Mackenzie Blue Read Online Free Page A

She tugged on her pants and stuck out her tongue. “Blech. I hope I can make it look as awesome as you did.”
    â€œReally?” Zee could feel herself blushing from the compliment. She couldn’t believe that on the very first day of school she’d found another friend—one who liked to individualize her stuff as much as Zee did!
    Â 
    The rest of the morning went by in a flash. Every teacher explained the rules that must be followed, handed out forms that must come back the next day, and gave each student textbooks that must have weighed a ton. It helped that Chloe had been in all of Zee’s classes. But her new friend wasn’t taking her next class with her—French. Zee didn’t know any other seventh graders who were.
    When Zee found out Ally was moving to France, she had signed up for French right away. She wanted to visit her friend, and when she did, she wanted to be able to read and speak well enough to avoid total embarrassment. Like accidentally ordering frog legs instead of ice cream. Or asking for the kitchen instead of the bathroom.
    Thinking about it made Zee miss Ally more than ever. She pulled out her Sidekick and stared at it. Because it was too expensive, she wasn’t allowed to text or call her best friend without permission. But I need to talk to someone, Zee thought. Then she remembered someone who might be even lonelier than she was.
    Zee tapped out a message to Jasper.
    >K?
    Jasper wrote back,
    >Brilliant!
    My maths teacher sez my accent is charming.
    G2G.
    Zee giggled as she turned the corner of the foreign language hall. Jasper may have been a brand-new student, but he was already fitting in.
    When Zee got to the French room, she discovered she wasn’t alone. Jen was already there. “Hey, Zee!” she shouted, motioning for Zee to sit next to her. Ugh! If Jen was there, it wouldn’t be long before Kathi was, too.
    â€œDon’t you want Kathi to sit there?” Zee asked.
    â€œShe’s taking Spanish.”
    â€œThen why aren’t you ?”
    â€œMamá y Papá me están haciendo tomar francés,” Jen explained. Even though Zee didn’t grow up speaking Spanish like Jen, she had studied it since kindergarten, so she knew Jen’s parents were making her take French.
    â€œI guess it’s adios , easy class, for you,” Zee said.
    â€œBonjour!” Marcus greeted the girls as he slid backward into the chair in front of Jen. “Just the people I want to see.”
    â€œWhy?” Jen asked, leaning forward.
    â€œLook for a text message from me later today. I’m having a party.”
    â€œA party? What’s the excuse this time?” Jen asked, grinning. Set against her dark hair, Jen’s smile was incredibly bright.
    Marcus looked up at the ceiling as if he were deep in thought. “Beginning of the school year. End of summer. Finally making it to the upper school. First day of the rest of your life,” he rattled off. “Take your pick.” Marcus had so many parties, he never needed an excuse. They were always amazing. He usually had a DJ—sometimes even a live band.
    â€œI’ll take first-day-of-the-rest-of-your-life party,” Jen said, giggling.
    â€œI’m definitely going to the finally-making-it-to-the-upper-school party,” Zee said, laughing.
    Who knew Jen could be so fun—and funny? It was just another bit of first-day-of-school weirdness. But this time it was a good thing.

4
(Not So) Hot Lunch
    Z ee zigzagged through the cafeteria crowd, clutching her lunch tray so hard her knuckles ached. The lentil loaf was so soggy it almost looked like stew. She figured she would just survive on the organic apple until she got home. Each time another student whizzed past, Zee’s plate slid close to the edge. Somehow her bottle of water slid the opposite direction. Just as she got everything in place, it happened again.
    What had Zee been thinking? She had