Daddy's Little Angel (14 page)

When the bell finally rang, I begged her to hold on and let me explain. She crossed her arms, but she waited. Progress. Then, just as I was explaining how I wasn’t friends with Courtney and Co. anymore, Courtney and Jaydin passed by.

“Hey, Angel,” Jaydin said, acting superfriendly. “We still on for after school?”

Gabi’s lips pierced together. Big set back. “She’s bluffing,” I said. “I don’t hang out with them anymore. They hate me more than anyone.”

“It’s okay, Angel,” Courtney said, putting her hand on my arm. “You already proved how loyal you are to us by coming up with that idea to ditch Gabi. You don’t have to torture the girl anymore.”

“That’s a lie. It wasn’t my idea,” I cried out.

“Seriously,” Courtney said. “You can stop acting as if you want to be
her
friend. I changed my mind. You don’t need to humiliate her again. Gabi does that well enough on her own.” Courtney laughed and gave me what looked like a genuine smile. She
was
a good actress.

Gabi grabbed her things and ran out of the room. I started to chase her, but I stopped when Courtney called out my name.

“Warned you not to mess with me. Oh, and I heard you’re going to see
my
show on Friday with Cole,” she said, looking me up and down with disgust on her face. “I hope you know it’s not a date. He just feels sorry for you. He thinks we’re being too mean, so he’s taken you on as his pity project. He’d never really go for someone like you.”

I felt dizzy. Like the ground under my feet was wavering and I could collapse at any second. What an
idiot
I was. I had actually managed to convince myself that Lou was probably right and Cole did genuinely like me on his own.

I was devastated, but at the same time I was furious. Just looking at Courtney standing across from me and gloating filled me with rage. “You’re just jealous!” I spat. I should have known better. Boy, did she serve it back.

“
Hmm.
Let’s see. I’m way prettier than you, the most popular girl in school, and have the lead in the school musical—which was kind of easy to get seeing as your no-talent friend,
oops
, make that ex-friend, was my only competition. Yeah, I’m really jealous.” Courtney rolled her eyes at me and walked out with Jaydin right beside her.

That did it. I had nothing else to lose. Courtney was going to pay for what she did to Gabi and to me. I had a plan. Ms. Lourde could kiss her precious part in the show good-bye. She messed with the wrong girl.

If anyone would know about revenge, it was the devil’s daughter.

As I was getting ready for my date, or non-date, or mercy date, or whatever the heck kind of date it was, I had serious cancellation fantasies. I picked up my phone and dialed Cole’s number at least three times before managing to stop myself. Once I calmed down, I realized there was a possibility, maybe even a good possibility, that Courtney was lying about Cole and for that reason alone, I had to take my chances. Of course, there was also the possibility that he was only interested in me because of Lou’s interference, but even so, it was an opportunity. Besides, my whole revenge scheme revolved around being at the show.

The plan was for me to sneak backstage before the show and put itching powder in Courtney’s wig. It was supposed to itch so bad that she wouldn’t be able to perform after the first scene or so. She’d have no choice but to run offstage to scratch. Then there’d be two choices—cancel the show, or let Gabi take over. Gabi had the whole musical, choreography and all, memorized. And no matter what she said, I knew she was upset that she was stuck as the assistant director. She would definitely do the part. And if she didn’t volunteer on her own, I’d suggest the idea to Mrs. Torin myself. It was a two-for-one. Gabi would get to be a star, and Courtney would look like a fool. Simple but effective. And it would finally prove to Gabi that I was loyal to her and not to Courtney.

By the time I made it to Goode’s Greatest Pizza, Cole was already seated at a little table near the counter wearing his green sweater. I wanted to think he chose it to match my eyes.
Ahh
, who was I kidding? He probably didn’t even know what color my eyes were. Even so, I couldn’t take them off of him. He looked so sweet just sitting there playing with a straw wrapper.

“Hey.” He stood up when I got there.

“Hey.” I didn’t know whether to sit, give him a hug, get in line for pizza, or what.

“We should probably grab our food now,” he said. “We don’t have too much time before the show starts.”

Was he trying to rush us out of there? Did he not want to be seen with me? He walked over to the counter, and I followed him.

“What can I get you?” the pizza guy asked. Like a true gentleman, Cole let me order first. Which made me think it
was
a date.

“
Uhh
, I’ll have a slice of the everything. Actually, make that the pineapple.”

Cole made a face. “Pineapple?”

“I bet you never even tried it,” I said.

“Fruit does not belong on pizza.”

“You’d be surprised. It’s different, but it still tastes good.” That, and the everything had garlic and onions on it. Not prime date food.

He looked at me and then at the pineapple slices in the display case and ordered one of those. “And a slice of cheese.”

That had to be a good sign, too! He ordered the same thing I did, and isn’t imitation the highest form of flattery? I was totally psyched. Until I heard a familiar voice say, “Hi.” It was Reid, joining us over at the soda dispenser. He bumped fists with Cole.

Ughh.
Why did he have to be there? Had Cole called him for backup? Was I a
group
charity project?

Thankfully, I heard a familiar voice call out Reid’s name. It was Lana. They must have been on a date. She finally managed to snag him, the poor boy.

“We’ll see you guys at the show,” Reid said as he headed back to his table.

Not if I could help it. But Cole nodded. Another check in the “he’s not that into me” category.

Cole and I went to pick up our food. “Three slices and two sodas, eleven-twenty,” the guy at the counter said.

I reached for my purse. If Cole paid, it was a date. If he didn’t—well, that wasn’t a good sign. I didn’t look at him as I fished around for a five-dollar bill. Why wasn’t he saying anything? All this back and forth and second guessing was driving me crazy. In a moment of defeat, I handed him my money. “Here you go.”

He waved it away. “I got it.”

“Thanks,” I said as we walked back to our table.

“No problem. I owe you after the whole detention thing.”

Owed me?
Was this just payback because he felt bad that he got me in trouble? This royally stunk. It was official. I was just his friend. The weird girl he took pity on. The one no one else liked. What a fool. Courtney was right. I can’t believe I actually thought that he might have liked me-liked me. All I wanted was to go home and watch some horror movie on my computer and forget about everything. But I couldn’t. Just because my evening was a major disappointment didn’t mean I could let my best friend down. Not again. At least one of us deserved to be happy.

I looked at Cole biting into his pineapple pizza. Why didn’t he like me? Okay, I had to grow up. At least he wanted to be my friend. And it wasn’t like I had many of them. I was going to make the best of this.

“So how is it?” I took a bite of my own slice.

“You were right. Not bad. I kind of like it.”

Why couldn’t he kind of like
me
?
Stop it, Angel.
I was going to have fun. “Told ya.”

“I’ll have to listen to you more often.”

“Well, I
am
usually right,” I said.

“Is that so?”

“Yep. About 98.97 percent of the time.”
Except when it comes to boys. Then it’s point zero.

Only . . . right at that moment, I could swear he was staring at me. And smiling. So that was good, right? Maybe he did like me, after all?

“You have a little bit of pizza sauce, right there,” he said, pointing at my right cheek.

Uggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! How embarrassing!
I tried to rub it off.

“Did I get it?”

“No, here.” He reached over and wiped it away with his finger.

We both laughed, and then my eyes caught his. He was staring again, but this time it really didn’t seem like pizza sauce was the cause. In fact, it almost felt like he was going to kiss me. Not like I knew what that felt like. But what else could his staring and smiling at me mean? I held my breath and waited.

“Cole,” Reid called out. “We’re leaving now. Want to come with us?”

“Yeah, dude,” Cole answered and popped up out of his chair.

Lana only said two words to me as we walked over to school for the show. “Nice” and “outfit.” By the time we got to the auditorium, a lot of the seats were already taken. We couldn’t find four together, so Reid and Lana ended up sitting two rows behind Cole and me.

I saw Gabi stick her head out from behind the curtain onstage and scan the crowd. She looked sort of stressed. Little did she know how much better she was about to feel. As soon as she took over the part of Lucy, she’d be back in the zone. Now was the time to make my move. I told Cole that I was just going to wish Gabi luck and that I’d be right back. I snuck out the side door and stood in the hall outside the backstage area. I just had to get into Courtney’s dressing room and get out. Ideally, without being seen.

I stood near the row of dressing rooms on the stage’s left side—the girl’s side—and dialed Courtney’s cell, while blocking my number, of course.

“What?” she snapped into the receiver without even saying hello. “Who is this?”

I ignored the question. “You have to come see this,” I exclaimed, disguising my voice the whole time. “There’s a huge bouquet for you by the stage right door. It’s signed D.L. Helper.” Then I snapped the phone shut.

I knew using D.L.’s name would do the trick. Courtney raced out of her dressing room, and a moment later, I dashed in. Then I closed the door behind me, and grabbed the fake hair. Right as I was about to pull out my powder, I heard the door creak open. My heart skipped a beat.

“What are you doing?” Luckily, it was Gabi and not Courtney standing in front of me.

“Um,”
I stuttered, flinging the wig on the counter. “I just came to wish you luck.”

“You mean Courtney, don’t you? I’m not the one performing.”

That’s what she thought. “It’s your show, too. And I know you don’t believe me, but she isn’t my friend. You are,” I squeaked.

“Right. That’s why you’re hanging out in
her
dressing room,” she said, yanking on her hair. “You’ve got to go. Only people who are part of the show are supposed to be back here.”

“Okay,” I said. “I just need to make a quick call.” I fumbled with my purse, grabbing hold of the powder. I needed to make my move the second Gabi left. “Can I have a minute alone?”

“Not in here,” she said, her voice straining to stay calm.

“It’s got to be in here,” I pleaded. “I mean, it’s quiet in here. And I need somewhere quiet. And private. It’s important.”

“Angel, I don’t have time for this.”

“Then just leave me alone. Pretend you never saw me here.”

Gabi’s hands clenched into fists. I hadn’t meant to come off harsh, but I needed her gone for her own sake. She’d understand as soon as the show got underway. “Whatever,” she said, and stormed off.

I reached for the wig. Then I heard the door open again. “Gabi, just give me a—” I said as I turned around.

The death glare stopped me mid-sentence.

“What are you doing in here?” Courtney bellowed. I wished Gabi was still there, so she could have seen for herself how much Courtney hated me. “This is
my
dressing room.”

“I got lost,” I said quickly.
This cannot be happening
, I thought. My plan was ruined. I didn’t know what to do.

“Well, you need to get lost again. It’s bad enough I have to see that loser you used to hang out with back here. I don’t need to look at you, too. You make my skin crawl.”

She inched her way toward me and gave me a push. I seriously considered taking out the itching powder and flinging it in her face, but I didn’t. Once she got me on the other side of the doorway, Courtney slammed the door with all of her might and screamed, “Freak.”

What a witch. I was done being good. Courtney asked for it.

I never thought it would have come to this, but it was time to see if I had powers.

“Five minutes to places,” Mrs. Torin called out.

Great. I only had a few minutes to find out if I had any powers and figure out how to use them.

With no time to spare, I went through my mental file of every movie I ever saw where someone used special powers. Usually they were triggered by some ritual. So I tried to come up with my own.

First, I concentrated on how much I needed them to work. Next, I came up with a little incantation,
“I can see the darkness. I can see the light. I am ready to accept my birthright,”
and whispered it three times for good luck. Then I waited to see if I felt any different. A minute or two passed, and I didn’t notice any change. Time was a wastin’. So I clicked my heels three times.

It worked for Dorothy.

Just as I was completing my third click, Courtney stuck her head outside her dressing room door. “Why are you still here? I thought I told you to get lost. Wannabes are not welcome.”

Oh, how I wished someone would silence her permanently. But telling her to shut up was about all I had time for because Mrs. Torin was calling three minute to places.