Read Online Fabulous Five 027 - The Scapegoat by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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surprised. "They did?"
"Yes, and Miss Woolsey thinks Miss Finney is a
dedicated teacher," Christie added.
"Well, Miss Woolsey's going to be a judge. I think she'd
want everything to be fair."
"She'll only be one of the judges," responded Christie.
"Her score won't count any more than Miss Finney's."
"It's a darn shame," said Becca.
"Girls!" said Miss Woolsey. "If you'll
recall, you're supposed to be studying."
"Here, let me help with that, miss," volunteered
Mr. Dudley. The building custodian took two of the bags Christie and her
parents had brought and carried them downstairs. "I've set you up over
here. Will this give you enough room to work?"
"Oh, Mr. Dudley, this is great," Christie told
him. He had put a piece of plywood across two sawhorses to form a table. A
light hung from the ceiling over it. He had even placed a stool next to the
table for her to sit on.
"It looks to me as if Christie's at least going to have
the biggest science project," commented Mr. Winchell after Mr. Dudley had
left.
"I just hope you can finish it in time, Christie,"
said her mother.
"I've got to, Mum." Christie spoke in a determined
voice.
"Let your mum or me know if we can help you,"
teased her father. He was always poking fun at Christie when she said things
the way the English did.
Christie made a face at him and then shooed her parents back
up the stairs. She called after them, "I'll be fine." Then she
emptied the bags onto the improvised table. She put the things her mother and
she had gotten at the museum on one corner so they wouldn't get lost. She'd
need the cutting tools, glue, rolls of plastic, and foil first. She put the
paints and all the other things in a bag and slid it under the table. Carefully
she took out the drawings she had made from science books and taped them on the
wall, where they'd be easy to see.
Next she took the large sheet of Styrofoam her father had
brought home and divided it into thirds. She chewed on her lip as she cut it
into sections. It felt wonderful to be finally working on her project.
"Davey said you're going to the films with Connie on
Friday," said Nicki as she, Phoebe, and Christie returned their cafeteria
trays. "I thought you were being true blue to your cove in the States."
"I was afraid to turn Connie down one more time,"
Christie explained quietly. "He might think that I didn't like him at all.
It doesn't mean we're going steady or anything."
"You went riding with him last weekend, too, didn't
you?" asked Nicki with a sly look in her eyes. "Just because you like
that horse, Rigel, so much?"
"Oh, Nicki, close your cake hole," Phoebe reprimanded
her. "If Christie's going out with Connie, it's her business."
"I just thought I'd yank her chain a little,"
remarked Nicki. "Look there," she added as they were passing the
administration office. "What do you suppose the big meeting's about?"
Christie glanced through the window. Mrs. Tillington, Miss
Woolsey, and Miss Finney were sitting around a table. They looked serious,
especially Miss Finney. She was talking loudly, but from where the girls were
standing in the hall Christie couldn't quite understand what she was saying.
"It's probably something important, like what we'll
have for lunch next week," said Phoebe.
Nicki laughed. "Yeah, they're trying to decide if it
should taste like cardboard or old shoes."
"I bet it's about the competition," offered
Christie. "They're all judges."
Nicki shrugged. "Who knows?" she added as the
three girls left each other at the next hallway.
Christie spent every spare moment that week working on her
project. The first part was the hardest. She had to do a lot of bending and
cutting of the Styrofoam to get it to stay in the shape she wanted.
"Interesting," her father said one evening while
he was watching her paint. "You do realize we're going to have to hire a
truck to get this over to the school, don't you?"
"Oh, Dad, it won't be that big when I get it finished.
I've just got
"Yes, and Miss Woolsey thinks Miss Finney is a
dedicated teacher," Christie added.
"Well, Miss Woolsey's going to be a judge. I think she'd
want everything to be fair."
"She'll only be one of the judges," responded Christie.
"Her score won't count any more than Miss Finney's."
"It's a darn shame," said Becca.
"Girls!" said Miss Woolsey. "If you'll
recall, you're supposed to be studying."
"Here, let me help with that, miss," volunteered
Mr. Dudley. The building custodian took two of the bags Christie and her
parents had brought and carried them downstairs. "I've set you up over
here. Will this give you enough room to work?"
"Oh, Mr. Dudley, this is great," Christie told
him. He had put a piece of plywood across two sawhorses to form a table. A
light hung from the ceiling over it. He had even placed a stool next to the
table for her to sit on.
"It looks to me as if Christie's at least going to have
the biggest science project," commented Mr. Winchell after Mr. Dudley had
left.
"I just hope you can finish it in time, Christie,"
said her mother.
"I've got to, Mum." Christie spoke in a determined
voice.
"Let your mum or me know if we can help you,"
teased her father. He was always poking fun at Christie when she said things
the way the English did.
Christie made a face at him and then shooed her parents back
up the stairs. She called after them, "I'll be fine." Then she
emptied the bags onto the improvised table. She put the things her mother and
she had gotten at the museum on one corner so they wouldn't get lost. She'd
need the cutting tools, glue, rolls of plastic, and foil first. She put the
paints and all the other things in a bag and slid it under the table. Carefully
she took out the drawings she had made from science books and taped them on the
wall, where they'd be easy to see.
Next she took the large sheet of Styrofoam her father had
brought home and divided it into thirds. She chewed on her lip as she cut it
into sections. It felt wonderful to be finally working on her project.
"Davey said you're going to the films with Connie on
Friday," said Nicki as she, Phoebe, and Christie returned their cafeteria
trays. "I thought you were being true blue to your cove in the States."
"I was afraid to turn Connie down one more time,"
Christie explained quietly. "He might think that I didn't like him at all.
It doesn't mean we're going steady or anything."
"You went riding with him last weekend, too, didn't
you?" asked Nicki with a sly look in her eyes. "Just because you like
that horse, Rigel, so much?"
"Oh, Nicki, close your cake hole," Phoebe reprimanded
her. "If Christie's going out with Connie, it's her business."
"I just thought I'd yank her chain a little,"
remarked Nicki. "Look there," she added as they were passing the
administration office. "What do you suppose the big meeting's about?"
Christie glanced through the window. Mrs. Tillington, Miss
Woolsey, and Miss Finney were sitting around a table. They looked serious,
especially Miss Finney. She was talking loudly, but from where the girls were
standing in the hall Christie couldn't quite understand what she was saying.
"It's probably something important, like what we'll
have for lunch next week," said Phoebe.
Nicki laughed. "Yeah, they're trying to decide if it
should taste like cardboard or old shoes."
"I bet it's about the competition," offered
Christie. "They're all judges."
Nicki shrugged. "Who knows?" she added as the
three girls left each other at the next hallway.
Christie spent every spare moment that week working on her
project. The first part was the hardest. She had to do a lot of bending and
cutting of the Styrofoam to get it to stay in the shape she wanted.
"Interesting," her father said one evening while
he was watching her paint. "You do realize we're going to have to hire a
truck to get this over to the school, don't you?"
"Oh, Dad, it won't be that big when I get it finished.
I've just got
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