Read Online Hello, Mallory by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ann M. Martin
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out.
Jessi frowned. "Let's not have officers," she said. "Let's be equal."
"Okay," I agreed. "We can take turns with everything — answering the phone, writing down appointments."
"Perfect."
We sat and waited for the phone to ring.
It didn't.
"I guess it takes a while for things to get started," said Jessi.
"I guess."
"What do the other girls do when they're not on the phone?"
"Gossip," I replied. "Talk about boys."
"Ew," said Jessi. "Boys."
"I know. Ew. We could gossip, though."
"About who?"
"Benny Ott."
"He's a boy!"
"No, he isn't. He isn't even human."
Jessi laughed. "Well, I've got some news to tell you. I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure, but last week I decided that I would take ballet lessons here after all."
"That's great!" I cried.
"Thanks," said Jessi, and ducked her head, looking embarrassed. "We called this ballet school in Stamford," she went on, "and they asked me to come in and audition."
"Did you?"
"Yup."
"And what happened? Oh, this is so exciting!"
"Well . . ." said Jessi slowly.
"Don't keep me in suspense!"
"I got in! To the advanced class! And everyone was super nice."
"Oh, wow! That is wonderful! Really. Boy, just think of it. Pknow a real live dancer. Is your school going to put on a ballet soon?"
"Well, The Nutcracker, of course, at Christmastime, but before that, I think we have some kind of recital. Parts of Swan Lake and other ballets, but not an actual ballet like you're thinking of."
"Can I come see you at Christmas?"
"Of course, if I'm in the ballet."
"You will be. I just know it. I can feel it."
Jessi smiled at me. "Thanks, Mal," she said.
"You know, you're a real friend, a true friend. I didn't think I'd find another true friend after I moved away from Keisha, but I did. I found you."
"This is getting mushy," I said, but I was smiling, too. Maybe Jessi really was going to become my best friend. My first best friend. It felt awfully nice to be sitting in my room, telling each other important things and making each other smile.
The moment was ruined, though, by the sound of feet thundering up the stairs. Above the noise of the feet were shouts of, "Give it! That's mine!"
"It is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is NOT!"
"YES. IT. IS. Give it!"
I ran into the hallway and found Nicky and Mar go tusseling over a green plastic toy.
"Break it up, you guys," I said firmly.
My brother and sister separated, shooting looks at each other that were as lethal as darts.
"You know," I said quietly, taking the toy out of Mar go's hand. "This thing is one of the triplets' Wandering Frog People. It doesn't belong to either of you."
"But —" began Margo.
"But —" began Nicky.
I silenced them by holding up one hand. "I am now going to put this in the triplets' room. Then I order you to go downstairs and catch a dinosaur."
Nicky and Margo looked at each other and began to giggle. Then they clattered down the stairs together.
Jessi smiled as I came back into the bedroom. "You really handled that well/' she told me.
"Thanks," I replied. "I just wish the girls in the Baby-sitters Club could have seen it."
"Well, you don't need them now," Jessi told me. "We've got Kids Incorporated."
"Right."
And just then the phone rang. A job call! "Aughh! I'll get it!" I shrieked. I leaped off my bed and ran into the hall. Then I picked up the phone very sedately. "Hello, Kids Incorporated. . . . Oh, okay. Hang on a sec." I put the phone down. "It's for Vanessa," I whispered to Jessi. Then I yelled down the stairs, "VANESSA! PHONE! And don't stay on too long."
I went back to my room. While we waited for Vanessa to get off the phone, Jessi told me two jokes. One went like this:
Q: What does it mean when you see an elephant walking down the street in a blue shirt?
A: It means his red one is in the wash.
(I knew that one already.) The other joke went like this:
Q: What's black and white and black and white and black and white and black and white?
A: A zebra rolling down a
Jessi frowned. "Let's not have officers," she said. "Let's be equal."
"Okay," I agreed. "We can take turns with everything — answering the phone, writing down appointments."
"Perfect."
We sat and waited for the phone to ring.
It didn't.
"I guess it takes a while for things to get started," said Jessi.
"I guess."
"What do the other girls do when they're not on the phone?"
"Gossip," I replied. "Talk about boys."
"Ew," said Jessi. "Boys."
"I know. Ew. We could gossip, though."
"About who?"
"Benny Ott."
"He's a boy!"
"No, he isn't. He isn't even human."
Jessi laughed. "Well, I've got some news to tell you. I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure, but last week I decided that I would take ballet lessons here after all."
"That's great!" I cried.
"Thanks," said Jessi, and ducked her head, looking embarrassed. "We called this ballet school in Stamford," she went on, "and they asked me to come in and audition."
"Did you?"
"Yup."
"And what happened? Oh, this is so exciting!"
"Well . . ." said Jessi slowly.
"Don't keep me in suspense!"
"I got in! To the advanced class! And everyone was super nice."
"Oh, wow! That is wonderful! Really. Boy, just think of it. Pknow a real live dancer. Is your school going to put on a ballet soon?"
"Well, The Nutcracker, of course, at Christmastime, but before that, I think we have some kind of recital. Parts of Swan Lake and other ballets, but not an actual ballet like you're thinking of."
"Can I come see you at Christmas?"
"Of course, if I'm in the ballet."
"You will be. I just know it. I can feel it."
Jessi smiled at me. "Thanks, Mal," she said.
"You know, you're a real friend, a true friend. I didn't think I'd find another true friend after I moved away from Keisha, but I did. I found you."
"This is getting mushy," I said, but I was smiling, too. Maybe Jessi really was going to become my best friend. My first best friend. It felt awfully nice to be sitting in my room, telling each other important things and making each other smile.
The moment was ruined, though, by the sound of feet thundering up the stairs. Above the noise of the feet were shouts of, "Give it! That's mine!"
"It is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is NOT!"
"YES. IT. IS. Give it!"
I ran into the hallway and found Nicky and Mar go tusseling over a green plastic toy.
"Break it up, you guys," I said firmly.
My brother and sister separated, shooting looks at each other that were as lethal as darts.
"You know," I said quietly, taking the toy out of Mar go's hand. "This thing is one of the triplets' Wandering Frog People. It doesn't belong to either of you."
"But —" began Margo.
"But —" began Nicky.
I silenced them by holding up one hand. "I am now going to put this in the triplets' room. Then I order you to go downstairs and catch a dinosaur."
Nicky and Margo looked at each other and began to giggle. Then they clattered down the stairs together.
Jessi smiled as I came back into the bedroom. "You really handled that well/' she told me.
"Thanks," I replied. "I just wish the girls in the Baby-sitters Club could have seen it."
"Well, you don't need them now," Jessi told me. "We've got Kids Incorporated."
"Right."
And just then the phone rang. A job call! "Aughh! I'll get it!" I shrieked. I leaped off my bed and ran into the hall. Then I picked up the phone very sedately. "Hello, Kids Incorporated. . . . Oh, okay. Hang on a sec." I put the phone down. "It's for Vanessa," I whispered to Jessi. Then I yelled down the stairs, "VANESSA! PHONE! And don't stay on too long."
I went back to my room. While we waited for Vanessa to get off the phone, Jessi told me two jokes. One went like this:
Q: What does it mean when you see an elephant walking down the street in a blue shirt?
A: It means his red one is in the wash.
(I knew that one already.) The other joke went like this:
Q: What's black and white and black and white and black and white and black and white?
A: A zebra rolling down a
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