guess I could.”
“You like that, huh, Oliver?” Mr. Daniels asks.
“I’d give it to my bus driver. She likes things with rainbow colors.”
“Well, that’s thoughtful of you, Oliver!” Mr. Daniels says.
I sit down at my desk, thinking about whether I should give the colored disc to Oliver. Jessica and Shay are talking behind me.
“Can I have another bracelet?” Jessica asks Shay.
“I don’t think so. I can hardly keep up with people wanting them. Besides, you already have enough.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind another.”
There is a pause and I want to turn around. But I’m not supposed to be listening in.
“
Listen,
” Shay says. “You have seven already. I have other orders to fill first. And besides that, you still owe me three dollars for the last one. I’m not giving you another until you pay me for what’s already on your wrist.”
Wait.
I whip around. I can’t help it. “You
charge
your friends for those friendship bracelets?”
“Eavesdrop much? Yeah, so what? You want one?”
Jessica leans forward. “Wait. You’re going to give
her
one?”
“No, idiot. I’m not going to
give
her one. She’s going to pay me. But you know what? Ally should pay more. A lot more.” She turns to me. “Ten dollars.”
I laugh. “Uh, no, thanks. I’d rather wear handcuffs.”
I can’t believe Shay charges her friends for something that’s supposed to stand for loyalty and friendship. And I can’t believe they paid.
“You are
such
a dope, Ally Nickerson,” Shay says.
I look over at Keisha and Albert and realize that I have been. I’ve been lucky all along but didn’t see it.
CHAPTER 25
C e l e b r a t i o n o r D e v a s t a t i o n ?
Mr. Daniels is wearing a tie with little trophies on it. Also, he has a goofy smile on his face. Even goofier than most days.
“Okay, my Fantasticos! There is one among you who is even more fantastic than usual—and that’s hard to do. So, we are going to celebrate. You see, when you all wrote those nature poems the other day, you had all been secretly entered in”—he puts his arms up and raises his voice—“the first annual Fantastico Poetry Award.”
Oh, great. Another thing for Shay to brag about. I look over at Albert and hope he will win instead. He’s hoping so, too. I can tell by how he pulls his chair in more, like he’s getting ready. I think that Suki has a good shot as well.
“So,” Mr. Daniels begins, “this poem is a splendid surprise. Great work. And I am very happy to give the first annual Fantastico Poetry Award to . . .”
I watch Shay out of the corner of my eye. If she wins, we’ll never hear the end of it.
What she does doesn’t make sense. She shows surprise, but it’s followed by disgust.
Mr. Daniels’s hand on my shoulder makes me jump.
“Congratulations, Ally,” Mr. Daniels says.
This can’t be. It’s too early for April Fool’s Day. I look over at Albert and Keisha, wondering if they put a poem in with my name.
Mr. Daniels takes a step back and says, “C’mon. Come claim your prize.”
Prize? I swallow hard.
Mr. Daniels stands at the front of the room, waving me up. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
I stand and walk toward him like the floor will swallow me up. I turn toward the class and he puts his hand on my shoulder.
He holds the poem in his hand. I look and see it is actually mine. Maybe I was just having a good day. I mean, it’s about time I have a good day for once, right?
Happiness seeps in. Have I really won an award? The thought of that would have been something for my Sketchbook of Impossible Things before now.
Me.
“So, Ally is our first poetry winner for her piece entitled, ‘Rain, Rain.’” He turns to me. “Do you want to read it, or shall I?”
The paper crinkles in my hand. “I’ll read it,” I say, happy that I have it memorized.
“Rain, rain falling down
Down, down on the ground
All the birds go in the trees
They don’t like the rain, you see.”
It
“You like that, huh, Oliver?” Mr. Daniels asks.
“I’d give it to my bus driver. She likes things with rainbow colors.”
“Well, that’s thoughtful of you, Oliver!” Mr. Daniels says.
I sit down at my desk, thinking about whether I should give the colored disc to Oliver. Jessica and Shay are talking behind me.
“Can I have another bracelet?” Jessica asks Shay.
“I don’t think so. I can hardly keep up with people wanting them. Besides, you already have enough.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind another.”
There is a pause and I want to turn around. But I’m not supposed to be listening in.
“
Listen,
” Shay says. “You have seven already. I have other orders to fill first. And besides that, you still owe me three dollars for the last one. I’m not giving you another until you pay me for what’s already on your wrist.”
Wait.
I whip around. I can’t help it. “You
charge
your friends for those friendship bracelets?”
“Eavesdrop much? Yeah, so what? You want one?”
Jessica leans forward. “Wait. You’re going to give
her
one?”
“No, idiot. I’m not going to
give
her one. She’s going to pay me. But you know what? Ally should pay more. A lot more.” She turns to me. “Ten dollars.”
I laugh. “Uh, no, thanks. I’d rather wear handcuffs.”
I can’t believe Shay charges her friends for something that’s supposed to stand for loyalty and friendship. And I can’t believe they paid.
“You are
such
a dope, Ally Nickerson,” Shay says.
I look over at Keisha and Albert and realize that I have been. I’ve been lucky all along but didn’t see it.
CHAPTER 25
C e l e b r a t i o n o r D e v a s t a t i o n ?
Mr. Daniels is wearing a tie with little trophies on it. Also, he has a goofy smile on his face. Even goofier than most days.
“Okay, my Fantasticos! There is one among you who is even more fantastic than usual—and that’s hard to do. So, we are going to celebrate. You see, when you all wrote those nature poems the other day, you had all been secretly entered in”—he puts his arms up and raises his voice—“the first annual Fantastico Poetry Award.”
Oh, great. Another thing for Shay to brag about. I look over at Albert and hope he will win instead. He’s hoping so, too. I can tell by how he pulls his chair in more, like he’s getting ready. I think that Suki has a good shot as well.
“So,” Mr. Daniels begins, “this poem is a splendid surprise. Great work. And I am very happy to give the first annual Fantastico Poetry Award to . . .”
I watch Shay out of the corner of my eye. If she wins, we’ll never hear the end of it.
What she does doesn’t make sense. She shows surprise, but it’s followed by disgust.
Mr. Daniels’s hand on my shoulder makes me jump.
“Congratulations, Ally,” Mr. Daniels says.
This can’t be. It’s too early for April Fool’s Day. I look over at Albert and Keisha, wondering if they put a poem in with my name.
Mr. Daniels takes a step back and says, “C’mon. Come claim your prize.”
Prize? I swallow hard.
Mr. Daniels stands at the front of the room, waving me up. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
I stand and walk toward him like the floor will swallow me up. I turn toward the class and he puts his hand on my shoulder.
He holds the poem in his hand. I look and see it is actually mine. Maybe I was just having a good day. I mean, it’s about time I have a good day for once, right?
Happiness seeps in. Have I really won an award? The thought of that would have been something for my Sketchbook of Impossible Things before now.
Me.
“So, Ally is our first poetry winner for her piece entitled, ‘Rain, Rain.’” He turns to me. “Do you want to read it, or shall I?”
The paper crinkles in my hand. “I’ll read it,” I say, happy that I have it memorized.
“Rain, rain falling down
Down, down on the ground
All the birds go in the trees
They don’t like the rain, you see.”
It
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