Read Online Pink & Green is the New Black by Lisa Greenwald - Free Book Online Page B

green? That they actually don’t care about the environment? That we missed something huge in our report?
    My heart is thumping in my chest, louder than when Russell Chapman plays the bass drum in band.
    â€œWe realized it’s not enough to make only the Old Mill Middle School cafeteria green. We need to make
all
the schools green—the elementary school and the high school too. Thefaculty rooms, the catered events, the conferences.” He picks up a cookie from the plate and takes a bite. “Delicious,” he says to Mrs. Deleccio.
    â€œOh, I didn’t bake them.” She gets nervous all of a sudden, and I want Clint’s dad to go back to discussing the stuff about going green. Who cares about the cookies?
    â€œIt’s a huge undertaking,” he continues. “But we can do it. It will end up being more cost-effective too, if we’re ordering for a whole district. And we don’t want your work to end here. You’ll all be at the high school in the fall, and we’re going to need lots more help.”
    â€œI’m in!” Annabelle says in her enthusiastic, kiss-up Annabelle voice. But right now, I don’t even mind. I feel the same way.
    â€œMe too,” I tell everyone. “Thanks so much for being excited about this, and for taking us seriously.”
    â€œTaking you seriously? Of course! You’re making a huge difference,” Clint’s dad says.
    â€œThanks,” I reply.
    Annabelle starts, “And Lucy knows a lot about the high school because—”
    I cut her off. “Because my sister Claudia went there!” Annabelle raises her eyebrows at me like she’s shocked. But I know where she was going with that, and I don’t see anyreason why Clint’s dad needs to know about Yamir and me. Clint and Yamir are best friends, so maybe Clint’s dad already knows. Or maybe he doesn’t know anything. Either way, we don’t need to bring it up. “So, what are the next steps?”
    â€œE-mail your list of vendors to me.” He hands me his card, and I feel so official. I’m not sure anyone has ever given me a business card before. “As soon as the vendors can get everything in order, we’ll transform the cafeterias!”
    Mrs. Deleccio jumps in next. “Mr. Titone, the head of cafeteria services for the district, will be taking this over, for the most part. He already knows this is in the works, and I’m sure he’ll hear from his boss, but it would be nice if someone from Earth Club also fills him in.”
    â€œI can do that,” Evan says. “He lives around the corner from me. I used to play baseball with his son.”
    â€œThat sounds great, Evan.”
    It seems like our work is mostly done—at least until we get to be in the high school Earth Club. I can’t tell if I’m happy or sad. Maybe a little of both.
    This must be how runners feel after a marathon—so happy to have completed it, but unsure what to do next.
    How will I spend my time? What will I work on? I think I need to come up with another Earth Club project, or my life will seem really incomplete.
    We chat for a little while longer about average Old Mill stuff—the traveling soccer team and the community pool that’s being remodeled for next summer. I love to talk about improvements in Old Mill, but right now I can’t focus. I’m too excited that this cafeteria thing is really happening, and too sad that my work on it is mostly done.
    I want to go home and talk to Mom, Dad, and Grandma. I want to call Claudia.
    Most of all, I want to talk to Yamir.

Lucy’s tip for surviving eighth grade:
    Celebrate all the good things, no matter how small.
    Annabelle’s mom offers to drive Sunny and me home, and I’m immediately disappointed. I was a little bit excited for the chance that Sunny’s mom would pick us up and Yamir would be in the car. But there’s no good reason for us to