Read Online My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Bowe
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joke! It did make me laugh. Here's a poem for you:
There once was a girl named Cordelia,
Who had a delicious i-dee-lia.
She cooked up a pot,
Of beans, spicy hot,
Then put them inside a tor-tee-lia!
Ha-ha.
Anastasia
P.S. My grandma is the best!
P.P.S. I think it's better to have a secret friend than a mean friend.
As I read Anastasia's poem, I notice there are little stars around
Cordelia,
just like the stars I painted on the whale rock I left at Jenna's house. I wonder what happened to that rock. Jenna probably uses it for target practice on Rachel.
I also notice that Stacey calls me her secret
friend.
I wonder if secret friends can be best friends, too.
Chapter 15
I stuff Anastasia's note into my backpack and hurry to the bus. I climb on and scan the crowd for an empty seat. I see one about halfway back.
My lucky day
, I say to myself.
I start pushing toward it, but then I feel a tug on my sleeve.
I look down.
Rachel Drews is smiling up at me. "Hi, Queen Cordelia," she says.
"Hi, Princess Penelope," I say back.
"Sit here," Rachel says, scooting over.
Even though Jenna will probably call me a baby for sitting up front, I sit down next to Rachel. "Seen any monsters lately?" I ask.
Rachel giggles. "Yep," she says. "Lots."
"Me, too," I say.
"Guess what?" Rachel says.
"What?" I say back.
"Jenna's having another sleepover."
"So I've heard."
"Are you coming?" Rachel asks. "Um, no," I say. "I have other plans."
"Like what?"
"Like staying home and cleaning my room,"
I say.
Rachel gives me a puzzled look. Then she says, "Didn't Jenna invite you?"
I glance away. "Not exactly," I say.
Rachel gives me a nod. "She didn't exactly invite me, either," she says.
While we wait for the last few kids to get on the bus, Rachel introduces me to the zippers on her backpack. "I named this one Joyce and this one Joyce Junior," she explains, pointing to a long zipper on top of her bag and a shorter one down the side.
"What about that one?" I ask, pointing to a chunky green zipper on one of the bag's many pockets.
"That's Max," she says. Then she leans in and
whispers, "He gets jealous if I zip Joyce more than him." She demonstrates by giving Joyce a tug. Then she gives Max two.
We sit there, contemplating zippers for a moment. Then Rachel says, "Guess what, Ida? I get to ride on a float in the Potato Parade."
"Wow," I say. "You must be famous."
"Yep. So is my mom. She's the Potato Pageant chairperson. We get to throw candy and everything!"
"I'm glad you won't be throwing potatoes,"
I say.
Rachel giggles. "I'll throw candy to you, Ida," she says. "Lots."
"Thanks," I say. "I can use it."
Just as the bus driver is about to close the door, Jenna scrambles on. When she sees me sitting with Rachel, she pauses to give me a disgusted look. "A kindergartener?" she says. "That's the best you can do for a friend?"
I look up at Jenna. "I thought I'd start small," I say.
Rachel smiles at me. Then she looks at her sister. "Maybe you should start small, too, Jenna."
Jenna shoots a look at Rachel. "I don't need to start anywhere," she snaps. "I already have
tons
of friends."
"Then how come you never get invited to their houses?" Rachel asks.
For a second Jenna looks like someone socked her in the stomach. Then she pulls herself together and says, "I
do.
But they would rather come to
my
house." She quickly pushes past us. And lands in the empty seat halfway back.
"No, they wouldn't," Rachel says to me. "They only come to our house because they're afraid of getting slugged if they don't show up."
"How do you know?" I ask.
Rachel shrugs. "I just do," she says.
I nod. "I just do, too," I say.
When we get off at our bus stop, Rachel waves good-bye to me. "See you at the parade, Ida!" she calls, as Jenna grabs her arm and drags her away.
When I get home, I go to my room, get out my sketchbook, and draw a picture of Princess Penelope. I give her a sparkly crown. And a pile of ammunition.
George suggests I give the picture
There once was a girl named Cordelia,
Who had a delicious i-dee-lia.
She cooked up a pot,
Of beans, spicy hot,
Then put them inside a tor-tee-lia!
Ha-ha.
Anastasia
P.S. My grandma is the best!
P.P.S. I think it's better to have a secret friend than a mean friend.
As I read Anastasia's poem, I notice there are little stars around
Cordelia,
just like the stars I painted on the whale rock I left at Jenna's house. I wonder what happened to that rock. Jenna probably uses it for target practice on Rachel.
I also notice that Stacey calls me her secret
friend.
I wonder if secret friends can be best friends, too.
Chapter 15
I stuff Anastasia's note into my backpack and hurry to the bus. I climb on and scan the crowd for an empty seat. I see one about halfway back.
My lucky day
, I say to myself.
I start pushing toward it, but then I feel a tug on my sleeve.
I look down.
Rachel Drews is smiling up at me. "Hi, Queen Cordelia," she says.
"Hi, Princess Penelope," I say back.
"Sit here," Rachel says, scooting over.
Even though Jenna will probably call me a baby for sitting up front, I sit down next to Rachel. "Seen any monsters lately?" I ask.
Rachel giggles. "Yep," she says. "Lots."
"Me, too," I say.
"Guess what?" Rachel says.
"What?" I say back.
"Jenna's having another sleepover."
"So I've heard."
"Are you coming?" Rachel asks. "Um, no," I say. "I have other plans."
"Like what?"
"Like staying home and cleaning my room,"
I say.
Rachel gives me a puzzled look. Then she says, "Didn't Jenna invite you?"
I glance away. "Not exactly," I say.
Rachel gives me a nod. "She didn't exactly invite me, either," she says.
While we wait for the last few kids to get on the bus, Rachel introduces me to the zippers on her backpack. "I named this one Joyce and this one Joyce Junior," she explains, pointing to a long zipper on top of her bag and a shorter one down the side.
"What about that one?" I ask, pointing to a chunky green zipper on one of the bag's many pockets.
"That's Max," she says. Then she leans in and
whispers, "He gets jealous if I zip Joyce more than him." She demonstrates by giving Joyce a tug. Then she gives Max two.
We sit there, contemplating zippers for a moment. Then Rachel says, "Guess what, Ida? I get to ride on a float in the Potato Parade."
"Wow," I say. "You must be famous."
"Yep. So is my mom. She's the Potato Pageant chairperson. We get to throw candy and everything!"
"I'm glad you won't be throwing potatoes,"
I say.
Rachel giggles. "I'll throw candy to you, Ida," she says. "Lots."
"Thanks," I say. "I can use it."
Just as the bus driver is about to close the door, Jenna scrambles on. When she sees me sitting with Rachel, she pauses to give me a disgusted look. "A kindergartener?" she says. "That's the best you can do for a friend?"
I look up at Jenna. "I thought I'd start small," I say.
Rachel smiles at me. Then she looks at her sister. "Maybe you should start small, too, Jenna."
Jenna shoots a look at Rachel. "I don't need to start anywhere," she snaps. "I already have
tons
of friends."
"Then how come you never get invited to their houses?" Rachel asks.
For a second Jenna looks like someone socked her in the stomach. Then she pulls herself together and says, "I
do.
But they would rather come to
my
house." She quickly pushes past us. And lands in the empty seat halfway back.
"No, they wouldn't," Rachel says to me. "They only come to our house because they're afraid of getting slugged if they don't show up."
"How do you know?" I ask.
Rachel shrugs. "I just do," she says.
I nod. "I just do, too," I say.
When we get off at our bus stop, Rachel waves good-bye to me. "See you at the parade, Ida!" she calls, as Jenna grabs her arm and drags her away.
When I get home, I go to my room, get out my sketchbook, and draw a picture of Princess Penelope. I give her a sparkly crown. And a pile of ammunition.
George suggests I give the picture
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