Read Online My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Julie Bowe
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dad is quiet. Then he asks, "Is this someone a friend from school?"
I think for a moment. "Sort of," I say.
My dad is quiet again. Then he clears his throat and says, "Why did the taco cross the road?"
I sigh. "Don't you mean
chicken?
"
"Nope," he says. "Taco."
"Okay," I say. "Why did the
taco
cross the road?"
I can practically see my dad's goofy grin as he replies, "It was taped to the chicken."
I roll my eyes. "Sorry I asked," I say.
My dad laughs.
Just before I go to bed, I write my note to Anastasia.
Dear Anastasia,
Here's a joke for you. (I hope you aren't drinking milk.)
Why did the taco cross the road?
Answer: It was taped to the chicken.
So it isn't the best joke. I hope it makes you Laugh anyway.
Cordelia
P.S. Your grandma sounds nice.
P.P.S. I think it's better to have a nice grandma than a rich aunt.
On Monday morning, I hide the note in the secret stone. When I get inside the school, Jenna, Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene are giggling in the hallway. They don't even notice when I walk past them.
I go into the classroom. Randi and some of the boys are playing a game on the computer. Mr. Crow is writing the week's schedule on the board. He's already written
Math quiz
and
Book reports due
under
Tuesday
and
Thursday.
Under
Friday
he writes
Paint pageant windows.
Stacey isn't around, so I hurry and find a scrap of paper in my desk. I write the letter
A
on it. I think about the chicken joke I wrote for her. And draw a dancing chicken under the
A.
I toss the paper onto her desk just as the bell
rings. Jenna, Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene pile into the classroom. Stacey piles in, too.
"So that's my plan," Jenna says to the others. "You spend the night at my house on Friday and we all go to the Potato Parade together on Saturday."
"I'll have to ask if it's okay," Meeka says.
"Me, too," Jolene adds.
Jenna narrows her eyes. "Just
tell
your parents you have to spend the night. Say we're getting ready for the window-painting contest."
Meeka and Jolene nod obediently. Brooke nods, too. Stacey is about to nod, but then she glances at me. I pull my math book out of my desk and pretend to be very interested in long division.
"What about Ida?" I hear Stacey whisper to Jenna.
"What about her?" Jenna asks.
"Aren't you going to invite her, too? And Randi?"
"This party is for my
best
friends," Jenna says.
"Butâ," Stacey starts to say.
"Besides," Jenna interrupts, glancing over her shoulder at me, "you're busy this weekend, aren't you, I-
duh.
"
I glance up from my book. "Yes, Jenna," I say. "If you're planning a sleepover, I'm busy."
"See?" Jenna says, as she herds the others to her cluster. "She can't come."
Stacey is about to say something back to Jenna, but then she sees the dancing chicken on her desk.
"What's that?" Jenna asks.
"Oh, it's nothing," Stacey says, crumpling up the paper. "Just a ... a note."
I gulp.
"A
note?
" Jenna says. "Who from?"
"A boy, I bet," Jolene says. Meeka giggles and nods.
"No, it's not from a boy," Stacey says. "It's from ... um ... my aunt."
"Your
aunt?
" Jenna says, grabbing the note from Stacey and uncrumpling it.
Stacey nods. "See?" she says, pointing to the note. "The
A
stands for
Aunt.
"
Jenna gives Stacey a look. "Then what does the dancing chicken stand for?" she asks.
"Um ... it's a secret code for ... for..."
"For what?" Jenna persists.
"For
it's none of your business
," I hear myself mumble.
Jenna whips around so fast her braids fly off her shoulders. Meanwhile, Stacey snatches the
note from her hand and hurries with it to the wastebasket.
Brooke, Jolene, and Meeka slip quietly away. But Jenna just stands there, glaring at me. "From her
aunt,
huh?" she finally says. "I bet."
I see the letter
C
on Stacey's desk right after our second recess. Jenna didn't let Stacey out of her sight all day, so I don't know how she managed to get my note and hide one for me. But right after school I run to the secret stone and find one.
Dear Cordelia,
Thanks for the
I think for a moment. "Sort of," I say.
My dad is quiet again. Then he clears his throat and says, "Why did the taco cross the road?"
I sigh. "Don't you mean
chicken?
"
"Nope," he says. "Taco."
"Okay," I say. "Why did the
taco
cross the road?"
I can practically see my dad's goofy grin as he replies, "It was taped to the chicken."
I roll my eyes. "Sorry I asked," I say.
My dad laughs.
Just before I go to bed, I write my note to Anastasia.
Dear Anastasia,
Here's a joke for you. (I hope you aren't drinking milk.)
Why did the taco cross the road?
Answer: It was taped to the chicken.
So it isn't the best joke. I hope it makes you Laugh anyway.
Cordelia
P.S. Your grandma sounds nice.
P.P.S. I think it's better to have a nice grandma than a rich aunt.
On Monday morning, I hide the note in the secret stone. When I get inside the school, Jenna, Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene are giggling in the hallway. They don't even notice when I walk past them.
I go into the classroom. Randi and some of the boys are playing a game on the computer. Mr. Crow is writing the week's schedule on the board. He's already written
Math quiz
and
Book reports due
under
Tuesday
and
Thursday.
Under
Friday
he writes
Paint pageant windows.
Stacey isn't around, so I hurry and find a scrap of paper in my desk. I write the letter
A
on it. I think about the chicken joke I wrote for her. And draw a dancing chicken under the
A.
I toss the paper onto her desk just as the bell
rings. Jenna, Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene pile into the classroom. Stacey piles in, too.
"So that's my plan," Jenna says to the others. "You spend the night at my house on Friday and we all go to the Potato Parade together on Saturday."
"I'll have to ask if it's okay," Meeka says.
"Me, too," Jolene adds.
Jenna narrows her eyes. "Just
tell
your parents you have to spend the night. Say we're getting ready for the window-painting contest."
Meeka and Jolene nod obediently. Brooke nods, too. Stacey is about to nod, but then she glances at me. I pull my math book out of my desk and pretend to be very interested in long division.
"What about Ida?" I hear Stacey whisper to Jenna.
"What about her?" Jenna asks.
"Aren't you going to invite her, too? And Randi?"
"This party is for my
best
friends," Jenna says.
"Butâ," Stacey starts to say.
"Besides," Jenna interrupts, glancing over her shoulder at me, "you're busy this weekend, aren't you, I-
duh.
"
I glance up from my book. "Yes, Jenna," I say. "If you're planning a sleepover, I'm busy."
"See?" Jenna says, as she herds the others to her cluster. "She can't come."
Stacey is about to say something back to Jenna, but then she sees the dancing chicken on her desk.
"What's that?" Jenna asks.
"Oh, it's nothing," Stacey says, crumpling up the paper. "Just a ... a note."
I gulp.
"A
note?
" Jenna says. "Who from?"
"A boy, I bet," Jolene says. Meeka giggles and nods.
"No, it's not from a boy," Stacey says. "It's from ... um ... my aunt."
"Your
aunt?
" Jenna says, grabbing the note from Stacey and uncrumpling it.
Stacey nods. "See?" she says, pointing to the note. "The
A
stands for
Aunt.
"
Jenna gives Stacey a look. "Then what does the dancing chicken stand for?" she asks.
"Um ... it's a secret code for ... for..."
"For what?" Jenna persists.
"For
it's none of your business
," I hear myself mumble.
Jenna whips around so fast her braids fly off her shoulders. Meanwhile, Stacey snatches the
note from her hand and hurries with it to the wastebasket.
Brooke, Jolene, and Meeka slip quietly away. But Jenna just stands there, glaring at me. "From her
aunt,
huh?" she finally says. "I bet."
I see the letter
C
on Stacey's desk right after our second recess. Jenna didn't let Stacey out of her sight all day, so I don't know how she managed to get my note and hide one for me. But right after school I run to the secret stone and find one.
Dear Cordelia,
Thanks for the
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