you’ve ever heard of someone being strikingly beautiful, that would be Eden. She kind of looks like a Barbie that’s come to life. Her hair is blond, almost white, and straight as a whip, and her eyes are like this weird, pale-grey colour with flecks of blue; her skin is perfect, and even in sweatpants, without a speck of makeup, she’s gorgeous.
“Cool bracelets,” she says, inspecting our display. Her girls eagerly nod in agreement. “I’ll take ten,” she adds curtly, taking out her cellphone to answer a text.
“Wow,” Rachel exclaims. “You want ten?”
Eden raises a perfect eyebrow. “That’s what I said.”
“Um, okay. Do you want us to tie them on?” I ask.
“Duh …” She rolls her eyes, continuing to text.
One by one, each of the girls stretches out her arm, anxiously awaiting proof of her membership in the Eden Payton-Patterson Club. Each time a bracelet is tied on, Eden nods, knowing she’s just secured the endless devotion of that girl. Not that she needs our Wishbandz to get their loyalty; they follow her around like adoring little puppies anyway.
As Rachel secures the last bracelet on puppy number nine, I see Scarlett, Anika, and Missy barrelling toward us.
“OMG, as if that yard sale of yours wasn’t pathetic enough, now you’re trying to sell your junk at school?” Scarlett laughs as she plucks a bracelet off our corkboard. “Okay, that’s just hideous!” She holds it up, turning it back and forth, and then tosses it. It lands on the ground at my feet.
“Oops …” she says, chuckling.
Eden glances down at the bracelet in the dirt and then raises her eyes to Scarlett, who is grinning like a satisfied cat that’s just finished off a helpless mouse. I’m waiting for her to start licking her lips.
“Can you believe these disgusting bracelets, Eden?” Scarlett smirks, pointing her thumb at our display. “I mean, who in their right mind would spend a dime on these cheap, loser things?”
If scowls were daggers, then Scarlett would be dead, because she just got nine very sharp daggers from nine very disgusted girls, each one holding out her arm, showing off her “disgusting” gift from Eden Payton-Patterson.
“I would, Scarlett,” Eden says.
“Wait …” Scarlett stammers, “I don’t understand. You mean you bought a bracelet?”
“No, I didn’t buy one,” Eden replies.
Scarlett looks immediately relieved. “I knew you wouldn’t buy one, of course you wouldn’t. I mean …”
“Scarlett,” Eden cuts her off, “I didn’t buy just one … I bought ten.” She points to her nine puppies’ outstretched arms, and then holds up her own.
“But … but they’re ugly,” Scarlett stammers.
“There is only one thing ugly here, Scarlett,” Eden says calmly, “and it’s not the bracelets.”
The puppies all giggle. Missy gasps, and Anika bites her lip, staring at her feet, not daring to look at Scarlett.
Scarlett, suddenly realizing that she’s the butt of the joke, narrows her eyes and turns toward us, glaring. Suddenly, her eyes shift toward our Wishbandz and a smile crosses her face.
“Have a nice day, girls.” She turns on her designer heel and stalks off into the school with Anika and Missy trailing behind, looking confused.
“Hmmm … I wonder what she’s up to now,” I say.
“I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” Rachel replies with worried sigh.
9
Easy Come, Easy Go
Awesome… that’s how I’d describe our display of Wishbandz this morning. We went crazy last night and braided and beaded around thirty more bracelets. We got a lot of promises yesterday from kids who said they were going to bring cash today, so we’re expecting a few more sales at least. Now that Eden Payton-Patterson (the closest thing to a celebrity in our school) and her fan club are wearing them, it won’t be long before everybody wants one. That’s what I’m hoping, anyway.
We set up by the front doors of the school, and like yesterday, a group of girls comes up right away. Suddenly, the crowd around us starts growing and growing until we have what seems like half the school surrounding us.
“I want the blue one,” one kid says.
“I want three of those army-green beaded ones,” another girl says.
“Can guys wear them?” a really cute dude from ninth grade yells out.
Rachel looks at me in amazement. “Yeah, totally!” She shouts. “Hey guys, we need everyone to line up.”
Suddenly, the whole group starts shuffling themselves into a lineup.
“Wow, they listened,” she whispers, flashing me a smile.
“We’re in the money, Rachel,” I whisper back.
“Still trying to sell your crap, I see,” Scarlett says, snickering, as she, Anika, and Missy strut past the kids in line.
“Hmmm … I don’t think we’re trying to sell anything, Scarlett,” Rachel replies. “Our Wishbandz are selling themselves.”
“Not for long,” Scarlett whispers to us with a satisfied smirk. “The principal wants to see you in her office, A-Sap.”
“Now?” I cry.
“That’s what A-Sap means, loser,” Anika sneers.
Rachel sighs. “She wants both of us?”
“Yes, both of you!” Missy snaps. “Wait … does she?” She looks at Scarlett for an answer.
“She wants to see both of you … now!” Scarlett looks positively blissful.
Rachel shakes her head. “What did you do, Scarlett?”
“Let’s go, girls.” Scarlett points to the door.
“We don’t need an escort, Scarlett!” Rachel huffs.
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Scarlett laughs as she pushes the door open.
Anika snorts. “Me neither.”
Missy nods. “Yeah … um … hold it … what don’t we want to miss?”
“Stay!”
