#111: Stacey's Secret Friend
This book was, honestly, annoying to read. Basically it’s the only time I’ve been frustrated with Stacey. She partners with new girl Tess Swinhart for a class project, and she sees Tess as a different kind of project: a makeover project. Look, if I was going to let anyone give me a makeover it would be Stacey. But here’s the thing — Tess doesn’t want a makeover.
Stacey doesn’t know Tess that well, but she knows Tess doesn’t fit in. Tess wears weird outfits (and a lot of pink) and she’s big-boned (supposedly… that’s not reflected on the cover, where she looks totally average) so when she gets on Alan Gray’s bad side, he starts calling her Swinehart and other kids join in, and the pig jokes escalate. Thing is, Tess doesn’t catch on at all. Still, Stacey feels bad so she keeps trying to help Tess fit in by giving her a makeover, pressuring her to join pep club, etc. It all comes to a head at a football game where Stacey accidentally holds up a pig illustration with Tess’s face on it, and then a bunch of kids throw hot dogs at Tess, and then Tess falls off the bleachers and breaks her ankle and her wrist. Yikes!
When Stacey tries to console Tess, Tess is like, “GTFO Stacey, you’re not my friend! You just pitied me; you never listened to me or liked me!” And Stacey finally realizes, whoa, true. Stacey also realizes that Tess moved to Stoneybrook from Paris, so she’s actually fashion-forward. Who knew? Anyway, Tess has no time for Stacey and is actually becoming close to Barbara, the best friend of Amelia, who was killed by a drunk driver.
The BSC also helps avert crisis re: a prank on Tess planned by Alan Gray and Clarence King. Disposable cameras are involved. But Tess still doesn’t want to be friends with Stacey. That’s fine, though, Stacey & Claudia forever!
