by Nancy Krulik
George pushed off with his front foot. His skateboard soared across the floor.
Unfortunately, George wasn’t on the skateboard. He’d slipped off. Crash! The board slammed into the trash can. Trash spilled out all over the floor.
George leaped across the room to grab his board. As he ran, he tripped over the fallen trash can. George went flying through the air. He landed headfirst right on top of Katie’s desk.
George was lucky he was wearing a helmet.
Too bad Katie wasn’t. George slammed right into her face.
“Ouch!” Katie shouted, as she grabbed her nose.
“I’m sorry,” George mumbled. He looked embarrassed.
“It’s okay,” Katie told him. “I’m alright.”
But Katie wasn’t alright. Her nose was bleeding.
“Oooh! Yuck!” Kevin shouted when he saw the red blood running from Katie’s nose. He moved his chair far from Katie.
Mrs. Derkman walked over and handed Katie a wad of tissues. “It’s just a little blood, Kevin,” she said. “Katie, go to the nurse and get an ice pack. George, finish your report without any more demonstrations, alright?”
“Okay,” George said. He sounded disappointed.
Katie held the tissues tightly against her nose as she headed out of the room and down the long, empty hallway to the nurse’s office. She was determined not to get any blood on her shirt.
Suddenly, Katie felt a cool wind blowing on the back of her neck. She quickly looked around. There were no windows in the hallway, and the doors were all shut tight.
Katie gulped. This was no ordinary wind. This was the magic wind!
The magic wind began spinning faster and faster all around Katie. Her red hair whipped wildly around her head.
Katie shut her eyes tightly, and tried not to cry. As the fierce tornado swirled, she grabbed onto a locker.
And then it stopped. Just like that. No warning. But Katie wasn’t surprised. The magic wind never gave her any warning. In fact, it never felt the same way twice. The magic wind was always different—as different as the people it turned Katie into.
Which brought up the big question: Just who had the magic wind turned Katie into this time?
Chapter 8
Katie was afraid to open her eyes. She had no idea where she was. All she knew was that she was sitting, and she used to be standing.
Suddenly, Katie heard loud applause. Where was she? A theater? A ball game?
Slowly, Katie let her eyes flutter open.
“Oh my goodness,” she muttered to herself. “How did I wind up here?”
Somehow, Katie had come back to class 3A. Everyone was sitting happily in their seats. George was standing in the front of the room, taking a bow.
“That was very good, George,” Mrs. Derkman said, as she walked to the front of the room. “We have all learned a lot about skateboarding.”
“And about skatefalling,” Manny teased.
George blushed.
“Okay, please take your seat, George,” Mrs. Derkman said. “Now we will hear all about Cleopatra. It’s your turn, Becky.”
Suddenly, all eyes turned to look at Katie. Katie stared back at her classmates.
“Becky?” Mrs. Derkman said. She walked over to where Katie was sitting.
Slowly, Katie looked down. Instead of her own faded jeans and blue shirt, Katie was wearing a white blouse, black stretch jeans, and big red beads.
Katie gulped as she wiped a strand of blond hair from her eyes. Oh, no! Katie had turned into Becky. Mrs. Derkman expected her to give a report, but Katie didn’t know anything about Cleopatra.
“Becky, it’s your turn,” Mrs. Derkman coaxed sternly.
Katie didn’t know what to do. If she didn’t go up in front of the classroom right now, Becky would get an F on her report.
Katie couldn’t let that happen.
But she couldn’t teach the class anything about Cleopatra, either.
Then Katie remembered the black bag Becky had dragged to school that day. It was sitting right at her feet. Maybe there was something in the bag that could help her give the report.
“Okay, Mrs. Derkman,” Katie said as she unzipped the bag. Her voice sounded so strange. It had the same soft, singsongy Southern accent as the real Becky’s.
Slowly, Katie peered into the bag. The first thing she spotted was a package of note cards.
Phew. Becky had written out her speech on the cards.
Then Katie pulled out a black wig and a huge hat with some sort of snake on the top. Under that was a long, clingy, white dress. There was a stuffed cat in the bag as well.
Quickly, Katie threw the costume on over Becky’s everyday clothes. She picked up the cat and the cards, and walked to the front of the room.
Immediately Suzanne started laughing. “Her crown’s on backward,” She giggled. “The snake’s supposed to go in the front!”
“Suzanne!” Mrs. Derkman warned.
Suzanne stopped her giggling right away.
Katie blushed and turned the crown around. Then she looked at the notecards in her hand. They were very hard to read. Becky did not have neat handwriting.
“Cleopatra was born in Egypt in 69 B.C.,” Katie began slowly, as she struggled to understand Becky’s notes. “She was famous for her beauty.”
Katie looked out at the kids in her class. They seemed interested. Well, at least everyone other than Suzanne seemed interested. Things weren’t going too badly. She turned to the next card.
“Cleopatra was the daughter of King ...”
But before Katie could finish her sentence, she lost her grip on the notecards. The the whole pile slipped from her hands.
“Oops!” Katie exclaimed. Quickly, she bent down to scoop up Becky’s cards. As she looked down at the cards, the Cleopatra crown fell from Katie’s head. The black wig slipped down over her eyes. Katie could barely see past the long dark hair. And as if that weren’t bad enough ...
Rrrip. Becky’s long white dress ripped right up the back. Everyone heard the dress tear.
“Boy, Cleopatra must have been a klutz!” George joked.
“This is too funny!” Suzanne began to giggle. So did a lot of other kids.
Katie could feel her face turning red with embarrassment.
“Class!” Mrs. Derkman scolded. “Show Becky the same respect you would like to be shown during your report.”
Mrs. Derkman sounded really angry. Instantly, the class got quiet. They waited for Becky to speak.
But the note cards were all out of order now. Katie had no idea what she was supposed to say next. This report was turning into a disaster!
Katie looked out at her classmates. They were all sitting silently, waiting for her to say something.
Quickly, Katie read whatever was written on the card at the top of her pile. “Cleopatra was absolutely crazy about Caesar,” she told the class.
“About who?” Manny asked.
“Caesar,” Katie repeated.
“Caesar who?” Manny asked.
Katie had no idea. “Um ... Caesar ... Caesar ... uh ... Caesar salad.” she blurted out finally.
Everyone began laughing again.
Katie thought she was going to cry.
“I think you mean Julius Caesar,” Suzanne told her. “He was a famous Roman general. Everyone knows that.”
Not everyone, Katie thought miserably.
Suzanne started to giggle again. Soon everyone else was laughing, too.
Katie couldn’t take it anymore. She ran out of the classroom in tears.
As she raced down the empty hallway, Katie could hear the kids in room 3A making fun of Becky’s speech. She could also hear Mrs. Derkman ordering her to come back.
But Katie wasn’t going back into that room.
At least not as long as she was Becky Stern.
Chapter 9
Katie ran into the bathroom to wash her face. She couldn’t let anyone see her with blotchy skin and red eyes. It was bad enough tha
t she’d ruined Becky’s report. She couldn’t let everyone think she was a big crybaby, too.
Katie turned on the cold water and put her hands under the faucet. Right away, she felt a draft blowing on her neck.
Katie looked over at the bathroom windows. They were locked tightly. And the door hadn’t opened since Katie had walked into the room. Quickly Katie bent down and peered under the two bathroom stalls. There was no one in either one.
Katie was all alone in the girls bathroom.
The magic wind only came when Katie was alone.
Katie grabbed on to the and held on tightly. She knew what was coming next. That breeze was about to become a tornado!
Sure enough, within seconds, wild winds began to swirl all around Katie. This time, the wind was bitter and cold. Katie could feel goosebumps popping up all over her body as the gusts churned around her.
And then it was all over. Just like that. The air was still, and the bathroom was warm again.
Nervously, Katie looked into the bathroom mirror. Her own face stared back at her. She could see her own red hair and the freckles across her nose. Katie Kazoo was back!
And so was Becky. In fact, she was standing right next to Katie, wearing a crooked wig and a ripped white dress, looking confused.
“How did I get in here?” she asked Katie.
“Don’t you remember?” Katie replied.
“Well, sort of. I think I was giving my report, but I’m not sure. It’s all kind of fuzzy.”
Katie gulped. How was she going to explain this? She couldn’t just come out and say that she had turned into Becky and given her report for her. Becky would never believe her. Katie wouldn’t have believed it, either—if it hadn’t happened to her.
“My report was a real mess,” Becky moaned. “I’m not sure what happened. It’s like it was me up there in front of everyone, but it wasn’t me. You know what I mean?”
Katie definitely knew what she meant—better than anyone. “Maybe Mrs. Derkman will let you try again,” Katie suggested.
“Do you really think so?” Becky asked.
Katie wasn’t sure if Mrs. Derkman would give Becky another chance, but it was worth a try. “You’re new,” Katie told her. “Tell her you got nervous.”
“I was kind of nervous, waiting for my turn,” Becky recalled.
“And maybe you should volunteer to do a different topic,” Katie continued. “Then you’re doing extra work.”
Becky made a face. “Why would I want to do that? I did so much work on my report.”
“Yeah, but you already ...”
Katie was about to say that Becky had already messed up her Cleopatra report, but that wasn’t true. Katie had messed it up for her. So instead she said, “Mrs. Derkman likes when kids do extra work. And you want Mrs. Derkman to like you. It’s horrible when she’s mad at you. Just ask George. She’s always angry with him.”
“I guess,” Becky said thoughtfully. “What topic should I pick?”
“I don’t know. Something you’re interested in.” She stopped for a minute. “You weren’t really all that into Cleopatra, were you?”
Becky looked down at the tile floor. “No.”
“Then why did you pick that topic?” Katie asked her.
Becky frowned. “I guess Suzanne made it sound so interesting. She makes everything sound interesting.”
Katie nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“I thought if Suzanne and I had something in common, we’d be friends. And if Suzanne became my friend, then everyone would be my friend,” Becky explained.
“Well, a lot of people do like Suzanne,” Katie agreed. “But you don’t have to be just like her to make friends. Just be yourself.”
“But everyone here is so different than the kids at my old school. Y’all have been friends forever.”
Katie shook her head. “Not all of us. George was new at the beginning of the year. He has lots of friends now. You will, too. It just takes time.” She smiled. “I’m your friend, so you’ve got one pal already.”
Becky smiled. “Okay, pal,” she said sweetly. “Can you help me come up with a report topic?
“Sure! What do you like to do?” said Katie.
Becky thought about that for a minute. “Well, back in Atlanta I took gymnastics. I was getting pretty good at the balance beam and floor exercises.”
“So ask Mrs. Derkman if you can do a report on gymnastics,” Katie suggested. Then she frowned and touched her nose. It was still sore where George had crashed into her. “Just don’t do a cartwheel into my face, okay?”
Becky giggled and stuck out her hand. “It’s a deal.”
Chapter 10
“Coco Chanel was known for her simple dresses and suits,” Suzanne told the class Thursday morning. “She also created costume jewelry and quilted handbags.”
“P.U. What’s that smell?” George held his nose and looked all around the room. “I think it’s coming from you, Suzanne.”
Suzanne rolled her eyes. “That’s perfume,” she told George. “Coco Chanel created all sorts of perfumes. Her most famous is called Chanel Number Five.”
“She should have called it Dog Poo Number Five,” George said. “It smells terrible.”
“George!” Mrs. Derkman scolded. “We do not say ‘dog poo’ in school.”
“Oh, I’m not wearing Chanel perfume,” Suzanne said. “I made my perfume myself.”
“How did you do that?” Mandy asked.
“I used a perfume-making kit,” Suzanne explained. “It’s a mixture of bubble gum, grape, and rosebud scents. I call it Suzanne Number One.”
Then Suzanne showed the class pictures of clothes that Coco Chanel had designed. The girls seemed interested. The boys were bored.
“Lots of designers copied Coco Chanel’s work,” Suzanne said, as she finished her report. “Everyone wanted to look like her and dress like her. That’s why I can relate to her.”
Mrs. Derkman stood up and smiled at Suzanne. “I knew this would be a good topic for you to research. Thank you for your report.” The teacher turned to Becky. “Are you ready?” she asked her.
Becky stood nervously and straightened the sleeves on her blue and silver gymnastics leotard. She looked at Katie.
Katie smiled and gave her a thumbs-up sign.
Becky gave her a thumbs-up back, then...
Whoosh! Becky flipped in midair and landed on her hands! She walked upside down to the front of the room.
Whoosh! Becky flipped over again. This time, she landed on her feet.
“My report is about gymnastics,” Becky told them. “People have been doing gymnastics for more than two thousand years. But it’s only been a competitive sport for about one hundred years.”
Becky gave a long speech about about the history of gymnastics. She didn’t use any note cards. She knew it all by heart.
Then Becky demonstrated some of the moves she had learned in her gymnastics classes. She did a back flip, a cartwheel, and a handspring. She ended her routine with a perfect split.
“Awesome!” Jeremy exclaimed.
“I wish I could do that!” George said.
“Can you teach me to do a cartwheel?” Zoe asked. “I always flop over to the side.”
Suddenly, everyone was talking at once. They all wanted Becky to teach them how to do gymnastics.
Katie looked at Suzanne. She was playing with her beaded necklace, trying to act as though she didn’t like Becky’s report. But Katie knew better. It would be impossible not to have found Becky’s speech interesting.
“Okay class, settle down,” Mrs. Derkman said. “I don’t want anyone trying any of Becky’s tricks out on the playground. You should only learn gymnastics from a real
gymnastics teacher.”
“That’s right,” Becky said. “My mom found a gymnastics school here in Cherrydale. Maybe some of y’all can take classes there, too.”
“Do they have a trampoline?” Miriam said.
“Sure,” Becky
said.
“How about a vaulting horse?” asked Jeremy.
“Of course.”
Becky told the other kids what gymnastics school was like. She didn’t seem like a new kid any more. She was one of them now.
There was no reason for Becky to be a copycat ever again.
Chapter 11
“This one is called a round-off,” Becky said, as she leaped up, flipped, and twisted her body in midair.
“All right, Becky!” Jeremy shouted.
Becky smiled brightly and winked at him. Jeremy blushed.
It was recess. Usually the kids in class 3A would be all over the playground. But today they were all gathered on the grass, watching Becky do her gymnastics. Every time she bent her body or flipped over, they cheered.
Suzanne was the only one in the class not watching Becky. She was sitting all by herself on a bench.
Katie looked over and studied her best friend’s face. She looked sad and kind of lonely.
It was weird to see Suzanne like that. Usually Suzanne looked angry, happy, or proud of herself. She never looked sad. And she was never alone on the playground. Katie figured the look on Suzanne’s face meant trouble for Becky.
And then the strangest thing happened. Becky turned away from the sea of kids surrounding her. She walked over to Suzanne.
“Hi,” Becky said shyly.
“What do you want?” Suzanne asked.
Becky grinned. “I just wanted to tell you that I thought your report was the best in the whole class. I’d never heard of Coco Chanel before, but now I think she’s just the coolest!”
Suzanne smiled ... a little. “She was pretty cool,” she admitted.
“You know what I was thinking?” Becky asked. “You’re kind of like the Coco Chanel of our class. You set the fashion trends.”
Suzanne’s smile broadened. “I was thinking the same thing.” She studied Becky’s glittery yellow-and-orange shirt. “Some black beads would look really nice with that,” she said.
“You think so?” Becky asked her.