The Pink Lemonade Charade Read online

  THE PINK LEMONADE CHARADE

  Cynthia Blair

  Chapter One

  “Christine, for the third time, what well-known English author wrote Pride and Prejudice?”

  Christine Pratt snapped out of her daydreaming as she suddenly realized that someone was talking to her. She blinked, looked around for a few seconds, and then remembered that she was sitting in school, in the middle of her second period English class. But instead of listening to Mr. Collins’s lecture on English literature of the nineteenth century, she had been a million miles away. And as if that weren’t already bad enough, she’d just gotten caught.

  “Sorry, Mr. Collins.” Chris gulped. “I guess I wasn’t really paying attention.”

  “Christine, saying that you weren’t paying attention is quite an understatement. It’s like saying that Romeo and Juliet had a little crush on each other!”

  The class broke into laughter, and Chris could feel her cheeks turning pink.

  “Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice,” a familiar voice, a few seats back, piped up.

  Chris turned around and smiled gratefully at Holly Anderson, her best friend.

  “That’s right, Holly,” said Mr. Collins. “Thank you. And I’m sure that Chris owes you her gratitude, as well, for bailing her out of that one.”

  When the bell rang a few seconds later, signifying the end of second period, Chris Pratt heaved a sigh of relief. She immediately gathered up her books, cast a woeful look at Mr. Collins, and headed toward the door of the classroom along with the rest of the students.

  “We’re starting Tale of Two Cities in class tomorrow, Christine,” Mr. Collins called after her. “Make sure you read the first three chapters tonight, so you’ll be ready for the class discussion. And please make sure you get a good night’s sleep! At home, I might add—not in my classroom!”

  “Gee, Chris,” said Holly as the two girls strolled toward third period history, another class they took together. “Not paying attention in class isn’t at all like you.”

  “I know, Holly.” Chris sighed. “It’s just that lately, all I can think about is that in just a few short months, we’ll all be graduating!”

  “I can’t wait, either,” Holly commented wistfully. “It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it? Just think: We’ll all be moving on to brand-new adventures, going on to college or getting our first full-time jobs.”

  “But that’s the problem!” Chris wailed. “I still haven’t figured out what I want to do after graduation! Sure, I’ve applied to colleges, but I’m not sure whether I really want to go or not. After all, I still haven’t decided what I want to be when I grow up!”

  It was true; that very subject had been occupying Chris’s thoughts more and more lately. Now that she was a senior at Whittington High School, everyone she knew was busy making plans for their futures. Sometimes it seemed as if she were the only one who hadn’t yet chosen one clear-cut direction.

  “You know who’s really got it made?” Chris went on mournfully.

  “Who?”

  “My twin sister, Susan. That’s who.”

  Holly thought for a few seconds. “Well, Chris, it’s true that ever since she was a little girl, she’s wanted to study at an art school, and then go on to have a career as an artist. But look at everything you’ve got going, for yourself!”

  Chris eyed her friend skeptically as the two girls inched along the crowded corridors of Whittington High. “Like what?”

  “Well, like the fact that you’re outgoing, and friendly, and—and you’re never at a loss for something to say. Why, you can talk yourself out of just about any situation!”

  Chris couldn’t help laughing at Holly’s summation of her special skills. After all, it happened to be right on the nose. “Maybe, but what good is any of that in helping me decide what to do with the rest of my life?”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, Chris, I’m not sure exactly what I want to do after college, either.” Holly shrugged. “But the way I look at it, lots of people go to college without knowing what they want to do with their education—or even what they want to study, for that matter. But they take all kinds of different courses, and, sooner or later, they find something they’re interested in.

  “To be perfectly honest, Chris, I have absolutely no doubt that that’s going to happen to you,” Holly went on encouragingly. “And I’m sure that as soon as that happens, watch out! You and I have been friends long enough for me to know that once you find something that’s important to you, you jump into it, head first.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  Despite her reluctant agreement, however, Chris wasn’t convinced. She kept wishing that something— anything—would happen that would help her decide where she was heading. Then, perhaps, she’d be able to muster up some enthusiasm for starting college in the fall.

  But Chris didn’t have much of a chance to ruminate about her future as she and Holly continued walking through the corridor. All of a sudden, she felt herself nearly toppling over as someone fell against her, pushing her so hard that she gasped. In fact, she was so surprised by the sudden impact that she threw her arms up into the air, letting go of all her schoolbooks. They fell to the floor with a loud bang, and then, before she even knew what had happened, she saw that her textbooks, her notebooks, several pens, and half a dozen loose pieces of paper were scattered at her feet, all over the floor.

  “What on earth ...” She whirled around and found herself face-to-face with Skip Desmond, a boy she had never really taken the time to get to know, but who lately seemed to be making a point of being a nuisance whenever he was around her. “Skip, what do you think you’re doing?”

  Skip was wearing a huge grin, looking as if he couldn’t have cared less about what he had just done. In fact, from the belligerent tilt of his chin, it was fairly obvious that knocking into Chris had been no accident.

  “Sorry about that,” he said coolly, still grinning in that annoying way. He wasn’t a bad-looking boy, with his light brown hair and blue eyes, but the way he was acting lately made it hard for him to seem attractive to anybody. “Guess I didn’t notice you, Chris. But now that I have ...” He came over to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “How about you and me getting together after school later on? You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you out for a long time now....”

  “Take your hands off me!” Chris demanded. “And I’d sooner go out with—with Mr. Collins than you, Skip Desmond!”

  Instead of being offended, the arrogant boy just laughed.

  “Your loss, Miss High and Mighty,” he replied, and he sauntered off, still grinning as if he had just said the most clever thing in the world.

  “Ooh, that Skip Desmond gets me so mad.” Chris was seething as she watched him walk away. She leaned over and retrieved all her belongings. “He’s such a ... such a—”

  “Oh, come on, Chris,” said Holly. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s just showing off, that’s all. I hear his parents aren’t getting along too well these days, and that he’s having some problems because of it.”

  “Hmmm, that’s too bad. I hadn’t heard about that.” Chris sighed. “Even so, what does he have to pick on me for?”

  Holly chuckled, amused that the answer to that question wasn’t obvious to Chris. “Because he likes you, silly! Only Skip is the kind of boy who doesn’t know how to show it. You know, the type who feels uncomfortable letting people know how he really feels. So instead, he ... well, he does dumb things like knock your books all over the floor.”

  “Well, I just wish he’d find somebody else to concentrate his energies on, well-meaning or otherwise,” Chris grumbled as the two girls started on their way once again. She refuse
d to let Skip’s immaturity get her down for very long, however. “Now, where were we? Ah, yes; we were talking about the reason why I’ve been having such a hard time listening in class lately.”

  “Actually, Chris,” Holly said with a teasing grin, glad that her friend was willing to forget about the unpleasant incident that had just occurred, “in case you haven’t noticed, you’re not the only one who’s been having a hard time paying attention in class lately. I have, too—but for an entirely different reason.”

  “Really?” Chris blinked. “What’s that?”

  “All of a sudden, I’ve got a terrible case of spring fever! You know, it isn’t easy, sitting in a classroom all day, while outside the sun is shining, flowers are starting to poke their pretty little heads out, and the air has that special freshness to it.”

  Even though she was in such a pensive mood, Chris had to agree. She smiled ruefully. “Now that you mention it, I’ve been noticing that this change in seasons has been having an effect on me, too.”

  “And knowing that spring vacation is only a few weeks away doesn’t help, either,” Holly went on. “Just think: a whole week off. No school, no homework ... and no sitting in classrooms! I can hardly wait!” She glanced over at her friend. “Made any plans yet, Chris?”

  “No, not yet. But one thing’s for sure.” Chris hugged her schoolbooks tightly against her chest as she and Holly continued to make their way down the corridor. “I would love to do something different—to take my mind off things, if nothing else. I’d love to do something I’ve never done before. Something wonderful and exciting and maybe even a little bit daring.”

  “Uh-oh, Chris,” a teasing voice from out of nowhere suddenly interjected. “What are you up to now!”

  She whirled around and found herself face to face with her twin sister, Susan.

  “Caught me.” Chris chuckled. “Hi, Sooz. Actually, I wasn’t planning anything. I was just ... dreaming. Holly and I were talking about the fact that spring vacation is only a few weeks away now.”

  “And your sister and I already have a bad case of spring fever,” Holly informed her with a grin, flicking a strand of her long blond hair over her shoulder.

  “Right,” Chris agreed. Already she had forgotten her worries about her future, at least for the moment. After all, it was so much more pleasant to concentrate on the arrival of such an exhilarating new season. “And I was just saying that I’m really in the mood to do something different.”

  “Now that’s what I call a coincidence!” said Susan. “Or at least good timing.”

  “Really? Why? What on earth are you talking about, Sooz?”

  Susan Pratt just smiled mysteriously.

  “Not to change the subject or anything,” she went on, “but have you had history yet?”

  “Nope. Holly and I have it now. Ms. Parker’s third period class. Why, have you?” Chris was puzzled.

  “Why, yes, as a matter of fact. I have it second period. I just got out.”

  Chris peered at her twin for a few seconds, then exploded. “Susan Pratt, you’re hiding something! What is it? What happened in your history class today? And whatever it is, is it going to happen in mine, too?”

  But Susan refused to say a word. She just continued smiling that same impish smile.

  “Soo-oo-ooz! ...”

  Just then the bell rang. The few students who were still lingering in the halls of Whittington High School scurried off to their third period classes. Within a few seconds the corridors were empty.

  “Let me just tell you one thing,” Susan finally said, still smiling mischievously. “Christine Pratt, you’re in for a big surprise!”

  “What kind of surprise?” Chris called after her. “A good surprise? Is it something I’ll like?”

  But her twin had already vanished, dashing into a classroom nearby for her math class.

  “Honestly, that sister of mine!” Chris pretended to complain to Holly as the two of them stepped into Ms. Parker’s classroom, right across the hall. “Sometimes she drives me bananas!”

  But Holly knew only too well that the Pratt twins were as close as any two sisters could possibly be. And the fact that they were identical seventeen-year-olds, with the same short chestnut brown hair, alert brown eyes, high cheekbones, and pert ski-jump noses, actually had very little to do with it.

  As a matter of fact, the two girls were really quite different. Chris was the outgoing twin. She was active in school sports and clubs, she spent endless hours talking on the phone and planning her busy social life, and she went out every chance she got. Susan, on the other hand, was quiet and shy. She loved reading, playing with the girls’ pet cat, Jonathan, and, most of all, painting. It was true that she planned to go to art school after high school graduation, so that, one day, she could be a professional artist.

  No, what really made the Pratt twins such good friends was their shared love of adventure, and their love of playing tricks and practical jokes. And although they were only seniors in high school, the two girls already had quite a history of doing just that.

  It had all started with The Banana Split Affair, when Chris and Susan traded identities for two weeks so that each could learn more about what the other’s life was like. Since then, they had gone on to take advantage of their similar appearances many times.

  They’d helped a family who was on the verge of being forced to sell the summer camp that had been in their family for years, done some sleuthing that helped keep a children’s hospital from having to close down ... Chris had even pretended to be a boy for a week so that she and her girlfriends could find out more about what made the opposite sex tick. Every time they played one of their pranks, they also helped someone out, even as they had a good time and learned some valuable lessons themselves.

  But there was no time for thinking about the fun the two girls had had together in the past. Not now, when history class was about to begin. Besides, Chris was already too wrapped up in wondering what Susan had been talking about to think about anything else.

  Ms. Parker, however, had other plans for third period: As soon as the class quieted down, she launched into a lecture on the causes of World War I. Once again, Chris was finding it hard to concentrate. Perhaps her sister had just been teasing her. Maybe there wasn’t really any “surprise” after all....

  She tore a blank piece of paper out of her spiral notebook, jotted down a note that read, “Holly, What on earth do you think Susan was talking about before?” and folded it up as small as she could. Then she turned around in a way that she hoped looked casual, passed the note to Holly, and turned around to face the front again—only to find herself nose-to-nose with Ms. Parker.

  “Christine, is it possible that you’re actually bored by World War I—even though it was the biggest war the world had ever seen before in its entire history?”

  “I’m really sorry, Ms. Parker,” said Chris. “It’s just that I’m finding it so hard to concentrate today!”

  Holly immediately jumped in, anxious to help out her friend once again. “I can’t concentrate either, Ms. Parker! I’ve got an awful case of spring fever. I think we all have, Chris and me and everybody else.”

  “That’s right,” Chris agreed. “Just look outside the windows! The sun is shining, the flowers are starting to bloom ...”

  Instead of being angry, Ms. Parker laughed. “You’ve got a point there, girls. March isn’t exactly the easiest time of the year to sit in a classroom. It may surprise you to know that teachers get spring fever, too!”

  She walked up to the front of the classroom again.

  “Well, I’d been planning to wait until the end of the period to make this announcement, but I might as well tell you all about it now.” With a twinkle in her eye, she added, “After all, I have a feeling that Chris and Holly and I aren’t the only ones in here who’ve got a bad case of spring fever!”

  Chris sat up straight in her chair, anxious to hear Ms. Parker’s announcement—no doubt the surprise that her
twin sister had been teasing her about. She glanced over at Holly and saw that she, too, was listening intently.

  “I’m sure you’re all aware that spring vacation is only a few weeks away,” Ms. Parker began. “This year, for the first time in Whittington High’s history, we’re planning a school trip, open to juniors and seniors.”

  “Where to?” asked one of the senior girls, sitting in front. Chris just held her breath.

  “Washington, D.C.”

  The entire class broke into excited chatter. Washington, D.C.! Chris could hardly believe her ears. That was exciting news! It sounded like exactly what she needed. And from the way Susan had been talking, it sounded as if she was already planning to go.

  Better double that reservation, Chris thought with a grin.

  The class finally quieted down, and Ms. Parker continued. “We’ll be flying into Dulles Airport on Wednesday night, right in the middle of the week of your spring break. And we’ll be coming back late Sunday morning. That means you’ll have all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for sightseeing.”

  “Oh, boy!” cried Timothy Patterson, a sandy-haired senior boy, and, Chris knew, her sister’s current crush.

  “We’ll be able to see the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House, and the Capitol....”

  “Don’t forget the Vietnam War Memorial!” someone else piped up.

  “And the Smithsonian Institution’s museums,” said another student. “I understand there’s an art museum, and a space museum, and an American history museum.... Wow! I can hardly wait!”

  “I know; it’s all very exciting,” Ms. Parker said, holding up her hands for silence. “But there’s even more.” She paused for a moment, as if wanting to add dramatic impact to what she was about to say. “Whittington High has been invited to participate in a special cultural exchange program while we’re in Washington.”

  “ ‘A cultural exchange program’?” repeated Tim Patterson. “What’s that?”

  Holly Anderson answered that question for him. “It means that while we’re in Washington, we’ll get to meet some students from another country.”