Fabulous Five 003 - The Popularity Trap Read Free

Christie
cringed. That would be using her relationship with the principal exactly the
way her friends said she could. Which was worse? she wondered. Using it for
personal problems or using it to help the entire seventh-grade class?
    "Hi, Christie," called Alexis Duvall from a table
near the door. "I hear you're running for class president."
    Christie stopped beside Alexis's table. It was crowded with
kids she knew—Kim Baxter, Lisa Snow, Sara Sawyer, Gloria Drexler, and Marcie
Bee. They were all looking at her and smiling.
    Nodding, she said, "My friends in The Fabulous Five
nominated me. I didn't even know they were doing it."
    "Yeah, we know," said Marcie. "We signed your
petitions. We knew your friends were doing it in secret, but we didn't know if
they had told you yet. I think it's super that they did a thing like that for
you. It proves how much they like you if they even want you to be president."
    "I'll vote for you," volunteered Sara. "Especially
since you're running against Melissa McConnell. " She held her nose
and made a face as if she were smelling something putrid, and all around the
table girls began holding their noses and nodding their heads in agreement.
    "We'll all vote for you for president and Richie Corrierro
for treasurer," said Alexis. "And if you need help with posters or
anything, just let us know."
    The others were nodding and smiling again. It made Christie
feel surprisingly good.
    "Thanks, guys. I have to get going now," she said,
moving toward the door. It was nice to know that so many kids were planning to
vote for her. Maybe running for class president wouldn't be so bad after all,
she thought.
    She had almost reached the swinging doors leading into the
hallway when someone stepped in front of her. It was Laura McCall, and
following her like a parade of ducks were the rest of The Fantastic Foursome.
    "Hello, Christie," Laura said crisply.
    "Hi," she responded.
    "We hear that you're running against Melissa for class
president."
    "So . . . ?" said Christie.
    "So—don't get any big ideas about winning," said
Laura. "We're planning such a terrific campaign for her that you couldn't
beat her in a million years."
    "That's right." Melissa snickered. "Just wait
until you hear my slogan. 'Vote for Melissa McConnell for president when you
care enough to elect the very best.'" Her nose was in the air and she was
giving Christie a superior look.
    Christie didn't answer. She looked straight at Melissa and
thought, It fits. Voting for her is like sending an April Fools' Day card.
    "So what's your slogan?" Laura challenged.
    Christie pulled herself up to her full height and tried to
act proud. "My slogan is 'Cure all your troubles with Vitamin C.' C stands
for Christie, of course."
    The Fantastic Foursome just stared at her for a moment. Then
Laura burst out laughing, and the others did, too.
    "Vitamin C!" shrieked Tammy Lucero. "What are
you, a piece of fruit?"
    "Sure," said Melissa. "She's gone bananas.
Everybody knows that."
    Christie could feel her face turning a bright shade of red.
It had been one thing to make a joke out of Melissa's slogan, but hearing her
own turned around into something stupid really burned her up. "Just wait,"
she said, stomping past them. "I'll beat the socks off of you."
    She was still smarting from the encounter with The Fantastic
Foursome when she got to the principal's office. Barreling in without looking
right or left, she went straight to the reception desk and started to tell Miss
Simone who she was.
    "Don't bother sitting down, Christie," said the
secretary before Christie could say her name. "Mr. Bell is waiting for
you."
    "Great," Christie grumbled to herself. "I
even get the red-carpet treatment from the principal's secretary."
    Mr. Bell stood up and smiled cordially when Christie entered
his office. He was tall and slim with a patch of shiny scalp poking up through
close-cropped gray hair.
    "Hello there, Christie," he said. "Have a
seat and tell me how your parents