Free Out of Bounds by Annie Bryant

my superstar sisters.”
    Katani’s sisters were famous at Abigail Adams. They were two of the best athletes the school had ever had, and they never let Katani forget it.
    On Wednesdays, the whole seventh grade had gym together first period. Kiki had snuck in to use the gym before school started.
    As soon as the gym teacher came in, Kiki stopped the routine and sat down. Although the class was coed, Mr. McCarthy liked to have the boys sit on one side of the gym and the girls on the other. That was the way they did it in the last school he taught in, and that was the way he wanted it done here. Nobody really cared, except for Avery, who said it was sexist.
    Kiki took a seat, wiping her forehead with a towel. Anna and Joline sat down next to her, copying her every move. “We’re looking for another backup dancer,” she said to Maeve. “You interested?”
    â€œSorry, I’m already booked,” Maeve said.
    â€œWith what? Fame? ” Kiki snickered. “That’s like so out of date.”
    â€œMaybe, but I like it. It’s fun,” Maeve responded, brushing off Kiki’s put-down. The one thing Maeve was confident about was her ability to perform. So she wasn’t even bothered by Kiki’s comments. They were like annoying little mosquitoes buzzing around her head that just needed a bit of swatting. Now math—that was a whole other thing. Maeve dreaded being called to the board to do a problem. That was pure agony as far as she was concerned.
    â€œMaeve’s also in the magic show,” Katani said.
    â€œOh, right, the magic show. Lame and lamer,” Kiki spat.
    â€œOur number is going to be the show stopper,” Joline boasted.
    â€œThink VH1 meets Cirque du Soleil,” Anna offered.
    â€œWhat, you’re doing a circus act?” Avery asked.
    â€œMore like a rock video,” Kiki said. “Multimedia, film, music, computer animation—the works.”
    â€œKiki’s father produces music videos,” Anna bragged.
    Kiki looked as if she’d gotten all of her fashion sense from watching rock videos, Katani thought. But she didn’t say it. Her personal rule was that she really tried not to make fun of anyone else’s style. She read about this fashion designer once who loved to walk the streets of New York, looking at regular people and their clothes. She said it was very inspiring. The designer had said, “I mean, what if someone had criticized sweatpants the first time they saw them—where would we all be?” Life without sweatpants was too grim even to imagine. Nope, you better keep an open mind when it came to fashion, Katani reasoned. Even for the Kikis of the world.
    And then Kiki looked over at Katani. “I would have invited you to join, Katani, ’cause you are so good at sewing and everything, but everyone knows you can’t dance…”
    The BSG glared at Kiki. She had gone too far. Katani was sensitive about the fact that she wasn’t coordinated. Just as Avery, rescuer of all underdogs, was about to jump to Katani’s defense, Kiki quickly changed the subject. “My father has a lighting designer flying in from the coast,” she said.
    â€œNo one’s gonna touch this act,” Joline said. “We might even have Paula Abdul help us.”
    â€œMight,” Kiki said. It was true that Kiki’s dad had worked with her once, but he hadn’t promised anything. The truth was they hadn’t even talked about it. Not yet.
    â€œYou could be missing a big opportunity,” Kiki said to Maeve.
    â€œBig,” echoed Anna.
    â€œTotally big,” chimed Joline.
    â€œSorry,” Maeve said, not sounding for one minute as if she meant it. “I’m busy that night…”
    â€œToo bad,” Kiki said. “Your friend Dillon seems to be available.”
    â€œWhat?” Maeve didn’t see that one coming.
    â€œDillon’s gonna dance