Read Online Ava XOX by Carol Weston - Free Book Online Page A

Never mind.” She went to her next class, and I did too, but I have to say, the whole conversation made me feel a little upside down.
    (THAT’S AVA UPSIDE DOWN)

2/18
BEDTIME
    DEAR DIARY,
    I read an Aesop fable and told it to Pip:
    A conceited ass was braying insulting things about a lion. At first, the lion was upset, and he started to growl and roar and bare his teeth. But then he looked more closely and realized the insults were coming from a silly ass, so he decided to just go his merry way and not pay any attention.
    â€œWhat’s the moral?” Pip asked.
    â€œIf the person insulting you is a dumdum, try not to care too much,” I said, and told her that I gave the tips to Tanya.
    â€œYeah, but it’s easier to ignore one dumb donkey—or dumdum,” Pip said, “than to pretend you don’t care about a whole assembly full of them, you know?”
    â€œI know,” I said and felt sad for Tanya. It seems like school is just easier for some kids (like Kelli and even me) than others (like Tanya and even Pip).
    A.

2/19
AFTER SCHOOL WITH TACO BY MY SIDE
    DEAR DIARY,
    Today was the worst worst WORST .
    I don’t even want to tell you what happened! It was so awful that in English, I barely said a single syllable (even to Chuck), and I was shaky during the spelling test, which, by the way, included the word nightmare . Chuck kept looking at me like he could tell something was wrong, but I couldn’t talk about it. Not in front of everyone!
    After class, Mrs. Lemons asked if I was okay, so I waited until the very last person left and then I started to cry ! Which I hardly ever do in school! It was embarrassing, even though Mrs. Lemons was nice and gave me a hug.
    Here’s what happened.
    (Actually, I still don’t want to write it down, because then it will feel real.)
    Okay, I got to lunch late because I’d gone by our FLASH room to check on my poster. It wasn’t there! Ms. Sickle wasn’t either, so I decided I’d ask her about it later. By the time I got to the cafeteria, Maybelle’s table was full. Chuck was with You-Know-Who. And even Pip was with friends. I figured I’d put my tray down at a corner table by myself, and someone nice would come join me.
    That is not what happened.
    That big scary eighth grader, Rorie, sat down. Then Valeria sat down. Then Loudmouth Lacey sat down. So did Rorie’s seventh-grade friend Jayda, who has red hair. And so did Mackie, an eighth-grade girl whose dog recently ate a rubber ducky. (Dr. Gross had to operate.) For one stupid second, I thought, W-O-W. All these older kids are sitting with me . I even wondered if they liked my new poster.
    Then I noticed that not one of them was smiling.
    Maybe I’m better at reading faces than books, because suddenly it was crystal clear that these girls had it in for me. I was getting…ambushed.
    Rorie spoke first. “One question, Ava,” she said. “Who made you queen of the world?”
    â€œYeah,” Lacey said. “You get your picture in the paper, and now you’re like an authority on everything?” She crinkled her eyes like a snake.
    â€œâ€˜Fit or Fat’? Really ? ” Jayda asked. “Who says it’s either/or! There are plenty of overweight people who are fit. And plenty of skinny people who are wimps.”
    â€œHow strong are you , anyway?” Lacey asked. She shoved my shoulder, and the others laughed. I knew I should stand up and run, but I felt stuck. Powerless. It was as if I’d wandered into a movie—a horror movie.
    Rorie said, “You’re lucky you’re in fifth grade. Otherwise we’d be having this conversation outside .”
    Lacey cackled. “Little toothpick thinks she’s the body police.” She gave me a push to see if I’d fight back.
    Rorie looked at Valeria, and Valeria said, “Yeah. We don’t appreciate you telling people what they should or shouldn’t