up.”
He looked at me with his eyebrows raised and went, “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Yes, I can,” I said. “I’m the queen. So I’m the boss of you.”
Defenseless in the face of such logic, Stuart did the only thing he could, which was take out a piece of paper and frantically start drawing headless zombies.
I kind of knew how he felt. I mean, I would have started drawing headless zombies, too, if I thought it would have made me feel better.
But I knew the only thing that was going to make me feel better was…well, getting to play Princess Penelope.
But since I knew that wasn’t going to happen now, I guessed I was going to have to settle for going up to Sophie myself when the bell for morning recess rang, and say, “Hey, Sophie. Congratulations. I’m really glad you got the part you wanted.”
And act like I mean it.
Which was exactly what I did. While Cheyenne stomped off to go call her mother on her cell phone and tell her to call Mrs. Hunter, I went up to Sophie and congratulated her for getting the role of Princess Penelope. The role I thought I should have gotten.
Because that’s what gracious losers—and best friends—do.
“Oh, my goodness, Allie,” Sophie said, throwing her arms around my neck and giving me a huge hug. “Thank you so much! And I’m so sorry you didn’t get it. You were really good, too.”
“Yeah,” Caroline said. “But it’s okay, because Allie didn’t really want it the way you did, Sophie. She just tried for it to make sure Cheyenne didn’t get it.”
I practically had to blink back tears when I heard that. I didn’t want it as much as Sophie? Um, yes, I so totally had.
But considering I hadn’t gotten it, I guess it was just as well everyone thought this.
“Yeah,” I said casually, hugging Sophie back. “I’m fine with the part I got. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to go call my mother and complain, like Cheyenne.”
“Can you believe she’s doing that?” Sophie let go of me and pushed some of her curly hair out of her big brown eyes. “Talk about being a princess! She must think she is one or something!”
“Totally,” I said.
“You’ll make such a good evil queen, Allie,” Erica said. “You’ll be the best evil queen ever.”
I just stared at her. “I will?”
“Of course,” Sophie said.
“You’re always the best when we play queens at recess,” Caroline said, seeming to agree with Sophie and Erica. “Why wouldn’t you make a great evil queen? And you know Stuart and those guys will do what you say.”
My shoulders sagged. “Oh,” I said. “That’s right.” No wonder Mrs. Hunter had given me the part of the evil queen! It wasn’t because she hated me. It was so the boys playing the evil soldiers would obey me. I sat next to them all day, didn’t I? Well, me and Rosemary. She probably thought Rosemary and I would keep them in line at rehearsals the same way we did all day in the classroom.
Well, it wasn’t fair! Just once, I wanted to get to play the part of the pretty princess instead of the tough girl who keeps the bad boys in line.
But I guess that was never going to happen. At least, not with this play. And not with this teacher. All my hopes had been raised that, for once, things might turn out differently, only to be dashed.
And I knew exactly who to blame for that. For the raised hopes, anyway.
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RULE #12
When You Know the Right Thing to Do, You Have to Do It
So. It was all up to me.
I’d always known that, in the end, it would be.
Well, Mrs. Hunter didn’t have to worry. I was ready. I knew all of Princess Penelope’s lines and her blocking. I was completely prepared to step into her part. I even had a costume—my gold flower-girl dress. I would wear it with my black patent leather party shoes (if they still fit…I hadn’t tried them on in a while).
Of course, there was the small
He looked at me with his eyebrows raised and went, “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Yes, I can,” I said. “I’m the queen. So I’m the boss of you.”
Defenseless in the face of such logic, Stuart did the only thing he could, which was take out a piece of paper and frantically start drawing headless zombies.
I kind of knew how he felt. I mean, I would have started drawing headless zombies, too, if I thought it would have made me feel better.
But I knew the only thing that was going to make me feel better was…well, getting to play Princess Penelope.
But since I knew that wasn’t going to happen now, I guessed I was going to have to settle for going up to Sophie myself when the bell for morning recess rang, and say, “Hey, Sophie. Congratulations. I’m really glad you got the part you wanted.”
And act like I mean it.
Which was exactly what I did. While Cheyenne stomped off to go call her mother on her cell phone and tell her to call Mrs. Hunter, I went up to Sophie and congratulated her for getting the role of Princess Penelope. The role I thought I should have gotten.
Because that’s what gracious losers—and best friends—do.
“Oh, my goodness, Allie,” Sophie said, throwing her arms around my neck and giving me a huge hug. “Thank you so much! And I’m so sorry you didn’t get it. You were really good, too.”
“Yeah,” Caroline said. “But it’s okay, because Allie didn’t really want it the way you did, Sophie. She just tried for it to make sure Cheyenne didn’t get it.”
I practically had to blink back tears when I heard that. I didn’t want it as much as Sophie? Um, yes, I so totally had.
But considering I hadn’t gotten it, I guess it was just as well everyone thought this.
“Yeah,” I said casually, hugging Sophie back. “I’m fine with the part I got. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to go call my mother and complain, like Cheyenne.”
“Can you believe she’s doing that?” Sophie let go of me and pushed some of her curly hair out of her big brown eyes. “Talk about being a princess! She must think she is one or something!”
“Totally,” I said.
“You’ll make such a good evil queen, Allie,” Erica said. “You’ll be the best evil queen ever.”
I just stared at her. “I will?”
“Of course,” Sophie said.
“You’re always the best when we play queens at recess,” Caroline said, seeming to agree with Sophie and Erica. “Why wouldn’t you make a great evil queen? And you know Stuart and those guys will do what you say.”
My shoulders sagged. “Oh,” I said. “That’s right.” No wonder Mrs. Hunter had given me the part of the evil queen! It wasn’t because she hated me. It was so the boys playing the evil soldiers would obey me. I sat next to them all day, didn’t I? Well, me and Rosemary. She probably thought Rosemary and I would keep them in line at rehearsals the same way we did all day in the classroom.
Well, it wasn’t fair! Just once, I wanted to get to play the part of the pretty princess instead of the tough girl who keeps the bad boys in line.
But I guess that was never going to happen. At least, not with this play. And not with this teacher. All my hopes had been raised that, for once, things might turn out differently, only to be dashed.
And I knew exactly who to blame for that. For the raised hopes, anyway.
Demo version limitation
Demo version limitation
Demo version limitation
Demo version limitation
RULE #12
When You Know the Right Thing to Do, You Have to Do It
So. It was all up to me.
I’d always known that, in the end, it would be.
Well, Mrs. Hunter didn’t have to worry. I was ready. I knew all of Princess Penelope’s lines and her blocking. I was completely prepared to step into her part. I even had a costume—my gold flower-girl dress. I would wear it with my black patent leather party shoes (if they still fit…I hadn’t tried them on in a while).
Of course, there was the small
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