Read Online Just Kidding by Annie Bryant - Free Book Online

bad,” Avery said. “So people are talking about you. You don’t have to listen. Who cares what anyone else says, anyway?”
    â€œJust try not to take it personally,” Maeve advised. “Think of all the movie stars people talk about all the time–I read in Stars Unlimited the other day that a lot of movie stars try to ignore most of the rumors that start about them. Anyway, this’ll blow over soon. I’ve got something else I want to talk to you about. I just have to tell you all about this idea I had in music class for Spirit Week.”
    â€œThat reminds me!” Avery interrupted. “I’ve decided I want to head up the sports committee. I can’t waitfor the coed basketball game—we’re gonna show those guys that girls rule! It’s about time girls and boys play together on a team. Don’t you think picking the teams will be the best?”
    Maeve sighed. There goes one vote for the dance committee . The sports committee met at the same time as the dance committee, and no matter how fast Avery was, she couldn’t be in two places at the same time.
    Maeve opened her mouth again to start explaining to the BSG her big idea about the dance, but suddenly Charlotte broke into the conversation, telling them all about Jennifer’s miserable attitude toward her Spirit Week article. “She hates me. And she hates my writing. You should have heard the nice things she was saying to everyone else on the staff except me! You heard her, Ave! She told me in front of everybody to stop writing about my travel experiences—that I’d done too much about them already. It would have been one thing to talk to me about that privately, but she embarrassed me in front of the whole group!”
    â€œLook, Charlotte,” Katani advised, “I told you before that Jennifer’s just plain jealous, and that’s what all this is about. You’ve just got to let this one go, girl. Jennifer’s like your boss, and you don’t want to quit your job, so you’ll just have to live with it.”
    â€œBut what could she be jealous of?” Charlotte protested. “It’s not like my stuff is going to win the Pulitzer Prize or anything. I mean, it’s not better than hers, anyway.”
    â€œNow wait just a minute, Charlotte Ramsey,” protested Maeve. “Jennifer’s stuff is so not better than yoursand she’s a whole year older.” Maeve looked around the table at the BSG and held up her soda. “I say we toast Ms. Charlotte Ramsey as the best writer we know.”
    A chorus of cheers met that statement, and finally Charlotte looked at her friends gratefully. “You guys are the best,” she said. “Seriously, what would I do without you?”
    Maeve sighed again. She couldn’t interrupt now, not when Charlotte was enjoying a moment of support.
    While the BSG finished their lunches, Charlotte explained her current dilemma. “But maybe Jennifer’s sort of right. Instead of writing comparisons or trying to use stuff outside of Abigail Adams…” She gave a smile to Avery, “I think I should just write about what spirit is here , at our school and in our town. That’s what Spirit Week is about, right? I’ll interview students about their views and write them up for the article. Maybe I can interview some adults too, like Mrs. Fields and Yuri and Mrs. Weiss and Ms. Pink.” She looked around at her best friends. “And I think I’ll start with you and what you think spirit is.” She looked expectantly at the BSG.
    There was silence at the table for a minute. No one knew what to say. Then Isabel volunteered, “What about art? I think art gives me spirit. It makes people feel good and shows that ordinary things can be really beautiful when you see them from a fresh perspective.”
    Avery started doodling in her notebook, and when she ripped out the sheet and showed it to