Read Online The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jacqueline Davies
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friends."
"Even the ones that aren't your friends, they still like you.
Everybody
likes you, Megan."
Megan looked embarrassed. "Oh, everybody likes you, too," she said.
"No, they don't," said Jessie. "They really don't." There was an uncomfortable silence between the two girls. Then Jessie shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know why those girls in my class last year didn't like me. I'm hoping this year will be better."
Megan tapped her fingers on her knees. "You're nervous, huh? About fourth grade?" she asked.
Jessie thought hard. "I'm worried that I won't make any new friends," she said. "You know, that all the kids will think I'm just some puny second-grader and that"âshe took a deep breathâ"I don't belong."
Megan looked up at the ceiling for a minute. "Do you have an index card?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"I need an index card," said Megan. "Do you have one?"
Jessie went to the kitchen desk and got an index card. She handed it to Megan. Megan started to write something on the card.
"What are you doing?" asked Jessie.
"I'm writing a comment card," said Megan. "That's something you're going to miss from third grade. We did it every Friday. We each got assigned a person, and you had to write something positive about that person on an index card. Then it got read out loud." She folded up the card and handed it to Jessie.
Jessie unfolded the card and read what Megan had written.
Jessie stared at the index card. She kept reading the words over and over. "Thanks," she whispered.
"You can keep it," said Megan. "That's what I did. I've got all my comment cards in a basket on my desk. And whenever I'm feeling sad or kind of down on myself, I read through them. They really help me feel better."
Jessie folded the index card and put it in her lock box. She was going to save it forever. It was like having a magic charm.
"So, how about I make half the phone calls and you make the other half?" said Jessie.
"Okay," said Megan, jumping up from the couch.
It was surprising how many almostâfourth-grade girls had absolutely nothing to do three days before school started. In less than an hour, Jessie and Megan had thirteen lemonade "franchises" signed up for the day.
The rest of the day was work, but it was fun. Jessie and Megan attached the old baby carrier to Megan's bike, then rode to the grocery store and spent every penny of their earnings on lemonade mixâfifty-two cans. They actually bought out the
store. The four bags of cans filled the carrier like a boxy baby. They also bought five packages of paper cups. When they got back to Megan's house, Jessie tucked the receipt in her lock box, right next to her comment card. Jessie liked receipts: They were precise and complete. A receipt always told the whole story, right down to the very last penny.
Then they tossed construction paper and art supplies into the carrier and started making the rounds.
First stop, Salley Knight's house. She was ready for them with a table, chair, and empty pitcher all set up. Jessie mixed the lemonade, Megan quickly made a "Lemonade for saleâ750 a cup" sign, and they left Salley to her business. The deal was that Salley got to keep one-third of the profits and Jessie and Megan got to keep the rest.
After they'd set up all thirteen lemonade stands, each with enough mix to make four pitchers of lemonade, Jessie and Megan hung out at Megan's house, baking brownies and watching TV Then they hopped on their bikes again and made the rounds.
Jessie and Megan stopped in front of Salley's house first. The lemonade stand was nowhere to be seen.
"Whaddya think is going on?" asked Megan. Jessie had a bad feeling in her stomach. Something must have gone wrong.
They rang the doorbell. Salley came to the door.
"Hurry," she said, grabbing their arms and pulling them inside. "My mom goes totally mental when the AC is on and the door is open."
"Where's your stand?" asked Jessie nervously, feeling goose bumps ripple up her arms
"Even the ones that aren't your friends, they still like you.
Everybody
likes you, Megan."
Megan looked embarrassed. "Oh, everybody likes you, too," she said.
"No, they don't," said Jessie. "They really don't." There was an uncomfortable silence between the two girls. Then Jessie shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know why those girls in my class last year didn't like me. I'm hoping this year will be better."
Megan tapped her fingers on her knees. "You're nervous, huh? About fourth grade?" she asked.
Jessie thought hard. "I'm worried that I won't make any new friends," she said. "You know, that all the kids will think I'm just some puny second-grader and that"âshe took a deep breathâ"I don't belong."
Megan looked up at the ceiling for a minute. "Do you have an index card?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"I need an index card," said Megan. "Do you have one?"
Jessie went to the kitchen desk and got an index card. She handed it to Megan. Megan started to write something on the card.
"What are you doing?" asked Jessie.
"I'm writing a comment card," said Megan. "That's something you're going to miss from third grade. We did it every Friday. We each got assigned a person, and you had to write something positive about that person on an index card. Then it got read out loud." She folded up the card and handed it to Jessie.
Jessie unfolded the card and read what Megan had written.
Jessie stared at the index card. She kept reading the words over and over. "Thanks," she whispered.
"You can keep it," said Megan. "That's what I did. I've got all my comment cards in a basket on my desk. And whenever I'm feeling sad or kind of down on myself, I read through them. They really help me feel better."
Jessie folded the index card and put it in her lock box. She was going to save it forever. It was like having a magic charm.
"So, how about I make half the phone calls and you make the other half?" said Jessie.
"Okay," said Megan, jumping up from the couch.
It was surprising how many almostâfourth-grade girls had absolutely nothing to do three days before school started. In less than an hour, Jessie and Megan had thirteen lemonade "franchises" signed up for the day.
The rest of the day was work, but it was fun. Jessie and Megan attached the old baby carrier to Megan's bike, then rode to the grocery store and spent every penny of their earnings on lemonade mixâfifty-two cans. They actually bought out the
store. The four bags of cans filled the carrier like a boxy baby. They also bought five packages of paper cups. When they got back to Megan's house, Jessie tucked the receipt in her lock box, right next to her comment card. Jessie liked receipts: They were precise and complete. A receipt always told the whole story, right down to the very last penny.
Then they tossed construction paper and art supplies into the carrier and started making the rounds.
First stop, Salley Knight's house. She was ready for them with a table, chair, and empty pitcher all set up. Jessie mixed the lemonade, Megan quickly made a "Lemonade for saleâ750 a cup" sign, and they left Salley to her business. The deal was that Salley got to keep one-third of the profits and Jessie and Megan got to keep the rest.
After they'd set up all thirteen lemonade stands, each with enough mix to make four pitchers of lemonade, Jessie and Megan hung out at Megan's house, baking brownies and watching TV Then they hopped on their bikes again and made the rounds.
Jessie and Megan stopped in front of Salley's house first. The lemonade stand was nowhere to be seen.
"Whaddya think is going on?" asked Megan. Jessie had a bad feeling in her stomach. Something must have gone wrong.
They rang the doorbell. Salley came to the door.
"Hurry," she said, grabbing their arms and pulling them inside. "My mom goes totally mental when the AC is on and the door is open."
"Where's your stand?" asked Jessie nervously, feeling goose bumps ripple up her arms
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