unbelievably incredible. Proud of you. Wish I coulda been there to see you dance. You deserve it. Lets try to hang out after school next week. Miss u.
It sounds stupid, but her text made me so happy, tears instantly welled up in my eyes.
Thnx so much, Ellie! I texted back.
Wish u could’ve been there too. Would love to hang next week. MissU2. G’night.
How Maya Was Surprised and Surprised Us All
I woke up feeling so exhausted the next morning, Mom let me go to school late. I saw that both Ximena and Summer had texted me first thing in the morning.
Ximena Chin
I feel the same way, Charlotte. What a night!
Summer Dawson
I <3 U 2!
I didn’t text them back because I knew they were in class. I missed the first three periods, and didn’t see either of them until lunch. Summer, as usual, was sitting with Auggie and Jack. And Ximena, as usual, was at the Savanna table. For a fraction of a second, I was going to go over and say hello to Ximena, but the image of Maya standing in front of that same group of kids yesterday was still fresh in my head—and I didn’t want to give Ximena even the sliver of a chance of disappointing me with anything but a really friendly hello.
So I waved to her and Summer as I walked over to my usual table, and sat down next to Maya. The girls at my table asked me how last night had gone—some of them had heard about it from their parents—but I spared them too many details because I knew they’d lose interest after thirty seconds. Which is exactly what happened.
Not that I could blame them, really.
The main thing on their minds—in fact, the
only
thing they wanted to talk about—was the note that Maya had given to Ellie yesterday in Carvel. That note, it turned out—which by now had been quoted or read aloud by half the grade—was Maya’s first ticket to a kind of popularity she’d never experienced before. People were talking about her. Kids were pointing her out to curious sixth graders who had also heard about the note.
“I’m the queen of the underdogs today!” Maya herself said.
I could tell she felt triumphant. She liked the attention she was getting.
I had intended to tell her how hurt Ximena had been by her note, how it had made her cry. But, in a strange way, I also didn’t want to rain on Maya’s parade.
“Hey, you!” said Summer, nudging me so I could scoot over.
“Hey!” I said, surprised to see her there. I looked over at her table, but Auggie and Jack had already left.
“Hi, Summer,” said Maya eagerly. “Did you hear about my note?”
Summer smiled. “Yes, I did!” she answered.
“Did you like it?” Maya asked.
I could tell Summer didn’t want to hurt Maya’s feelings, either, so she hesitated in answering.
“Where are Auggie and Jack?” I interjected.
“Working on some top-secret notes to leave in Julian’s locker,” she answered.
“A note like mine?” said Maya.
Summer shook her head. “I don’t think so. Love notes from someone named Beulah.”
“Who’s Beulah?” I said.
Summer laughed. “It’s too hard to explain.”
I noticed that Ximena was looking at us from all the way across the cafeteria. I smiled at her. She smiled back. Then, to my surprise, she got up and walked over to our table.
Everybody at the table stopped talking as soon as they saw her standing there. Without even being asked, Megan and Rand scooted apart and Ximena sat down between them, directly opposite Maya, me, and Summer.
Maya was completely shocked. Her eyes were open wide, and she almost looked a little scared. I had no idea what would happen next.
Ximena clasped her hands in front of her, leaned forward, and looked straight at Maya.
“Maya,” she said, “I just want to apologize if I’ve ever said or done anything to insult you. I never meant to, if that’s the case. I actually think you’re a really nice person and super-smart and interesting, and I really hope that we can be friends from now on.”
Maya blinked, but she didn’t
It sounds stupid, but her text made me so happy, tears instantly welled up in my eyes.
Thnx so much, Ellie! I texted back.
Wish u could’ve been there too. Would love to hang next week. MissU2. G’night.
How Maya Was Surprised and Surprised Us All
I woke up feeling so exhausted the next morning, Mom let me go to school late. I saw that both Ximena and Summer had texted me first thing in the morning.
Ximena Chin
I feel the same way, Charlotte. What a night!
Summer Dawson
I <3 U 2!
I didn’t text them back because I knew they were in class. I missed the first three periods, and didn’t see either of them until lunch. Summer, as usual, was sitting with Auggie and Jack. And Ximena, as usual, was at the Savanna table. For a fraction of a second, I was going to go over and say hello to Ximena, but the image of Maya standing in front of that same group of kids yesterday was still fresh in my head—and I didn’t want to give Ximena even the sliver of a chance of disappointing me with anything but a really friendly hello.
So I waved to her and Summer as I walked over to my usual table, and sat down next to Maya. The girls at my table asked me how last night had gone—some of them had heard about it from their parents—but I spared them too many details because I knew they’d lose interest after thirty seconds. Which is exactly what happened.
Not that I could blame them, really.
The main thing on their minds—in fact, the
only
thing they wanted to talk about—was the note that Maya had given to Ellie yesterday in Carvel. That note, it turned out—which by now had been quoted or read aloud by half the grade—was Maya’s first ticket to a kind of popularity she’d never experienced before. People were talking about her. Kids were pointing her out to curious sixth graders who had also heard about the note.
“I’m the queen of the underdogs today!” Maya herself said.
I could tell she felt triumphant. She liked the attention she was getting.
I had intended to tell her how hurt Ximena had been by her note, how it had made her cry. But, in a strange way, I also didn’t want to rain on Maya’s parade.
“Hey, you!” said Summer, nudging me so I could scoot over.
“Hey!” I said, surprised to see her there. I looked over at her table, but Auggie and Jack had already left.
“Hi, Summer,” said Maya eagerly. “Did you hear about my note?”
Summer smiled. “Yes, I did!” she answered.
“Did you like it?” Maya asked.
I could tell Summer didn’t want to hurt Maya’s feelings, either, so she hesitated in answering.
“Where are Auggie and Jack?” I interjected.
“Working on some top-secret notes to leave in Julian’s locker,” she answered.
“A note like mine?” said Maya.
Summer shook her head. “I don’t think so. Love notes from someone named Beulah.”
“Who’s Beulah?” I said.
Summer laughed. “It’s too hard to explain.”
I noticed that Ximena was looking at us from all the way across the cafeteria. I smiled at her. She smiled back. Then, to my surprise, she got up and walked over to our table.
Everybody at the table stopped talking as soon as they saw her standing there. Without even being asked, Megan and Rand scooted apart and Ximena sat down between them, directly opposite Maya, me, and Summer.
Maya was completely shocked. Her eyes were open wide, and she almost looked a little scared. I had no idea what would happen next.
Ximena clasped her hands in front of her, leaned forward, and looked straight at Maya.
“Maya,” she said, “I just want to apologize if I’ve ever said or done anything to insult you. I never meant to, if that’s the case. I actually think you’re a really nice person and super-smart and interesting, and I really hope that we can be friends from now on.”
Maya blinked, but she didn’t
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