Reality Bites #15 Page 12

  Tori reached into the bag and pulled out . . . the gold circle!

  “Nice!” Natalie cheered.

  “Captain Tori!” Grace cried out.

  “Uh . . . great,” Tori said, forcing a smile.

  Gaby huffed and dropped back onto her elbows.

  “Yeah, Priya!” Brynn cheered on the other side of the circle. Natalie glanced over at the Red side and saw Priya clutching the gold circle. She was grinning from ear to ear.

  “Good. Our captains will be Tori for Blue and Priya for Red,” Belle said, making a note on her clipboard. “Congratulations, ladies. Now let’s do our electives, everyone. I’ll be in my room. Alyssa? You’re first.”

  As Alyssa got up to find out what her new elective activities would be, the Blue team gathered around Tori to congratulate her. Tori smiled and thanked them all, but Natalie could tell she wasn’t all that psyched.

  “Hey, Nat! Can I get some of that nail polish?” Tori asked suddenly, grabbing Natalie’s arm. She practically yanked Nat outside onto the front porch. Natalie hobbled awkwardly in her toe-separators.

  “What’s the matter?” Natalie whispered the second the screen door slammed behind them.

  “I can’t be captain!” Tori replied. “I don’t even like Color War.”

  “Better not let Jenna hear you say that. She’ll disown you for good,” Natalie said. She sat down on the front steps to finish her toenails.

  “I’m serious, Natalie. I have zero interest in doing this. I’m sure someone else would be better,” Tori said, leaning back on the wooden railing that surrounded the porch. “Like Alex. She’s done, like, a million of these things. Or Gaby. She loves to tell people what to do. And they both wanted it. Do you think Belle would let me give it to someone else?” she asked, looking down at her crumpled gold circle.

  “I don’t know. She seemed pretty serious about doing it by chance,” Natalie said. “If you switch, then the Red team might want to switch. It’ll be a whole big mess.”

  Tori groaned and pulled her long blond hair forward over her shoulder. She lifted a big chunk and started to chew on it—something Natalie knew she only did when she was really upset, and never in public.

  “Tori, don’t worry about it. You’re going to make a great captain. You just have to get in the spirit of things,” Natalie said, getting up and putting her arm around her friend. Instantly Tori dropped the hair. “Believe me, I did not get Color War my first year here either, but now I kind of like it. Maybe you can, too, if you try. And if you need any help, I’m there. We’ll do it together.”

  “Yeah?” Tori asked, brightening slightly.

  Natalie felt that warm and fuzzy feeling she always got in her chest when she helped someone out. “Definitely. What’re friends for?”