ME, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH CEREAL TO BUY WHILE WATCHING BRIANNA (SORT OF)
There were so many choices I couldn’t make up my mind. “Brianna, which cereal do you want?” I asked as I turned around.
That the first timet rs’s when I discovered she had disappeared into thin air!
Although, it WASN’T the first time. I broke into a cold sweat as memories of the time I lost Brianna at the Nutcracker ballet flooded into my brain.
“NOOOOO!!! Not AGAIN!” I shrieked as I frantically ran down the aisle. “BRIANNA . . . !!”
Suddenly I spotted her!
She had stacked a pile of assorted grocery items on the floor and climbed up on top of them.
Then, balancing dangerously on her tippy toes, she was reaching desperately for an item on the top shelf of a big colorful display. This is what happened . . . .
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
NOTE TO SELF: THE DANCE IS IN TWO DAYS !! ASK BRANDON!! IT’S NOW OR NEVER!!
Today everyone was buzzing about who was going to be crowned Sweetheart Princess.
Students can vote for any eighth-grade girl. However, the girls who wanted it really badly (like MacKenzie) were putting up posters. The entire student body votes during school on February 14, and the winner will be announced later that night at the dance.
According to the latest gossip, everyone was pretty sure MacKenzie was going to win. Especially MacKenzie!
OMG! That girl is so hopelessly VAIN!
All day she was acting supernice to everyone and giving out candy hearts and free fashion advice to bribe people to vote for her.
Although, I have to admit, her posters are SUPERCUTE">FROM NIKKI:
I ALMOST wanted to vote for her MYSELF! NOT! !!
Anyway, TODAY was th
During bio I was FINALLY going to ask Brandon to go to the Sweetheart Dance with me.
OMG! I was a nervous wreck!
And yes! I realized there was a possibility he might already be going with MacKenzie. But at this point I had nothing to lose.
I gulped down my lunch. Then I rushed to the girls’ bathroom and practiced what I was going to say to him in the mirror . . . .
“Brandon, I know this is kind of last-minute and everything, but I would really love it if you would take me to the Sweetheart Dance!”
In the bathroom, everything went PERFECTLY!
But when I actually tried to ask Brandon, I got totally distracted by all of the stuff that was going on in class . . . .
OMG! That quiz was a complete DISASTER!! We were supposed to draw the Krebs cycle, and I totally KNEW the correct answer.
However, I was so FREAKED out by the whole asking-Brandon-to-the-Sweetheart-Dance fiasco that I totally blanked out and couldn’t remember a thing. So I just drew the first thing that popped into my head . . . .
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Yesterday I was so upset about Brandon and that stupid bio quiz that I planned to go straight to my room and have myself a big pity party.
Brianna was in the kitchen humming to herself and working on her Princess Sugar Plum valteen cards . . . .
That’s when the most FABULOUS idea popped into my head!
I had totally embarrassed myself trying to ask Brandon to the Sweetheart Dance.
But what if I gave him a Valentine’s Day card instead?
Then I could WRITE a little note inside inviting him to the Sweetheart Dance!!
It would be cute, sweet, and romantic!
SQUEEE !!
How could he say no to that?!!
I scavenged the house for cool stuff I could use for his card and found glitter, satin ribbon, red foil wrapping paper, lace, rhinestones, and gel pens.
Then, blasting my favorite Taylor Swift tunes for inspiration, I created a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, personalized valentine just for Brandon . . . .
ME, MAKING A CARD FOR BRANDON
The final step was to write a deep, heartfelt poem inspired by our friendship and mutual respect for each other. Like . . .
ROSES ARE RED,
VIOLETS ARE BLUE,
I’D REALLY LOVE TO GO
TO THE SWEETHEART
DANCE WITH
YOU!!
Yes, I know!
My poem is cheesier than two large pizzas.
Taylor Swift makes writing mushy songs about your boyfriend look really easy.
Anyway, this morning I went to school ten minutes early so I could give Brandon my card before classes started.
But it wasn’t until second period that I FINALLY spotted him at his locker talking to Theo!
I didn’t have a choice but to go into stalker mode and secretly follow him around, waiting for the perfect moment to give him the card.
But that moment NEVER came. Someone was always hanging around or talking to him. I didn’t know the guy was so popular.
Although I was still pretty traumatized from that pop quiz fiasco yesterday, one thing was very clear. Cornering Brandon in bio class was going to be my ONLY chance at attending the Sweetheart Dance!
I got to class superearly and just sat there clutching my card, waiting for him to arrive. I was a nervous wreck!
And having the e a smelly, long-haired dog at rsxtra time to think just made me worry about all of the things that could go wrong AFTER he read my poem.
I mean, what if Brandon said NO? Or laughed at me? Or just . . . PUKED?!
OMG! I was a sweaty, paranoid . . . WRECK! I felt like people were staring at me and whispering about me . . . .
ME, NERVOUSLY WAITING FOR BRANDON SO I COULD GIVE HIM MY CARD
When Brandon finally arrived, I thought I was going to pee my pants.
“What’s up, Nikki?!” he said, brushing his bangs out of his eyes and giving me a crooked smile.
I just stared at him. I opened my mouth to say hi, but no words came out.
“Um . . . are you okay?” he suddenly asked, looking concerned. “You look a little, um . . . frazzled!”
“Actually, Brandon . . .,” I finally blurted out really loud, “I just wanted to give—”
“BRAAAN-DON! Wasn’t that pop quiz yesterday just AWFUL?” MacKenzie asked, rudely interrupting me. “I thought I failed for sure. But lucky for me I squeaked by with a B+. So, Nikki, what did YOU get on the quiz, hon?”
Then she smiled at me and batted her eyes all innocentlike.
I wanted to slap that smile right off her face.
But before I could answer, MacKenzie turned her back to me and started gushing to Brandon about how much she was looking forward to seeing all of the great photos he’d taken with that new camera she’d given him for his birthday.
I could NOT believe that girl was ignoring me right to my face like that. And get this! She kept blabbing her big fat mouth right up until our teacher arrived.
Which totally RUINED my chance to talk to Brandon BEFORE class. And if MacKenzie had her way, she’d HOG all of his attention and totally RUIN my chance to talk to him AFTER class TOO!
I was sick and tired of her little mind games.
So that’s when I decided I’d just give Brandon my card DURING class! Hey, I sat right next to him!
And MacKenzie couldn’t do a thing to stop me.
Because our class had performed poorly on our pop quiz yesterday, Ms. Kincaid planned to spend the entire hour at the board diagramming the Krebs cycle while we took notes.
OMG! Her lecture was SO boring I thought my brain was going to melt and ooze out of my ears . . . .
“The citric acid cycle—also known as the Krebs cycle—is a series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy through the oxidization of acetate derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into carbon dioxide. In addition . . .”
I stared at Brandon for what seemed like FOREVER waiting for him to look in my direction. But he was busy taking notes.
That’s when I took my pencil and gently poked his arm.
At first he looked slightly startled, the
n a little confused. speechless.
I pulled the card out of my notebook and mouthed the words “For YOU!”
He blinked in surprise and then pointed at himself, as if to say “For ME?!”
I nodded my head. “Yes!”
As I watched Ms. Kincaid out of the corner of my eye, I quickly shoved the card in Brandon’s direction.
However, I think that supercute smile of his must have affected my nervous system and messed up my hand-eye coordination or something. Because the valentine slid right past him, glided across the floor, and landed ten inches from Ms. Kincaid’s left foot!
I wanted to jump out of my seat and try to grab it before she saw it.
But someone right behind me started to cough.
Really loudly.
And because it was such an obviously FAKE cough, I guessed that it was MacKenzie.
Distracted by the noise, Ms. Kincaid turned around.
I pretended not to notice the big glittery red valentine lying on the floor right in front of her. But it didn’t matter because everyone else in the room was staring at it like it was a six-foot-long two-headed flesh-eating snake.
“Okay, people. I’m up here trying to teach you this stuff! And someone has decided to disrupt the class by handing out valentines a day early?!!”
Everyone snickered.
“So, who does THIS belong to?” she asked as she reached down and picked up the card.
The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Neither Brandon nor I felt morally obligated to offer a confession.
He kept HIS mouth shut because if I brought the card to class, it belonged to ME (not HIM).
And I kept MY mouth shut because if I’d just given the card away, it technically belonged to HIM (not ME).
Unfortunately, my cover was quickly blown. Probably because the back of the card had three-inch letters that said “From Nikki.” DUH!!
“Miss Maxwell, I think this belongs to you!” Ms. Kincaid said, glaring at me.
“Um, it kind of fell out of my notebook. Accidentally,” I muttered.
“Really? So you weren’t passing notes in class?”
“Actually, I wouldn’t really call it a note?” I mumbled. “It’s more of a . . . card.”
The class snickered again.
“Actually, I—I was hoping you wouldn’t share it with the class?” I stammered.
More laughter. OMG! I was SO embarrassed. I wanted to dig a really deep hole right in the middle of the floor, crawl into it, and . . . DIE!
Brandon’s cheeks were flushed, and he looked really nervous.
Ms. Kincaid read the card silently, crossed her arms, and stared at me.
Then, choosing to spare Brandon the massive embarrassment, she turned, marched across the speechless.
“Nikki, please see me after class!”
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. MacKenzie, now miraculously cured from her coughing affliction, had this smug little look on her face.
Brandon shrugged and mouthed the word “Sorry!”
But I just stared blankly straight ahead.
I could NOT believe that MacKenzie had totally set me up! AGAIN!! I was so mad I could SPIT!!
And now I was going to get a note sent home to my parents and possibly even an after-school detention.
Finally the bell rang and bio was over.
Brandon actually looked kind of upset. “I’m really sorry about what happened, Nikki! I’ll just wait for you right outside the door until you’re done talking to the teacher, okay?”
“Don’t worry! It was just a stupid card. I’ll be fine. Really!” I said, trying to muster a smile. “The last thing you need is a tardy.”
“I guess you’re right. I just feel bad since you made that card for me.” Suddenly his face brightened. “Hey! I’m going to hang out at Fuzzy Friends after school today. The bakery across the street makes some mean cupcakes! Why don’t you stop by? It’ll be my treat! Besides, we haven’t really talked much since my birthday.”
“Yeah, that would be very cool, actually!” I blushed.
“But I’m supposed to watch Brianna after school today. I’ll text my mom and ask if I—”
“MISS MAXWELL!” Ms. Kincaid interrupted. “Whenever you’re done chatting, I’ll be here WAITING . . . !”
“Sorry!” I said to Brandon, rolling my eyes. “I’ll see you later. Maybe.”
“Later. Hopefully!” Brandon smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. Then he headed for the door.
I shoved all of my stuff into my backpack and slowly walked up to my teacher’s desk.
“Um, you wanted to see me?” I muttered. I was expecting the worst.
“Nikki, I’ve noticed you’ve been really distracted lately. Yesterday you drew a cartoon on your quiz, and today you were disrupting class by giving out valentines instead of taking notes. Is everything okay?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m okay, I guess. It’s just that the Sweetheart Dance is tomorrow. I planned to ask Brandon yesterday, but we had that pop quiz. Then today you confiscated my card before I could give it to him. So things are just . . . cruddy!” I explained, trying to ignore the large lump in my throat.
Suddenly Ms. Kincaid smiled and shook her head.
“When I was your age, I thought I’d NEVER survive middle school! But I did, and so will YOU. Here!” she said, handing my valentine back to me. Then she winked at me. “Good luck!”
I just stared at her with my mouth open. I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to say.
“Thank you! I can’t believe you just . . . ! Thank you!” I sputtered.
“Now, I’m and batted her eyes all innocentlike.
I did my Snoopy “happy dance” all the way to the library. Inside my head!
My Plan A had failed. But now I had a Plan B!
I would meet Brandon at Fuzzy Friends after school. Then, while we shared a yummy cupcake, I’d give him my valentine.
SQUEEE !!
He’d say YES! And by this time tomorrow my BFFs and I would be just hours away from our very first dates.
A triple date! Just like we’d dreamed of!
I texted my mom, and she said I could hang out at Fuzzy Friends, but only for forty-five minutes since it was a school night and I had homework.
Finally school was over! It was hard to believe that in just ten minutes it was going to be official.
I’d actually be going to the Sweetheart Dance with Brandon! SQUEEE !!
I was at my locker getting my coat when I got two texts barely a minute apart. I thought they were from my mom. But I was pleasantly surprised to were from . . . BRANDON!
However, I gasped in shock when I read them . . . .
*****
FROM BRANDON:
Hey MacKenzie,
What’s up! Wasn’t bio crazy today?
3:07 p.m.
*****
FROM BRANDON:
Sorry, Nikki! My bad. Wrong #.
3:08 p.m.
*****
OMG! I had a meltdown right there at my locker!
HOW COULD BRANDON
ACCIDENTALLY SEND A TEXT
MEANT FOR MACKENZIE TO ME?!!
I don’t know if I was more angry or disgusted! It seemed like Brandon was ALWAYS talking to MacKenzie or working on some random newspaper project with her.
And now it was quite obvious he was TEXTING her on a pretty regular basis too!
All while inviting ME to hang out at Fuzzy Friends and eat cupcakes with him??!! I mean, WHO does that?!!
I reached into my backpack and dug out that wrinkled magazine article, “How to Know if a Guy Is Just NOT Into You.”
I read it over, then crossed off the last item left on the list:
5. He’s spending way too much time with another girl.
I sighed and blinked back my tears. I felt so STUPID!
Brandon was NOT interested in me at all.
And according to the EXPERTS, he’d done all FIVE of the things on the magazine c a s
melly, long-haired dog at rshecklist! I’d carefully documented each and every one . . . .
I had to stop fooling myself.
Brandon and MacKenzie were an item and were probably going to the dance together.
And even if they weren’t, there was still NO WAY I could ask Brandon to the dance after receiving those last two texts!
How could he be really good friends with MacKenzie when she treated ME so badly?
And WHY would he want to be friends with her?! She was a mean, spoiled, manipulative, vain . . . DRAMA QUEEN! And those were her BEST qualities!
Tomorrow I’ll break the news to Chloe and Zoey that I won’t be going to the dance with them. I know they’re going to be disappointed and all, but this whole Brandon thing is NOT working out.
I just hope they’ll understand.
It’s really sad losing a good friend like Brandon to MacKenzie. And the last thing I want is to lose my BFFs, too.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14
I had pretty much accepted the fact that I WASN’T going to the Sweetheart Dance. But I still felt disappointed, hurt, and just plain miserable.
I must have been pretty traumatized by the whole thing, because I had the most horrible nightmare!
It was the night of the Sweetheart Dance, and I was at home putting dishes in the dishwasher and feeling kind of depressed about my life.
Suddenly my fairy godmother appeared and waved her mag I said. “Why donon2I was ic wand. She turned my heart pj’s into a beautiful evening gown and my bunny slippers into glass slippers.
Then she waved her wand again and turned Brianna’s Princess Sugar Plum Magical Flying Car (with real working headlights) into a life-size limo and Brianna’s Baby Unicorn into a chauffeur.
OMG! It was like I was Cinderella or someone!
And when I arrived at the Sweetheart Dance, Brandon was dressed like a prince and standing there waiting for me. We danced the night away and had a wonderful time together. It was SO romantic!