Fabulous Five 001 - Seventh-Grade Rumors Read Online Free Page B

everything,
no matter what happens or what anyone says to her, and she never takes anything
seriously. She sounds weird to me."
    Jana pulled out her notebook and began writing down the
information Katie had just given them. Tammy Lucero, gossip. Melissa McConnell,
perfectionist. Funny Hawthorne, bubblehead. She glanced at the list for a
moment and then added, Laura McCall, wicked witch.
    "Did she say what kinds of things Laura makes them do
to stay in the club?" asked Melanie. "I'm dying to find out."
    Katie shook her head. "She didn't know. She said they
keep it a big secret."
    It didn't take long for Jana and her friends to finish their
lunches and leave the cafeteria. As they headed down the hall toward the door
to the school ground, Jana stopped beside the door marked Girls.
    "You guys go on," she called. "I'll be there
in a minute."
    The others nodded, and Jana pushed through the door into the
almost deserted restroom. The door had scarcely closed behind her when she
heard it open again and someone come in.
    "Thank goodness I caught up with you. I think this is
your schedule card. I saw it fall out of your notebook when you left the
cafeteria."
    Jana spun around. The girl standing there had long, wavy
hair and wide blue eyes and such a warm smile that Jana couldn't help returning
it.
    "Wow. Thanks," said Jana. "That makes twice I've
lost it so far today."
    "You, too?" said the smiling girl. "I lost
mine on the school ground before I even got into the building and a second time
in the hall. All I could think about was what if I had to ask a ninth-grader
for directions." The girl was laughing now. It was soft, tinkling
laughter, and Jana liked the friendly way it sounded.
    "That's exactly what happened to me." Jana couldn't
believe how much they had in common. "Except instead of before school, I
lost my card after homeroom. And now this. Eeek! I wonder if I'll survive
the day."
    "That's the same thing I worried about, so I decided I'd
better do something," said the girl. "I taped it inside the cover of
my notebook."
    "Why didn't I think of that?" said Jana, slapping
her forehead with the heel of her hand. "I should have done it before I
even left home this morning."
    "Here, use my tape," the girl offered cheerfully.
As she opened a zipper pocket in her notebook and rummaged through it, Jana
studied her face. She was the friendliest person Jana had met all day, and definitely
someone she would like to get to know better. At the same time Jana was sure
she had seen her before. But before she could make a connection, the girl
thrust a roll of tape toward her.
    "I always carry this for emergencies," she said,
laughing again. "In fact, I carry a lot of things for emergencies. I seem
to have a talent for getting into crazy situations."
    "Me, too, " said Jana, rolling her eyes for
emphasis. "I'm the world's biggest klutz."
    "Oh, yeah? You think that's bad? I'm a walking disaster.
Have you seen the old I Love Lucy reruns on TV?"
    Jana nodded.
    "Well"—the girl moved closer and lowered her voice
to confidential tones—"don't tell anybody, but Lucy used to hide out in my
bedroom closet. Where do you think she got all her material? From watching me!"
    The two girls erupted into giggles. In fact, Jana was
laughing so hard that she had trouble taping the schedule inside her notebook.
The girl reached out, steadying the notebook for her, and their eyes met for an
instant.
    "It's super of you to let me use this," Jana said.
"I mean that. I'm really grateful." Then, as the girl flashed one
last smile and turned to leave, Jana called, "By the way, my name is Jana
Morgan. What's yours?"
    The girl looked at her questioningly for an instant, and
Jana had the feeling that she recognized her, too. Did they know each other
from somewhere?
    "On my birth certificate it says Karen Janelle
Hawthorne," the girl answered almost shyly. "But everybody calls me
Funny."

CHAPTER 5
    The two girls parted company with more smiles and with
promises to get