in, and for the next ten minutes Bumpers rocked with
the new cheer. Finally, when everyone was near collapse from excitement and
exhaustion, Jana and her friends sank back in their red bumper car and took
deep swallows of their soft drinks.
"I don't know what you girls are celebrating,"
said a deep voice from behind the bumper car.
Melanie sat up abruptly, and when Tim Riggs appeared from
behind them, she demanded, "What do you mean by that?"
"We eighth-graders are the ones with something to
celebrate," he said, his eyes gleaming. "I mean, the way things were
before, we were going into the ninth grade next year, but we would still be in
junior high. Now we're going into high school."
Melanie grinned slyly. "Yeah, but you're going to be a
freshman—one of the babies of the high school. We're going to be the
most mature students in our school."
Tim chuckled good-naturedly. "Good point."
"It's too bad that Tim won't be back at Wakeman next
year," she said, watching him move on to another group of kids. "I
never really noticed how cute he is before."
"Melanie," Katie replied indignantly. "You've
got Shane Arrington. What more do you want?"
Melanie frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but before
she could say a word, Shawnie Pendergast raced up to the bumper car, leaning
against it as she tried to catch her breath.
"I just called my parents, and they said I could have a
party tomorrow night to celebrate Wacko's becoming a middle school and school's
being out in a week and a half!" she said, panting. "You guys can
come, can't you?"
"Gosh, I'd love to," answered Jana. "I'll
have to check with my parents, but I'm sure they'll let me."
"Me, too. Me, too," echoed the others.
"Terrific. I'll talk to you later. I have to ask a
bunch more kids." Shawnie whirled away to a nearby booth, where Dekeisha,
Alexis Duvall, Lisa Snow, and Marcie Bee were sitting.
Jana sat back, sipping on her soft drink. "You know,"
she mused, "not only is school almost out for the summer, but there are a
lot of great things about to happen."
"Right," said Beth. "Next weekend is the
class trip to New York City to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island."
"Shawnie's having a party tomorrow night," added
Melanie.
"And don't forget that Christie is coming home,"
said Katie.
"And Wakeman Junior High is going to be Wakeman Middle
School!" the four friends said in unison and clinked their glasses
together in a toast to all the good things to come.
CHAPTER 2
Except for the tact that there were no bumper cars, Shawnie's
basement playroom bore a remarkable resemblance to Bumpers the night before,
Jana decided as she skipped down the stairs and entered the room. Mainly
because kids were everywhere. At one end of the enormous room a sofa and two
love seats formed a semicircle around a huge stone fireplace. The sofa and love
seats were loaded with talking, laughing, seventh-grade girls. Laura McCall had
the rest of The Fantastic Foursome—Tammy Lucero, Melissa McConnell, and Funny
Hawthorne—gathered around her on the sofa, and Jana knew every single girl on
the love seats, too.
At the other end of the room the mirrored bar held trays of
refreshments, and a group of boys, including
Randy, Scott Daly, Keith Masterson, and Tony Sanchez, were
standing around munching brownies. Almost every inch of floor space in between
was taken up with couples dancing to rock music or clusters of kids simply
standing around talking.
"Now this is what I call a party!" exclaimed Beth,
coming up beside Jana and snapping her fingers to the beat. Then she twirled
around to show off the crocheted red tunic she was wearing over a bodysuit with
a multicolored geometric design. "Like my outfit?" She ran a hand
down the lacy tunic. "I crocheted this myself."
Jana nodded happily. "It's wild. And speaking of wild,
isn't this house incredible? I knew it was big, but I never dreamed that
Shawnie's playroom was almost the size of a gymnasium."
"Me, either," said Beth. "This
the new cheer. Finally, when everyone was near collapse from excitement and
exhaustion, Jana and her friends sank back in their red bumper car and took
deep swallows of their soft drinks.
"I don't know what you girls are celebrating,"
said a deep voice from behind the bumper car.
Melanie sat up abruptly, and when Tim Riggs appeared from
behind them, she demanded, "What do you mean by that?"
"We eighth-graders are the ones with something to
celebrate," he said, his eyes gleaming. "I mean, the way things were
before, we were going into the ninth grade next year, but we would still be in
junior high. Now we're going into high school."
Melanie grinned slyly. "Yeah, but you're going to be a
freshman—one of the babies of the high school. We're going to be the
most mature students in our school."
Tim chuckled good-naturedly. "Good point."
"It's too bad that Tim won't be back at Wakeman next
year," she said, watching him move on to another group of kids. "I
never really noticed how cute he is before."
"Melanie," Katie replied indignantly. "You've
got Shane Arrington. What more do you want?"
Melanie frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but before
she could say a word, Shawnie Pendergast raced up to the bumper car, leaning
against it as she tried to catch her breath.
"I just called my parents, and they said I could have a
party tomorrow night to celebrate Wacko's becoming a middle school and school's
being out in a week and a half!" she said, panting. "You guys can
come, can't you?"
"Gosh, I'd love to," answered Jana. "I'll
have to check with my parents, but I'm sure they'll let me."
"Me, too. Me, too," echoed the others.
"Terrific. I'll talk to you later. I have to ask a
bunch more kids." Shawnie whirled away to a nearby booth, where Dekeisha,
Alexis Duvall, Lisa Snow, and Marcie Bee were sitting.
Jana sat back, sipping on her soft drink. "You know,"
she mused, "not only is school almost out for the summer, but there are a
lot of great things about to happen."
"Right," said Beth. "Next weekend is the
class trip to New York City to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island."
"Shawnie's having a party tomorrow night," added
Melanie.
"And don't forget that Christie is coming home,"
said Katie.
"And Wakeman Junior High is going to be Wakeman Middle
School!" the four friends said in unison and clinked their glasses
together in a toast to all the good things to come.
CHAPTER 2
Except for the tact that there were no bumper cars, Shawnie's
basement playroom bore a remarkable resemblance to Bumpers the night before,
Jana decided as she skipped down the stairs and entered the room. Mainly
because kids were everywhere. At one end of the enormous room a sofa and two
love seats formed a semicircle around a huge stone fireplace. The sofa and love
seats were loaded with talking, laughing, seventh-grade girls. Laura McCall had
the rest of The Fantastic Foursome—Tammy Lucero, Melissa McConnell, and Funny
Hawthorne—gathered around her on the sofa, and Jana knew every single girl on
the love seats, too.
At the other end of the room the mirrored bar held trays of
refreshments, and a group of boys, including
Randy, Scott Daly, Keith Masterson, and Tony Sanchez, were
standing around munching brownies. Almost every inch of floor space in between
was taken up with couples dancing to rock music or clusters of kids simply
standing around talking.
"Now this is what I call a party!" exclaimed Beth,
coming up beside Jana and snapping her fingers to the beat. Then she twirled
around to show off the crocheted red tunic she was wearing over a bodysuit with
a multicolored geometric design. "Like my outfit?" She ran a hand
down the lacy tunic. "I crocheted this myself."
Jana nodded happily. "It's wild. And speaking of wild,
isn't this house incredible? I knew it was big, but I never dreamed that
Shawnie's playroom was almost the size of a gymnasium."
"Me, either," said Beth. "This
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