Winter White (18 page)

How could Izzie explain the connection when there really wasn’t one? Not here in EC, anyway, and she couldn’t tell them about Brayden hanging out in Harborside. “I know him through the Monroes,” Izzie said, trying to sound convincing.

Nicole looked disappointed. “Bummer. I was dying to know how he rated as a kisser.”

“You’re better off not knowing the answer to that question,” Violet told Izzie. “Savannah is pretty possessive. She thought Nic was flirting with Brayden last year during a bake sale and Savannah dropped a blueberry cobbler in Nic’s lap.”

“She knocked my latte over, too, and it spilled all over my new rain boots,” Nicole complained, pursing her lips. “God, thinking about that makes me wish I had a coffee right now. I usually hit the coffee bar after eighth period, but today Coach Greff wanted us here early.”

“I can’t believe the school has a coffee bar,” Izzie said. Some things still amazed her.

“It’s a little much, right?” Violet agreed. “Welcome to Emerald Prep.”

EP’s coffee bar was actually a Starbucks inside the Walburn Library. Izzie hadn’t gone to it. An iced mocha was $4.50. She couldn’t stomach spending her aunt’s money on that. She couldn’t believe she had spending money in the first place when she no longer had a job.

“We prefer the coffee bar in town,” Violet told Izzie. “It’s not an EP magnet like the school one is.” A buzzer went off behind them and another girl dove into the water for her first tryout. Violet motioned to the pool. “So, it looks like you are a shoo-in.”

“I hope so,” Izzie said wistfully. “I was on a team at my community center. My old school didn’t have swim team. But you probably know all that already.”

“About you being from Harborside? Big deal.” Violet shrugged. “That doesn’t scare me. I’m from Brooklyn. Besides, you don’t look like you could beat me with a pipe.” Izzie raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t beat people, though, do you?” Nicole bit a strand of hair peeking out of her swim cap. Violet nudged her. “What? My mom says I have great bone structure, and I’d hate to mess with that.”

“I don’t beat people,” Izzie assured her. “But it’s nice to finally hear someone be honest! Everyone else pretends to act nice to me when what they really want to know is if they train us in Harborside to be criminals.” Nicole looked anxious. “The answer is: They don’t.”

“Now that would be an interesting after-school club,” Violet joked.

Izzie laughed. Finally, she had found girls she could talk to. Where had they been hiding?

Maybe they hadn’t been. Maybe she was the one who had been doing the hiding.

“Whoa,” Violet said, and Izzie looked up. The swimmer had already reached the other side of the wall. Her freestyle time was fifty-eight seconds. “She’s going to make the team for sure.”

One less slot for me
, Izzie thought as she watched the freshman.

Violet nudged her. “Don’t sweat it. You’re going to make the team. Did you see some of the girls who tried out? Coach Greff is lucky they know how to blow bubbles out of their nose.”

“Next, I’d like to have Isabelle Scott, Savannah Ingram, and Millie Lennon down front for an IM,” Coach Greff announced with her megaphone.

“Good luck,” Violet said as Nicole clapped wildly.

Izzie walked to the edge of the pool to take her place next to Millie, the girl who had nailed the freestyle. She looked terrified. Savannah quickly blocked Izzie’s path.

She smiled coolly at Izzie. “Look at you swimming like a pro. At least you’re meant to get wet today.” She leaned in close and whispered in Izzie’s ear. “I have no idea what you were doing with my boyfriend at the regatta party, but you
won’t
be doing it again. Got it? Stay. Away. From. Him. I will make you supremely sorry if you don’t.”

“Get ready, ladies,” the coach said. Each girl walked to her mark, and Izzie kept her head down. She wasn’t about to argue with Savannah now. She had to concentrate.

“Hi, Savannah,” Izzie heard Millie nervously introduce herself. “I’m Millie. You’re really good.”

“And you’re not,” Savannah said flatly. “Better luck next year.” Millie looked miserably at a puddle on the floor.

“Okay, girls, we’re going to do an IM to see how you race,” Coach Greff said through a megaphone from across the pool. “Savannah holds the record, so I’d like to see how you two stack up against her. Good luck.”

“You’re going to need it,” Savannah said under her breath as she took a graceful position on her starting block and adjusted her swim cap.

Izzie put on her goggles, got on the diving block, and waited for the buzzer. When it sounded, she exploded off the diving block and swam freestyle down the first lap. The water churned from her kicks and arm strokes, and her head turned quickly in and out of the water for breaths. There was no time to see where Savannah and Millie were. She just had to swim as hard as she could and count the laps in her head. Two for freestyle… two for breaststroke… two for the butterfly… and then she hit the wall and quickly turned onto her back for the last two laps. Now she could hear the screaming again. It sounded like it was getting more frantic and louder, but she couldn’t be sure and she couldn’t waste a second to check.

When her hands finally hit the wall, Izzie looked down the line at the other lap lanes. The water churned choppily around her. When she saw that Millie was already at the wall, her heart sank. But where was Savannah? Izzie heard the buzzer sound again. That meant the last person had reached the wall, and it wasn’t her! Izzie saw Savannah angrily rip off her swim cap.

“Times,” Coach Greff announced. “Millie Lennon: two minutes and fifty-four seconds. Isabelle Scott: two minutes and fifty-six seconds. And Savannah Ingram, still a personal best at three minutes.” She shook her head in amazement. “Girls, that was incredible! Millie and Isabelle, I think it’s safe to say you’ve officially made the team.” A round of cheers went up from the bleachers as Savannah glared at them, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “I’d also like to congratulate Holly Abrams, sophomore, and Carly Banks, junior. The rest of you, thanks for trying out.”

Izzie felt like she was going to burst. She wished she had someone to share this excitement with. She could call Grams and tell her, but her grandmother hadn’t recognized her when she visited last Saturday, and it had been upsetting. She’d call Kylie instead the moment she dried off. Brayden would be happy for her, too, but she couldn’t call him, could she? She wiped her face with a towel and thought about texting him. That’s when she felt the towel get ripped out of her hands.

“Welcome to the team, fish!” Violet yelled as Nicole hugged Izzie. “We’re taking you to Corky’s to celebrate.”

Izzie remembered Corky’s from her first ride into town. She heard people talk about the popular hamburger haunt all the time. Mira was a regular. Up until now, Izzie hadn’t had anyone to go with. She grinned. “You don’t have to twist my arm. I’m in.”

“Forget Corky’s,” Izzie heard someone else say, and she turned around.

Savannah stood with her hands on her hips, but she was actually smiling at Izzie, which was sort of disturbing. “Congratulations on making the team! I knew you would.”

“Uh, thanks,” Izzie said, and waited for the punch line.

“If we’re going to be teammates, then you should come to the Tryout Day celebration,” Savannah told them. “We’re having a pool party and ordering dinner at the EC Country Club. It’s sort of an EP tradition. A welcome-to-the-team sort of thing.”

Nicole frowned. “I don’t remember being invited last year.”

“You weren’t,” Savannah said simply. She looked at Izzie. “Look, I got a little territorial before. If you and Brayden are really just friends, I’ll get over it,” she said with a shrug. “But the swim team means a lot to me and this is a new year, new team. Might as well all get used to each other, right?” She smiled at Violet and Nicole. “Millie’s coming and a lot of the other girls’ teams will be there, too. So are you guys in?”

Izzie glanced at Violet and Nicole questioningly. Was Savannah actually extending an olive branch? She really did want to fit in and feel like part of the team.
No guts, no glory.

“Okay,” Izzie said to Savannah, who smiled. “We’re in.”

Fourteen

By the time Mira got to the Emerald Cove Country Club, the Tryout Day party was already in full swing. Girls from field hockey, swim, and cheerleading (better luck getting an invitation next year, cross-country team) had changed out of their practice clothes and were sitting on lounge chairs and floats or were at the edge of the pool. Navy and green balloons were tied to every chair, and there was a long table full of green gift bags (courtesy of Savannah’s mom) that held sunscreen, goggles, and exclusive Tryout Day beach towels that would be paraded around school afterward by those fortunate enough to be invited. Mira was collecting hers when Savannah caught up with her.

“Where have you been?” she demanded, looking peeved but beautiful in a green one-piece that was almost identical to the pink one Mira had on (they had bought them together).

Mira knew her cover, but she hesitated when she saw Savannah’s stony expresssion. “I…”

I was working on a still life of a water lily that I botched in painting class today
was the real answer. And the truth was, she wished she was still at the art studio with Kellen instead. She could have listened to him wax poetic about painters like Paul Gauguin all afternoon, but after three texts and two frantic calls from Savannah, Mira knew she should get to the club before things turned ugly.

“I’ve been waiting for you for an hour!” Savannah complained. “Didn’t you get my texts? You were supposed to help me set up.” She looked at Mira suspiciously. “Where were you, anyway?”

“Science lab,” Mira lied, glancing at her hands for signs of paint. “I had to finish that stupid experiment on sound effects on plants, and I guess I left my phone in my bag. Sorry, Vanna.” She nudged her pouting friend playfully. “Looks like you did a great job without me, though. Everyone is having a great time.” She shook her goody bag. “Love the towel.”

Savannah’s face relaxed. “It’s cute, right? But that’s nothing compared to this afternoon’s entertainment.” She pointed out four girls sitting at the edge of the pool.

Mira recognized Violet and Nicole in their team swimsuits right away. The third girl with them was definitely a freshman, but it was the fourth girl who surprised Mira the most. It was Izzie, and she sat in the middle, her mouth going a mile a minute while her slender legs swished back and forth in the water. Mira watched her cousin throw her head back and laugh. She’d never seen Izzie laugh at anything before. She looked comfortable for once, Mira realized.
And she did it all without my help.
An arctic freeze had settled over the two girls since the regatta party. Izzie wasn’t stupid. She knew Mira didn’t like her and she was steering clear. Not having to pretend anymore should have been a relief to Mira, but instead she felt haunted by her behavior. She kept seeing the pained look on Izzie’s face that night on the patio.

“Today is phase one,” Savannah declared, watching the girls. “It’s payback. We’re going to sink Izzie before she even learns how to swim. Figuratively, of course.”

Mira’s stomach felt like it had dropped out of her bathing suit. “How so?”

“She’s a total embarrassment to you and your family, Mira. Let’s face it—having her around takes your class factor down a notch.” Mira winced. “What’s worse is her messing with
my
life.” Savannah glared at Izzie. “Beating my time on the IM today? Hanging out at the party with
my
boyfriend?” Her voice rose. “It’s humiliating! I can’t have her undermine me like that! Brayden had the nerve to tell me that I have to get used to them being friends. Can you believe that?” Her voice was shrill. “He
never
talks back to me like that. Never. I don’t get it. Why would he care so much about being friends with a girl he just met?” Her brown eyes looked sad as she added in a whisper, “Don’t tell anyone, okay? I would die if people knew Brayden and I fought over
her
.”

Mira had never seen Savannah so flustered. So Brayden and Izzie were really friends? She’d heard what had happened that night at the party, but she just assumed the two bumped into each other and the story got spun out of control. But if Brayden was laying claim to the friendship and not worrying about Savannah’s wrath, then something had to be going on. “Vanna, don’t freak out. You know he adores you,” Mira insisted.

Savannah’s emotions turned off like a switch, and her sly smile returned. “Of course he adores me. And once he realizes what a troublemaker Izzie is, he’ll probably never mention her name to me again.” She smoothed her hair with one hand but kept her eyes on Izzie. “That change starts today.” She motioned to Lauren and Lea, who were lounging nearby. “Let’s go say hi to Mira’s cousin,” she told them. Mira followed, feeling like a reluctant puppy. As soon as Izzie saw them coming, her face clouded over. “Hi!” Savannah squealed. “How are you guys? Having fun?”

“This is a little bigger party than you’d described.” Violet looked around in wonder.