Free Sugar and Spice by Sheryl Berk Page B

laughing.
    â€œAre you kidding me? You call that a fitness outfit?” She was dressed in a flashy Zumba costume.
    â€œCome on, Lexi,” Harleigh said, stepping between them. She was wearing a royal-blue ice-skating costume with a pair of white figure skates tossed over her shoulder.
    â€œThanks for rescuing me,” Lexi whispered as they made their way backstage.
    â€œWhat are friends for?” Harleigh smiled. “That Meredith certainly has a bee in her bonnet.”
    Lexi watched as Meredith exploded onto the stage chanting, “Shake it! Shake it!”
    In the audience, Jenna winced. “She looks like she’s got hormigas en sus pantalones —ants in her pants!”
    Kat Grabel looked confused as Meredith spun wildly across the stage.
    â€œI think the judges agree with you,” Delaney told Jenna.
    â€œKat’s probably scared she’s gonna get conked on the noggin again,” Lexi’s dad piped up. “That girl is a health hazard.”
    Meredith ended her routine without incident—and blew kisses to the crowd.
    â€œTop that!” she dared Lexi as she pushed past her. “I know you won’t, Lexi the Loser.”
    Lexi gulped, then heard Mr. Jim announce her number. She walked out onstage, basketball in hand, and stood there, frozen.
    â€œDribble it! Dribble it!” Sadie willed her telepathically from the audience.
    Lexi’s music, Pharrell’s “Happy,” was playing, but she didn’t seem to hear it, nor did she look too happy. Finally, as she reached the end of the runway, she bounced the ball once.
    â€œShe forgot everything I taught her!” Sadie groaned.
    â€œIt’s that evil Meredith,” Delaney said. “She must have said something to freak her out.”
    â€œPass it here!” Sadie suddenly shouted. She stood up on her seat and held her hands up for Lexi to throw her the ball.
    Lexi looked like she was in a trance.
    â€œCome on, Lex,” Sadie yelled. “Shoot the ball! You can do it!”
    Lexi took a deep breath and tossed the ball high in the air, aiming for Sadie’s voice. Sadie reached up and caught it effortlessly.
    â€œNow that’s what I call a slam dunk,” Kat Grabel whispered to her fellow judges, who seemed equally impressed.
    Lexi scrambled off the stage just as Harleigh was walking out into her routine. She pretended to whirl around the stage in her jazz shoes, shifting the skates from shoulder to shoulder and posing.
    â€œI think we should go check on her before interviews,” Delaney suggested. “She could probably use a little PLC pep talk.”
    â€œAllow me,” Herbie said, getting out of his seat. “I believe I can help.”
    â€œThat’s what you said before you covered the entire teachers’ lounge in frosting!” Kylie protested. “We’re Lexi’s friends. We know her best.”
    â€œBut I was a shy kid with an older sister who overshadowed me,” Herbie insisted. Then he looked at Kylie. “Like you always tell me, ‘I got this.’”
    When he found Lexi backstage, she was pacing the floor.
    â€œFeeling a bit wonky?” he asked her.
    â€œBeyond wonky. I’m a wreck,” she admitted. “I can’t go out there and answer questions on the spot!”
    â€œBecause?” Herbie questioned.
    â€œBecause I don’t know what they’ll ask me. And I don’t know what I’ll say.”
    â€œYou should simply say what comes to your mind—whatever it is,” Herbie replied. He pulled up two chairs for them to sit down.
    â€œDid I ever tell you about the Vancouver Robotics Competition?”
    â€œNope.” Lexi shook her head. “But what does that have to do with me making a fool of myself at a pageant?”
    â€œWell, it was a pageant of sorts—for robots though, not people,” Herbie explained. “I built this brilliant robot named R23P-Ono who could