"Hmm." Sierra pretended to think. "It's Wednesday, so could it be..."
"Yes!" Riley cried. "Today's the day the people from Total Makeover are coming!"
Total Makeover was one of Riley's favorite television shows. Last week they had announced a special contest called Total Teen Makeover. They were going to four different high schools and would pick one couple from each to be on the show. Riley nearly passed out from excitement when she found out that West Malibu had been selected as one of the high schools.
Riley loved watching the show nightly. In each episode the guys were made over according to their girlfriends' directions-clothes, hair, the works. But the makeover wasn't only about a new look. It was about a new lifestyle. So the couples went on dates to places that fit the guy's new image, the cameras catching every moment.
For the teen version a TV crew would follow each couple around for a week, and they'd air clips on the show every night. At the end of the week the television audience would vote for the couple they liked best as the contest winners.
"I hope we get picked!" Riley exclaimed. "It would rock to be on the show!" West Malibu was the last high school the makeover people were visiting, and they would announce their choices tomorrow.
"I know," Sierra said, taking a stretchy purple top from her backpack. Her parents' idea of fashion was seriously last century, so Sierra solved the problem by changing into "cool" clothes before classes started. "It's hard to believe that Charlie agreed to do it with you."
Riley frowned. "Well, actually...I haven't asked him yet," she admitted.
"What?" Sierra pulled the top over her head and fluffed out her long red hair. "You haven't asked your boyfriend? This is the only day they makeover people will be here to talk to couples. What are you waiting for?"
"The last minute," Riley said. "If Charlie had time to think about it, he might say no."
"Oh, right. Good point," Sierra agreed.
[Riley: Okay, so I'm a teensy bit worried about getting Charlie to sign up with me for Total Teen Makeover. For one thing, Charlie Slater likes himself the way he is, which is total punk: music, clothes, attitude, everything! For another, he refuses to even watch a makeover show with me. He says they're a total waste of time, not to mention brain cells!]
"You have to get Charlie to agree to be on that show," Sierra said, carefully folding her "proper" blue blouse into her backpack. "Can you picture it?" Her eyes widened. "I mean, Charlie's cute, but with a makeover he could be a real hottie."
"Could be?" Riley laughed. Sierra was practically as excited as she was. "I think he already is."
"You know what I mean," Sierra scolded with a grin. "Admit it. Wouldn't you love to see him in something besides a black concert T-shirt?"
Riley grinned back. "Okay, I confess. I've always wondered what Charlie would look like wearing-oh, I don't know-blue. Red. Brown. Anything but black."
She and Sierra giggled at their reflections in the mirror.
Not that I want to change Charlie forever, Riley thought, reapplying her lip gloss. Just for a week. Just long enough to be on the show and maybe even win the contest.
"So, do you have a plan?" Sierra asked, checking her hair again. "You don't have a lot of time."
"Yup," Riley declared. "I'm going to ask him right after The Morning Rant."
The Morning Rant was the school radio show she and Charlie did together every day before classes.
"How are you going to talk him into it?" Sierra asked.
"Well, I thought about begging."
Sierra gave her a skeptical look. "Riley Carlson, begging? I don't think so."
"You're right, it would be way too humiliating." Riley took a brush from her backpack and quickly pulled it through her straight, shoulder-length blond hair. "Plus it probably wouldn't work."
"True. So what are you going to do, bribe him?" Sierra asked.
"Hmm...I guess you could call it that," Riley admitted. She tossed her hairbrush back into her bag, then smiled broadly at Sierra. "But I have another word for it-motivation!"
Chloe Carlson, Riley's twin sister, had a million things on her mind as she hurried toward her locker. Speeding around a corner with her head down, she bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.
"Oof! Sorry," she said, staggering back.
"Me, too," the guy said. "Hey! Don't I know you?"
"Lennon?" Chloe shook her wavy blond hair out of her eyes so she could see. Sure enough, she'd crashed into Lennon Porter, who just happened to be her boyfriend. Her forehead crinkled as she looked up at him. "What do you mean, 'Don't I know you?'"
"Just kidding," Lennon told her. He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Well, sort of. You're kind of hard to find these days."
"Am I?"
"Yeah, so I was hoping we'd run into each other. And we did-ha-ha."
Chloe smiled. Lennon was so sweet and so cute, with his dark curly hair and gray-blue eyes. "I'm really glad to see you!"
"Me, too," Lennon said, giving her a quick kiss. "You're never around."
"I know I've been so busy," Chloe said. She'd spent the entire weekend helping organize and throw a Sweet Sixteen party for her cousin, Gemma, so she didn't see Lennon at all. They usually ate lunch together on Monday, but Chloe's science class went on an all-day field trip. And she had to cancel last night's pizza date to study for today's English test.
[Chloe: Yikes, it's been four whole days! No wonder I'm so happy to see him!]
Chloe thought a second. "This is Wednesday, right?"
"Wow," Lennon said. "You are busy if you can't keep track of what day it is."
Chloe gave him a playful smack on the arm. "Anyway," she said, ignoring his teasing, "we have the same lunch period today, so let's eat together."
"Definitely."
"Oh, wait-I can't!" Chloe said, suddenly remembering. "I'm studying for the English test with some of the kids from my class at lunch. I really need to be there."
"Well, can we at least hang together after school?"
"Umm..." Chloe paused. She was almost positive she had something to do after school. But what?
"Chloe, there you are!" Tara Jordan called out, coming around the corner. She was with Quinn Reyes, one of Chloe's other best friends. "Geez, you're hard to find!"
"That's exactly what I just told her," Lennon said.
"It's not as if I'm hiding, you guys," Chloe told them. "I've just had tons of stuff to do."
"What else is new?" Tara teased, her brown eyes sparkling. "You're like a walking to-do list."
"Just don't forget the dance committee meeting," Quinn reminded Chloe, tucking a strand of curly dark hair behind one ear.
That's it! Chloe thought. That's what I was trying to remember.
"Right after school today," Tara added. "Room one-twelve. Be there or beware!"
"I knew I had something to do!" Chloe turned to Lennon as Quinn and Tara walked off. "I'm on the committee for the all-freshmen dance. I absolutely have to be at the first meeting."
Lennon sighed.
"I'm sorry," Chloe said. "I didn't think today would be crazy, but it is. Maybe after the meeting? Oh, wait-no. Mom's showing a new line of clothes next Saturday, and I'm one of the models, so I need to try on some outfits when I get home."
"Oooo-kay," Lennon said.
"Omigosh!" Chloe exclaimed. "Home! That reminds me-did I tell you that a pipe in Riley's and my bathroom sprang a leak?"
Lennon shook his head.
"Major mess!" Chloe said. "It was in one of the walls, so the paint's ruined. I said I'd plan a whole room redo-Riley doesn't care what color, as long as it's not pink-and I need to check out paint and wallpaper samples. And I'm way behind in my studying! There's a science test next week and a social studies paper, which I haven't even started yet...." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Whoa! I am so stressed!"
"No kidding," Lennon agreed. "You're talking a mile a minute." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Chloe, you need to chill."
"Chill? Remind me what that is again?" Chloe said with a laugh.
Lennon rolled his eyes. "It's also called relaxing. Listen, it's great to be busy, but don't you think you're going a little nuts with all the stuff you do? You said it yourself-you're totally stressed."
"I guess...." Chloe said. She was feeling a bit like an overstretched rubber band.
"Plus you hardly have time for me lately," he added. He ran his hands through his hair, looking a little exasperated. "It's like I need an appointment to see you."
[Chloe: Okay, that's definitely an exaggeration. But still, when was the last time Lennon and I spent any real time together? When was the last time I wasn't in the middle of some humongous project or trying to remember the gazillion things I have to do? I know. You don't have a clue. Guess what? Neither do I!]
"I'm sorry, Lennon," Chloe said. "I can't believe I've been ignoring one of the most important people in my life-you!"
Lennon blushed a little. "Well, I didn't mean to complain."
"Oh, yes, you did," Chloe teased. "But that's okay. You're right. I want to be with you, too. I definitely need some chill time, and I'm going to take it-I promise!"
"Great," Lennon said. "We'll talk later."
"Later." Chloe gave him a quick kiss and hurried away.
Relax and spend time with Lennon, Chloe thought. She put it at the very top of her mental to-do list. But with everything else she had to do, she couldn't help wondering how she'd keep her promise.
"That was Bittersweet's latest release 'Breakaway,'" Riley said into the studio microphone. "I played it, so you know I liked it. What about you, Charlie?"
"Not bad," Charlie admitted.
Riley gasped dramatically. "Did you hear that, everybody? Charlie Slater, King of Punk, Emperor of Alternative, actually admitted to liking Bittersweet!"
"I didn't say that," Charlie said. "I said it wasn't bad. Which isn't the same thing as good. Here's good." He cued a song from a Sledge CD, punched the button, and leaned back in his chair, grinning at Riley.
Riley grinned back. She loved doing The Morning Rant. Sitting in West Malibu High's small radio studio with Charlie was a great way to start the day, even if she didn't like his musical choice.
Doing the show was how they met, and from the beginning they'd argued about what music to play. He wanted alternative and punk. Riley liked almost everything but alternative and punk. They finally compromised, with each getting time for their favorite music. But that didn't stop the arguing, even on the air.
[Riley: The kids at school loved it, which was a major surprise. An even bigger surprise was that we discovered we love each other!]
Charlie pushed the MUTE button on his and Riley's microphones. "Guess what," he said. "You know that radio station, K-SUN?"
"ALL-ternative, ALL the time?" Riley said. "Sure. I hear it every time I scan the dial. Then I skip over it really fast," she added, just to get a reaction.
"Too complex for you, huh?" Charlie shot back.
"Oh, yeah. I'm just a simple surfer girl." Riley laughed. "Okay, what about K-SUN?"
Charlie smiled. "You might not be skipping over it so fast in the future. Not if you want to catch their newest DJ."
"Newest DJ? Who...?" She paused, noticing the excited look in Charlie's brown eyes. "You mean you? Really?"
Charlie nodded. "They need a part-time DJ on the weekends. I had an interview yesterday with the manager."
Riley's eyes widened. "And he hired you on the spot!" she exclaimed.
Charlie laughed. "Not quite. He said there were two other people up for the job, and he wants to listen to the shows we're doing now before he decides. But he told me I have a really good chance."
"Charlie, that is so great!" Riley leaned over and gave him a kiss. "You're going to get it-I'm positive! Nobody could be better than you. And I promise to tune in every second you're on the air."
Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I might turn the music down-way down," Riley admitted. "But I'll definitely listen to you."
Charlie squeezed her hand, then turned their microphones back on as Sledge ended. "Okay, folks, that was seriously good, wasn't it? Riley's turn now, for the final cut of the morning. I hope it isn't so lame that it ruins your day."
"Ha-ha," Riley said. "I hope it repairs the ear damage done by Charlie's last pick."
She cued up a song from Wazzup?, then turned back to Charlie. Okay, it's now or never, she thought.
Crossing her fingers, she told him about the Total Teen Makeover contest.
"Oh, no, no way!" Charlie declared, shaking his head. "A makeover show? Get real. The people on them are major sellouts. It's so uncool."
"No, it's not. It's fun!" Riley argued. "And most people look way better at the end. What's wrong with that?"
Running a hand through his unruly brown hair, Charlie glanced down at his frayed black jeans and Frakture T-shirt. "What's the matter with the way I look?" he asked.
"Hmm...where should I start?" Riley deadpanned.
Charlie glanced at her. "You're kidding, right?"
"Of course I'm kidding!" Riley laughed. "If I didn't like the way you look, I would have said something a long time ago."
"True," Charlie agreed. "You definitely say what's on your mind."
"And anyway, you only have to change for the show," Riley reminded him. "It's for a week, not forever."
"Yeah, but..."
"Besides, how can you be so sure you won't have fun?" Riley said. "You've decided that makeover shows are dumb without even watching a single one!"
Charlie grinned. "Are you accusing me of not giving them a chance?"
"Yep. And aren't you the one who always says people should be open to new experiences?" Riley asked.
"Okay, you got me on that," Charlie admitted. He gave her a long look. "You really want to do this, don't you?"
Riley nodded.
He shrugged. "Okay, then. I'm game."
"Thank you, Charlie!" Riley gave him a kiss. "It really means a lot to me."
[Riley: He's doing it to make me happy. Isn't that great? I didn't even have to use my so-called motivation. But wait until he hears the rest - he'll really be glad he said yes.]
"Look, I know you think makeover shows are silly and a total waste of time," Riley said. "But if we win, it'll definitely be worth it."
"Oh, yeah? What's the prize?" Charlie asked. "Seaweed baths and mud on my face? Or maybe a brain transplant?"
"How did you know?" Riley joked. "No, the prizes are a cover photo on California Teen magazine..."
Charlie rolled his eyes.
"And," Riley continued, "a choice between an all-expenses-paid night in L.A.-clothes, limo, dinner, movie opening-or, a free shopping spree at the L.A. store of our choice."
Charlie straightened up in his chair. "Our choice?" he repeated. "Any L.A. store?"
Riley nodded. "Let's just say we win. Gee, I wonder which store you would pick."
[Riley: As if I didn't know!]
"L.A. Music Factory," Charlie replied instantly. "They have the most amazing inventory."
"You could fill a cart with every CD you ever wanted and not have to pay a penny! Wouldn't that be awesome?" Riley asked.
Charlie nodded. "So what do we do now?"
"First we have to get picked to be on the show," Riley explained.
"Okay," Charlie agreed. "So let's go for it."
Riley gave him another kiss. "Thank you, Charlie! And no matter what happens, we're going to have a blast-just wait and see!"
