this day is half over,” Carole said, sitting down next to Lisa.
“Tell me about it. All my teachers are piling onextra work. It’s like they want to make up for the free time we had over vacation,” Lisa commented. “And my mom had me up early this morning to help her make calls about the bake sale.”
“Oh, I’m supposed to tell you that we’re bringing lemon squares and double-chocolate chippers,” Carole said, giggling. “My dad is planning an all-day bake-a-thon.”
“The next two weeks are going to feel like a bake-a-thon to me,” said Lisa. “My mom is going crazy organizing it.”
“How’s the embroidery going?” Carole asked, picking up half a hamburger. The minute she asked it, Carole wanted to take the question back. She and Lisa had been having a nice, friendly talk. Why did she have to go and bring up the subject of resolutions?
Lisa fiddled with her napkin. “It’s going fine,” she said briefly. “Just fine. How’s not eating junk food going?”
Carole finished chewing her bite and swallowed. Was it her imagination or was Lisa staring at her hamburger? Maybe a hamburger wasn’t the best thing in the world, but what else was she supposed to eat? The other choice for hot lunch wasmacaroni and cheese! Was that less “junky” than a hamburger? “I guess it’s going fine,” Carole said tentatively. “Do you think—I mean, should I—Look, am I breaking my resolution by eating a hamburger?”
“Carole!” Lisa protested. “I’m not here to tell you what you can’t eat.”
But despite what Lisa said, Carole was sure that she disapproved of the hamburger. All of a sudden, the hamburger didn’t taste very good. Carole put it down on her plate.
“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just not that hungry anymore,” Carole lied. Actually she was starved. She had been looking forward to lunch practically since breakfast, but she certainly didn’t intend to eat while Lisa watched.
The two girls shifted uncomfortably in their seats and picked at their food for a few minutes. Around them, the cafeteria resounded with lunchtime din.
“You know, I should—”
“I think I’ll—”
“You first,” said Lisa.
“No, you,” Carole said.
“I was just thinking that I should probably getback to the classroom early. I want to look over my math assignment,” Lisa said.
“Okay, then I’ll see you this afternoon at Pine Hollow,” Carole said quickly.
Lisa stood up. “Right. See you at Pine Hollow.”
“Say,” Carole called, trying to bring a touch of humor into the situation, “is Simon Atherton in your math class?”
Lisa half smiled as she shook her head. “No, I guess he’s moved even farther ahead of the rest of us.” She hesitated a moment and then added, “You know, it’s funny, but I’ve mentioned him to a few kids and nobody seems to know who I’m talking about.”
Carole nodded thoughtfully. “That is funny. He’s so hard to miss: tall, skinny as a rail, tufts of blond hair sticking out in all directions …”
Lisa laughed. “Glasses as thick as Coke bottles. I can’t believe we haven’t spotted him yet.”
“Say, Lisa, maybe you ought to stay and finish lunch with me. Otherwise, Simon might appear and ask if he can sit here,” Carole pointed out.
Lisa was glad of the excuse to stay. She pulled out her chair and sat down again. She didn’t really have to get to her classroom early; she just didn’t want Carole to think she was checking up on her. Lisawas beginning to think that maybe Carole did have the hardest resolution. These days it was impossible to tell what was junk food and what was health food, especially in the cafeteria of Willow Creek Junior High.
B Y THE TIME Stevie finished cleaning up the tack room, it was early afternoon. Lisa and Carole would be arriving in an hour or so to start making an inventory of Horse Wise equipment. The girls were also planning to make signs for the bake sale for members to
“Tell me about it. All my teachers are piling onextra work. It’s like they want to make up for the free time we had over vacation,” Lisa commented. “And my mom had me up early this morning to help her make calls about the bake sale.”
“Oh, I’m supposed to tell you that we’re bringing lemon squares and double-chocolate chippers,” Carole said, giggling. “My dad is planning an all-day bake-a-thon.”
“The next two weeks are going to feel like a bake-a-thon to me,” said Lisa. “My mom is going crazy organizing it.”
“How’s the embroidery going?” Carole asked, picking up half a hamburger. The minute she asked it, Carole wanted to take the question back. She and Lisa had been having a nice, friendly talk. Why did she have to go and bring up the subject of resolutions?
Lisa fiddled with her napkin. “It’s going fine,” she said briefly. “Just fine. How’s not eating junk food going?”
Carole finished chewing her bite and swallowed. Was it her imagination or was Lisa staring at her hamburger? Maybe a hamburger wasn’t the best thing in the world, but what else was she supposed to eat? The other choice for hot lunch wasmacaroni and cheese! Was that less “junky” than a hamburger? “I guess it’s going fine,” Carole said tentatively. “Do you think—I mean, should I—Look, am I breaking my resolution by eating a hamburger?”
“Carole!” Lisa protested. “I’m not here to tell you what you can’t eat.”
But despite what Lisa said, Carole was sure that she disapproved of the hamburger. All of a sudden, the hamburger didn’t taste very good. Carole put it down on her plate.
“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just not that hungry anymore,” Carole lied. Actually she was starved. She had been looking forward to lunch practically since breakfast, but she certainly didn’t intend to eat while Lisa watched.
The two girls shifted uncomfortably in their seats and picked at their food for a few minutes. Around them, the cafeteria resounded with lunchtime din.
“You know, I should—”
“I think I’ll—”
“You first,” said Lisa.
“No, you,” Carole said.
“I was just thinking that I should probably getback to the classroom early. I want to look over my math assignment,” Lisa said.
“Okay, then I’ll see you this afternoon at Pine Hollow,” Carole said quickly.
Lisa stood up. “Right. See you at Pine Hollow.”
“Say,” Carole called, trying to bring a touch of humor into the situation, “is Simon Atherton in your math class?”
Lisa half smiled as she shook her head. “No, I guess he’s moved even farther ahead of the rest of us.” She hesitated a moment and then added, “You know, it’s funny, but I’ve mentioned him to a few kids and nobody seems to know who I’m talking about.”
Carole nodded thoughtfully. “That is funny. He’s so hard to miss: tall, skinny as a rail, tufts of blond hair sticking out in all directions …”
Lisa laughed. “Glasses as thick as Coke bottles. I can’t believe we haven’t spotted him yet.”
“Say, Lisa, maybe you ought to stay and finish lunch with me. Otherwise, Simon might appear and ask if he can sit here,” Carole pointed out.
Lisa was glad of the excuse to stay. She pulled out her chair and sat down again. She didn’t really have to get to her classroom early; she just didn’t want Carole to think she was checking up on her. Lisawas beginning to think that maybe Carole did have the hardest resolution. These days it was impossible to tell what was junk food and what was health food, especially in the cafeteria of Willow Creek Junior High.
B Y THE TIME Stevie finished cleaning up the tack room, it was early afternoon. Lisa and Carole would be arriving in an hour or so to start making an inventory of Horse Wise equipment. The girls were also planning to make signs for the bake sale for members to
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