Ann Martin: Stacey And The Cheerleaders

What happened next? A Sheridan player threw the ball, Wayne McConville grabbed it and passed it to Malik. Malik threw it and . . . SWISH!

"Game is over! Stonei/broofc is the winner by ONE POINT/" Whoever was on the loudspeaker was practically shrieking.

You would have thought it was the end of the championships. The stands emptied. We poured out onto the court. It was pandemonium. Absolute, total, utter chaos. Even teachers and parents were hugging each other and screaming. I could see Mr. Blake clapping Malik on the back. RJ and Robert had lifted Wayne McConville onto their shoulders. Marty ran to Sheila and swept her off her feet (literally). The rest of the cheerleaders had given up doing organized cheers. They were just jumping up and down, flinging their pompoms around. Jason Fox was performing a little victory dance under the basket.

I ran up to Darcy, who was the nearest cheerleader. "Congratulations!" I called out.

She didn't hear me over the noise.

That was when Robert passed by. He and Wayne were talking and laughing. "Robert!" I yelled.

"Oh, hi!" (Wow, was that smile a killer.) "Good game, huh?"

"You were great!" I replied.

"Thanks."

I did it. I hugged him. I didn't plan it, it just happened. It didn't mean anything, really. Everybody was hugging. Besides, he was so sweaty it was kind of gross.

But only kind of.

As he disappeared into the crowd, I looked around for Corinne. She was nowhere to be seen. Whew.

I tried to elbow my way closer to the cheerleaders, but it was hopeless. An enormous crowd had formed around them and the players.

I hung out on the edge of the throng, babbling away with anyone I knew. After awhile, people began to leave. I found myself inching closer to Robert, who was now wiping his face with a towel and talking to the coach.

Phweeeeeet!

A piercing whistle rang out from the stands. The noise level dropped. Faces turned toward the sound.

It was Kristy, standing about halfway up the bleachers, looking directly at me. "Stacey, are

you coming to the sleepover or not?" she yelled. "Charlie's outside with the van!"

Gulp.

I could hear snickering. Someone said, "A sleepover? Oh, goody!" in a childish voice.

I was cringing. I was melting.

Thank you, Kristy Thomas.

But what could I do?xl did want to go to the sleepover. I nodded nonchalantly to Kristy and began heading for the door.

On my way out, I did not dare look in the direction of the cheerleaders. Or Robert.

I brooded all the way to Kristy's. But I got over it. Especially when I saw Watson in the kitchen wearing a tall chef's hat and a spotless apron. He was carrying a rolling pin in one hand, a kitchen knife in the other, and a huge grin was on his face.

On the table was the hugest spread of food you ever saw — sliced cold cuts, loaves of bread, veggies and dip, and fresh fruit.

Our mouths dropped open. We were ravenous. It took all I could do to keep from . . . well, dribbling.

"That's beautiful!" Claudia exclaimed.

"You made this?" Kristy looked absolutely shocked.

Watson raised an eyebrow. "Hey, it was a tough job, but somebody had to do it."

Kristy's mother breezed in. "Hey, kids, how was the — " She took a look at Watson, then us, and burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Kristy asked. "Look at all the work Watson did — "

"Yeah," Mrs. Brewer said between giggles. "He really strained his fingers calling the deli on the phone and placing the order!"

Watson grinned and shrugged.

"Ooooh . . ." With a sly smile, Kristy picked up a strawberry and reared back as if to throw it.

"Okay!" Watson cried. "I'm out of here!"

We were cracking up. I always thought Watson was bland and serious, but I guess everyone has a goofy side.

Anyway, we dug in to the platter. The food was delicious (and nothing was sugary — thank you, Watson). We gabbed a mile a minute about the game. We laughed, we gossiped, we made a total mess.

It turned out to be one of our best sleepovers ever. And I realized something. I had some of the best friends ever.

Chapter 5.

Sheila was standing outside homeroom on Monday morning. So were Darcy and Penny. They were looking at me with humongous smiles, as if they'd been waiting for me.

Darcy and Penny were not in my homeroom. I had no idea what they were doing there.

As 1 walked closer, they turned to each other and giggled.

Uh-oh.

They were going to torment me. That's what this was all about. They were going to laugh about the sleepover. 1 almost ran off.

But no. I held my chin high. If they were going to act that way, I'd just march right past them into the room.

"Stacey, you are going to die!" Sheila exclaimed.

Huh?

I stood there, staring. I must have looked

like a department-store mannequin.

They started giggling again. Sheila whispered to Darcy, "You tell her."

"Why do I have to?" Darcy replied.

"She's your friend, Sheila," Penny said.

"You guys are such babies!" Sheila exhaled with frustration. "Okay. Come here, Stacey. I don't want the whole world to know."

I walked over to them. They looked as if they were ready to burst with excitement.

"Robert likes you," Sheila said.

My brain did not handle the sentence. It was as if Sheila had said, "Your hair is blue," or "Yesterday is tomorrow," or "Life is a cheeseburger." No logic, no sense.

"What?" was my response.

Giggles again.

"He noticed you on Friday night," Darcy said. "At the Pizza Express."

"Remember, when your slices stuck together?" Sheila added.

"Love at first bite!" Penny covered her mouth and laughed at her own joke.

"Well — but — how — " My brain was now rediscovering the English language, but slowly. "What about Corinne?" I finally asked.

"What about her?" Penny asked.

"Robert is interested in her, isn't he?"

The girls exchanged a knowing glance. "Cor-

inne is the only one who thinks Robert is interested in her," Darcy replied.

Robert? Interested in me? Oh, please. He didn't know me. I wasn't one of The Group.

"His dad gave a bunch of us a ride home that night," Sheila said. "I was the last person he dropped off, so Robert and I had a few minutes in the car together. We were talking about the game, and then he said to me, and I quote, 'You seem to know Stacey pretty well. Is she going steady with RJ?' Just like that, out of the clear blue sky." Sheila paused for effect. I caught my breath. "Now, I didn't know the answer for sure. But I remembered you said you didn't like the movie. And I got the feeling you guys didn't . . . you know . . . kiss or anything. And you and RJ weren't exactly acting like lovebirds. So I decided to tell him you weren't. Was that okay?"

"I wasn't what?" I asked.

"Going steady with RJ!" Sheila answered with exasperation. "You're not, are you?"

"No!" I answered too loudly. I could feel myself blushing. "I mean, you were right to say that."

"Lucky," Penny said. "Robert is a real nine-one-one."

I looked at her blankly. "A nine-one-one?"

"You've never heard that expression?" She

shook her head in disbelief. "It's like calling nine-one-one because you're about to die from excitement? You know?"

"Right," I said. (I guessed that was a "Group" expression.)

"Well, I don't blame him," Sheila remarked. "He has good taste."

"Oh, groan," Darcy said. Then she looked at me and added quickly, "Really, he's also the nicest guy, Stacey. Sometimes the good-looking ones are jerks, but Robert's different."

"Anyway, I said he should call you," Sheila added. "And he said he would. So be prepared."

Boy, was I smiling. "You guys, I don't know what to say. Thanks for telling me."

"That's what friends are for," Sheila replied with a warm smile.