Read Online Alexis Gets Frosted by Coco Simon - Free Book Online Page A

because it will affect her status in life or something. Callie didn’t actually stop moving her feet, but she kind of slowed down and turned back to face us, like she might stop.
    â€œOh, hey,” said Katie casually.
    I could see Katie struggling with whether to stop and chat or keep walking. I wanted to keep walking—and not because of Callie!
    Olivia gave me a dirty look and flounced her hair, but at least she didn’t make some snarky comment. She didn’t even break her stride.
    We kept walking, and the encounter was over.
    A little ways down the hall, we got on the escalator, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Awk-ward!” I singsonged, but Katie was quiet.
    â€œKatie?” I asked.
    She turned reluctantly toward me, and her eyes had tears welling up in them. “Oh, Katie!” I cried, and then I tried to give her a hug. Hugging on escalators is not a good idea, by the way, and I recommend you never try it. But at least our nearly crashing to our deaths got Katie giggling, and her unshed tears only leaked a little.
    â€œSorry.” She sniffled, but the crisis had passed. “I just couldn’t believe that we’d just been talkingabout her, and then there she was, with her new life!”
    â€œI know,” I agreed quietly.
    â€œAnd then . . . I had nothing to say to her! Nothing! And she used to be my best friend!” Katie’s lip quivered.
    â€œWell, I bet she would never have asked you to do a whole class project of hers, now would she?” I joked. “And she never would have made you march in a parade in costume, so she could be with her crush, huh? Would she? Now what kind of a friend is that?” These were all things Katie did for me.
    Katie got giggling again.
    â€œAnyway, how about me? I feel like I’m going to throw up whenever I see Olivia. I’m surprised she didn’t figure out a way to insult me as she strolled on by! Like, maybe she could have said, ‘Hey, Alexis, looks like you’re having a hard time walking with that bag full of fattening supplies!’ ”
    Katie grew serious. “Is she still doing that?”
    â€œTotally,” I said. My stomach clenched, dreading seeing her in school.
    â€œIt’s funny she didn’t do it just now, when there were other people around.”
    â€œI know. She’s a sneak attacker,” I said. Now I felt miserable. We had almost reached my mom’scar. “And the worst part is, my mom thinks I need to apologize to her!”
    â€œWhat?” Katie was shocked, but I couldn’t finish the story now.
    â€œI’ll tell you at the grocery store,” I whispered. “Hi, Mom!” I called in a fake-cheery voice, getting into the car. I gave Katie a serious look, and she nodded; we would not be discussing any of this with my mom.

    At the grocery store we filled the cart with the items from the list I’d made, plus the gingerbread ingredients we’d need. Katie also threw in some waxed paper and a couple of other supplies that would come in handy.
    As we walked, we discussed what I should do about Olivia. Katie understood my mom’s point about apologizing, but she knows Olivia as well as I do. She knows that apologizing might only set me up as a permanent victim in Olivia’s eyes.
    â€œThat girl does not need a new punching bag,” Katie said seriously.
    She had a point.
    â€œBut I need to apologize. It wasn’t nice of me to say that. But it also doesn’t justify the way she’s been treating me. So after I apologize, then I wantto follow it up with something strong, you know?”
    â€œYes, and at the same time. Like, you can’t let the apology hang out there and then later do something strong, because she’ll be gathering her strength, thinking she’s beaten you after the apology. And then you’ll never beat her. Let’s think of a plan.”
    â€œOkay.”
    I loved