Just Kidding
Page 17
“Amanda and I were always better as friends,” Kevin admitted. “And one day I think we’ll be friends again, but there’s nothing else going on between us…no matter what you hear!” he joked. “When you want to know what’s happening with me, just ask me. I’ll tell you.”
“You will?”
“Yeah. I tell my friends lots of things,” Kevin said. “Well, first let’s dance. That is, if you’re okay being friends with me after everything that’s gone down this week.”
Isabel looked down for a moment, then up at him with a bright smile. “Yes. Friends. But if I dance with you—” She hesitated.
“What?” Kevin asked.
“Well, people might start talking about us again. And I hated being talked about all over school and online this week.”
“My mom says people are always going to talk,” Kevin advised her. “But we don’t have to get involved in it. And I’m not going to stop doing something I really want to do because of it.”
Isabel took a deep breath and looked at Kevin. “I’d like to dance with you.”
Kevin grabbed her hand. “Okay. Let’s go for it.”
On the way to the center of the floor, Isabel saw Anna and Joline sitting on the bleachers…alone. No one, apparently, was interested in dancing with them. She wondered why Chase hadn’t asked Anna to dance, but as she looked around she realized she didn’t see Chase anywhere and hadn’t all night. He must not have come to the dance at all! Some spirit he has, she thought. Lucky we didn’t all agree to his silly shark theme!
Then Isabel caught sight of Henry Yurt moving purposefully toward Anna. It was so hard to figure out, but the Yurtmeister continued to have a first-class crush on Anna, and a chance to dance with her was something he wouldn’t miss!
Isabel saw Anna shrug when he spoke to her, but the Queen of Mean tossed her flowing hair over her shoulder, got up and followed him onto the gym floor. Left alone on the bleachers, Joline’s face turned dark. Luckily, Pete Wexler sauntered around the corner and asked Joline to dance. With a superior smile plastered on her face, Queen of Mean no. 2 followed Pete onto the floor, making sure that Anna saw her. After all, Pete Wexler was definitely cuter than Yurt.
So much for the Queens of Mean, Isabel thought. I guess good things happen to mean people too!
She looked around to find her friends. Maeve, of course, was sitting next to Riley at the DJ booth, listening through a big pair of headphones to some music, and busily picking out tracks for him to play. Isabel wasn’t at all surprised when the next song that blared out into the gym was “Summer Nights” from Grease—it was one of Maeve’s all-time faves!
Charlotte, though, was standing all alone at the punch table. Just as she was wondering how she could convince Kevin, without hurting his feelings, that she had to go spend time with Charlotte, Isabel saw Nick Montoya come around the table holding a punch cup. He offered it to Charlotte with a smile.
“Hey?” Kevin broke into her train of thought. “You look pretty far away. What are you thinking about?”
“Uh–” For a second Isabel was caught completely off guard. Then she thought of something and asked, “I was just wondering what you brought to show your spirit.”
Kevin grinned. “It’s right over there.” And he pointed across the room. “I thought you’d appreciate it.”
Isabel turned. Kevin was pointing at the basketball hoop. He thought she’d appreciate that? She liked basketball, but she had secretly hoped Kevin would have come up with a way cooler idea.
Suddenly, something hanging in the hoop caught her eye. It was the shimmering bottle-cap fish she’d seen in the art room. “That’s your spirit?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yup,” Kevin answered his new friend. “Art is my spirit.”
Just Kidding
BOOK EXTRAS
Book Club Buzz
Trivialicious Trivia
Charlotte’s Word Nerd Dictionary
Keep Safe! Fun Sites for Girls!
Book Club Buzz
10 QUESTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS TO CHAT ABOUT
Spirit Week is a special occasion at Abigail Adams Junior High. Does your school have any big traditions that occur every year? What is the purpose of those traditions?
Maeve wants “Birdland.” Chase wants “Under the Sea.” Betsy Fitzgerald wants “Spirit of Abigail Adams.” What would be your fabulous theme for a Spirit Week dance?
Kevin is so talented at basketball that not very many people know about his love of art. What are some of your hobbies, passions, or talents that most people probably wouldn’t know about?
Maeve says that romance always gets in the way of boy/girl friendships, but Avery says that there are plenty of “just friend” activities that boys and girls can do together. What do you think?
Miss Pierce has a favorite quote: “Hitch your wagon to a star.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson. What is your favorite quote? If you don’t have one, check out a book of quotations!
Even though Miss Pierce is the grown-up, sometimes Charlotte feels responsible for her. Do you know anyone who is older than you that you sometimes have to look after? Why?
Isabel feels overwhelmed by all the gossip about her. What are some things Isabel could do to regain control of the situation? How could her friends help?
Chase Finley’s rumor-spreading ways are CERTAINLY not nice. Why do you think Chase behaves like this? If you were Chase’s friend, like Kevin, or one of his classmates, what would you tell him?
Avery says that her dance outfit is in the “no joke zone.” What is in your “no joke zone?”
The Internet can be totally awesome, but it is also a place where gossip spreads like wildfire! Why do you think online behavior can get out of line, and what are some things you can do to keep the Internet fun and safe?
Just Kidding trivialicious trivia
“Be True to Your School” is a song by what ’60s pop group? A. The Beatles
B. The Supremes
C. The Beach Boys
D. The Bee Gees
What kind of creature is Kevin’s art project? A. Fish
B. Human (athletes)
C. Snake
D. Bird
Who is Harry Wooster’s cousin? A. Joline Kaminsky
B. Riley Lee
C. Betsy Fitzgerald
D. Kiki Underwood
What were the names of the strange-looking outfits—the ones with the ballooning pants—worn by the men in the Birdland clubs? A. Count Basie capes
B. Zoot suits
C. Puffy pants
D. Air-filled Jordans
One of Miss Pierce’s favorite quotes is “Hitch your wagon to a star.” What famous historical Massachusetts resident said this? A. Henry David Thoreau
B. Ralph Waldo Emerson
C. Louisa May Alcott
D. Benjamin Franklin
What did Ms. Pink do to show her spirit during her Spirit Week? A. She dyed her hair pink
B. She made pink cupcakes
C. She ran for chair of the dance committee
D. She bought La Fanny
What extra effort do the girls make to be polite when they go to Montoya’s? A. They never cut in line
B. They wipe up the milk spills at the counter
C. They clean up their crumbs and napkins at their table when they leave
D. They buy a pastry for a stranger as a random act of kindness
Why does Pete Wexler think Avery should not run the sports committee? A. Because she already has too many extracurricular activities
B. Because she’s too short
C. Because she already ran for class president
D. Because sports committees are men’s work
How does Katani hear about the “No Joke Zone?” A. From her sister Candice
B. From Mrs. Fields
C. From Ethel Weiss
D. From Ms. Pink
How does Avery manage to surprise the BSG before the dance? A. She pulls a practical joke on al
l of them
B. She wears her sports gear to show extra spirit
C. She gets dressed up
D. She goes to the dance with Pete Wexler
ANSWERS: 1. C. The Beach Boys 2. A. Fish 3. C. Betsy Fitzgerald 4. B. Zoot suits 5. B. Ralph Waldo Emerson 6. A. She dyed her hair pink 7. C. They clean up their crumbs and napkins at their table when they leave 8. D. Because sports committees are men’s work 9. A. From her sister Candice 10. C. She gets dressed up
Charlotte’s Word Nerd Dictionary
BSG Words
Laugh-a-thon: noun—when you’re laughing about something that might not even be that funny, but you still can’t stop
Gidget: noun—a Yuri word, the same thing as a gadget
Other Cool Words
Riffling: verb—to go through in search of something
Abominably: adverb—in an offensive or terrible manner
Disperse: verb—to spread widely
Ambitious: adjective—having a strong desire for success or achievement
Wingspan: noun—the distance between the wing tips of an airplane or bird
Iridescent: adjective—brilliant, lustrous, or colorful
Emphatically: adverb—forcefully or insistently
Plaintively: adverb—sorrowfully
Miffed: adjective—in an irritable mood
Drone: verb—to go on and on in a monotonous voice
Frenetic: adjective—frantic or frenzied
Methodical: adjective—orderly
Inconsolable: adjective—incapable of being comforted
Humdinger: noun—something of a remarkable or puzzling effect
Rambling: adjective—roaming, sprawling, or wandering
Boisterously: adverb—loudly and noisily
Conspiratorially: adverb—with the manner of believing there is a larger plot at play
Exuberant: adjective—full of enthusiasm or joy
Unnerved: adjective—nervous or anxious
Salvage: verb—to save from loss or destruction
Definitions adapted from Webster’s Dictionary, Fourth Edition, Random House.
Hey girls! We think these websites are really cool!
The Beacon Street Girls: www.beaconstreetgirls.com The online center for all things BSG, includes Club BSG, puzzles, games, contests, and tons of fun things to do!
Discovery Girls: www.discoverygirls.com
The Discovery Girls website is home to a unique magazine for girls ages 8–12.
FactMonster: www.factmonster.com
Fact Monster is a leading reference site that offers kids 8-14 invaluable homework help as well as a wealth of fun facts, games, and quizzes.
Funbrain: www.funbrain.com
The Internet’s most popular source for games, comics, and online books.
KOL: www.kol.com and RED: www.bered.com
AOL’s websites for kids 6–12 (KOL) and teens 13–17 (RED), KOL and RED offer games, celebrity news, fashion, and educational resources.
Yahoo! Kids: kids.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Kids is one of the top destinations for online entertainment including movie trailers, cartoons, and popular kids’ characters.
Have fun online…Keep safe!