Read Online Sophie Under Pressure by Nancy N. Rue - Free Book Online

Sophie.”
    â€œI’m not doing anything to them! They’re the ones doing it all!”
    â€œBesides,” Fiona said, “we vowed we could handle them, and we will.”
    â€œHow can we do that when we can’t even talk to them?” Kitty said.
    Nobody had an answer for that.
    â€œI can’t figure out why they’re all of a sudden picking on you,” Fiona said to Sophie. “Up ’til, like, two weeks ago, they acted like we didn’t even exist.”
    â€œI wish they still did,” Kitty said.
    â€œLet’s just pretend THEY don’t exist,” Sophie said. “That’s how we’ll handle them. It isn’t bad to leave them out and not be friendly to them and stuff. They’re boys.”
    Besides, there was the space station to think about. They had to give a progress report in science that afternoon, and Maggie had their plan.
    â€œI’m just gonna go ask her for it,” Fiona said when they got to P.E.
    Sophie had a sudden vision of another almost-fistfight right there on the playground.
    â€œNo — I’ll think of something — scientific,” she said. “I’m the captain.”
    A basketball bounced by, and as Fiona turned to run after it, she murmured to Sophie, “Pretty soon, it’s just going to be the original Corn Flakes again.” The smile she gave Sophie wasn’t Fiona-luscious.
    Sophie’s thoughts went straight for Captain Stella, but she was barely able to get her into focus when the basketball suddenly knocked her in the head and set her on her tail on the concrete. It was Maggie who pulled her up and asked her if she was okay.
    â€œI’m fine,” Sophie said.
    â€œLet me look at your eyes,” Maggie said.
    Sophie stared as Maggie squinted critically into her face.
    â€œI don’t think you have a concussion,” she said.
    â€œHow do you know, Nimbus?” Fiona said.
    â€œI have a first-aid card. My mom and I went to a class together.”
    â€œWow,” Kitty said. “That’s cool.”
    First aid. Suddenly, Sophie had an idea.
    â€œI know you’re upset about my decision yesterday, Nimbus,” she said. “But I want you to consider the whole crew. With your medical knowledge, you could actually save our lives if we got into trouble.”
    Maggie hesitated for a minute, pressing her lips together.
    â€œI would need to put my first-aid kit in the space station,” she said.
    â€œOf course,” Captain Stella said. “Anything you need. Right, Expedition Crew?”
    Kitty looked at Fiona. Even though Fiona pulled her lips into a knot, she finally nodded.
    Sophie was feeling better about everything when she got into the Suburban that afternoon so Mama could take her to see Dr. Peter. At LAST. And when Mama smiled at her, she felt even better.
    â€œHey, Dream Girl,” Mama said. “I want to thank you for helping with Zeke this morning. I know I haven’t been myself lately, and you gave me a little lift.”
    Does that mean you aren’t leaving us? Sophie wanted to say. Instead, she said, “I’ll help any time you want, Mama. I could give him his bath and read him books and clean up his room — ”
    Mama gave her a blank stare before she smiled again. “Don’t overdo it, Sophie,” she said. “You’ll have me thinking you’re trying to butter me up for something!” She squeezed Sophie’s knee. “Now — how was your day? Anything exciting happen?”
    The incident with Eddie and the peas ran through Sophie’s head, chased by the scene with Ms. Quelling in the cafeteria. She would tell Mama about that later, when she knew she was completely better. When she started making good lunches again and coming to tuck Sophie in at night.
    But Sophie did bring it up with Dr. Peter the minute she was settled in on his window seat and had one of his face pillows on her lap. She