Sophie Simon Solves Them All Read Online Free Page B

anything. But he said, “Well, if you helped me, I’d give you all my birthday money from Grandpa Ricky.”
    Sophie looked up.
    â€œTwenty dollars,” Owen told her.
    Sophie looked back down.
    â€œThat still wouldn’t be enough for the calculator,” she said. “Even if I helped both of you. Which is a lot of helping. I’d still need fifteen dollars.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œWhat makes you think I’d be able to help you anyway?” Sophie asked him.
    â€œOh, I’m sure it wouldn’t be too tough for someone like you to figure out!” Owen said. “You know everything. You’re always reading those big, fat books.”
    Owen looked at the page Sophie was reading.
    â€œReverse Psychology,” it said at the top.
    â€œWhat’s reverse psychology?” he asked Sophie.
    Sophie stuck a finger in her book to hold her place. “It’s a way to convince someone of one thing”—Owen’s ears perked up—“by telling them you want the exact opposite .” Owen sat up a little straighter in his seat. “Like if a teacher wanted her students to do their spelling homework, so she told them that she didn’t think they could do it because they weren’t smart enough. Then they would try very hard and finish their homework, just to prove her wrong. Which was exactly what she wanted in the first place.”
    Owen thought about that.
    â€œDoes it work on moms?” he asked.
    â€œWhat?” Sophie said.
    â€œAll that stuff you just said. Reverse photography.”
    â€œReverse psychology,” Sophie corrected.
    â€œYeah, that one.”
    The bus screeched to a stop.
    â€œStanford Avenue!” the bus driver called out.
    â€œSorry,” Sophie said, zipping her book into her backpack. “This is my stop.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œI have to get off,” Sophie said. She poked him in the knee. “Please move.”
    â€œBut I need your help!”
    Sophie sighed. “Why don’t you get your friend to help you?” she asked. “That curly-haired girl. Maybe she has some ideas.”
    The bus doors squeaked open.
    The driver went outside to direct traffic.
    â€œJulia won’t help me,” Owen said as Sophie squeezed past him into the aisle. “She’s too busy trying to think of a story to write for the school newspaper.”
    â€œNewspaper?”
    Sophie sat down so quickly that she landed right on top of Owen.
    She didn’t move.
    She just stared at the top of Owen’s head.
    â€œUm, Sophie?” he said. She was acting sort of weird.
    Plus she was wrinkling his pants.
    â€œSophie?” Owen said again.
    Sophie blinked at him. “Did you say that Julia is looking for a news story?”
    â€œYeah,” Owen said. “For the school paper. But she only has until Monday, and she’ll never find one. Plus she doesn’t have anything to type on. Last weekend her dad made her sell her typewriter at their yard sale. She got fifteen bucks for it.”
    Sophie’s eyes grew wide as watermelons.
    â€œFifteen dollars?” she asked.
    â€œYeah,” Owen said. “Why?”
    The bus driver popped his head back inside the bus.
    â€œAnyone else for Stanford Avenue?” he shouted.
    Sophie grabbed Owen’s hand.
    â€œCome on!” she hollered.
    She dragged him down the bus aisle.
    â€œBut-but…” Owen stuttered. “Where are we going? This isn’t my stop. What if I—?”
    One step from the bottom, Sophie whirled around to face him. “Do you want a rabbit?” she asked him. “Or do you want a piranha?”
    And she leaped down the last step to Stanford Avenue.
    Owen turned to look at Julia.
    She was grinning at him.
    â€œWell?” she said. “What are you waiting for?”
    And just like that, right as the doors were about to close, Owen Luu made a decision.
    â€œSophie, wait!” he