Home Sweet Drama

  HOME SWEET DRAMA

  Other books in the

  CANTERWOOD CREST SERIES:

  TAKE THE REINS

  CHASING BLUE

  BEHIND THE BIT

  TRIPLE FAULT

  BEST ENEMIES

  LITTLE WHITE LIES

  RIVAL REVENGE

  Canterwood Crest

  HOME SWEET DRAMA

  JESSICA BURKHART

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ALADDIN M!X

  Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  First Aladdin M!X edition April 2010

  Copyright © 2010 by Jessica Burkhart

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction

  in whole or in part in any form.

  ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo

  is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  ALADDIN M!X and related logo are registered trademarks

  of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please

  contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949

  or business@simonandschuster.com.

  The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event.

  For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at

  www.simonspeakers.com.

  Designed by Jessica Handelman

  The text of this book was set in Venetian 301 BT.

  Manufactured in the United States of America / 0210 OFF

  2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

  Library of Congress Control Number 2009942965

  ISBN 978-1-4169-9040-6

  ISBN 978-1-4169-9909-6 (eBook)

  To girls’ nights—always legen- … wait for it … -dary!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to How I Met Your Mother’s Barney for uttering that epic line.

  Thank you, Alyssa Henkin, for representing this project.

  Lots of thanks to Monica Stevenson and the amazing Canterwood models.

  On the S&S Team of Awesome: Jessica Handelman, Liesa Abrams, Russell Gordon, Karin Paprocki, Alyson Heller, Mara Anastas, Fiona Simpson, Bethany Buck, Bess Braswell, Lucille Rettino, Nicole Russo, and Venessa Williams. Brenna Franzitta, thank you so much for being a fab managing ed.

  Kate Angelella, the edit letter for this book is by far the most memorable. I hope you realize what you (fueled by coffee, espresso beans, and Red Bull) bring to these books. You’re not only a fabulous editor, but also an envy-worthy writer, and that’s what gives your edits that extra sparkle.

  Thanks to my awesome reader girlies! Your e-mails, letters, and comments mean so much. Team Canterwood!

  Mandy Morgan and Lauren Barnholdt, the phone calls and e-mails are so fun, and I always look forward to chatting.

  Ross Angelella, thanks for introducing me to the ICB. A perfect “I finished my draft!” reward. Or, you know, a Monday night “just because.” ;)

  KAA, I *always* get stuck writing yours. Sparkly spritzers, nights at BF, falling down (we really need to start that photo-journal …) and HIMYM marathons are just some of the things that make you beyond superimportant in my life. And there’s so much more to do … LYSMB <3

  HOME SWEET DRAMA

  1

  TO JASMINE

  JULIA AND ALISON’S REVENGE WAS COMPLETE. They’d taken out the biggest threat at school.

  Jasmine King had been expelled from Canterwood Crest Academy.

  I’d been standing in Jasmine’s empty dorm room for a long time. Just staring.

  I leaned my back against the wall and drew my knees to my chest, lowering myself to the bare wooden floor—shaking my head in amazement. It had happened so fast. I’d gone to the indoor arena to practice and had been using Mr. Conner’s camera to film my session. Jas hadn’t known the camera was on and she’d started to brag about how she’d framed Julia and Alison by making it look as if they’d cheated on their history test. I’d texted Julia and Alison about the tape and they’d taken it to the headmistress. I’d just left the Trio’s suite after a this-close-to-tears Heather had thanked me for saving her friends.

  Jas was gone. I remembered her moving into my dorm and how I’d felt—I’d hated that she had transferred from Wellington Prep to Canterwood. It felt like she’d done it just to torture the Trio and me with her presence. Now, there was no trace of her in her old room. It was as if she’d never existed. Part of me felt a little sorry for her that she’d been yanked away to a new school, but mostly, I didn’t care. She deserved what she got for everything she’d done to us.

  I reached for my phone to text Julia, Alison, and Heather. Everything had happened in an instant—Heather probably had no clue that Jasmine had been expelled. But before I could start a text, my phone buzzed.

  Come 2 r suite & celebrate. ~H

  That almost made me laugh out loud. Of course Heather knew. I should have known that. She was aware of everything that went on at school.

  K. B there in a sec. I sent my text.

  I got up and stuck my head of out the doorway and looked down the hallway toward my room. I’d planned to spend the rest of the evening with Paige, my BFF and roommate, but I couldn’t say no to celebrating Jas’s departure—something I’d hoped for since the day she’d arrived. I stepped out of Jas’s old room and left the door wide open behind me.

  I left Winchester and walked back toward Orchard. I hurried, then caught myself. I surely wasn’t excited about hanging out with the Trio—it was just glee over Jasmine. Right? But maybe a tiny part of me wanted to hang with them. We still weren’t friends, but things had sort of changed.

  I walked across campus and marveled at how gorgeous it was, especially with the fiery orange-red sunset. The manicured lawns were trimmed like golf course grass and the dark lacquered fence rails gleamed. Every inch of the winding sidewalks looked as if someone had just swept them. No matter how many times I crossed the campus, it never felt any less prestigious. There was a reputation to uphold as one of the top East Coast boarding schools.

  When I got to Orchard Hall, I stared at it for a minute. The brick building was four stories tall and each window had a stark white frame with a small ledge underneath. Black shutters on either side contrasted with the frames and the rooms on the top floor had peaks over the windows. Two chimneys rose from the back of the building. A black old-fashioned street lantern was on each side of the front of the building. Soon, their light would illuminate the heavy wooden door that led into the dorm hall.

  I took a breath before opening the door. Callie, my ex-BFF lived here, and the last thing I wanted was to run into her. But I pushed the thoughts away—tonight wasn’t about Callie—it was about celebrating Jasmine’s exit from Canterwood.

  I walked down the glossy wooden floor and stopped in front of the Trio’s door. I’d barely knocked when a bouncy Alison pulled the door open.

  “Sasha!” she said, grabbing me in a hug.

  “I’m so happy for you,” I said. She let me go and I walked into Julia, Heather, and Alison’s
living room. “You can start riding tomorrow.”

  From her spot on the couch, Julia smiled at me. “Yeah, I bet we can.” She took a breath, glancing down before looking back up at me. “Thanks.”

  I nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you before.”

  Julia shook her head. “Don’t be dumb. You’re the one who saved us—you don’t have to apologize for anything.”

  Heather appeared from her room and motioned for me to sit on the couch. On the coffee table in front of us, there was a bottle of ginger ale and four plastic champagne flutes.

  “Let’s toast,” Heather said. She tossed her long blond hair over one shoulder and sat beside me. Julia poured ginger ale into all of our flutes and we raised them.

  “To Jasmine,” Heather said.

  “To Jasmine,” I echoed with the Trio.

  2

  DEARLY DEPARTED

  AS WE SIPPED OUR GINGER ALE, I REALIZED I hadn’t been this relaxed in a while. Julia and Alison both had permanent grins on their faces and Heather hadn’t lost her satisfied smile since I’d arrived. She sat cross-legged on the couch and pulled out her cell.

  “This definitely calls for pizza,” she said. She ordered a large half-cheese, half-pepperoni and snapped her phone shut.

  Alison brushed a long lock of sandy brown hair off her face. “I almost can’t believe it. She’s gone. Jasmine isn’t coming back.”

  “How did you find out so fast?” I asked. “I was in her room when Heather texted me. I was totally shocked that you knew.”

  “Please, Silver,” Heather said, rolling her eyes. “We know about stuff at Canterwood before it happens.”

  “That’s kind of true.” I almost shuddered. “Ugh, I was in her room thinking about the day she moved in. I thought I’d spend the rest of the year walking by her door or running into her in the common room. It would have been awful.”

  Alison nodded. “You probably wanted to switch dorms when she moved into Winchester.”

  “Almost,” I said. “It’s going to take me a while not to look for her.”

  “Get used to it,” Julia said. “She’s never coming back.”

  “Ever,” Heather said. “I mean, where’s she going to go? I’d be surprised if Wellington took her back. But her parents have tons of money, so they’ll probably buy her way back into the school if they have to.”

  Alison rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I don’t care where she goes as long as she’s not here.”

  We smiled at each other. It was surprising at how comfortable I felt in their suite. They’d somehow managed to get a triple with three separate bedrooms, a small living room, and a tiny kitchen area. As far as I knew, no other eighth graders had those.

  Someone knocked on the door and Julia jumped up off the couch to answer it. It was Stephanie, the Orchard dorm monitor, with the pizza. She smiled and handed the steaming box to Julia.

  “Hi, Sasha,” she said. “Nice to see you again.”

  I’d slept over the other night, ironically, to escape Jasmine and her stalking me in Winchester.

  “You too,” I said.

  Stephanie smiled at us and left. Alison grabbed plates and napkins and we dug into the pizza.

  Heather put down her slice of pepperoni and glanced at us—her blue eyes shining. “Let’s play a game,” she said. “In honor of our dearly departed, let’s talk about all the horrible things Jas did when she was here.”

  “Ooh, definitely,” Alison said. “I’ve already got one.”

  Heather motioned for her to go.

  “Befriending the Belles,” Alison said. “That was dumb on so many levels.”

  “Uh, for sure,” Julia said. She shook her head. “She really thought they wanted to be her friends. No matter how much help she assumed they’d be in going after us, she had to know they’d get bored and ditch her eventually.”

  We all nodded.

  “I know one,” Julia said. “When she decided to try to intimidate all of us at the show before she’d even come to Canterwood.”

  “That was so lame,” I said. “She made us all mad at her. Plus, it didn’t help her at all that Heather already knew what kind of competitor she was. Talking trash and trying to freak us out was dumb.”

  Heather took a bite of her pizza. “That’s for sure. And she didn’t stop there at that show, either. Remember when she poured oil on Aristocrat and I almost missed my class?”

  “Yeah!” Alison said, rolling her eyes. “And Sasha helped you.”

  “And when she ‘accidentally’ spilled molasses on my hair during Mr. Bright’s class?” I added. “Classy.”

  “So her style,” Julia said. “She’s obvi got a thing for dumping things on people and animals.”

  “I’ve got another one,” I said. “A good one.” Everyone looked at me, waiting for my answer. “The day she decided to come to Canterwood was her biggest mistake ever.”

  And to that, we all raised our flutes and clinked them together. We fell into happy silence—everyone was probably going through Jasmine memories in their heads. It still didn’t feel real.

  “I wish I’d been there when Headmistress Drake told her she was expelled,” Julia said.

  “Yeaaah,” Alison said, sighing. “That would have been amazing.”

  “Jasmine walked into Headmistress Drake’s office probably expecting to be told she’d won an award or was just all-around awesome,” Heather said, rolling her eyes.

  “I bet she almost passed out when the headmistress showed her the tape,” Julia said. “I hope she felt the way Alison and I did when we were hauled out of class for cheating.”

  “There’s no way she expected it,” I said. “She thought she got away with it and she was waiting for a chance to go after Heather or me next.”

  “You’re lucky she got expelled instead of suspended or something less serious,” Heather said. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been after me. She would have gone after you for getting her in trouble.”

  Heather was right. Jas definitely would have tried everything she could to get me out of Canterwood.

  “Forget about that,” Heather said. “Jasmine King is gone. Let’s go back to the fun part—imagining how she reacted to getting kicked out.”

  And we spent the next hour doing just that. After our zillionth recount of what we thought had happened, I remembered I hadn’t been back to my room for a long time.

  “I better go,” I said. “Paige is probably wondering where I am.”

  But as I stood, I was reluctant to leave. I liked their cozy living room, and maybe … I even liked hanging out with them.

  “Don’t stay up all night,” Heather said, giving me her signature you-better-listen-or-else look. “We’ve got our taping for Mr. Nicholson tomorrow.”

  I’d forgotten about that for a couple of hours after stressing about it nonstop for days. Mr. Nicholson was the head scout for the Youth Equestrian National Team—the YENT—and our coach, Mr. Conner, had to update him with a progress report via video on our riding.

  “I won’t,” I said. “See you.”

  “And Homecoming starts tomorrow,” Alison said, her brown eyes wide. “Try not to think about it or you won’t be able to sleep.”

  I caught Heather’s eye and we shared a look. Neither of us were into Homecoming—any of it—and we both wanted this week to go by fast so we could get to fall break on Saturday. I was going to spend a wonderful week in Manhattan with Paige. Getting away from campus couldn’t come too soon.

  I left their room smiling but then a disturbing thought occurred to me—were the Trio and I becoming … friends?

  3

  AVOID HOMECOMING OR DIE

  WHEN I WALKED PAST JAS’S DOOR FOR THE second time, it was shut tight. I smiled as I walked by and opened the door to my room. Paige dashed in front of me, hopping up and down.

  “Omigod,” she said. “I have the most amazing news ever!”

  “Me too!” I said.

  We grinned at each other. “You go fi
rst,” I said.

  “No, you,” Paige said.

  I shook my head. “You were the first to say you had news. Go.”

  Paige grabbed my hand and pulled me onto her bed. “Okay! Okay! I’ll go.”

  I looked at her flushed face and had a feeling what this was about.

  “I. Kissed. Ryan,” Paige said. She covered her face with her hands, blushing, then glanced up at me. “We kissed!”

  “Ohhhhmiiiigod!” I screamed. “Paige! You and Ryan! You kissed Ryan. That’s so amazing. Tell me everything.”

  Paige’s smile was huge. “He asked me to the Sweet Shoppe and when we were leaving, he held my hand. It was so sweet. Then, he walked me back to Winchester. We stopped at the bottom of the stairs and he looked at me and I just knew. I remembered you telling me about your first kiss with Jacob and how you had that feeling?”

  I nodded. “Yep. You just know.”

  Paige got up and started walking around our room. “So he took both of my hands and looked at me. We leaned in at the same time and … kissed.”

  “Was it perfect?” I asked.

  “Beyond perfect,” Paige said. “Sooo amazing. I thought I’d be nervous and worried about doing it wrong, but it was so special.”

  I smiled at her. “That’s awesome, Paige. I’m so, so happy for you.”

  Paige sat back on the end of her bed. “And that’s not even the best part. When I was about to go inside, he asked me to be his girlfriend!”

  “I knew he would!” I said. “You’ve got a boyfriend, Paige Parker. A boyfriend!”

  Paige shook her head like she didn’t believe it. “I know. But it’s so weird. I can’t even process it.” She played with the ends of her red-gold hair. “I have a boyfriend.”

  I hadn’t felt this excited for her in a long time. Paige deserved this.

  “Now spill your news!” Paige said. “I need to know!”

  I smiled. “Well, it’s not as exciting as getting your first boyfriend, but it’s pretty close.”