Sophie and the New Girl Page 7

  “But we don’t have to keep trying if what we’re doing isn’t working, do we?” Sophie could hear her voice squeaking up hopefully. “It isn’t fair to Maggie.”

  “Just because it doesn’t look like it’s working doesn’t mean it isn’t,” Dr. Peter said. “I’m not saying you have to make Phoebe a member of the Corn Flakes, but you’ve made a commitment to work with her on this project.”

  Sophie squirmed.

  “And I’m not saying you should let her get away with being mean to Maggie. I’m concerned about that part. If Maggie is having trouble with it, you need to bring in some grown-ups. That isn’t busting people, you know.”

  “Maggie keeps saying she’s fine.” Sophie ran her hand over her fuzzy do. “But she doesn’t really know how bad it is. And I don’t want her to find out.”

  Dr. Peter leaned back in his beanbag and put his hands behind his head. “Basically, Sophie-Lophie-Loodle, you want me to give you permission to cut this girl loose.”

  Sophie didn’t say anything. The back of her neck prickled. This wasn’t going at all the way she wanted it to.

  “That’s your decision,” Dr. Peter said. “You can try to protect Maggie from experiencing prejudice, and that’s a very nice thing to want to do. Or — ” He rubbed his hands together. “You can do what Jesus did and help Maggie stand up for herself and help Phoebe understand that what she’s doing is — what’s that word you like?”

  “Heinous,” Sophie said.

  “And you can do it the way the Corn Flakes always do — with honesty and respect — all that good Code stuff.”

  The prickling on Sophie’s neck was going out of control. “I told you it isn’t working,” she said.

  Dr. Peter squinted a little behind his glasses. “Keep doing what you’re doing, Loodle. And do two more things.”

  “I don’t want to do two more things, Dr. Peter!” Sophie said. “I just want you to tell me it’s okay to dump her!”

  “I can always count on you to be honest, can’t I?” He shook his head. “But I have to be honest too. That isn’t the right thing to do. It would make you a Pharisee.”

  “Me?” Sophie said.

  “Maggie isn’t a lost sheep. She has a Shepherd to show her who she is. But your Phoebe is one. Most people who need that much attention are acting out their lostness. And most people who exhibit prejudice are afraid.” He leaned toward Sophie. “I wouldn’t say this to most kids your age, but you’re special this way, Soph. You get it. Think of Phoebe as a lost lamb instead of a bossy girl who doesn’t like Cuban people. Isn’t that what Jesus was trying to tell the Pharisees in that story?”

  “But I’m not like them!” Sophie said.

  “No, you’re not,” Dr. Peter said. “But sometimes a little Pharisee-itis can sneak in.”

  The back of Sophie’s neck felt like it had a cactus stuck to it.

  “I have to go.” For the first time ever, Sophie was glad to leave Dr. Peter. She’d never imagined it could happen, but Dr. Peter just didn’t understand.

  And he wasn’t the only one. That night while Lacie did double duty with Zeke and told Sophie she owed her big-time, Mama came into Sophie’s room for a talk. Sophie saw a tiny line between Mama’s eyebrows, and she knew whatever her mom had to say wouldn’t make her any happier.

  Still, Sophie shared the only package of Smarties she’d kept out of Zeke’s clutches and even gave Mama the green ones, just in case it might sweeten things up some.

  But Mama delivered bad news anyway: there were to be no more rehearsals for the Cuban movie project at any of the Corn Flakes’ houses.

  “I know the movie is important,” Mama said before Sophie could protest, “but it has some pretty rough scenes. None of us Corn Flake parents feel like we can supervise so many of you. You know, the boys. And your new friend.”

  “But we could still rehearse at Phoebe’s,” Sophie said. “Her dad didn’t care — ”

  She trailed off as Mama stopped with the last green Smartie almost to her mouth. “Absolutely not,” she said. “Boppa was very concerned about that situation. You girls are wonderful about bringing out the best in people, but we think that should be done where you have better adult supervision.”

  The way Mama said it made Sophie wonder if all the parents had memorized the same speech and were right now delivering it to their own Corn Flakes. At least Daddy wasn’t here, putting in a bunch of sports stuff she never understood.

  Suddenly, Sophie felt like she was being pulled in two directions like a Gumby doll.

  In one direction was the hope that her parents would say she couldn’t be around Phoebe ever again. Then she wouldn’t have to do all the stuff Dr. Peter told her to do.

  But in the other direction was their project. This is all Phoebe’s fault! she thought.

  “How are we going to practice then?” Sophie said. Her voice entered a whole new squeak-zone.

  “We talked to the school. You have permission to practice on the school grounds after classes. They’ll have an adult there.” Mama smiled her wispy smile. “You can even take your camera if you keep it in Mr. Stires’ room when you aren’t using it.”

  Sophie wondered if Mama had checked with Daddy about that one. Taking the camera to school was huge. But even that didn’t help. Sophie choked the Smarties package closed with a twist. This was getting less and less like a Corn Flakes Production every single second.

  “Dream Girl,” Mama patted the pillow next to her, “join me for a minute.”

  Sophie flopped back against the cushions.

  “Are you feeling a little bit like everything’s upside down right now?” Mama said.

  I’m feeling a lot that way, Sophie opened her mouth to say.

  But then she stopped. Daddy said they were supposed to keep Mama from getting upset, not give her more stuff to worry about.

  So instead, she said, “Want some more Smarties?”

  There was a scream from the direction of the bathroom.

  “Mo-om!” Lacie yelled. “I can’t be responsible for what I’m going to do to that kid when you get me out of here!”

  Sophie could hear Zeke taking the steps down two at a time.

  “You want Lacie or Zeke?” Mama said.

  Sophie took Lacie. Once she’d climbed up on a chair to get the bathroom door key off the ledge and released a frothing Lacie from Spider-Man’s prison, she retreated to her room again.

  Liberty Lawhead curled up in the corner of her jail cell. I must remain strong, she told herself. Even though the powerful people who don’t understand keep squeezing me in, tighter and tighter. I must continue to reveal the truth about such things as Diva Dramatica’s prejudice —

  “And about Dr. Peter being wrong,” Sophie said into the pillow over her head. “And all the parents being wrong.”

  She tried to imagine Jesus, but all she could see was a strange progression of people who might supervise their next rehearsal. Miss Imes. Coach Yates. Mr. Janitor Man.

  “This is just heinous,” Fiona said after school Friday as the Corn Flakes trailed with the camera out toward the field hockey practice area.

  It was a bright, crisp November day, perfect for filming, but Sophie nodded at Fiona. This situation gave heinous a whole new meaning.

  “I just hope there aren’t a lot of kids out there watching us,” Darbie said.

  Willoughby nodded grimly. “It would be just like the Corn Pops to spy on us and steal our ideas.”

  As they stepped onto the edge of the field, the Lucky Charms joined them.

  “That’s the least of our worries,” Vincent said.

  He pointed toward a small set of bleachers, and Sophie groaned out loud. There was Eddie Wornom, doing something to a bleacher seat with a screwdriver big enough to be seen across the field.

  “What’s he doing here?” Jimmy said. Sophie thought he suddenly looked all protective. “I thought he had Campus Commission.”

  Sophie said, “He does, only where’s Coach Nanini?”


  “I’m not a coach today,” said a high-for-a-guy voice behind them. “I’m a Hollywood producer.”

  Sophie turned to see him wiggling his one big eyebrow and peering at them over the tops of his sunglasses.

  “Who’s in charge of this production?” he said. “You, Little Bit?”

  Sophie grinned. She wished Phoebe’d heard that. This was the first decent thing that had happened all day. “Are you babysitting us?” said another voice.

  Phoebe trotted up, her own pink-glittered plastic sunglasses riding on top of her head.

  “I’m supervising,” Coach Nanini said.

  Phoebe shook her bangs out of her eyes. “We don’t really need supervising,” she said. “What we need are some extras.”

  “Extra what?” Fiona said.

  Her voice could have freeze-dried Phoebe’s lips. Sophie rubbed the back of her neck.

  “Extra people,” Phoebe said. “I need to teach you some vocabulary. Anyway, I just don’t see how we can stage a riot scene with just us.” She tossed her head dramatically. “These working conditions!”

  “I can create the illusion with the camera,” Vincent said. “So it’ll look like we have, like, a cast of thousands.”

  “We want real,” Phoebe said. “Not a delusion.”

  “Illusion,” Fiona said. “I need to teach you some vocab — ”

  “We should get started!” Sophie said, although she would have loved to let Fiona finish that sentence and more. Her neck was on fire with prickles.

  “We still need at least one other person to play another cop.” Phoebe pointed toward the bleachers. “What about Chubbo?”

  “You mean Mr. Wornom?” Coach Nanini said.

  All of the Corn Flakes and the Lucky Charms shook their heads, but Coach slowly nodded his.

  “Mr. Wornom!” he shouted. “We need you over here.”

  Eddie turned, then stuck the tool he’d been using into his back pocket and lumbered toward them.

  “He’ll do,” Phoebe said.

  “We’re putting Eddie in our movie?” Willoughby whispered to Sophie.

  Sophie didn’t answer.

  Nine

  How about no!” Fiona said through clenched teeth as Eddie approached.

  “So much for a totally class flick,” Darbie said through hers.

  Willoughby just stifled a shriek. Maggie didn’t say anything. Neither did her face. Sophie chomped down on her own tongue.

  Phoebe pranced at Eddie’s side before he even got to them. “Have you had any acting experience?” she said.

  “He only knows one way to act,” Nathan muttered.

  Eddie looked Phoebe up and down like she was a space alien. “I ain’t no actor,” he said.

  “You’ve got the perfect look for the part, though,” Phoebe said.

  “Oh, yes,” Darbie whispered to Sophie. “He’ll fit right into a scene about a shower of savages.”

  Eddie opened his mouth, and Sophie covered her ears. But to her surprise, he looked at Coach Nanini and said, “Do I gotta?”

  Say no! Sophie wanted to blurt out.

  Coach Nanini adjusted his sunglasses and folded his ham-like arms. “You don’t have to, but it would sure prove to me that you’re getting this whole help-and-cooperate thing.”

  Eddie glared at Sophie as if she alone were responsible for this torture. “Will it get me off earlier?” he said.

  “The only thing that will get me out of your life, Mr. Wornom,” Coach Nanini said, “is for you to show me a genuine change in your attitude.”

  Now we’ll see if he can act, Sophie thought.

  “Come on, you’ll be a natural,” Phoebe said. “You get to yell at them.”

  She pointed to the Corn Flakes. Eddie’s face lit up. “And you can spit over your shoulder,” Phoebe told him. “I saw cops do that when they came to our house because people complained about our chickens.”

  “Just confine your spitting to the ground, Mr. Wornom,” Coach Nanini said. “If a loogie hits skin, you go back ten steps.”

  A slow grin scrunched up Eddie’s cheeks. Sophie felt her eyes bulging almost to her glasses as he said, “Okay. I’ll do it. Do I get a gun?”

  While Phoebe explained to him that, unfortunately, there would be no weapons involved, Coach Nanini motioned Sophie over to him.

  “It’s still up to you whether you let him in, Little Bit,” he said. “I won’t let him mess up your movie. But having him help is what the Round Table program is all about, right?”

  Sophie didn’t remember anybody on the council ever saying that. She just felt squirmy and squeezed and prickly at the same time. But Liberty Lawhead raised up her chin. If she had to think of the lowest of the low as people with rights, who should be called “Mr.” instead of “Scum,” then she would. That was the price one paid in being a leader.

  “Places for the riot scene, everyone,” Sophie said. “The role of the policeman will be played by Eddie Wornom.”

  “Good choice, Little Bit,” Coach Nanini said as the group scattered to set up. “You’re on the top shelf looking down.”

  Jimmy produced a box he’d brought for Sophie to stand on so Liberty Lawhead could be seen. Maggie/Senorita stood on the ground beside her, head still as high as Sophie’s, and Nathan and Eddie parked behind them as the two police officers. The crowd gathered in front of them, with Phoebe right in the middle, already warming up to shout protests in the middle of Liberty’s speech. Vincent stood apart with the camera. It was his turn to film, and he’d been dying for the chance.

  Sophie took a deep breath while Phoebe gave the Corn Flakes some final pointers. All the things the grown-ups had said squeezed her again.

  How am I supposed to not judge them and bring out the best in them, Sophie thought, with Eddie Wornom standing there hating me and Maggie looking like she would rather be having a heart transplant —

  “What’s the matter?” Phoebe said to her. “You got gas?”

  Eddie sputtered out a loud, nasty laugh.

  “Okay, action,” Sophie said.

  “Hey, by the way,” Vincent said. “Nice camera, Sophie.” Then he gave her a thumbs-up that he was shooting.

  “It is dangerous to deny rights to individuals,” Sophie/ Liberty cried out to the crowd in her best Ms. Hess voice, “by lumping them into a group and judging each by the guilt of a few. Only one percent of the Marielitos are actual criminals, and this girl and her mother are certainly not among them.”

  She put her hand on Maggie/Senorita’s shoulder. The words were still pulsing through her as if they had been real.

  “They’re all guilty!” Phoebe shouted from the crowd. “They all carry guns! Frisk her — they’re probably using her to smuggle in weapons!”

  Phoebe charged toward Maggie, dragging a reluctant Willoughby with her. Right on cue, Nathan stepped forward and said, “That’s far enough. Get back.”

  “Everybody start rioting,” Phoebe said under her breath to Jimmy and the Flakes.

  They rushed toward Liberty/Sophie and Maggie/Senorita just like they were supposed to, with the two “cops” pushing them back with their hands. Officer Eddie, Sophie noticed, seemed to be enjoying grabbing Phoebe by the arm and flinging her skinny body from side to side. Just as Sophie/Liberty put her arms around a very stiff Maggie/Senorita to protect her, Phoebe’s voice swelled above it all.

  “Keep your hands off me, pig!” her character screamed into Officer Eddie’s face. “I know my rights!”

  Eddie’s eyes squinted until they were mere poke holes in his face.

  “Who you callin’ a pig?” he said.

  “You!” Phoebe’s character shouted. “We’re the ones you should protect, not them, you fat excuse for law enforcement!”

  “Shut up!” Eddie shouted back.

  In the instant that he reached for his back pocket, Sophie knew Eddie wasn’t acting, and that he didn’t know Phoebe was.

  “Go ahead, hit me!” Phoebe’s character cried. “I’ll sue
you for police brutality.”

  Eddie’s face went purple. He yanked the giant screwdriver out of his pocket, fist clenched around the handle, and drew his arm back.

  “Phoebe, look out!” Sophie screamed.

  Suddenly things seemed to shift into slow motion. Phoebe threw up her arms and shouted, “Cut!” Coach Nanini ran for Eddie, but before he could get there, Eddie flung the screwdriver, and it tumbled end over end through the air, landing just inches from Maggie’s foot. Eddie dived for it, landing on his belly with a grunt.

  Everyone else froze. All except Phoebe, who went after Eddie, teeth bared like tiger fangs. Coach Nanini hauled Eddie out of the way and lifted him to his feet, but Phoebe kept coming at him, clawing the air with her fingernails.

  “Guys,” Coach Nanini said, “this is one time when you can grab a girl.”

  Nathan and Jimmy got hold of Phoebe from behind and pulled her back, dodging her heels as she kicked at them.

  “What are you, some kind of crazy method actor?” Phoebe screamed at Eddie. “You coulda hit me!”

  “I was tryin’ to hit you!” Eddie screamed back. “You called me a pig!”

  “I don’t think anger management is working too well,” Fiona muttered to Sophie.

  Sophie shook her head. And Mama thought we’d be safer here.

  Coach Nanini got Eddie calmed down enough to send him off to the locker room to be dealt with later, but it wasn’t that easy to handle Phoebe. She carried on for a good two minutes before Nathan and Jimmy could let her go without her trying to take them out. When they did set her free at Coach Nanini’s command, she shot off like a missile toward the gym building.

  “She’ll go right into the boys’ locker room, that one,” Darbie murmured.

  “I’d kind of like to see that, actually,” Fiona said.

  Willoughby let out a yip-giggle, and then she couldn’t seem to stop. Darbie snorted, and Fiona just collapsed on the ground.

  “What’s the deal?” Jimmy said to Coach Nanini.

  “Son, don’t ask me to explain women,” Coach said, “because I won’t even try.”

  As he jogged off toward the locker room, Sophie felt a relief giggle coming up in her own throat, until she looked at Maggie.