Just Kidding by Annie Bryant

Dillon, who was laughing uncomfortably at his ownmistake and trying to get everyone else to laugh it off, too. “Hey Dillon, you’d better grow up!” Katani advised him. “You totally embarassed Avery, and she’s your friend . That was so not cool.”
    â€œGeesh, Katani, it was only a joke!” Dillon tried to defend himself. “If Avery had a sense of humor, she’d see that it was funny!”
    â€œIf she didn’t have a sense of humor, you’d be in Mrs. Fields’s office right now!” Katani shot back. “So just be glad she’s a better friend than you are.”
    Maeve and Isabel were walking toward the cafeteria behind a crowd of other students. Maeve slowed down. Her idea for Spirit Week began to take on more color and dimension, and she just had to tell someone about it. Finally, she grabbed Isabel’s arm to make her stop. “Isabel, I’ve just got to talk to you right now,” she begged. “I have simply the most brilliant idea I’ve ever had for the Spirit Week dance theme.”
    â€œOh yeah, I’m sure it’s brilliant ,” came a shrill voice behind her, and Maeve realized that it was Anna, who was regarding her with one of her much-too-sweet smiles. Sarcastically, she added, “I’m sure it’s the best idea ever .”
    Joline, who was just behind Anna, was snickering. Maeve looked at them both with sparks of anger in her eyes. But before she could say anything, Isabel snapped. She’d had just about enough of the Queens of Mean for one morning. Isabel stopped dead in her tracks and braced herself so that Anna crashed into her and Joline collided with Anna.
    â€œOuch!” Anna howled.
    â€œOh, Anna, I’m so sorry,” Isabel said sweetly. “But maybe you should pay a little more attention to where you’re going.”
    Maeve grabbed Isabel. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but things seemed to be rapidly spiraling out of control! The truth was, since early that morning, the day had been anything but normal, and Maeve was just getting tired of surprises.
    â€œListen, Iz, let’s get out of here. I’ve got too much to tell you to waste any more time on annoying people.”
    The two girls started back down the hall, leaving Anna and Joline staring after them, but Maeve had already forgotten the incident. She had learned a long time ago that Anna and Joline were kind of like mosquitoes. Annoying, stinging, but certainly not life threatening. She immediately started chattering about how great her new idea was for the dance. Isabel just had to ask her, “Maeve, how can you let their comments just slide off your back like that? They make me so mad!”
    Maeve shrugged. “You know, I think a few months ago I’d have cared a lot. But now it just seems like a waste of time. Anna and Joline aren’t getting any nicer, so it’s better to just stay out of their way when they get nasty.”
    â€œThat’s true,” Isabel admitted. “I’ll try to think of that next time they say something mean…which will probably be in about five minutes.”
    Maeve laughed. “You got that right. Okay, enough about them. Just wait until you hear my idea. This is going to be too fab for words.”

CHAPTER
6
The Buzz Begins
    M aeve rummaged through the pockets of her school bag. “Oh, no!” she groaned. “I did it again! I mean this has just got to stop.”
    â€œWhat?” Isabel asked, bewildered.
    â€œForgot my lunch money again! It must be in my locker,” Maeve said, blowing a curl out of her eyes. “It’ll just take a second. Don’t wait for me. I’ll see you at the table.” And she darted away toward her locker.
    Isabel headed on to the cafeteria, but just as she reached the door, she spotted Kevin Connors. She wasn’t quite sure how to greet him after the embarrassing break-up scene she witnessed that