Freaked Out Read Online Free Page B

wasn’t here for last year’s party,” Charlotte reminded them. “Would they really do something like that?”
    â€œThey would. Last year Mrs. Faber took about twenty girls to Boston to shop. She gave each of us some money to spend. Afterward, we went to that fancy French restaurant for lunch. I didn’t like the food that much, but the shopping was really fun,” Katani said, remembering the pretty pair of earrings she had purchased.
    â€œMaybe we could talk Julie into inviting Avery,” suggested Maeve, a twinge of hope in her voice.
    â€œJulie could still have Avery’s invitation,” Charlotte said. “Maybe she just forgot to give it to her.”
    â€œYou really believe that?” Katani asked.
    No one answered. They sat quietly for another minute, fearing the truth.
    â€œWe have to be loyal to Avery,” Charlotte said. “She’d stick up for any of us.”
    â€œYou are so right about that.” Katani finished off her muffin and stood up. “But I lied. I do want to go to Julie’s party as much as all of you want to go. But I won’t go unless she includes Avery. And even if she invites Avery after we put pressure on her, she’s already hurt her feelings. Did you see Avery’s face when she left? She was really upset, even if she pretended she wasn’t.”
    â€œOh, wow.” Isabel looked at her watch. “It’s getting late. We have to get to school.” The Beacon Street Girls packed up their things and hurried out of the bakery. They were going to be really late if they didn’t run. Nobody wanted to get after-school detention.
    Who’s Invited?
    Tuesday morning lasted forever. Maeve survived math by copying equations out of her textbook onto index cards. The Crow had actually complimented her and suggested the rest of the class follow her lead. Under her breath Joline whispered that Maeve probably didn’t understand what the equations meant. Maeve made a face at Joline, but at the same time felt horrible inside because she knew Jolinewas right. The equations looked like gobbledygook to her. Math felt like a giant pit of mud. Could she survive without it? That was the question she had asked Matt, her tutor. He told her that you had to understand math or you could end up in serious trouble with taxes and stuff like that.
    At lunch, the BSG were quiet. Avery was missing again. Was this on purpose, or was she studying? They’d also found out that there was a whole “not invited” group: Riley Lee, Betsy Fitzgerald, Chelsea Briggs, and Robert Worley.
    Of course, Julie couldn’t invite the entire seventh grade, but the fact that she invited only part of a group that were obviously friends and left one out felt really mean to the BSG. It was like inviting Joline Kaminsky and not Anna McMasters. Katani wondered if Julie had excluded Avery on purpose…just to divide up the BSG.
    Of course, Henry Yurt was invited. Julie wouldn’t dare leave the class president out. Actually, Henry was becoming quite popular, proving that a zebra can change his stripes. The Yurtmeister was a big joke when he ran for class president, but when he won, people took another look at him. And then to the surprise of everyone, Henry Yurt, father of Pajama Day, started acting like a leader instead of a clown. Except, of course, in math, where Henry had taken it upon himself to liven things up and improve the Crow’s sense of humor.
    â€œBut, Mrs. Fields,” Henry had protested when the Crow had sent him to the principal. “Mr. Sherman is in need of some lightness of spirit. His facial expressions alone can cause a massive attack of negativity.”
    Katani overheard her grandmother telling her mom the story, and Mrs. Fields said that she had to bite her cheeks to keep from laughing. Katani wished that she could tell the story to her friends, but it was a rule that she couldn’t repeat anything Mrs. Fields