He glared in my direction. Yikes. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but he was still on the phone with Jeanne.

“Oh, yeah, I really like Airbrook Arts,” Rafe said cheerfully into the receiver. Watch out, he mouthed at me, eyes narrowed. “How’s HVMS? What are you up to?” Then he turned his back on me and started toward the stairs. I heard him slam the door to his bedroom.

I looked down at my apple. I’d only taken one bite, but I didn’t want it anymore.

It ain’t easy being mean.

Rafe’s Revenge

GEORGIA! GEORGIA, CONGRATULATIONS!” Rhonda screeched as I walked into HVMS five days later.

It wasn’t even first period, and I already had no idea what was going on. “What are you congratulating me for?”

“THE LIST FOR BATTLE OF THE BANDS IS UP—AND YOUR BAND IS ON IT!” She grabbed my arms and shook me. “YOU’RE GOING TO PERFORM AT THE DANCE!”

“WHAT?” I shrieked. For once, my voice was as loud as Rhonda’s. “Are you sure?”

Rhonda pointed, and I dashed over to the display case in the school lobby. Here’s what I saw:

“We can’t play the dance!” I wailed. “How did this happen?” And then, like lightning striking, I realized two things:

1. Only one person calls my band We Stink.
2. That person was recently on the phone with Jeanne Galletta, head of the dance committee.

He got me. Rafe got me in my own school. He was going to make sure I humiliated myself in front of everyone.

“YOU’RE GOING TO BE AMAZING!” Rhonda gushed.

This doesn’t even have anything to do with you! I wanted to shout. But I didn’t. Instead, I sat down right there, in the middle of the floor.

“ARE YOU OKAY?” Rhonda plopped down next to me.

“Rhonda—we can’t play the dance! We really do stink. We’re not ready!” I buried my head in my arms. “What am I going to tell the band?”

Rhonda sat there for a long time, not saying anything. That was so unusual that I actually peeked out from behind my arms, just to make sure she was still breathing.

She was. In fact, she was watching me and smiling. Sometime while I had my head in my arms, she had already managed to make a sign that read WE STINK RULES! She put a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“YOU CAN TELL THE BAND,” she said seriously, “TO GET READY TO ROCK.”

Playing War

Mom and Rafe were playing cards in the living room when I got home from school. Rafe looked up from his hand and narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s new, Georgia?” he asked.

I snorted. “You already know what’s new, Rafe.” I nearly tripped over the pile of mail in the front hall. Am I the only one who picks things up around here? I thought as I gathered up the mess and sorted through it.