Best Friends Forever?, page 1
BY TINA WELLS
with Stephanie Smith
Illustrated by Mike Segawa
For Quorra, Eric, and Jeanette. —S.S.
© 2022 by Tina Wells
Written with Stephanie Smith
Illustrated by Mike Segawa
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 9781513209432
Printed in Canada
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Published by West Margin Press®
WestMarginPress.com
WEST MARGIN PRESS
Publishing Director: Jennifer Newens
Marketing Manager: Alice Wertheimer
Project Specialist: Micaela Clark
Editor: Olivia Ngai
Design & Production: Rachel Lopez Metzger
1
FRIENDLY ADDITION
In a cozy dorm room at The Hollows Creative Arts Academy, Mackenzie “Zee” Carmichael lay in her bed, nervously biting her lip. The upcoming year-nine winter field trip to Switzerland has her feelings tied up in knots. She smiled when she thought about traveling to a posh ski resort with her friends, and the idea of sipping hot chocolate around the fire and staying up late eating s’mores made her swoon. But she grimaced when she thought about what her new friends would think if she stumbled down the slopes head over skies, like a clumsy abominable snowman.
Sure, everyone else is stoked for a ski trip, Zee thought to herself as she Googled “how long does it take for your fingers to get frostbite” on her phone. But I don’t ski—how am I going to survive a week on a school ski trip and not embarrass myself?
For most of her thirteen-year existence, Zee had lived in California, where people could play outdoors without layers of fleece and wool clothing. She’d skied before on family vacations to the mountains, but she never got the hang of it.
Since her family relocated to the U.K., Zee has acclimated both to a new boarding school and a new way of life in a colder climate. In the fall, she had started her first term at The Hollows, located in the English countryside. Aside from making new friends and getting used to the English school curriculum, Zee also found her warm California bones adjusting quickly to the colder climate—she found delight in the changing of the leaves in the fall, and snow on her morning walks to class in the winter.
But this ski trip had the potential to upend the comfort she’s finally found in her new life at The Hollows. What if I face plant on the slopes? What if I break a leg and need to be airlifted to the hospital? Zee thought to herself.
Zee’s roommate, Jameela Chopra, stood near her dresser, already pulling out cashmere sweaters and long underwear to pack for the trip. An accomplished ballet dancer, Jameela moved quickly and gracefully around the room as she grabbed clothes and shoes. “Ooh, this would be perfect for s’mores around the fire,” Jameela said, holding up one outfit.
Zee looked at Jameela and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you weren’t going to ski because you didn’t want to risk hurting yourself on the slopes,” Zee said.
“I’ve been skiing since I was four,” Jameela said. “One or two runs won’t be a big deal.”
Zee looked away from her roommate and sighed. Jameela was the only other person in year nine who seemed to have little desire to ski, concerned that an accidental fall could hinder her ballet practice. But even she was ready for the slopes. As for their other friends, Tom Anand and Jasper Chapman have been swapping stories about their coolest ski tricks since the trip was announced. Archie Saint John, Zee’s close friend (and ex-boyfriend), had a house near where the ski lodge was located and has been skiing since he could walk. Zee’s dormmate and popular YouTuber Izzy Matthews was already plotting how she could mount a GoPro to her helmet while she skied to get footage for her vlog. And Valentina, the princess of the island Costa de Alba and the newest student at The Hollows, has skied all over Europe, as a princess does.
Great, I’ll be sitting in the lodge alone while everyone else skis, Zee thought.
Zee got up and walked toward her closet, looking for ski-appropriate clothes. Aside from a few printed pullover sweatshirts and her Hollows uniform pieces, there wasn’t a lot of heavy-duty—much less waterproof—skiwear to choose from. Maybe Mom could send me some ski pants, Zee thought. And I’ll definitely need to order some long underwear.
A vibration sounded from her backpack. Zee walked over to her desk and fished through the bag for her phone. Her mom’s face popped up on the screen. That’s strange… Mom doesn’t normally ring me during the week, Zee thought.
She picked up the phone. “Hey, Mom, what’s up?”
“Hi, dear,” Mrs. Carmichael’s chirpy voice sang into the phone. “Got a second?”
“Sure,” Zee said nervously. What’s happened? she wondered. Did a teacher write another letter about my grades? Or maybe Dad’s getting transferred to another job in another country and we’ll all have to move again immediately, before the ski trip? Then I won’t have to worry about going viral as an embarrassing meme when someone films me wiping out on the slopes!
“It’s about Ally,” her mother said, interrupting her thoughts.
Ally Stern was one of Zee’s best friends from California. They were inseparable at their old school, Brookdale Academy, before the Sterns moved to Paris a few years ago. Recently Ally’s parents split up, and right before the holidays Ally found out that her mother had a new boyfriend. Though Ally didn’t talk about it much, Zee knew that all these changes with her family had been tricky for her friend to deal with.
Mrs. Carmichael said, “I’m sure you know Ally’s been having some… challenges at home lately.”
“Uh-huh,” Zee said, flopping onto her bed as she listened.
“Well, her father just called, and he’s decided it would be best for her to enroll at The Hollows.”
Zee sat up in surprise. “Um, what?!” she said loudly into the phone. Jameela turned quickly toward Zee, startled at the noise. Zee jumped out of bed and stepped out of the room, partly so she wouldn’t disturb Jameela and partly so she could have some privacy to discuss this urgent matter.
“Yes, well,” Mrs. Carmichael continued, “it’s become quite… well, her mother was on the phone with me and she sounded very sad. Ally doesn’t want to stay in Paris with her mother and her new boyfriend, and her father has become very busy because of work. Anyway, things happened quickly for her family to arrange Ally’s transfer, but she’ll be arriving tomorrow. She might even be going on that school ski trip.”
As Zee found an empty armchair in the corner of the dorm lounge, her mind processed everything her mom told her. My best friend is coming to The Hollows, she thought. Ally and I will be reunited! We can hang out and chat all the time! Wonder what room she’ll get? Will she live near me?
Suddenly, Zee’s mind pivoted to what happened during winter break. She and her family had returned to Malibu for the holidays and Zee had planned to spend her days with Ally and her other BFF, Chloe Lawrence-Johnson, having sleepovers and baking cookies. The Carmichaels hosted a big holiday party and everyone showed up—even their music teacher, Mr. P, came—but Ally was only there for a few hours and left early. She eventually came over to Zee’s again for a sleepover during the break, but things between them seemed different from before. Zee couldn’t help feeling like Ally was slowly outgrowing Zee, or at least was so distracted by her family situation she wasn’t able to concentrate on being a good friend to Zee.
“Darling? Say something,” Mrs. Carmichael urged.
“I—I just… I don’t know what to say, Mom,” Zee said. Her mouth moved quickly as she tried to express herself. “Ally is my best friend, but we haven’t been on the same page for a while. And our trip to Malibu wasn’t as great as I thought it was going to be. She was worried about her parents most of the time. Especially her mom with the new boyfriend. I just can’t believe things have gotten so bad she’s getting sent away to another country for school.”
“Ally’s home life has gotten complicated,” Mrs. Carmichael tried to explain tactfully. “Anyway, her dad thought sending her to The Hollows to be with her best friend and to pursue her writing would be better than feeling lonely and unhappy in Paris.”
Zee blinked hard as she tried to digest the information. On the one hand, she was excited that her best friend would be joining her at The Hollows. Maybe we’ll have classes together and she can join Izzy’s study group with us. Maybe she’ll join the school paper? There’s always the literary journal too.
“Wow,” Zee finally said. “This is all just so sudden. Wait, why didn’t Ally call me?”
“She’s likely dealing with a lot right now,” Mrs. Carmichael said.
Zee looked around blankly at her surroundings. Her stomach started to rumble as she felt excited but also nervous about what this would mean for her school days. Life was just starting to settle into a groove. Things were good with her Hollows friends, good with her roommate, good with most of her classes. But will Ally’s arrival make things complicated again? Obviously I want to hang out with her and show her the ropes, but will Ally fit in here? Will she like it? Will she want to hang with my friends?
Then Zee remembered she had hosted a sleepover a few months ago with Jameela and Izzy so they could shop for dresses for the school’s annual Harvest Dance, and Zee had invited Ally to join them from Paris. All of them got along well with each other, especially Jameela and Ally. In fact, Ally and Jameela got along so well that they exchanged numbers and kept in touch.
It’s great to connect old friends with new friends, Zee thought to herself, but what does that mean now that we’re all going to be on campus together? Will Jameela hang out with Ally all the time? And then I’ll become the third wheel! What if Jameela moves out of my room and moves in with Ally, and they become best friends and forget all about me, and then…
Zee shook her head to clear her thoughts and straightened up in her chair. “I’m just starting to get settled here at The Hollows too,” she told her mother. “I mean, I barely just found my way around campus.”
“Then if anyone would make a great guide around school for Ally, it’s you,” Mrs. Carmichael said. “Now, please do your best to be kind and accommodating. She’s going through a lot right now, Zee. I know you’ll be a great friend. Okay? I love you.”
Zee nodded quickly. “Of course, Mom! Love you!”
She hung up the phone and looked around the lounge. Pairs of girls started to make their way into the dorm, buzzing about their classes and smiling and laughing. Zee had relished the newfound bonds she’d made with her classmates. Now, one of her oldest pals from her old life will be arriving.
This is a big deal, Zee thought. Though she would’ve expected she’d feel excited to reunite with an old friend, Zee had a queasy feeling in her stomach, like something weird was about to happen and she didn’t know why.
2
WORD SPREADS QUICKLY
Zee tried to digest the news her mother had just relayed to her. The pros and cons list on Ally’s arrival was writing itself in Zee’s mind. She had to tell someone the big news, but wasn’t sure she could trust anyone enough to express how confused she felt about it.
She was even nervous to tell her own roommate. Jameela would likely be thrilled by the news of Ally coming to The Hollows. Not only would Jameela be surprised that Zee wasn’t jumping over the moon at the news too, but Zee feared her roommate might then tell Ally that Zee wasn’t that excited for her to transfer here. And that would be a hot mess of drama, Zee thought.
Chloe was at school in California and most likely unavailable to chat at this time, so Zee left her a text: Chlooee! Big news! Ally’s coming to The Hollows! Zee also texted Izzy, but Izzy had an auto-reply that said “busy editing,” which meant she was working on one of her YouTube videos. Zee sighed back in her seat, then looked through her phone. Another name was at the top of her recent text messages—Valentina.
Valentina enrolled at The Hollows as a new student at the beginning of the term. Though Zee and the princess came from very different backgrounds—Valentina was the heir to the throne of Costa de Alba and came from a wealthy family—the two had become fast friends, bonding over their lives growing up on the beach and their status as new kids among The Hollows student body. Zee sent her a quick text.
Zee
Hey! Wanna talk 2 U abt something. Can U meet in the lounge?
Zee waited anxiously for her response, flipping through a few social media apps to kill time. A few minutes, Valentina responded.
Valentina
B right there!
Zee waited on the couch until the dark-haired princess walked in a few minutes later, wearing her Hollows polo shirt and pleated skirt. Behind her trailed the familiar figure of Helena, her bodyguard who was dressed like a Hollows student but was actually in her mid-twenties.
“I just got back from prep,” Valentina said as she sat down while Helena stayed at a distance to give them some privacy. “It was a good study session! What’s up?”
Though Zee and Valentina had only been friends a short while, Zee and Valentina had similar challenges in being new kids at The Hollows. Valentina had quickly opened up to Zee during her first few weeks as she got familiar with school grounds. Now, Zee felt comfortable confiding in her about some of her own challenges.
She explained the situation about Ally, including her parents’ divorce and her father wanting to send her to The Hollows. “I think it’s awesome, yet I’m kind of scared about what’s going to happen,” Zee confided in her friend. “We’ve become so distant since I moved here. What if I lose a friend and Ally ends up being closer friends with Jameela?”
“If you’ve been friends for so long, I doubt she’ll drop you so quickly,” Valentina said.
“But what if she just ignores me?” Zee looked down at her hands. “I had to practically wrestle her down to get her to spend the night at my house in Malibu. And she was way more interested in Jameela than me last time she was in London. It seems like Ally’s… I dunno… over me.”
“Aw, Zee. Maybe she’s just distracted,” Valentina said. “Sounds like she’s going through a rough time. Her parents are splitting up—that can’t be easy.”
Zee nodded. “I guess. I’d probably be super upset if my parents were divorcing.”
“Exactly,” Valentina said. “Maybe she needs a break. Give Ally some space and let’s see what happens when she gets here.”
Zee scrunched up her face. She felt this nervous energy in her stomach, like she usually got when she’s dreading a math quiz. She wanted to hope for the best with Ally—they had been the closest of friends for so long. But they’ve lived apart for a few years, and now their lives seemed so different from each other.
“What if we really don’t have anything in common anymore?” Zee asked Valentina. “I mean, I’m focused on my music and have friends here I do things with. And Ally was really into her literary journal at her other school. And she speaks French! Maybe she doesn’t think I’m cool enough.”
“Really?” Valentina tilted her head to one side. “Ally and Jameela may have hit it off, but that doesn’t mean she’ll totally forget you.”
Zee threw her arms over her head dramatically. “I’m going to be like the forgotten piece of leftover pizza at the back of the refrigerator,” she said in a droll tone. “Moldy, rotten, unloved.”
“Cheer up, Zee!” Valentina responded. “Another friend of yours is coming to The Hollows. That’s a good thing!” She stood up in front of Zee and put a hand on her shoulder. “Sounds like Ally needs some time to settle in and figure things out. Remember how you showed me around when I first got here? I wouldn’t have found my way if I didn’t have you to help me. It’ll probably be the same for Ally. Now, I have to run and get cleaned up for dinner. See you there?”
“Yeah,” Zee said. Zee put her hands back down by her side and stood up straight. As students slowly filtered out of the lounge, Zee repeated in her head what Valentina had said to her: Your friend is coming to The Hollows. That’s a good thing.
“What could be that bad?” Zee said out loud. She finally turned out of the lounge area and headed toward her dorm. The butterflies in her stomach had settled for the moment.
• • •
Jameela was standing by her dresser when Zee walked back into their dorm. “Have you heard the big news?” Jameela asked before Zee could shut the door.
“What big news?” Zee said, playing dumb.
Jameela quickly turned toward Zee with her phone in hand. “Ally is coming to The Hollows! Isn’t that amazing?”
Zee looked at her, then shook her head. She hadn’t yet texted Ally herself to hear about it. “How do you know that?”
“Ally texted me,” Jameela said. “Says she gets here tomorrow. She told you, right?”
“Nope, my mom told me,” Zee said, exasperated. What, Ally couldn’t bother to tell me herself?
“Well, I’m sure she’ll call. How exciting!”
Zee felt a burning in her chest. Jameela had been lukewarm toward Zee for most of the fall term and only opened up to her after the Creative Arts Festival. But now that things were finally decent between the two of them, Jameela was downright giddy at the sound of the news that Ally was coming to school.
“Yes, I’m sure she’ll call since Ally always comes to me with good news,” Zee said. “She has been my friend since before kinder—”
“I wonder where she’ll live,” Jameela said excitedly, cutting off Zee mid-sentence. “I hope she gets to live on our floor. I heard that Poppy just moved out of her and Izzy’s room, so there’s space there. Poppy’s mum got a new job, I think?”
