Jealousy by Jessica Burkhart

school. Friends waving or flashing the peace sign at the camera.
    There was a great one of Ana with her guy Jeremy’s arm wrapped around her. Bri was on Ana’s other side, and Taylor’s arm was slung across her shoulders. All four of them grinned into the camera. Looking at that photo made me miss Yates a little. My teachers. My friends. But I pinned the photo to my corkboard, ultimately happy to have a picture of my friends together. Now Taylor is here, and that’s one friend at Canterwood from home.
    My favorite picture, though, was of Ana and Brielle. They probably had Kim take it, because they were in the driveway of Briar Creek. The sun was just starting to set, and they were each on their horse, bareback. It looked like they’d just come to the stable to play—both of them sported jean cutoffs. Zane wore a blue halter and Breeze had a purple halter, and Ana and Brielle had knotted their lead lines to one side of the halter to act as reins. The purple-pink-orange-streaked sky behind them looked like one of Ana’s paintings.
    There was a card from Bri, too, which was my taste—sky blue with tiny silver and gold stars made from shiny foil. Confetti stars, just like the ones on the card, flew everywhere when I opened it—not expecting the surprise. The stars fell around a check—Bri had given me all of her allowance and convinced her parents to match her donation. Inside she’d written the sweetest message:
    Laur,
    Omigod, BFFL! You’re13today! I wish I could be there to party with you (and, you know, show off my fab dancing skills), but you do have one Union friend there. I feel so lucky to celebrate another year as your best friend. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5,000 miles away—we’ll always be as tight as if you were home. Now stop reading, go do something fun, and pretend this card is a giant hug from your girl—Brielle!
    ,
    B
    I called Bri, too, dying to thank her. Like my phone call to Ana, Brielle’s phone rang until it went to voice mail. I left a quick message and asked her to call me.
    After I read those cards, it made things even more confusing about Ana and Brielle. I showed Khloe the cards and checks. Khloe did a dramatic performance of what she envisioned happening when I handed over the checks to charity.
    â€œIt’ll be like you combined all of the money,” Khloe said, unable to sit still. “You’ll have a giant cardboard check covered with a red cloth that you’re about to unveil. Even the Thoroughbreds will be watching!”
    I loved her story, even though that was definitely not going to happen. Especially since I didn’t know how to get a giant cardboard check.
    Ack! I’ve rambled forever! Sorry! Almost done—promise! One of the most important things I wanted to write about was Bri and Ana. It feels like we’ve been drifting apart since I’ve been here. The old Ana and the Brielle I knew would have told me about Taylor. Or, on the extremely crazy-slash-ridiculous chance they didn’t, Ana and Bri would have flooded me with BBMs, texts, calls, fireworks to get my attention to explain after Taylor got here.
    If I know my friends, they are probably both feelingguilty, and that could explain the short, zero-details messages. I’d played Ana’s message for Khloe, and that was the one, though, that we were stuck on. Why did Ana suggest I talk to Bri? Is Bri keeping a secret?
    Posted by Lauren Towers

MAYBE WE SHOULD MICROCHIP TAYLOR
    â€œDO YOU THINK WE’RE GOING TO SEE HIM?” I asked Khloe. My roomie and I stood in the hallway of Hawthorne early Monday morning.
    Khloe locked our dorm room door and tossed the keys into her bag. “Probably. But remember, I promised to step in and try to help Taylor if I can, if he’s lost or whatever. That will keep things at minimum weirdness between you and Drew. And right now minimum weirdness would be the maximum