Free Solving Zoe by Barbara Dee

Zoe.
    Someone had written in perfectly formed letters:
    Cause division among them.
    â€”Sun Tzu,
The Art of War
    â€œWhat’s that about?” Leg demanded. “Cause division among who?”
    â€œNobody,” Paloma said. “It’s just some stupid fortune cookie.”
    Mackenzie shook her head. “Fortune cookies are always typed. Or printed. This is handwritten.”
    â€œAre you sure?” Tyler said. “It kind of looks like a computer font. You know, a handwriting one.”
    â€œBut it’s not.” Mackenzie smudged the ink with her index finger. “See?”
    â€œIt’s still stupid,” Paloma said scornfully. “Just forget about it, Leg.”
    Jake grabbed the paper out of Leg’s hand. He held it up to the light, as if he were checking for fingerprints. “Well, it means something ,” he insisted. “Because why would someone choose this quotation? ‘Cause division’—you think that’s about math ? And why write it so carefully? And then put it in Leg’s locker? Why her?”
    Paloma grinned. “Maybe whoever wrote it has a crush on Leg.”
    â€œPlease,” Leg said, smiling.
    â€œMaybe it’s Ezra.”
    Jake snorted. “Ezra? You think Ezra Blecker has a crush on Leg ?”
    â€œWho knows,” Paloma said. “Nothing would surprise me about that mute little creep. And The Art of War —isn’t that the kind of warfare-strategy-thing he reads all the time?”
    â€œOkay,” Mackenzie said skeptically. “But why would Ezra stick a note about causing division in Leg’s locker? I mean, even if he does have a crush.”
    â€œOh, stop it, you guys,” Leg said. She shut her locker. “I adore Ezra, I really do, but we’re just good friends, I swear.”
    Everybody laughed at that.
    Then Leg and Paloma walked off together, giggling. “Oh, I know ,” Zoe could hear Leg say.
    Zoe frowned. She walked over to Dara, who was carefully taking her Chinese textbook out of her locker. “Were you listening to that just now?”
    Dara nodded. “Uh-huh. That was incredibly weird.”
    â€œIt was just some dumb note. Why did Leg have to make such a big deal about it?”
    â€œWell,” Dara said slowly. “It’s her locker, right? So I guess it’s a big deal to her.”
    â€œI know. But I mean, it really isn’t fair to blame Ezra without any proof. Or to make fun of him like that.”
    Dara widened her big blue-gray eyes. “So you’resticking up for Ezra Blecker? Why would you even do that? Besides, how much proof do we need?”
    â€œWe?”
    â€œGroan,” Dara said. “Don’t be like that, Zoe.”
    â€œDon’t be like what?” She stared at Dara. “You mean, just because Leg and Paloma say, ‘Okay, everybody, blame weirdo Ezra,’ I should?”
    â€œI mean,” Dara said quietly, “that you should stop being so jealous about Leg. Truthfully? It’s getting slightly out of control.”
    Zoe could feel her throat start to tighten. “I’m not jealous, Dara. I’m really not! I just wish…” But what could she say? I just wish we were in all the same classes again. I just wish you saved us a private lunch table. I just wish you weren’t so busy after school. I just wish you’d called yesterday to ask about The Worst Day in My Life. “I guess I just wish Leg wasn’t around all the time.”
    â€œWell, I can’t help it if she likes me, Zoe. Or that she’s dancing in the musical, which, frankly, you don’t even seem to care about.”
    â€œWhat? How can you say that? Of course I care about it, Dara!”
    â€œThen how come you haven’t even asked about my part?” Dara shut her locker door. It made a firm little clicksound. “You know what? I can’t deal with this right now,” she said. Then she turned