seeâand, why yes, she'd love to sit with you, and oh, by the way, that's Ida May.
By the time the movie's over, Jenna has given Stacey one of her bracelets, taken her phone number, and quietly informed you that she will be going to the movies with Stacey next time, not you.
Then Jenna teaches Stacey a secret hand-signal thing to say bye, and Stacey does the signal thing to you, too, only you're holding half a box of Choco-chunks in your secret-signal hand. Choco-chunks fly all over the place when you try to do the stupid signal back. So, while Jenna marches off to inform the theater manager about the mess you made, Stacey helps you pick up Choco-chunks and says how nice it was to meet you and how happy she is that you'll be in fourth grade, too, and all the while she's smiling that big-crayon smile and you have to practically bite your bottom lip off not to smile back.
And instead of letting yourself snort in a secret sort of way when Stacey points to a squished Choco-chunk on the bottom of a large woman's shoe, you just say "See ya," and let Jenna yank you out the door.
Because if you don't get out of there right away, it won't be long before you and Stacey are naming your socks and walking to the park backward and exchanging friendship bracelets that you promise never to take off even if they turn gray and start to smell like expensive cheese. And then you will promise to be best friends for the rest of your lives.
Or until one of you moves away.
Whichever comes first.
Chapter 2
Even though I wish that the first day of school will not come, it comes, anyway. And even though I wish that Elizabeth will be standing at the bus stop, wearing her Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs T-shirt and mismatched sneakers, she isn't. The only people there are Quinn Kloud and his little sister, Tess. Quinn and Tess moved here last year.
It isn't long before Jenna arrives with her little sister, Rachel. Rachel stands with Tess. Jenna marches right past me and up to Quinn. "Ready for fourth grade, Quinn?" she asks.
Quinn shrugs. "I think it'll be better than third grade. At least I know some kids this year."
"Well, if it's friends you need, I can help," Jenna says. "I'm friends with everybody." Then she glances at me and adds, "
Almost
everybody."
Quinn just nods. Then he looks at me. "How about you, Ida? Are you ready for fourth grade?"
But before I can say "As ready as I'll ever be," Jenna butts in. "
Her?
" she says, giving me the once-over. "Looks to me like she's ready for
kindergarten.
" Then she pokes her thumb toward Tess and Rachel. "Don't you want to stand with your little friends, I-
duh?
"
I don't say anything. Jenna laughs and nudges Quinn. "I guess she can't take a joke," she whispers loudly.
Quinn just fidgets a little and pretends to be very interested in watching for the bus to arrive.
I watch, too, and wonder if Elizabeth already has friends at her new school or if she is also wishing that fourth grade wouldn't come.
I find an empty seat on the bus and sit down. I unzip my backpack and pull out my sketchbook. I open it up to a drawing of Elizabeth and me from last Halloween. Elizabeth was the front end of a horse. I was the back end. It was a great costume until we had to march in the Halloween parade at school. Jenna (who was dressed like an organically grown carrot) got in line behind us. She kept whacking me and shouting, "Giddyap, horsey!" I swear I still have bruises in places you can't see.
On another page there is a drawing of my family. I drew big smiles on me and my mom, and we have the words
ha-ha-ha-ha...
floating over our heads. That's because my dad has just told us a joke. Telling jokes is one of my dad's favorite things to do.
I turn the page again and see a drawing of my bedroom, including my bookshelf, which has about a hundred books drawn on it. I bet I've read every one of those books at least three times since Elizabeth moved away.
When I get to school, our new teacher, Mr. Crow, is standing
By the time the movie's over, Jenna has given Stacey one of her bracelets, taken her phone number, and quietly informed you that she will be going to the movies with Stacey next time, not you.
Then Jenna teaches Stacey a secret hand-signal thing to say bye, and Stacey does the signal thing to you, too, only you're holding half a box of Choco-chunks in your secret-signal hand. Choco-chunks fly all over the place when you try to do the stupid signal back. So, while Jenna marches off to inform the theater manager about the mess you made, Stacey helps you pick up Choco-chunks and says how nice it was to meet you and how happy she is that you'll be in fourth grade, too, and all the while she's smiling that big-crayon smile and you have to practically bite your bottom lip off not to smile back.
And instead of letting yourself snort in a secret sort of way when Stacey points to a squished Choco-chunk on the bottom of a large woman's shoe, you just say "See ya," and let Jenna yank you out the door.
Because if you don't get out of there right away, it won't be long before you and Stacey are naming your socks and walking to the park backward and exchanging friendship bracelets that you promise never to take off even if they turn gray and start to smell like expensive cheese. And then you will promise to be best friends for the rest of your lives.
Or until one of you moves away.
Whichever comes first.
Chapter 2
Even though I wish that the first day of school will not come, it comes, anyway. And even though I wish that Elizabeth will be standing at the bus stop, wearing her Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs T-shirt and mismatched sneakers, she isn't. The only people there are Quinn Kloud and his little sister, Tess. Quinn and Tess moved here last year.
It isn't long before Jenna arrives with her little sister, Rachel. Rachel stands with Tess. Jenna marches right past me and up to Quinn. "Ready for fourth grade, Quinn?" she asks.
Quinn shrugs. "I think it'll be better than third grade. At least I know some kids this year."
"Well, if it's friends you need, I can help," Jenna says. "I'm friends with everybody." Then she glances at me and adds, "
Almost
everybody."
Quinn just nods. Then he looks at me. "How about you, Ida? Are you ready for fourth grade?"
But before I can say "As ready as I'll ever be," Jenna butts in. "
Her?
" she says, giving me the once-over. "Looks to me like she's ready for
kindergarten.
" Then she pokes her thumb toward Tess and Rachel. "Don't you want to stand with your little friends, I-
duh?
"
I don't say anything. Jenna laughs and nudges Quinn. "I guess she can't take a joke," she whispers loudly.
Quinn just fidgets a little and pretends to be very interested in watching for the bus to arrive.
I watch, too, and wonder if Elizabeth already has friends at her new school or if she is also wishing that fourth grade wouldn't come.
I find an empty seat on the bus and sit down. I unzip my backpack and pull out my sketchbook. I open it up to a drawing of Elizabeth and me from last Halloween. Elizabeth was the front end of a horse. I was the back end. It was a great costume until we had to march in the Halloween parade at school. Jenna (who was dressed like an organically grown carrot) got in line behind us. She kept whacking me and shouting, "Giddyap, horsey!" I swear I still have bruises in places you can't see.
On another page there is a drawing of my family. I drew big smiles on me and my mom, and we have the words
ha-ha-ha-ha...
floating over our heads. That's because my dad has just told us a joke. Telling jokes is one of my dad's favorite things to do.
I turn the page again and see a drawing of my bedroom, including my bookshelf, which has about a hundred books drawn on it. I bet I've read every one of those books at least three times since Elizabeth moved away.
When I get to school, our new teacher, Mr. Crow, is standing
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