe shook her head, a serious expression on her face. “Oh, no—I’ll be waaay too famous and important by then. I’ll have forgotten you long ago.”
    We laughed together and I finally looked at my paper.
    â€œOkay, I’ve got math with Ms. Utz,” I said.
    â€œMe too!” Khloe and Lexa said at the