Cinderella Smith Read Online Free Page A

said.
    â€œGood,” she said very loud and final, and there was no getting out of it now.

Chapter 5
High-heeled Shoes with Curlicue Toes
    M e and Tess and my mom walked home from school with Louie and his mom and little sister. Louie loved kindergarten and talked a mile a minute about pizza for lunch and the classroom pet turtle. I had a lot on my mind, so I didn’t talk at all. I was thinking about advice giving and wicked stepsisters and what Dear Abby would have to say on this subject.
    After we left the Thomases at their house on the corner, my mom said, “A penny for your thoughts.” That doesn’t really mean she’s going to pay me anything, though. It’s just a way to get me started talking.
    â€œThere’s a new girl in my class named Erin Devlin,” I said.
    â€œWhat’s she like?” asked my mom.
    â€œShe’s really tall and has long, dark hair and bangs and pierced ears,” I said. “And I’m just mentioning her ears to explain her and not for any other reason.”
    â€œGot it,” said my mom.
    â€œI’m sitting at the smart boys’ table,” I said.
    â€œYou are?” asked my mom.
    â€œThere were no places left with Hannah and Abby and the Rosemarys.”
    We walked in the house, and it just smelled regular—not like chocolate chip cookies. Alas .
    â€œI have some sort of homework to do today,” I said. “It involves watching It’s Me or the Dog .”
    My mom’s eyebrow went up just a little tiny bit like she didn’t quite believe me.
    â€œThe new girl, Erin Devlin, and me are doing a research project on our own,” I said. “Can I have my snack in front of the TV?”
    â€œYou can if you keep an eye on Tess for me,” said my mom. “I’ve got to get the website to my client today.”
    â€œOkay,” I said, putting some crackers and apple slices on a plate.
    Tess and I sat on the floor in front of the TV.
    â€œThis is sort of homework, sort of research,” I told Tess. “The new girl is going to get some wicked stepsisters, and she needs advice on how to handle the situation.”
    Tess nodded. She sat Mrs. C on the floor be-tween us.
    â€œSo I want to watch Victoria very, extremely closely and get some advice-giving tips from her. Then I need to learn as much as I can about wicked stepsisters.”
    I took a bite of apple and thought of something. “I better take notes.” I ran to get a spiral notebook from the extra school supplies in my room. I grabbed one for Tess too.
    When It’s Me or the Dog started, I wrote across the front of the notebook:
    WICKED STEPSISTERS NOTEBOOK.
    Tess looked over at my notebook and started scribbling on the cover of hers.
    In this episode there was a family with a little hot-dog dog called Wickersham. He was a smidgy little dog, but he barked at everyone. I couldn’t just watch Wickersham, though, even though he was funny, because I needed to study Victoria.
    The first thing she did was ask a whole lot of questions, like how old Wickersham was. Then she said to pretend she wasn’t there and sat in a corner just watching the people and the dog. In hardly any time Victoria knew how to fix the problem. She got Wickersham to stop barking; and by the end of the show, the whole family was happy.
    Before I forgot anything I grabbed up my notebook and turned to page one. On the first line I wrote:

    ADVICE GIVING all in capitals .
    On the next line I wrote: Ask lots of questions. Pretend to be invisible. Watch close.
    Tess was scribbling in her book too. “Woilà!” She held up a picture.
    â€œGood,” I said. “Now we need to learn about wicked stepsisters.”
    I pulled The Big Book of Fairy Tales off the bookshelf. I sat down next to Tess and started reading “Cinderella.”
    â€œ Once upon a time there was a little girl whose dear mother died.” I looked at Tess to make sure she