Free Stealing Popular by Trudi Trueit

stuck through the middle of a little puffy tortilla triangle. “Thank you.”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” said the lady.
    â€œWhat did you do?” asked Fawn.
    â€œI told her to shred the judging sheets once she was done tallying the scores.”
    Fawn let out a tiny cry.
    Trailing my aunt’s cart, Fawn and I finished our spicy beef soft tacos. We ate lobster puffs, chocolate muffins, candied pistachios, garlic noodles, and shrimp-and-pepper kabobs without saying a word to each other. Throwing away her mini kabob stick, Fawn finally spoke.“There’s no way Renata is going to beat Dijon for fall queen. You do know that, right?”
    â€œI know. She could win one of the two princess crowns, though. Nobody really wants to vote for Venice.” I mimicked the way Venice smacked her gum. Snap. Snap. Snap.
    â€œWhat? You mean, you’re not planning to hack into Mrs. Rivkin’s computer and change the voting results?”
    I gave her a sly smirk to tease her before I said, “No. Of course not. Look, I just want to give Renata a tiny taste of the cake Her Fabulousness and the Royal Court get to eat every day. Is that so awful?”
    Fawn nibbled on a caramel-dipped apple slice. “I suppose not. But how?”
    â€œI figured all we have to do is change her look a little.”
    â€œA little?”
    â€œOkay, a lot. You could give her a fashion makeover and Adair could do something with her hair. I could help her with her speech—”
    â€œIt would take a miracle.”
    â€œCome on, Fawn, this is our chance to make our own footprints.”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œWe could change Renata’s life.”
    â€œOr destroy it. What if she loses and ends up hating us?”
    â€œHow could she hate us?” I teased. “We’re very lovable girls.”
    â€œShe has, like, a one percent chance of winning a princess crown.”
    â€œIt’s still a chance.”
    â€œYou are relentless, you know that?”
    â€œMy aunt says it’s one of my most annoying qualities. So will you do it?”
    Fawn shook her head. “I guess so.”
    I threw an arm across her shoulders. “You’re the best friend in the universe.”
    â€œI still think you’ve lost your mind.”
    â€œYou could be right.” I picked up the next sample and offered it to her. “Egg roll?”
    â€œNo, thanks.” Fawn put a hand to her stomach. “Do they give out Pepto-Bismol or Tums samples anywhere?”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    â€œThey should. Right at the door as you go out. Or maybe as you come in.” She grimaced. “Or both.”
    The edges of Fawn’s face were starting to turn greenish yellow. I guess a pomegranate-cranberry-lemonade, spicy beef taco, lobster puff, chocolate muffin, candiedpistachios, garlic noodles, shrimp-and-pepper kabob, egg roll lunch isn’t for everybody.
    â€œDoes that mean you don’t want to circle one more time?” I asked, popping the mini egg roll in my mouth.
    Fawn burped. I took that as a no.

Eleven
    13-22-44.
    13-22-44.
    I’d been chanting it in my head since I fell asleep last night. My dad was dropping me off at school very early—like “the rooster is still in REM sleep” early. I told him I was meeting Adair and Renata in the library to practice our presentation for leadership class. That much was true. Today each team was going to present its school improvement project idea. However, I didn’t tell my dad that before I met up with my teammates, I had something else to do. It was the real reason I had to get to school at such a wicked hour.
    I was on a top-secret mission.
    13-22-44.
    13-22-44.
    Turning into the school driveway, my dad surveyed the nearly empty parking lot. He pulled up to the curb.“It’s awfully early. Are you sure the library is even open?”
    â€œUh-huh. Mrs. Dawkins is usually one of the first people