Popular
IS POPULARITY OVERRATED . . . ?
Popular is Lauren’s status at last. She’s fitting in, flirting with a très cute boy, studying till 4:00 a.m., and prepping for an upcoming show. The swirl of activity leads to misunderstandings with her new bestie. An intervention will force LT to look at all of her choices . . . some that may cost her.
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ALADDIN M!X . SIMON & SCHUSTER, NEW YORK . COVER DESIGNED BY JESSICA HANDELMAN . COVER PHOTOGRAPH COPYRIGHT
© 2012 BY MONICA STEVENSON . AGES 9–13 . CANTERWOODCREST.COM. 0512
POPULAR
Other books in the
CANTERWOOD CREST SERIES:
TAKE THE REINS
CHASING BLUE
BEHIND THE BIT
TRIPLE FAULT
BEST ENEMIES
LITTLE WHITE LIES
RIVAL REVENGE
HOME SWEET DRAMA
CITY SECRETS
ELITE AMBITION
SCANDALS, RUMORS, LIES
UNFRIENDLY COMPETITION
CHOSEN
INITIATION
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 May 2012
Copyright © 2012 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.
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Designed by Jessica Handelman
The text of this book was set in Venetian 301 BT.
Library of Congress Control Number 2011940657
ISBN 978-1-4424-1950-6
ISBN 978-1-4424-1951-3 (eBook)
To Bri Ahearn
for being there in every way it counts (with kitty pics!)
and for listening!
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The Old, The New, and The Totally Busted
Chapter 2: Secret-Spilling Saturday
Chapter 3: Deepest, Darkest
Chapter 4: Now Tell me How you Really Feel
Chapter 5: Genius Freak, The Boy Magnet
Chapter 6: 1 Fresh Haybale 1 Pinch Cinnamon Prepare to Swoon
Chapter 7: Five Hundred and Four
Chapter 8: Strange and Right
Chapter 9: Total Setup
Chapter 10: Eyes on The Prize
Chapter 11: She has a . . . Date?
Chapter 12: Fyi: Intense Blue Eyes Scramble your Brain.
Chapter 13: Sugar Heaven
Chapter 14: Forgive and Forget
Chapter 15: Trust your Gut
Chapter 16: Whisper + Lt = Har Mony
Chapter 17: Got his Number
Chapter 18: No Introduction Necessary
Chapter 19: No-Sleep Zone
Chapter 20: Decision Made
Chapter 21: Guess Who’s Not on The List?
Chapter 22: Tu Et Moi–Déjeuner?
Chapter 23: Roommate Gone Bad
Chapter 24: Tell Me All About It
Chapter 25: Iou
Chapter 26: Not-So-Private Practice
Chapter 27: Khloe-Less
Chapter 28: This Ends Now
About The Author
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Popular wouldn’t be in the hands of Team Canterwood members right now if it weren’t for many people on Team Sparkle! Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster and everyone at Aladdin, especially Alyson Heller, Fiona Simpson, Bethany Buck, Dawn Ryan, Mara Anastas, Stephanie Voros, Carolyn Swerdloff, Jessica Handelman, Nicole Russo, Courtney Sanks, Deane Norton, Russell Gordon, Craig Adams, Karin Paprocki, Katherine Devendorf, Alex Penfold, Vanessa Williams, Lucille Rettino, and Liesa Abrams.
Monica Stevenson, thank you for snapping this gorgeous cover! To the New Era of Canterwood models and your families, thank you for being part of this journey. I couldn’t have better faces for my characters.
Team Canterwood, the outpouring of Go CCA! I receive from you via Facebook, Horse Mystique, Twitter, other forums, e-mail, and snail mail is awesome and humbling. I heart you all so much! You’re the reason why Editor K and I work so hard on these books. We never want to disappoint you.
Speaking of Editor K . . . Kate Angelella, your purple pen gave this book so many popularity points. Thank you for the limitless effort you put into editing this book and shaping Lauren’s story. As my best friend, you kept me going while writing with promises of Homeland, The Real Housewives, and Irish cheddar cheese. And cheese pasta. Your unwavering support keeps me going in more ways than you know. LYSSM.
Ross Angelella, this is your year. I’m so proud and honored to have been able to witness the process of Zombie from all-nighters to ARCS. Maybe I’ll watch a zombie flick with you . . . and annoy you like a little sister when I scream every five seconds.
A couple of random shout outs to T. C. Tweeps @: KayleyJOfficial, CanterwoodRider, horserider4567, jkrall07, and PaigeParkerXO. (If you’re a CC fan who follows me, your handle could be in the next book!)
I wouldn’t be sane without my friends: Lauren Barnholdt (I’m coming for your fireplace!), Brianna Ahearn (I wouldn’t have Brittany S. Pierce without you!) and Andi, Becca Leach, Jennifer Rummel, Kelly Krysten, and Mandy Morgan.
Lexi and Grace C., big hugs! Happy riding!
Joey Carson, when are those plane tix to LA supposed to arrive, again?
Thank you to all of the librarians and booksellers who have brought Canterwood to readers. And to the teachers who have been generous with allowing me to Skype with their students—I adore talking about writing and interacting with your talented, inquisitive students.
1
THE OLD,
THE NEW, AND THE
TOTALLY BUSTED
ALL FIVE FACES STARED AT ME. EACH GIRL’S expression was a variation of the girl before her.
Disbelief.
Confusion.
Shock.
Apprehension.
Curiosity.
Lexa.
Khloe.
Jill.
Clare.
Riley.
Seconds earlier, everything had slammed to a halt. The secret I’d been keeping for seven days—just one week, and my entire time at Canterwood Crest Academy—had been blown wide open.
A DVD I hadn’t known existed had just outed me as “two-time junior dressage champion Lauren Towers.” Or what I hadn’t been able to explain yet—ex junior dressage champion.
The omission of my past experience with equestrian competition had been no accident. Now Jill, my new friend and Lexa’s roommate, had innocently selected a DVD to watch while we all ate breakfast post-sleepover party. And bam: The DVD spilled the truth before I could even think about doing it myself.
“Yeah, right!” Riley balked. “This girl has your name, she looks like you, and when you heard the DVD in the back
ground, you went white as an albino horse. And you expect us to believe you when you say that isn’t you?”
Khloe’s eyes bore into mine. Out of all the girls, I was closest to her. “Lauren,” she said, glancing at the paused TV screen. “Even I have to agree. If you insist on denying that’s you, it’s going to be pretty much impossible to believe it.”
“No, please—Khloe. I meant it—the girl on TV isn’t me,” I repeated. I glanced around, grateful that we were the only ones in Hawthorne Hall’s common room.
Khloe, also my roommate, gripped the remote from when she’d paused the footage of the Red Oak Horse Trial. Khloe brushed a strand of blond hair from her face, her brown eyes looking from me to the floor.
I couldn’t stand it if Khloe stayed mad at me. “Hear me out,” I began.
Thunder rumbled over campus. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a group of students bolt down the sidewalk, laughing, some trying to cover their heads with their backpacks.
The room darkened by the second. Lexa Reed, another seventh grader and my closest friend after Khloe, stood rigidly still. She tugged down her army green PJ tank that said SLEEP MONSTER on the front. She turned on a floor lamp. Once a warm yellow glow bathed the room in light, Lexa sat back down, pulling a blue chenille blanket over her dark caramel-colored legs.
No one spoke. It seemed as if none of us knew how to start.
The silence had gone on so long, it had turned everything to slow motion. I knew I had to be the one to say something.
“I’m sorry,” I said. I cleared my raspy throat. “Please give me a chance to explain the DVD.”
The other four girls looked at one another. It was as if they were getting each other’s telepathic permission to let me speak.
Riley gathered her pin-straight black hair into a messy updo, secured with a clear band from her wrist. “Of course you can explain, Lauren.” Her voice was sweeter than maple syrup.
“I’m listening,” Clare added, blinking her blue eyes.
Lexa studied me for a second. Her curly black hair with natural reddish highlights hung around her face. Her jaw relaxed and her narrowed eyes softened. “I want to know too,” she said, softer than the others.
All eyes went to Khloe. If she left, I didn’t know what I’d do. She’d been more than my roommate—she’d been my best friend since I’d arrived on campus last week. But Khloe was quietest of all.
Her chest expanded as she took a deep breath.
I ran my tongue nervously over the permanent wire retainer along the back of my bottom teeth. It made me nauseous to think of losing Khloe as a friend just because I hadn’t been able to bring myself to talk about my past—both my riding-circuit history and the big accident—to anyone yet. But I know it had been stupid to keep it a secret.
Finally, Khloe shrugged her shoulders, nodding a yes. Like the rest of us, she was still in pj’s from last night. Her yellow tank and shorts with white polka dots had seemed so cheery then.
I shifted in my spot on the couch, opposite end from Khloe. No more secrets about my past on the A-circuit. I picked my cuticles, thinking back to that day.
New life, meet old life.
2
SECRET-SPILLING
SATURDAY
“LOOK—THAT GIRL?” I SAID. “SHE’S ME. BUT she’s also not.”
“Mystery solved, then!” Riley clapped, then rolled her eyes.
“Yes, I used to show competitively,” I continued, ignoring her. “I rode for a bunch of different stables, and eventually I learned that dressage was my specialty.”
The coffee pot beeped and the rich aroma of vanilla-flavored coffee filled the air. I craved a cup of tea—something calming like chamomile. But I didn’t even know if peppermint tea—my de-stresser go-to—would settle my stomach this time.
I continued. “Two years ago, I was Lauren Towers—the two-time national dressage champion. That—that title—it was everything to me.”
Clare twisted wavy red strands of hair around her finger. Her face was full of questions, but I was prepared to answer every single one.
“If you’re a ‘two-time champion,’” Clare said, using air quotes, “then why are you on the intermediate team? Are you going to try and tell us that you were able to keep all this from Mr. Conner, too?”
“Of course not,” I said. “He knows. But he judged my team placement solely on the test I did for him when I got here. Mr. Conner was upfront from the beginning. After my old coach told him about my competition history and”—I added, trying to hide my grimace—“Mr. Conner was very clear that my background would play zero role in his decision about what team I’d make. When I got here, he told me I’d be placed by my performance test—that it was the only fair way to do it. Based on my ride, he decided to place me with the advanced team.”
“Did you agree with the way he judged you?” Lexa asked. Her tone was curious, not confrontational. “Or did you think he should have changed the rules and put you on the advanced team?”
Her question got Riley’s attention. The other girl leaned forward from her spot on the couch opposite us, almond-shaped eyes widening.
“I agreed with him one hundred and ten percent. Believe it or not, I’m not ready for the pressure of the advanced team. Mr. Conner knew that. It took me a long, long time to even ride again after my accident.” I paused. “I was . . . well, to be honest, I was terrified. For a long time, I thought I was done riding for good.”
I let out a breath. I’d never said so much about the accident before, not ever.
Khloe still hadn’t said a word. I hated that I couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. I wished she’d say something—anything—just to give me a clue whether or not keeping such a big secret from her would trash our whole friendship. Khlo, I thought, wishing telepathy worked. I wanted to tell you. I did. Please don’t be mad.
“So, like,” started Jill, the only nonrider of all of us, “when did that accident happen?”
“Almost two years ago,” I said, as evenly as possible. “I was competing at Red Oak on Skyblue—the gray on TV. He was a stable horse that I rode for Double Aces.”
“That’s right,” Lexa said. “You just got Whisper. The accident’s why you’re riding a different horse, isn’t it?”
“Kind of. I’d never owned a horse until Whisper. I picked her out, but she was a gift from my parents over the summer. A gift for getting into Canterwood.” I pictured Whisper. Her light gray body, curly eyelashes, and white, pink, and black splotched muzzle. The vision of her sweet face was giving me strength for this extended Q & A session. I really liked most of the girls and, after we’d bonded during last night’s sleepover, I really didn’t want to lose any of them as friends just because I hadn’t told them about my past as a competitive rider.
Last night, my first sleepover at Canterwood, had been très parfait. Khloe and I had invited the girls to our dorm for a Yay! We Survived Our First Week at Canterwood! night. We’d watched TV, played Truth or Dare, ate way too much candy—everything for a fun, perfect girls’ night.
But in the morning, Khloe had suddenly received an e-mail from Canterwood’s drama club advisor with news that she’d lost her dream role as Belle in the school’s fall production of Beauty and the Beast to Riley, who also happened to be in the room.
Suffice to say, Riley was probably my least favorite of all the girls, and I knew she would not be likely to hide her glee about getting the role of Belle to spare Khloe’s feelings. In fact, at the same time Khloe’s eyes were welling with tears, Riley’s face lit up with pride as Khloe read the e-mail to herself, then congratulated Riley.
We’d decided to turn this morning into a breakfast celebration of Khloe’s role as Mrs. Potts—one of the best roles ever, we’d told her over and over—and albeit less enthusiastically Riley for her role as Belle. Jill came up with the fantastic idea to watch a horse show on DVD. It was the perfect diversion to keep Khloe’s mind off Belle and to stop Riley from bragging her face off.
&
nbsp; If I hadn’t stayed to answer Mom’s phone call, we might still be celebrating, I thought. Because in the five minutes I’d been on the phone, the girls had settled in the common room and Jill had chosen the Red Oak DVD I didn’t even know existed.
As soon as I’d walked into the common room, I’d seen myself on TV. A girl with wavy brown hair who was crumpled on the ground. Pale skin looked stark against her black helmet. Her eyes were closed. Behind her, a dapple-gray horse—Skyblue—stood beside a vertical with faux greenery, looking worried that he’d injured his rider.
I shifted on the gray couch, my eyes now trained on Khloe but wanting to finally address the whole room to be sure they knew who I really was. I drew in a breath, composing myself. “You guys, I’m not this evil person with a ton of secrets. I had one—had—and Red Oak was it,” I said. “I said I wasn’t the person on TV because I’m not. Or, not anymore. That rider, the one onscreen”—my eyes flicked toward the TV—“she was focused on just one thing: winning. That’s not me anymore.
“My parents gave up a lot and did everything they could so I could show and travel. So did my sisters. They moved to Union, where they still live, for me.” My voice wavered. I couldn’t even begin to count the endless sacrifices my family had made for me. “I’m lucky to be best friends with one of my sisters, but my relationship with my oldest sister is really damaged from having so much of my parents’ attention.”
“You did tell me you moved around a lot to show,” Lexa said.
It felt like such a relief to hear someone else’s voice other than my own. I smiled at her.
“That was true,” I said. “But it would be more true to say that I had first place locked for both Double Aces and myself that day. But when I got to cross-country, I decided on course to finish fast even though my ride was clean and I was already well under time.”
I glanced at Khloe. My roommate’s arms, crossed only minutes ago, were at her sides. Maybe she wasn’t going to ask Christina, our dorm hall monitor, for a new roommate after all.
“Skyblue wasn’t tired, so I pushed him toward the last jump,” I said. “I was so confident we’d clear it and—to top it off—have a time that would impress everyone.”