What If... All the Rumors Were True (18 page)

INITIATION

Make sure you know what you're getting into before you sign up for the initiation.

“I
think Leah and Marissa would be disappointed if we didn't initiate them,” Haley said, referring to the two freshman players who had just made the girls' varsity soccer team. Haley and Sasha, cocaptains, had gotten together at Drip after school to come up with an initiation scheme.

“You're right,” Sasha said. “It will make them feel like part of the group. Plus, the other girls are dying to do it.”

“Please. They're just glad they're not the ones being hazed,” Haley said.

“To be honest, so am I,” Sasha said.

“Maybe we should make them be guests on Dave Metzger's videocast,” Haley said. “Have you seen the clips of that thing?”

Supernerd Dave Metzger's “Inside Hillsdale” podcast had recently gone video, which was maybe not the best idea Dave had ever come up with. The junior-year-transcript pressure cooker was known to fell even the hardiest straight-A student. Dave was no exception. He was already so obsessed with applying to college next year, the unraveling had begun. During the videocast, Dave seemed to be hallucinating, sweating and spewing strange non sequiturs. Weirdly, the show was even more popular than his faceless podcast had been—the whole school thought his sweaty meltdown was hilarious.

“Someone forwarded me the footage,” Sasha said. “So bizarre. I don't think we should let our frosh anywhere near that train wreck.”

“You're probably right,” Haley said. “There's a big pep rally coming up next week. We could make them wear their bras and panties on the outside of their clothes during the whole rally. Maybe even streak across the stage.”

“I don't know,” Sasha said. “Embarrass them in front of the whole school like that? It's also way too risky. Principal Crum could turn up. Maybe we should keep the initiation just between us. What about a banana-eating contest? Make them race to see which one can eat the most bananas in the fastest time. We did that at a slumber party at Coco's in eighth grade. It was pretty funny.”

Haley sighed. Do something Sasha'd done in eighth grade? It just didn't seem cool enough. “Maybe we should get the boys involved—make the initiation coed. We are, after all, all Hillsdale soccer players, boys
and
girls. We could use more spirit on both sides.”

“But whatever we do to Leah and Marissa will be that much more embarrassing if boys are there,” Sasha said.

“And that's a bad thing?” Haley asked mischievously.

Are Haley and Sasha really going through with this coed initiation? It could be fun, unless you're a member of the freshman class. Maybe it really will shore up team spirit, but what if something goes wrong? Adding boys into the mix could stir up a dangerous cocktail. Haley's decision is up to you.

If you want the girls' team to join the boys for a coed initiation ritual, go to
"NEW JERSEY WATER TORTURE"
. If you think Haley's having second thoughts and wants to take it easy on the younger girls, turn to
"SHOW SOME MERCY"
. Finally, if you think Haley should forget initiation and check in with Annie and Alex at debate team practice, go to
"FIGHTING WORDS"
.

It is always wise to trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

RUN LINES WITH DEVON

The dramas of real life have a way of spilling over onto the stage.

“L
et's do that scene again,” Devon said. He and Haley were sitting behind the cluttered counter at Jack's Vintage Clothing one afternoon, studying their copies of
A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The store where Devon worked was always pretty quiet in the afternoons, so he had invited Haley there to rehearse with him.

“Really?” Haley asked. “I thought we had it down last time. Shouldn't we move on?”

“Sure, you know the lines,” Devon said. “But do you feel them?”

“Uh-oh, you're starting to sound like Shaun,” Haley said.

They'd practiced this particular scene together over and over, and Haley was beginning to feel tired. She was amazed that Devon wanted to keep going—but kind of pleased by it too. Reading the part of Demetrius seemed to loosen him up a little, and it wasn't exactly a chore to do love scenes with him.

“You know what Xavier says,” Devon said. “You have to
become
Helena. You have to feel what she feels. Let's do it one more time.”

“Okay,” Haley said. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't even need to look at her script anymore. “You start.”

Devon read Demetrius's lines: “‘If thou follow me, do not believe / But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.'”

“‘Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,'” Haley/Helena said.

“‘You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius!

Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex:

We cannot fight for love, as men may do;

We should be woo'd and were not made to woo.

I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,

To die upon the hand I love so well.'”

Haley, whose character, Helena, loved Demetrius to the point of obsession, gazed lovingly and longingly at Devon's face. In character, of course. She stared into Devon's eyes and was startled to find him gazing at her with affection, too.

“Uh, Demetrius, hello? You don't love Helena yet. At this point you still think she's a pest.”

“Oh.” Devon looked away. “Right. Helena's really bonkers over me. I can't stand her. Got it.”

“If you ask me, she takes things a little too far,” Haley added. “But at least she gets her man in the end.”

“Let's do that part,” Devon said suddenly. “That last bit at the end of act four, scene one. We'll start at ‘And all the faith…'”

Haley checked her script and waited for her cue. Devon declaimed,

“‘And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,

The object and the pleasure of mine eye,

Is only Helena. To her, my lord,

Was I betroth'd ere I saw Hermia:

But, like in sickness, did I loathe this food;

But, as in health, come to my natural taste,

Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,

And will for evermore be true to it.'”

“‘And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,'” Haley said. “‘Mine own, and not mine own.'”

“‘It seems to me,'” Devon said, “‘That yet we sleep, we dream.'”

His eyes were shining, and Haley could see that he was totally caught up in the moment when Demetrius realizes at last that he loves his Helena. Devon leaned close to her and pressed his lips on hers in a tender kiss.

Haley kissed him back. This was how Helena would kiss her Demetrius—all out, with passion. Soon they were making out like two wild forest nymphs. They were so into each other Haley didn't hear the door open or someone walking up to the counter.

“Ew!” Whitney cried, staring in horror at their on the clock make-out session. “Get a room!”

Haley and Devon broke apart, panting and red-faced. Devon straightened his tweed vest and restored his pageboy hat to his head. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“Not if it involves cramming your tongue down my throat,” Whitney whined. “But yes, I do need something. Do you think I'd set foot in this moth hatchery otherwise?”

“Well, what is it?” Devon asked.

“I need to see some seventeenth-century corsets, quickly,” Whitney said. “Where do you keep them?”

“Real seventeenth-century corsets?” Devon said. “We don't carry that kind of vintage.”

“What do you need them for?” Haley asked. “Is this for the play? You are doing our costumes, right?”

“Actually, this is for a dress I'm making for Mrs. Eton's Casino Night fund-raiser,” Whitney said. “A corset would make this perfect body even more perfecter.”

“We do have a Madonna-inspired corset on aisle three,” Devon said. “It's not from the seventeenth century, obviously, but it might work for your dress.”

“Thank you.” Whitney stomped over to aisle three to find the corset. “Try to keep your clothes on until I leave, please,” she called out to them.

Haley blushed. Devon pulled her close and whispered, “That was fun.”

“We got a little carried away there. Maybe we were too much in character.”

“I can't tell the difference between me and Demetrius anymore,” Devon admitted. “I almost called you Helena the other day, and we weren't even rehearsing.”

Whitney returned with the corset, eyeing both of them suspiciously. “Okay,” she said. “I'll take it.”

Devon rang it up and put it in a bag for her; then Whitney was out the door.

Devon turned to Haley. “You know who's really taking this acting thing to the far side, of course.”

“Who?” Haley asked.

“Shaun and Irene.”

“Oh, I know,” Haley said. “The whole donkey thing.”

“It's worse than you think,” Devon said. “You know what they've been doing after rehearsals?”

“What?!” Haley demanded, strangely fascinated.

“Shaun puts on his donkey head and makes Irene ride on his back while he hee-haws and tries to buck her off.”

Haley was stunned.

“Really? I can't see Irene going for that,” she said.

“Are you kidding?” Devon said. “She acts all snarky and cool, but Shaun tells me she's a wild woman in private.”

He leaned in to give her another kiss. Haley kissed him back, but then pulled away. She couldn't get the disturbing image of Irene and Donkey Shaun out of her mind. Would Irene really be into something so bizarre? Haley wasn't sure she believed Devon. Maybe it was only gossip. Then again, maybe it wasn't.

It's not like Devon to gossip—is it? He's suddenly opened up to Haley, a lot. Must be all this role-playing, and the stimulating effect of Shakespeare. But did he see Irene riding on Shaun's back with his own eyes? If so, Haley might need to have a talk with Irene. Everyone seems to be losing their marbles these days.

If you think Haley should see what's going on with Irene and her set design for the school play, go to
"COME ON, IRENE"
. If you think Irene is a lost cause and Haley's time would be better spent in the world of politics, send her off to party with Coco, Whitney and the country club set at
"CASINO NIGHT"
.

In a small town like Hillsdale, it's hard to keep a secret. Haley'd best make sure she has nothing to hide.