Playing With Fire

Summer's over and it's back to school for twelve-year-old Anne and her friends, Juniper and Gena. For the past two years they've been proud members of the Fortune Tellers Club, using tarot cards and psychic abilities to predict the future and even solve mysteries. Cheerleader Anne has a crush on Eric, the best and cutest football player at Avery Middle School. But she has one major problem -- she doesn't know if he likes her back. It's time for the girls to turn to the tarot cards to help Anne figure it out. But just when a romance seems promising, things start to heat up -- literally! A series of mysterious fires has everyone puzzled. With no clues as to how they started, even the fire department can't figure out what's going on. Could it be that someone at school has the power of pyrokinesis -- the ability to start a fire just by thinking about it? Will their psychic sleuthing solve this burning mystery, or is this one too hot for the Fortune Tellers Club to handle? Book jacket.

1
"Go! Go! Go!" Anne Donovan and the
other Avery Middle School cheerleaders
jumped and shouted in syncopated rhythm.
The gymnasium bleachers looked bare with just
a handful of parents and even less students
watching the game. So much for school spirit.
The gym was an echo chamber as the volleyball
players shouted.
"Get it, Richmond!"
"Hurry, Davis!"
Heads Up!
"Go for it, Taylor!"
Anne often wondered why the volleyball team
insisted on calling each other by their last names.
It's not like they're all named Ashley or Tiffany, she
thought. But the last name custom certainly fit
the style of her best friend, Gena Richmond, the
team's top scorer.
Anne's other best friend, Juniper Lynch, was
stretched out on the metal bleachers with her
ankles crossed and her elbows propped, occasionally
yelling, "Way to go, Gena!"
The three girls had been best friends since fourth
grade when they discovered a common interest—
divination. They call themselves the Fortune
Tellers Club, and by using Ouija boards, tarot
cards, and tea leaves, they meet to forecast the
future.
The volleyball came whizzing through the air
and dropped just on the other side of the net.
Gena dove for it. The sparse crowd jumped to
their feet as Gena slid across the floor, her sneakers
squeaking like broken chalk on a blackboard.
She managed to get under it with cupped fists,
and spiked it straight into the air. The player
next to her swatted it over, and that sparked the
cheerleaders into another cheer.
Spike it! Spike it!
That's the way we like it!
Over, up, and in your face,
A victory you can't erase.
Admit it! Admit it!
Your team can't seem to hit it.
Wildcats, Wildcats, up the heat.
Wildcats, Wildcats, can't be beat!
Anne was having trouble concentrating on
the game, but she put everything she had into
the cheer because he was here—right in front of
her—Eric Quinn, the hottest guy in school. Eric
had just recently transferred to Avery, and even
though he'd missed the first few weeks, he still
impressed the football coach enough to get a
starting position on the Avery Wildcat team.
He sat just three bleachers up from where Anne
stood, and she couldn't take her eyes off him. He
was slouched forward with elbows on knees, his
black hair sweeping his forehead. His eyes were
night dark, and when he stared at Anne, she
thought his deep piercing glare might burn right
through her. But his fiery gaze was offset by a
crooked smile and a smattering of freckles on his
nose.
Juniper jumped to her feet. "Heads up, Anne!"
Anne ducked as the volleyball zoomed over
her head and crashed into the bleachers.
"Nice return," Juniper yelled to the girl who'd
missed the hit. "Hey, Anne! Gotta feeling they
should rename this place Sleepy Hollow?"
Anne laughed as she smoothed her hair and
ice-blue cheer skirt. She looked toward Eric, giving
him a bashful smile.
"Stop it," a voice demanded.
Anne turned to see her fellow cheerleader, Beth
Wilson, sneering at her. "Stop flirting with him."
Beth had both hands on her hips and gave the
order like a true army sergeant.
"What makes you think I'm flirting with him?"
Anne said softly. She was worried that Eric might
see them arguing.
Beth moved in closer. "I can't read those crystal
eyes of yours, but I can sure read your body language.
I've never seen you put so much flounce in
your flip."
"You're just imagining things," Anne said.
"Am I? I've seen you batting your eyelashes
and tossing your hair."
Anne felt the heat rising to her cheeks. It's one
thing to flirt, but getting caught at it is another.
And if Beth knew, the rest of the squad did too.
Beth couldn't keep a secret. It was guaranteed to
be in her ear and out her mouth. Nothing was
sacred.
"Well, why do you care if I flirt with him or
not? It's my business."
Beth raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Because
he's my boyfriend."
She might as well have punched Anne in the
gut. "Since when?"
"Since the day he came here and I called dibs
on him. Nicole and I are working out a plan to
get him to ask me to the Seventh-Grade Dance."
Anne let out a sigh of relief. "So let me get this
straight. You have to get your best friend to help
you land a guy who you already claim is your
boyfriend? What's wrong with this picture?"
Anne envisioned Beth and Nicole giggling and
conniving a way to win Eric. No wonder Juniper
and Gena called them the Snotty Twins.
She turned back to see Beth already whispering
to another squad mate. Oh well. She'd already
been caught flirting. Extra flounce in her flip?
She might as well give them something to really
gossip about. Next time she'd put some extra
squiggle in her wiggle.
The gym was beginning to warm up and Anne
was feeling a little sticky. Usually the air conditioner
was set so low the students referred to the
gym as the Avery Arctic. Not this afternoon.
Anne looked up at Eric. He watched the scoreboard
intensely. Just looking at him heated things
up more. Two could play Beth's game, and Anne
intended to win.
The cheer captain called, "Ready! Set!"
We're hot! We're hot!
Our team is hot to go!
You're not! You're not!
That's why we say—Yo!
We're hot! We're hot!
Our team is hot to go!
You're not! You're—
WHAM! The ball spliced to the left and
whacked Beth on the side of her head.
"Ouch!" She grabbed her head and spun
around.
Gena stood with her hand over her mouth,
eyes wide. She lifted her fingers. "Oops."
Anne and the other cheerleaders huddled
around Beth to make sure she was okay.
Nicole Hoffman came rushing down to check
on her best friend. She glared at Gena with a
look that could melt iron.
Tears and fury sparkled in Beth's eyes. "Gena
Richmond, you did that on purpose!"
"Don't flatter me, Beth, I'm not that good of
an aim," Gena said.
The coach blew her whistle. "A casualty of
volleyball, ladies. Let's keep playing."
Anne looked in the stands. Eric was holding
the volleyball and giving Beth an expression of
sympathy. This can't be happening. Does he really
like Beth? As Beth straightened the scrunchie in
her hair, Anne could see her left ear—cherry red
from the imprint of the volleyball. That must
have stung.
The coach blew her whistle again.
Gena yelled out, "Come on, Quinn, throw us
the ball!"
Eric kept his attention on Beth.
"Eric!" Gena shouted. "What are you waiting
for, permission from your parents?"
He gave Gena a feverish glare. Then he fired
the ball at her with the strength of a quarterback.
The sound of her catching it sprang off the walls.
Suddenly, there was a loud POP! The caged light
on the gym ceiling shattered. An orange flame
jetted out, then fizzled. Glass showered down
like sparklers. And the kids ran.
Anne, Gena, and Juniper huddled in a corner
with several other students. Parents hurried over
to shelter their children, while others stood on
the bleachers, pointing and awing. Anne looked
over at the gym doors. Eric was casually walking
out with his hands in his pockets. He seemed
unrattled by the whole thing.
"Gena, Juniper," Anne whispered. "We've got
to meet tonight."
"Why?" Juniper asked.
Anne stared at the gym door as it closed. "I'm
calling an emergency meeting of the Fortune
Tellers Club."

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Excerpted from Playing with Fire by Dotti Enderle
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.