Read Online Fabulous Five 001 - Seventh-Grade Rumors by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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page.
T-R-A-I-T-O-R
T-R-A-I-T-O-R
T-R-A-I-T-O-R
I'm not a traitor, she thought stubbornly, but still, it was
pretty obvious that her friends saw her that way.
She made it to English class just as the bell was ringing.
Fortunately Funny had saved her a seat, and she sank into it just as Miss
Dickinson was announcing the assignment. She gave Funny a quick smile and
opened her book. Deep down she was glad that there wasn't time for conversation
with Funny. As much as she liked her new friend, a lump the size of a tennis
ball formed in her throat every time she thought about Melanie, Christie,
Katie, and especially Beth. She couldn't just abandon them completely and spend
all of her time with Funny. It wasn't the same. Something was missing. There
were no memories of things they had done together the way there were with her
old friends. With The Fabulous Five she had memories of good times. Even of bad
times. Hadn't Laura reminded Funny that they had stuck together through thick
and thin? She had been talking about the very same thing, only Jana hadn't
realized what she meant until Christie had refused to look at her in homeroom.
Thick and thin, she mused, thinking of all their problems
with Taffy Sinclair. The club they'd had against Taffy. The time she got a part
on a soap opera. The time she blackmailed Jana! Her friends had stuck by her
and helped her out of every one of those dilemmas. They had helped her in her
romance with Randy Kirwan, too. Wonderful Randy, who was not only the handsomest
boy in the world but the kindest and most sincere, also. She thought about his
call last night. What would he think of her if he suspected that she was
abandoning her best friends? The thought hit her like a bolt of lightning. She
couldn't lose Randy Kirwan. She just couldn't.
Morning classes went on as usual, but Jana hardly noticed
what was going on. Her mind was on her friends in The Fabulous Five and the
misunderstanding that was growing between them. Maybe Mom was right, she
thought. Even though they should know that they were special to her without
being told, if they needed reassuring, she would do it. At lunch period, she
thought. I'll do it then. It was amazing how easy it would be now that she
thought about it. She would simply march up to their table and say that she had
something to talk about. Then she would explain how much she still wanted to be
friends with them. Surely they would listen, and when they did, everything
would be all right again. She would explain about Funny, too. About how she was
a nice person, not a bubblehead, and how they ought to give her a chance.
Jana was actually humming to herself as she got her lunch
out of her locker and headed for the cafeteria. Her plan was going to work. She
was sure it would. She forced herself to hang back a little, letting the
lunchroom fill up so that her friends would be sure to be there when she went
in. She giggled to herself, feeling a little like Taffy Sinclair making a grand
entrance. That's okay, she told herself. It's for a fabulous cause.
She had barely stepped inside the cafeteria when she heard a
familiar voice call her name.
"Jana! Jana! Over here," Funny gushed. She was
sitting at a table not three feet from the door and she was waving like mad. "Hurry.
I've had a terrible time holding your seat."
Jana's heart sank. There was no way she could ignore Funny
without insulting her. Scanning the cafeteria, she saw her friends sitting at a
table on the opposite side of the room. How could she ever get over there to
talk to them?
Just then a brilliant idea struck. "Milk," she
called back to Funny. "I've got to get in line for milk. I'll come back as
soon as I can."
"I got your milk," cried Funny. "See!"
She was holding up two cartons, one in each hand, and grinning like mad. "Sit
down."
Jana sighed and joined Funny at the table. She tried to
smile and mumble thanks, but her heart felt as if it were made of lead and her
appetite was totally gone. She
T-R-A-I-T-O-R
T-R-A-I-T-O-R
T-R-A-I-T-O-R
I'm not a traitor, she thought stubbornly, but still, it was
pretty obvious that her friends saw her that way.
She made it to English class just as the bell was ringing.
Fortunately Funny had saved her a seat, and she sank into it just as Miss
Dickinson was announcing the assignment. She gave Funny a quick smile and
opened her book. Deep down she was glad that there wasn't time for conversation
with Funny. As much as she liked her new friend, a lump the size of a tennis
ball formed in her throat every time she thought about Melanie, Christie,
Katie, and especially Beth. She couldn't just abandon them completely and spend
all of her time with Funny. It wasn't the same. Something was missing. There
were no memories of things they had done together the way there were with her
old friends. With The Fabulous Five she had memories of good times. Even of bad
times. Hadn't Laura reminded Funny that they had stuck together through thick
and thin? She had been talking about the very same thing, only Jana hadn't
realized what she meant until Christie had refused to look at her in homeroom.
Thick and thin, she mused, thinking of all their problems
with Taffy Sinclair. The club they'd had against Taffy. The time she got a part
on a soap opera. The time she blackmailed Jana! Her friends had stuck by her
and helped her out of every one of those dilemmas. They had helped her in her
romance with Randy Kirwan, too. Wonderful Randy, who was not only the handsomest
boy in the world but the kindest and most sincere, also. She thought about his
call last night. What would he think of her if he suspected that she was
abandoning her best friends? The thought hit her like a bolt of lightning. She
couldn't lose Randy Kirwan. She just couldn't.
Morning classes went on as usual, but Jana hardly noticed
what was going on. Her mind was on her friends in The Fabulous Five and the
misunderstanding that was growing between them. Maybe Mom was right, she
thought. Even though they should know that they were special to her without
being told, if they needed reassuring, she would do it. At lunch period, she
thought. I'll do it then. It was amazing how easy it would be now that she
thought about it. She would simply march up to their table and say that she had
something to talk about. Then she would explain how much she still wanted to be
friends with them. Surely they would listen, and when they did, everything
would be all right again. She would explain about Funny, too. About how she was
a nice person, not a bubblehead, and how they ought to give her a chance.
Jana was actually humming to herself as she got her lunch
out of her locker and headed for the cafeteria. Her plan was going to work. She
was sure it would. She forced herself to hang back a little, letting the
lunchroom fill up so that her friends would be sure to be there when she went
in. She giggled to herself, feeling a little like Taffy Sinclair making a grand
entrance. That's okay, she told herself. It's for a fabulous cause.
She had barely stepped inside the cafeteria when she heard a
familiar voice call her name.
"Jana! Jana! Over here," Funny gushed. She was
sitting at a table not three feet from the door and she was waving like mad. "Hurry.
I've had a terrible time holding your seat."
Jana's heart sank. There was no way she could ignore Funny
without insulting her. Scanning the cafeteria, she saw her friends sitting at a
table on the opposite side of the room. How could she ever get over there to
talk to them?
Just then a brilliant idea struck. "Milk," she
called back to Funny. "I've got to get in line for milk. I'll come back as
soon as I can."
"I got your milk," cried Funny. "See!"
She was holding up two cartons, one in each hand, and grinning like mad. "Sit
down."
Jana sighed and joined Funny at the table. She tried to
smile and mumble thanks, but her heart felt as if it were made of lead and her
appetite was totally gone. She
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