Fabulous Five 021 - Jana to the Rescue Read Online Free Page A

a
little threatened by her new situation and wants to be called by a more
sophisticated name."
    "Maybe," Jana grumbled, but she wasn't convinced. Maybe
Liz was just a crabby person who got her kicks by hurting other people's
feelings.
    "Dinner's ready," her mother called.
    The three squeezed into their places at the kitchen table.
    "Where does Liz live?" Pink asked.
    "At a shelter for the homeless—Phoenix House,"
Jana said.
    Pink smiled. "Good name," he said.
    Jana frowned, trying to understand. "Phoenix? You mean,
the city in Arizona?"
    "Well, originally the name came from mythology,"
Pink said, spooning a helping of casserole onto his plate. "A phoenix was
a bird. Only one phoenix existed at a time," he went on. "It lived a
very long time, and at the end of its life, it burned itself in a funeral pyre."
    "That's sad," Jana said, putting down her fork.
    "No, not really," said Pink. "Because another
phoenix rose up in its place, filled with youth and beauty. Because of its
rebirth, the phoenix has come to represent starting life over with renewed
strength and determination."
    "I'm impressed, Pink," Jana's mother said,
grinning. "I didn't know you knew Greek mythology."
    "My high-school English teacher, Mrs. Mortimer, gets
the credit. She pounded all that stuff into our heads during my junior year."
    "Say, I have an idea," her mother said. "Why
not invite Lizzie—excuse me, Liz —over for dinner on Saturday?"
    Jana thought a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, okay,"
she said. "It's worth a try, anyway. Maybe she'll see that I'm not so
awful, and she'll loosen up a little."
    "I'll fix chicken and dumplings and green beans—"
    "Oooh, invite her to come every night," Pink
teased. "If we get to eat like that when she comes, I like her already."
    Jana's mother laughed.
    "Thanks, Mom," Jana said. "I'll ask her
tomorrow at school."
    "She'll need to check with her mother," Mrs.
Pinkerton said. "Tell her we can pick her up if she needs a ride."
    "I can't wait to invite her," Jana said. "I
hope she says yes."
    After supper Jana helped with the dishes and then went to
her room. She had just opened her lit book when the phone rang.
    "Jana, it's for you!" Pink called from the living
room.
    "Thanks, Pink, I'll take it in your bedroom," Jana
called back. She hurried into her parents' bedroom and picked up the receiver.
    "Hello?"
    "Hi, Jana. It's Randy."
    Jana's heart fluttered a little at the sound of Randy's
voice. He'd had that effect on her ever since the fourth grade. Jana had
noticed lots of other nice, cute boys in school, but none of them could ever
compete with Randy.
    "Hi, Randy," she said softly.
    "How did the first day go with the new girl?"
    "Awful," Jana confessed. "She's . . . well,
she's not one of the friendliest people I've ever met, let's put it that way."
    "Gosh, that's too bad," Randy said. "What's
her problem?"
    "Mom thinks maybe she feels a little threatened," said
Jana. "I suppose because she's new. I'm going to invite her over for
dinner Saturday night and see if that helps."
    "Good idea," Randy said. "Hey, I've missed
seeing you around this week. Want to meet me at Bumpers tomorrow after school?"
    "Great! I'd love to."
    "Super," said Randy. "See you then."
    Jana nearly floated back to her room. She was going to see
Randy tomorrow after school, and she was going to invite Liz for dinner on
Saturday. She just knew that her mom and Pink could help win Liz over, no matter
how hard Liz might try to resist. Maybe things were looking up.
     
    "Liz, these are my closest friends in the world,"
Jana said proudly the next day during lunch period. She hadn't gotten up the
nerve yet to ask Liz to her house on Saturday, and now Jana and Liz stood with
their trays next to the table where The Fabulous Five always sat. Liz was
wearing the same pair of jeans, plaid shirt, and jacket that she had worn
yesterday. "This is Beth Barry, Katie Shannon, Christie Winchell, and
Melanie Edwards," Jana went on. "The five of us make up The