Set the Record Straight! Read Online Free Page A

my mouth in shock, and I sat there,
     slumped in my chair while panic coursed through my veins. This was what I’d been
     dreading ever since I’d agreed to write the Dear Know-It-All column a month ago. I
     had given bad advice, and someone had taken it, and now I’d wrecked her life! Advice Columnist a Sham, Readers Revolt!
    My first thought was, Thank goodness I stopped Hailey
     before she went too far! I could only imagine what Scott would have done if
     she’d asked him out, point-blank. But poor Tired!
    There was a knock on my door, and it opened, without me even saying,
     “Come in.” It was my sister, Allie, who is obsessed with her own privacy but
     doesn’t care a bit about anyone else’s.
    â€œHey, I know you’re Ms. Blog, and I was
     wondering . . .” Suddenly Allie stopped and actually looked at me
     for a change. “What’s wrong? You look like your best friend just
     died!”
    â€œOh, it’s nothing. It’s just . . .
     middle-school drama, you know.” I tried to smooth over it. The last thing Ineed is Allie finding out that I’m Dear Know-It-All, and a
     mediocre one at that. She’d have a field day critiquing my work and torturing
     me.
    She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Allie has a better nose for news than I
     do, actually. She runs the high school’s website, the student section, and so I
     guess she is kind of involved in current events. But what she mostly does is text about
     events and post stuff on Buddybook, and talk on the phone with her friends, all of whom
     she likes better than she likes me.
    â€œDoes this have anything to do with Crushie Crusherson?” Allie
     pressed.
    She knows I like Michael. And she’s friends with his older brothers, so
     she has access to him, which really scares me. I’m always praying she
     doesn’t say anything to him if she sees him.
    â€œNo.” I sighed impatiently.
    â€œHailey?”
    â€œNo, stop fishing! It’s nothing.”
    Allie stared me down, and I looked away. I would not crack, even if she gave
     me a major interrogation.
    Suddenly her phone began ringing, down the hall in her
     room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her react to it, then will herself to remain
     standing in my doorway, staring me down. Once, twice, three
     times . . .
    And then Allie cracked!
    â€œOh, whatever!” And she stormed down the hall to her room. I was
     pleased with my steely nerve, and also grateful to whomever it was who had called
     her.
    I looked back at the letter from Tired. I didn’t know what to do. My
     first instinct was to call, e-mail, or write to her, but I had no idea how to get in
     touch with her. I couldn’t publish an apology in the Cherry
     Valley Voice because we weren’t due for another issue of the paper
     until the week after next. Plus, it wouldn’t exactly make me look good to issue an
     apology in the third column I ever wrote.
    I thought about calling Mr. Trigg, but that seemed babyish, like I was running
     to my mommy for help. Speaking of which, I thought of telling my mom. She is the one
     person besides Mr. Trigg whoknows that I am Dear Know-It-All, but
     we never discuss it because she knows I need to remain mum on the subject. But
     maybe… or Hailey? Could I just fess up to it all? Gosh, I felt like I really
     needed her support right now. But . . .
    No.
    It wasn’t that serious. I could handle it. I would just chalk this up to
     a learning experience. My future advice should just avoid concrete tips and instead
     focus on telling people to do what they feel is right. That way I’m not on the
     hook. I’ll just kind of coast through this assignment. That’s all.
    I sighed heavily, knowing that was a cop-out, and I was not feeling better. I
     couldn’t stop wondering who Tired was and who she liked. And what kind of mean boy
     would treat a girl like