"LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT." MY band instructor, Ms. Holloway, clapped her hands as she chanted. The Troy High band marched across the edge of the football field, everyone trying to keep in step with one another. It was hot, the late summer sun beat down on our heads, and school had ended nearly an hour ago.
But Ms. Holloway devoted her life to band practice and she said we didn't have time to waste, with homecoming only two months away.
We weren't the only ones suffering in the sun. The football players were throwing balls and running into tackling dummies in preparation for the game that weekend. The cheerleaders had been practicing cheers and pyramids, but were now lying on the grass, working on their tans and watching the football team.
"Left, Cassie," Ms. Holloway said. "Left, right, left, right."
Oh, give it up, Ms. Holloway. I could never keep in step last year, why did she think this year would be any different?
We were forced to endure another fifteen minutes of marching in circles while trying to play the Troy High school song before Ms. Holloway finally let us go. Sweat had soaked my back and my hair clung to my neck.
"Hey, Cassie," Elena greeted me as she made her way over to where I'd left my backpack and flute case. Mallory and Kelsey followed her. "How was your practice?"
"Torture," I said. "I need a cold shower."
Mallory made a face. "I'm glad I dumped band for cheerleading," she said. "One year of marching in the sun was more than enough."
And yet, jumping around in the sun was somehow better? It didn't make sense to me, but I figured it must be popular-girl logic.
"You should join cheerleading," Elena told me. "Then we could hang out together at practice."
I snorted. "Me? A cheerleader? Did you not see me unable to keep in step while marching? I'm way too uncoordinated to even think about cheerleading."
Elena pouted. "Oh, well, I guess we can still hang out after practice and whenever we get a break at the games." She bounced on the balls of her feet. "I can't wait until the game on Saturday! It'll be so much fun."
"I'm just looking forward to seeing the guys in those tight football pants," Kelsey said, grinning as her gaze roamed over the football field.
"Well, yeah, that's a given!" Elena said, giggling.
"Especially one guy in particular," Mallory said, nudging Elena's side. "Right?"
Elena's cheeks reddened. "Maybe."
Coach Wellens blew his whistle to signal the end of the practice, and the football players headed off the field. It was easy to pick out Hunter from the other guys. He stood taller than most, with broad shoulders and a thick, muscled body. Perry was tall too, though not as tall as Hunter, and thinner, with lean muscle and a narrow frame. They even walked off the field differently: Hunter kind of stomped, his body still rigid and tense from practice, while Perry casually sauntered off the field, as if the workout had no effect on him at all.
"Hello, ladies," Perry said when he reached our little circle. He threw an arm around Elena's shoulders and grinned down at her. "How's it going?"
"Ew," Elena said, wrinkling her nose. "You smell sweaty."
She didn't make any movement to get away from his stench.
"My apologies, dear lady," Perry said, making a mocking, sweeping bow. "I shall now head to the showers to wash away the stench of my manly toil."
I rolled my eyes.
But obviously I was the only one who thought Perry's display was revolting. Elena, Mallory, and Kelsey all giggled and waved to him as he joined the line of guys headed toward the little gray building that housed the locker rooms.
Mallory and Kelsey let out an earsplitting squeal.
"Did you see the way he put his arm around you?" Kelsey asked Elena.
"He totally wants to go out with you," Mallory said.
"Don't you think so, Cassie?" Kelsey asked me. "I mean, you're Perry's sister. You know him better than we do."
I knew my brother liked to flirt with pretty girls. And I knew Elena was just his type.
I also knew from the bad feeling in my stomach that things were not going to end well now that Elena Argos had come to Troy. Especially not if she let her fascination with my brother make her forget about her longtime boyfriend.
All three girls were looking at me as if waiting for an answer, so I said, "Um, yeah, I guess so."
Elena slipped her arm through mine. "Tell me all about him," she said. "What's he like? What does he like to do for fun?"
I could tell her how Perry always managed to weasel his way out of doing his chores. Or about how when we were kids he tore the arms off my favorite doll. Or even about how he fell madly in love with girls for two weeks and then got tired of them and moved on to someone else.
But I knew Elena didn't want to hear any of that. And if I didn't watch myself, I'd end up sitting alone in the cafeteria again. I'd have to walk home from band practice by myself instead of standing with the three prettiest girls at Troy High, gossiping about boys.
And there was something about Elena. Things were different when I was around her. I wanted to be like her. She made me want to be pretty and popular and crazy over football players (although not football players who happened to be my brothers, because that would be gross).
I wanted Elena to be my friend. And I was afraid that the only way to have that was to tell her what she wanted to hear.
"Perry is such a great big brother," I gushed. "He's really funny and always helps out around the house. He's a really great guy. He loves action movies and football, of course, and he sometimes helps my dad work on the family car. Perry is really smart about mechanical stuff."
Elena squeezed my arm. "He's not seeing anyone, is he? Or is there anyone he likes?"
"No, I don't think so," I said. "Well, obviously he must like you, with the way he's been acting since he met you at lunch. But I haven't heard him say anything about liking anyone else."
Elena stopped walking and turned toward me. Kelsey and Mallory stood behind her, with matching grins as they watched Elena.
"Cassie, can you do me a huge favor?" Elena asked. "Tonight at home, can you somehow find out what Perry really thinks of me? Find out if he truly likes me? I'll give you my cell number and you can call me right away. I have to know every detail about what he says and how he says it. Okay?" Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at me, her smile hopeful. I felt as if she were entrusting me with an important task. And no one else could do this for her.
I nodded. "Sure," I promised.
"How was the first day of school?" Mom asked over dinner that night.
Family dinners consisted of the five of us eating in various places around the living room while watching TV. I sat on the floor, with my plate on the coffee table. "Fine," I answered.
"Not bad," Perry said, shrugging.
"Uh-huh," Hunter grunted, his eyes glued to the TV.
"Sounds like a great day," Dad said, smirking. "How was football practice, guys?"
"Good," Hunter said. "Coach said my throwing arm is looking great."
Dad nodded approvingly. "I knew all that practice this summer would improve your arm," he said. "Not that it needed much improving." He grinned.
"So, Cassie," Mom said, "how were your classes?"
Mom always asked that. And I knew that what she always really wanted to ask was, "Did you make any friends today?" It practically killed my mom that I wasn't as popular as she had been in school. My dad had been a football player and my mom a cheerleader. They were like the perfect, popular couple. They'd had two perfect, popular kids. And then they'd had me.
I'd spent my entire life convinced that I must have been adopted.
"My classes were fine," I said, stirring a cucumber around in a puddle of salad dressing on my plate. "I have a friend in my English class."
Mom's face lit up so much you'd think I had just told her Santa Claus was coming down the chimney right at that moment. "You do? Who is it?"
"Elena Argos," I said. "She's one of the kids who got transferred to Troy from Lacede for the redistricting. We have a couple of classes together. And we knew each other already because she-"
I caught myself just in time. I almost said that we knew each other because she was dating Greg's brother. I had a feeling that spilling the beans about Elena's relationship status in front of Perry probably wasn't the way to win her friendship.
But why shouldn't I say something? Elena was dating Lucas. Perry had a right to know that before he had any serious thoughts about dating her.
And yet, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
Maybe Elena and Lucas really weren't together anymore, I told myself. They could have broken up last night after I left Greg's house. Elena and Lucas breaking up was nothing new. Every few months, they had a huge fight and swore they'd never speak to each other ever again. Then three weeks later, they were back together, proclaiming how they were soul mates.
But wouldn't Elena have been upset today if they had broken up? Or maybe she had become so used to it that it didn't even bother her anymore?
I had to keep my mouth shut for a little while.
"How do you know Elena?" Mom asked me.
"Oh," I said, trying to think quickly, "we met at the community pool last year." I shoved a forkful of salad into my mouth and focused on chewing.
"I can't believe Elena is a sophomore," Perry said through a mouthful of steak. "She seems so much more sophisticated. Sophomores are babies."
I rolled my eyes.
"You were a sophomore just last year," Hunter reminded him.
Perry waved a hand. "Exactly my point. Last year, I was just a kid. This year, I'm much more mature." He let out a loud burp. "Excuse me. See? Last year I wouldn't have said excuse me after burping. This year I have manners."
Oh, puh-lease. When had he suddenly developed these manners? Right after he had held me down and farted on me two days ago?
"But there's something different about Elena," Perry said. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile. "She's not like the other girls at school. Not like anyone I've ever met."
"You've only talked to her twice," I pointed out.
"But I can tell," Perry insisted. "She's special, I can feel it." He put his plate down on his knee and looked at me. "Cassie, you have to help me get her."
I swallowed the food in my mouth. "Get her what?"
"You know, get her to go out with me. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her all day. Do you know if she's seeing anyone?"
This was it. This was the time to tell my brother the truth. Maybe I could find a way to break it to him gently.
But the way Perry looked at me made me remember the way Elena had looked that afternoon. Perry and Elena could become the most popular couple at Troy High. And if I kept my mouth shut and went along for the ride, I could be popular too.
I didn't owe any loyalty to Lucas anyway. What had he ever done for me?
I tried to push thoughts of Greg out of mind as I said, "I don't think she's seeing anyone right now."
Perry smiled wide at me. "Great. Tomorrow I'll work my magic on Elena Argos."
