Read Online Stacey And The Cheerleaders by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online
Authors: Ann M. Martin
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I wrote on my paper was, 'I could not finish this book.' "
"What?"
"Uh-huh. On the bottom, the teacher wrote, 'If I'd had to play Lawrenceville, I'd have the same problem. Meet me after school some day this week and we'll chat about the book.' Now, George Burke, who sits next to me, had read it — and loved it. He wrote on both sides of the paper. The teacher's comment was something like, 'Shows good retention but shallow understanding.' He got a C minus."
"But — that's not fair."
"I know." Robert sat back in his chair with a pained look. "It's so weird. I mean, yes, we're a good team. We'll probably win the division and all. But people treat us differently — us and the cheerleaders. Everyone's willing to bend the rules for us. Well, not everyone. Some teachers and students treat us like normal kids. But if I wanted to cut a class, and my English teacher knew I was in school, no problem. Some of the guys do it all the time. The girls, too."
I shook my head in disbelief. "And they all seem like such nice people."
"Sometimes they are," Robert replied. "But they can be pretty fickle, you know. That's what happens when you're used to having your way all the time. You get spoiled, then you start not thinking about other people's feelings."
"I'm glad you're not like that, Robert."
Robert began cutting his burger in half. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so negative."
We sat quietly for a moment, eating our food. Finally I said, "You know, I'm really glad you told me this stuff. If I become a cheerleader, I'm going to work hard not to take advantage of things."
Robert's eyes widened. "You're trying out?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Hey, that's fantastic. I hope you make it. Do the other girls know?"
"So far, Sheila, Penny, Darcy, Margie, and Corinne do."
"Uh-oh. Does Corinne know we're going out?"
My heart did a flip-flop. "Maybe. Why? Are you . . ."
Robert shook his head. "No! No. We went out once or twice. It was okay, but nothing special. Not like this."
Boy, did he know what to say to a girl.
"Anyway," he went on, "I guess she thought we were, you know, going steady or something. She still calls me practically every day. I don't lead her on, because I'm not that type, but I'm not mean to her either." He smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "That's Corinne."
You know what? I didn't blame Corinne at all. I had been with Robert for less than an hour, in a coffee shop with clanking plates and gruff waiters, but I was having one of the nicest nights of my life.
The only problem was, I didn't want it to end.
Chapter 9.
Mary Anne went to the Kilbournes' expecting the worst. She was supposed to sit for Tiffany and Maria while Shannon and her mom went to a school concert. At the last minute, Maria had decided to go. (Shannon later told us Maria didn't care about the concert, she just wanted to get away from her sister.)
So it was Mary Anne the Meek and Tiffany the Terrible, all alone.
As the car backed out of the driveway, Mary Anne sat on the living room couch. Tiffany slumped in an armchair and stared out the window.
"Did you want to go with them, Tiffany?" Mary Anne asked.
"No way," Tiffany answered.
"Um, do you want to go outside?"
"No!"
"Okay. I was just asking. I noticed you were looking outside."
"Mm."
Mary Anne quietly opened her backpack and took out some schoolbooks. She decided to use her sullen-child strategy. She wouldn't try to make Tiffany laugh or do anything. Mary Anne would just be there. She would be all ears if Tiffany decided she needed someone.
For a long time, Tiffany just moped around.
Mary Anne heard her run up and down the stairs, then open the kitchen cabinets a few times.
Finally Tiffany came into the living room and sat down on the floor. "I'm bored," she announced.
Mary Anne closed her book. "Oh?"
"Yeah. There's nothing to do. And you are the most boringest baby-sitter I've ever met."
I told you Mary Anne is extremely sensitive. But she's also an incredible baby-sitter. She knew not
"What?"
"Uh-huh. On the bottom, the teacher wrote, 'If I'd had to play Lawrenceville, I'd have the same problem. Meet me after school some day this week and we'll chat about the book.' Now, George Burke, who sits next to me, had read it — and loved it. He wrote on both sides of the paper. The teacher's comment was something like, 'Shows good retention but shallow understanding.' He got a C minus."
"But — that's not fair."
"I know." Robert sat back in his chair with a pained look. "It's so weird. I mean, yes, we're a good team. We'll probably win the division and all. But people treat us differently — us and the cheerleaders. Everyone's willing to bend the rules for us. Well, not everyone. Some teachers and students treat us like normal kids. But if I wanted to cut a class, and my English teacher knew I was in school, no problem. Some of the guys do it all the time. The girls, too."
I shook my head in disbelief. "And they all seem like such nice people."
"Sometimes they are," Robert replied. "But they can be pretty fickle, you know. That's what happens when you're used to having your way all the time. You get spoiled, then you start not thinking about other people's feelings."
"I'm glad you're not like that, Robert."
Robert began cutting his burger in half. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so negative."
We sat quietly for a moment, eating our food. Finally I said, "You know, I'm really glad you told me this stuff. If I become a cheerleader, I'm going to work hard not to take advantage of things."
Robert's eyes widened. "You're trying out?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Hey, that's fantastic. I hope you make it. Do the other girls know?"
"So far, Sheila, Penny, Darcy, Margie, and Corinne do."
"Uh-oh. Does Corinne know we're going out?"
My heart did a flip-flop. "Maybe. Why? Are you . . ."
Robert shook his head. "No! No. We went out once or twice. It was okay, but nothing special. Not like this."
Boy, did he know what to say to a girl.
"Anyway," he went on, "I guess she thought we were, you know, going steady or something. She still calls me practically every day. I don't lead her on, because I'm not that type, but I'm not mean to her either." He smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "That's Corinne."
You know what? I didn't blame Corinne at all. I had been with Robert for less than an hour, in a coffee shop with clanking plates and gruff waiters, but I was having one of the nicest nights of my life.
The only problem was, I didn't want it to end.
Chapter 9.
Mary Anne went to the Kilbournes' expecting the worst. She was supposed to sit for Tiffany and Maria while Shannon and her mom went to a school concert. At the last minute, Maria had decided to go. (Shannon later told us Maria didn't care about the concert, she just wanted to get away from her sister.)
So it was Mary Anne the Meek and Tiffany the Terrible, all alone.
As the car backed out of the driveway, Mary Anne sat on the living room couch. Tiffany slumped in an armchair and stared out the window.
"Did you want to go with them, Tiffany?" Mary Anne asked.
"No way," Tiffany answered.
"Um, do you want to go outside?"
"No!"
"Okay. I was just asking. I noticed you were looking outside."
"Mm."
Mary Anne quietly opened her backpack and took out some schoolbooks. She decided to use her sullen-child strategy. She wouldn't try to make Tiffany laugh or do anything. Mary Anne would just be there. She would be all ears if Tiffany decided she needed someone.
For a long time, Tiffany just moped around.
Mary Anne heard her run up and down the stairs, then open the kitchen cabinets a few times.
Finally Tiffany came into the living room and sat down on the floor. "I'm bored," she announced.
Mary Anne closed her book. "Oh?"
"Yeah. There's nothing to do. And you are the most boringest baby-sitter I've ever met."
I told you Mary Anne is extremely sensitive. But she's also an incredible baby-sitter. She knew not
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