sputtered.
How could she explain that she had never expected Randy to find a new steady
girlfriend? That she had really believed they would each go out with two or
three new kids and then get back together, knowing for certain that they were
really meant for each other? Now she wasn't so sure about how Randy felt. That
made their experiment more important than ever.
"I think you ought to talk to him right now," said
Katie.
"And just think, maybe if you guys get back together,
Keith and I will, too," offered Beth with a big grin. "After all, he
told you that he didn't want to go steady because Randy wasn't doing it."
Jana blinked in surprise. Beth might have a point. Keith had
broken up with Beth so that he could ask Jana out, but if she and Randy got
back together, Keith would have to give up on dating her. Maybe, just maybe, he
might go back to Beth.
But there was no guarantee. And besides, that wasn't what
the breakup was about.
Jana shook her head. "I'll have to think about it."
Then looking at Beth, she added, "You know I'll help you if I can, but I'm
just not sure that's the right thing to do."
A gloomy silence fell over the table until Katie broke it by
asking, "Did any of you sign up to be Book Buddies for the read-in and
sleepover at the public library this weekend?"
"The what?" echoed the others.
Katie shrugged and grinned. "I guess not, if you don't
even know what I'm talking about. There's a notice on the main bulletin board
explaining that the elementary schools have been running a contest for reading.
Any second-grader who reads twenty books is eligible to go to a read-in and
sleepover at the public library this Saturday night. They're going to be
reading books, playing games, and having refreshments—naturally. Then the next
morning they'll have breakfast and then go home."
"Sounds like lots of fun if you're a second-grader,"
said Beth. "There might even be some kids there that we know from Mark
Twain Elementary."
"Right," agreed Jana. "Why do they need us?"
"Yeah," said Melanie. "What's this Book Buddy
stuff you mentioned?"
"The library is looking for kids from Wakeman to go
along and read to the kids, help with games and refreshments, and things like
that. There'll be regular adult chaperones. They just want us to pair up with
kids and help them have fun."
"Are you signing up?" Jana asked Melanie.
Melanie shook her head. "I have a date with Shane."
"I can't, either. Tony's coming over for gourmet pizza,"
Katie announced proudly. "Otherwise I would."
Jana sighed, remembering the times she and Randy had shared
pizza. They always had pepperoni, green pepper, and mushroom—her favorite—which
was gourmet enough for them. But that seemed like ages ago, and she certainly
didn't have a date with him now. "I guess it might be better than doing
nothing."
"Right," Beth added glumly. "I'll sign up if
you will."
Jana thought for a minute. For the experiment to work, she
actually should be trying to find someone else to go out with. But not Parker Donovan! she thought emphatically. And not Keith Masterson! And
right now she couldn't think of another boy who might be interested in asking
her out.
"Okay," she said, sighing deeply. "We'll go
sign up right after lunch."
Jana nibbled on her sandwich, feeling more depressed than
ever. Entertaining second-graders all night at the public library, she thought.
What a rotten way to spend Saturday night.
CHAPTER 10
Jana Morgan and Beth Barry were the first two names on the
sign-up sheet for the library sleepover, but by the next day lots of kids were
talking about it.
"It's going to seem weird spending the night in
the public library," said Lisa as a group of girls stood at the mirror in
the girls' room between classes.
"Spooky, you mean," replied Jana. "That place
is always so quiet."
Beth cackled devilishly, rubbing her hands together and
rolling her eyes at the others. "And at night ghostly shadows will creep
out of the rows and rows of silent books
How could she explain that she had never expected Randy to find a new steady
girlfriend? That she had really believed they would each go out with two or
three new kids and then get back together, knowing for certain that they were
really meant for each other? Now she wasn't so sure about how Randy felt. That
made their experiment more important than ever.
"I think you ought to talk to him right now," said
Katie.
"And just think, maybe if you guys get back together,
Keith and I will, too," offered Beth with a big grin. "After all, he
told you that he didn't want to go steady because Randy wasn't doing it."
Jana blinked in surprise. Beth might have a point. Keith had
broken up with Beth so that he could ask Jana out, but if she and Randy got
back together, Keith would have to give up on dating her. Maybe, just maybe, he
might go back to Beth.
But there was no guarantee. And besides, that wasn't what
the breakup was about.
Jana shook her head. "I'll have to think about it."
Then looking at Beth, she added, "You know I'll help you if I can, but I'm
just not sure that's the right thing to do."
A gloomy silence fell over the table until Katie broke it by
asking, "Did any of you sign up to be Book Buddies for the read-in and
sleepover at the public library this weekend?"
"The what?" echoed the others.
Katie shrugged and grinned. "I guess not, if you don't
even know what I'm talking about. There's a notice on the main bulletin board
explaining that the elementary schools have been running a contest for reading.
Any second-grader who reads twenty books is eligible to go to a read-in and
sleepover at the public library this Saturday night. They're going to be
reading books, playing games, and having refreshments—naturally. Then the next
morning they'll have breakfast and then go home."
"Sounds like lots of fun if you're a second-grader,"
said Beth. "There might even be some kids there that we know from Mark
Twain Elementary."
"Right," agreed Jana. "Why do they need us?"
"Yeah," said Melanie. "What's this Book Buddy
stuff you mentioned?"
"The library is looking for kids from Wakeman to go
along and read to the kids, help with games and refreshments, and things like
that. There'll be regular adult chaperones. They just want us to pair up with
kids and help them have fun."
"Are you signing up?" Jana asked Melanie.
Melanie shook her head. "I have a date with Shane."
"I can't, either. Tony's coming over for gourmet pizza,"
Katie announced proudly. "Otherwise I would."
Jana sighed, remembering the times she and Randy had shared
pizza. They always had pepperoni, green pepper, and mushroom—her favorite—which
was gourmet enough for them. But that seemed like ages ago, and she certainly
didn't have a date with him now. "I guess it might be better than doing
nothing."
"Right," Beth added glumly. "I'll sign up if
you will."
Jana thought for a minute. For the experiment to work, she
actually should be trying to find someone else to go out with. But not Parker Donovan! she thought emphatically. And not Keith Masterson! And
right now she couldn't think of another boy who might be interested in asking
her out.
"Okay," she said, sighing deeply. "We'll go
sign up right after lunch."
Jana nibbled on her sandwich, feeling more depressed than
ever. Entertaining second-graders all night at the public library, she thought.
What a rotten way to spend Saturday night.
CHAPTER 10
Jana Morgan and Beth Barry were the first two names on the
sign-up sheet for the library sleepover, but by the next day lots of kids were
talking about it.
"It's going to seem weird spending the night in
the public library," said Lisa as a group of girls stood at the mirror in
the girls' room between classes.
"Spooky, you mean," replied Jana. "That place
is always so quiet."
Beth cackled devilishly, rubbing her hands together and
rolling her eyes at the others. "And at night ghostly shadows will creep
out of the rows and rows of silent books
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