Read Online Fabulous Five 001 - Seventh-Grade Rumors by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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afternoon.
The doorbell rang again. It was Christie and Katie. They
peered anxiously into the apartment when she answered the door but seemed to
relax when they saw that Melanie was already there.
Jana busied herself in the kitchen fixing drinks while the
others got settled. She knew she was stalling as she checked each glass for
smudges, counted out exactly four ice cubes per glass, and poured the soda very
slowly so that it wouldn't bubble over the top, but she was getting more panicky
by the minute. Should she start explaining as soon as she passed out the sodas?
But Beth wasn't there. What if she didn't show up? How long should she wait?
Three pairs of eyes met her as she entered the room,
carrying the sodas.
"So what's the emergency?" asked Katie in a cool
voice.
"Yeah, you said it was urgent," said Christie.
Even though Beth hadn't arrived, Jana knew she couldn't
stall any longer, so she set the glasses on the coffee table where everyone
could reach them and began.
"There is an emergency. A BIG one. Probably the biggest
one we've ever had. There's something none of you seem to know, and if you don't
find out right now, something awful is going to happen to The Fabulous Five."
Melanie gasped. "What are you talking about?"
"I'll bet I know," said Katie. "Rumors! I'll
bet Laura McCall is spreading rumors about us again." She shot a warning
glance at Jana and added, "It better not be anything you told that Funny
Hawthorne."
Jana bristled. "It has nothing to do with rumors,"
she insisted. "And I have not told Funny anything about The Fabulous Five.
What I'm trying to tell you is, I'm not a traitor. I like Funny Hawthorne. She's
nice and we're starting to be friends. But you are my very best friends in the
world, and I really, really don't want that to change . . . because if
it changes, we won't be The Fabulous Five anymore . . . and I don't think I
could stand that."
Nobody said anything for a moment. Jana could feel all their
eyes on her, but she couldn't look at them. Her heart was too full of pain, and
tears were brimming in her eyes and threatening to spill down her cheeks. What
if they didn't believe her? What if they didn't care ?
Suddenly Melanie sprang off the sofa and threw her arms
around Jana. She didn't even notice that she had nudged the coffee table,
rocking it so that the glasses teetered and then tumbled over, spraying the
room and everyone in it with soda and ice cubes.
"Oh, Jana," she cried. "We want to stay
friends! We really do!"
They were all crying now, and Christie and Katie rushed over
and wrapped their arms around her, too.
"It was awful without you," said Christie. "We weren't The Fabulous Five."
"Nothing was the same," insisted Katie. "Honest,
but we thought you didn't like us anymore. We thought that when you got to
Wakeman and met Funny and started spending all that time with her that suddenly
we weren't good enough for you anymore."
"That's not it at all!" Jana protested. "It
is true that I made a new friend, but nobody could ever take your place, and as
far as spending more time with her than you, she's in more of my classes than
any of you are."
A moment later everyone was crawling around the floor,
blotting wet spots, picking up ice cubes, and talking at once.
"We really missed you," said Melanie. "I was
so upset that I couldn't even think about Scott or Shane. All I could think
about was you."
"Yeah," added Katie with a grin. "And when
Melanie can't think about boys, you know she has problems."
"Okay, guys," said Jana. "I feel a lot better
now that you understand. I also hope you'll give Funny a chance. She's not like
Laura. Believe me. She's not a bubblehead, either. She's just got a great sense
of humor."
The others shrugged, and Jana could see that they weren't
totally sold on Funny. I'll drop it for now, she thought. At least I've made a
little progress. And the best thing of all, The Fabulous Five are back
together!
Jana stopped and looked at her friends. "The
The doorbell rang again. It was Christie and Katie. They
peered anxiously into the apartment when she answered the door but seemed to
relax when they saw that Melanie was already there.
Jana busied herself in the kitchen fixing drinks while the
others got settled. She knew she was stalling as she checked each glass for
smudges, counted out exactly four ice cubes per glass, and poured the soda very
slowly so that it wouldn't bubble over the top, but she was getting more panicky
by the minute. Should she start explaining as soon as she passed out the sodas?
But Beth wasn't there. What if she didn't show up? How long should she wait?
Three pairs of eyes met her as she entered the room,
carrying the sodas.
"So what's the emergency?" asked Katie in a cool
voice.
"Yeah, you said it was urgent," said Christie.
Even though Beth hadn't arrived, Jana knew she couldn't
stall any longer, so she set the glasses on the coffee table where everyone
could reach them and began.
"There is an emergency. A BIG one. Probably the biggest
one we've ever had. There's something none of you seem to know, and if you don't
find out right now, something awful is going to happen to The Fabulous Five."
Melanie gasped. "What are you talking about?"
"I'll bet I know," said Katie. "Rumors! I'll
bet Laura McCall is spreading rumors about us again." She shot a warning
glance at Jana and added, "It better not be anything you told that Funny
Hawthorne."
Jana bristled. "It has nothing to do with rumors,"
she insisted. "And I have not told Funny anything about The Fabulous Five.
What I'm trying to tell you is, I'm not a traitor. I like Funny Hawthorne. She's
nice and we're starting to be friends. But you are my very best friends in the
world, and I really, really don't want that to change . . . because if
it changes, we won't be The Fabulous Five anymore . . . and I don't think I
could stand that."
Nobody said anything for a moment. Jana could feel all their
eyes on her, but she couldn't look at them. Her heart was too full of pain, and
tears were brimming in her eyes and threatening to spill down her cheeks. What
if they didn't believe her? What if they didn't care ?
Suddenly Melanie sprang off the sofa and threw her arms
around Jana. She didn't even notice that she had nudged the coffee table,
rocking it so that the glasses teetered and then tumbled over, spraying the
room and everyone in it with soda and ice cubes.
"Oh, Jana," she cried. "We want to stay
friends! We really do!"
They were all crying now, and Christie and Katie rushed over
and wrapped their arms around her, too.
"It was awful without you," said Christie. "We weren't The Fabulous Five."
"Nothing was the same," insisted Katie. "Honest,
but we thought you didn't like us anymore. We thought that when you got to
Wakeman and met Funny and started spending all that time with her that suddenly
we weren't good enough for you anymore."
"That's not it at all!" Jana protested. "It
is true that I made a new friend, but nobody could ever take your place, and as
far as spending more time with her than you, she's in more of my classes than
any of you are."
A moment later everyone was crawling around the floor,
blotting wet spots, picking up ice cubes, and talking at once.
"We really missed you," said Melanie. "I was
so upset that I couldn't even think about Scott or Shane. All I could think
about was you."
"Yeah," added Katie with a grin. "And when
Melanie can't think about boys, you know she has problems."
"Okay, guys," said Jana. "I feel a lot better
now that you understand. I also hope you'll give Funny a chance. She's not like
Laura. Believe me. She's not a bubblehead, either. She's just got a great sense
of humor."
The others shrugged, and Jana could see that they weren't
totally sold on Funny. I'll drop it for now, she thought. At least I've made a
little progress. And the best thing of all, The Fabulous Five are back
together!
Jana stopped and looked at her friends. "The
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