Sticks & Stones Read Online Free Page A

of things going wrong, they wouldn’t.
    Dad changed the subject. “So, anything interesting happen in school lately?”
    â€œNot really.” I considered it. Not really was usually not good enough of an answer for my parents, especially when it came to school stuff. “Well, Ms. Sigafiss had us write letters to ourselves. We have to do it in a notebook every month, and then we get to read them someday in the future. And she doesn’t even read them! She just kind of flips through every now and then to see that we did it.”
    â€œThat is cool!” Mom’s voice got all high and excited. “What did you write?”
    â€œUm … it’s private.”
    If Mom knew that I had gotten a mysterious blue note—and that most of my letter to myself was me wondering what it said—she’d totally freak out.
    â€œOh, okay,” she said. She sounded a little disappointed, but then she perked up again. “Still. Really cool project, sweetie.”
    We parked and walked into the school auditorium from the big lot. Our principal, Mr. Todd, stood at a small podium on the stage, and almost everyone I knew—plus a bunch of people I didn’t know—sat in the audience. This many people wanted to be Explorer Leader? My heart sank all the way to the ground. Lower, if possible. There was no way I’d get picked when there was this much competition.
    Besides all the people in my grade, there were parents, brothers, sisters, teachers, everybody. Even Ms. Sigafiss was there, sitting in the back row with all our other teachers, the typical I-hate-everything frown plastered across her face. It looked like most people were sitting with their families, so Mom, Dad, and I grabbed a few seats together toward the back. I looked around for Jeg and her parents. They were up near the very front, right next to—was that Snotty Ami? It was, and she was all by herself. No parents or anything. Well, that was totally unfair. I was about to ask Mom if it would be okay if I moved to sit by them when Mr. Todd started talking.
    â€œWelcome, students, parents, teachers, and friends!” His voice boomed out across the room. “I want to thank you all for taking a short time out of your Friday evening for this important meeting. Parents, you’re here because your child is interested in being the Explorer Leader of the annual sixth-grade trip to Minnesota this February. Though there will be only one leader, I like to think of that person as a representative of our whole community of sixth graders and their families. We’re all a team, which is why we learn together, grow together, and support each other at events like tonight’s meeting.”
    The room buzzed with energy, excitement, and nerves (if you were me). What was I doing here? I didn’t belong here. I belonged at home, where it was safe.
    Mr. Todd continued, “The Explorer Leader will have enormous responsibility in the planning and implementing of activities on the trip. This person will be organized, creative, and able to take charge. This person will also be well versed in the arts of physical and mental endurance. As you can tell from the overwhelming attendance at this meeting, dozens of students feel they have these very qualities. I will select a small committee of students to serve as Explorer Helpers, but only one will be chosen as the leader.”
    I leaned back in my seat and watched Mr. Todd while he kept talking for what felt like years. His longish hair flopped around when he moved, which was a lot. Mr. Todd was almost as excited about this as we were.
    I started paying attention again right as he said, “I’ll be conducting interviews in early October with the students who have the best attendance and grades between now and then, and the selection process will continue from there. One lucky student will be guaranteed a free pass into this interview round…” He paused and smiled