pretty itchy, but they didn't seem to notice. It was plain to see that they were having too much fun together to care.
They were tearing all over the place, but they never once looked at me. Why should they? They thought I was a terrible person. They thought I was like Taffy Sinclair. Even though I tried not to, I couldn't help thinking about all my friends' good points and my good points, too. That cinched it. There was only one thing to do.
I grabbed my goody bag and headed toward the door, but the hunchback was after me again. Oh, no, I thought. This is all I need. I tried to ignore him, but he followed me around, beating on his chest like King Kong. He was a pretty good monster. Anyway, when I didn't pay any attention to him, he finally went away and I was able to sneak out of the gym.
I was glad the girls' bathroom was empty. I stripped off my Jolly Green Giant suit and put on the stuff I wanted to wear in just about half a second. Then I put my coat back on and headed for the gym. When I got there, Wiggins was lining everybody up for the grand march.
"Okay, all you spooks and goblins. Line up in single file behind me. We are going to march around the gym one time so we can see one another's costumes. When we stop, I'll stand behind each of you one at a time, and we'll vote by applause for the best costumes."
Kids were scrambling all over the place to get in line. Of course Taffy Sinclair stood right behind Wiggins, and I could see four scarecrows standing together about halfway down the line. I knew it was now or never. If I was going to let my friends see me for what I really was, I would have to take off my coat and get in that line. My hands were shaking like crazy when I unbuttoned it and took it off. I stood there for a minute looking down at my jeans and blue T-shirt—my T- shirt that said The Fabulous Five. Then I went charging up to that line as fast as I could.
I stomped around that gym without looking at anybody, but I knew everybody had seen me. They probably all thought I'd lost my mind. Maybe they were right. What if it didn't work? What if my four friends laughed at me in front of the whole sixth grade? I'd be so embarrassed I'd die.
"All right, everybody. Make a circle," Wiggins said in a screechy voice. "It's time for the judging to begin."
When I turned around, I was right across the circle from my friends, and I could tell they were staring straight at me. I could feel my ears getting hot, and I looked down at the floor. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Wiggins hopping around and holding a handkerchief over each kid's head until the applause died down.
Then she got to me, and the gym got as quiet as a tomb. I wanted to die. At the very least I wanted to faint so I would be unconscious, but I couldn't. All of a sudden somebody started to applaud. I looked up, and I couldn't believe my eyes. My four friends were clapping like crazy and grinning at me. They were the only ones applauding, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that they had finally seen that I was their friend.
"First prize goes to Taffy Sinclair for her tooth fairy costume," Wiggins announced a few minutes later. Taffy looked at me with poison dart eyes, and I stuck my tongue out at her. Let her win, I thought. Who cares? Then I nearly burst out laughing because Beth was grinning at me and imitating the prissy way Taffy was walking up to get her prize.
"Second prize goes to Curtis Trowbridge for dressing as Charlie Chaplin."
After we finished applauding, we all headed back for the refreshment table where Wiggins had put out wrapped candy for us to stuff in our goody bags. My friends and I didn't go to the refreshment table. We just sort of stood there looking at each other and feeling really self-conscious. Then Beth ran up and gave me a big hug.
"Oh, Jana. I'm so glad we're friends again."
"Me, too," I said, hugging her back.
Then Melanie and Christie and Katie were crowding around me, too, and everybody was
They were tearing all over the place, but they never once looked at me. Why should they? They thought I was a terrible person. They thought I was like Taffy Sinclair. Even though I tried not to, I couldn't help thinking about all my friends' good points and my good points, too. That cinched it. There was only one thing to do.
I grabbed my goody bag and headed toward the door, but the hunchback was after me again. Oh, no, I thought. This is all I need. I tried to ignore him, but he followed me around, beating on his chest like King Kong. He was a pretty good monster. Anyway, when I didn't pay any attention to him, he finally went away and I was able to sneak out of the gym.
I was glad the girls' bathroom was empty. I stripped off my Jolly Green Giant suit and put on the stuff I wanted to wear in just about half a second. Then I put my coat back on and headed for the gym. When I got there, Wiggins was lining everybody up for the grand march.
"Okay, all you spooks and goblins. Line up in single file behind me. We are going to march around the gym one time so we can see one another's costumes. When we stop, I'll stand behind each of you one at a time, and we'll vote by applause for the best costumes."
Kids were scrambling all over the place to get in line. Of course Taffy Sinclair stood right behind Wiggins, and I could see four scarecrows standing together about halfway down the line. I knew it was now or never. If I was going to let my friends see me for what I really was, I would have to take off my coat and get in that line. My hands were shaking like crazy when I unbuttoned it and took it off. I stood there for a minute looking down at my jeans and blue T-shirt—my T- shirt that said The Fabulous Five. Then I went charging up to that line as fast as I could.
I stomped around that gym without looking at anybody, but I knew everybody had seen me. They probably all thought I'd lost my mind. Maybe they were right. What if it didn't work? What if my four friends laughed at me in front of the whole sixth grade? I'd be so embarrassed I'd die.
"All right, everybody. Make a circle," Wiggins said in a screechy voice. "It's time for the judging to begin."
When I turned around, I was right across the circle from my friends, and I could tell they were staring straight at me. I could feel my ears getting hot, and I looked down at the floor. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Wiggins hopping around and holding a handkerchief over each kid's head until the applause died down.
Then she got to me, and the gym got as quiet as a tomb. I wanted to die. At the very least I wanted to faint so I would be unconscious, but I couldn't. All of a sudden somebody started to applaud. I looked up, and I couldn't believe my eyes. My four friends were clapping like crazy and grinning at me. They were the only ones applauding, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that they had finally seen that I was their friend.
"First prize goes to Taffy Sinclair for her tooth fairy costume," Wiggins announced a few minutes later. Taffy looked at me with poison dart eyes, and I stuck my tongue out at her. Let her win, I thought. Who cares? Then I nearly burst out laughing because Beth was grinning at me and imitating the prissy way Taffy was walking up to get her prize.
"Second prize goes to Curtis Trowbridge for dressing as Charlie Chaplin."
After we finished applauding, we all headed back for the refreshment table where Wiggins had put out wrapped candy for us to stuff in our goody bags. My friends and I didn't go to the refreshment table. We just sort of stood there looking at each other and feeling really self-conscious. Then Beth ran up and gave me a big hug.
"Oh, Jana. I'm so glad we're friends again."
"Me, too," I said, hugging her back.
Then Melanie and Christie and Katie were crowding around me, too, and everybody was
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