longer than expected," she says. She bites her bottom lip and shifts a little in her shoes.
Just as the bus slows to a stop, I see Jenna running down the sidewalk toward us.
The doors open, but Rachel doesn't budge. Quinn pulls Tess past her and they climb on.
"You get on," I tell Rachel. "I won't let the bus leave without Jenna."
Rachel looks up at me. Then she climbs onto the bus. She stops at the top of the stairs, scribbles another note, and hands it to the bus driver. "I would appreciate a little more cooperation," she says.
"I'll keep that in mind," the driver replies, stuffing the note into her pocket.
I glance down the street again. Jenna is getting closer. Red face. Green braids flying.
"Will you be joining us today?" the bus driver calls down to me.
I glance up at her. "Um ... yes. It's just that Jenna is running ... a little late."
The driver glances down the street and sees Jenna. She toots the bus horn, like that is going to help the situation.
I keep waiting at the bottom of the steps until, finally, Jenna runs up behind me, breathing hard. Her braids look fuzzier than usual. Like she wore them to bed last night and then her mom didn't have time to rebraid them this morning. She's also wearing a new T-shirt. I know it's new because there's still a sticker on the sleeve that says clearance: $4.99. There's a nymph drawn on the shirt, but it's small and off to one side because most of the shirt is filled up by a big, puffy fish. now that's a big fish story! is printed under the fish in letters that look like fishhooks.
"Nice ... um ... shirt," I say.
Jenna just pushes past me and climbs onto the bus.
Our bus gets to school later than usual, so there isn't time to meet Stacey at the broken water fountain. And I don't get to spend any recess time with just her because Jenna keeps a tight leash on the nymphs all day, reminding us to do good deeds and promising a special prize at our meeting after dance today.
During cleanup at the end of the day, Mr. Crow lets all the dancers go to the bathroom and change into their dance clothes. That includes all of the girls, except me and Randi. And none of the boys, except Tom Sanders.
When the girls get back, everyone looks different. Brooke has her long hair bunched up in a pink scrunchy and she's wearing a pink leotard and pink warm-up pants. Meeka and Jolene have matching ponytails, sparkly purple leotards, and purple warm-up pants. Jenna has pinned her green braids to the top of her head. Her new orange leotard with the exploding fireworks peeks out from under her hoodie. Stacey's curly hair looks just the same, but she's wearing a black leotard and matching pants.
When the last bell rings, Jenna gets us all organized for the walk to Miss Woo's. She must have her good-deed radar turned up full blast because she marches ahead of the pack, picking up
candy wrappers, rescuing a ball from a prickly bush for a little kid, and helping Mrs. Eddy walk across Birch Street.
"I'm quite capable of crossing the street by myself," Mrs. Eddy tells Jenna.
"I'm happy to help," Jenna replies, pulling her along.
When we get to the park, Randi takes off for the basketball court. "Holler when it's nymph time!" she yells as she dribbles away. I stop by a bench near the playground. "I'll wait for you guys here," I say.
Stacey stops, too. "Why don't you come with and watch us dance?" she asks.
I think about sitting at Miss Woo's watching Stacey and the other girls dance. I think about them twirling and pointing and pliéing around. Then I think about them whispering and giggling between dances and Stacey telling me later what they were whispering and giggling about, only it won't seem so funny the second time around.
I sit down on the bench. "I'm good," I say. "I want to work on a new drawing anyway." I slip off my backpack, unzip it, and pull out my sketchbook and a pencil.
Stacey gives me a smile. "Okay," she says. "We'll be back before you know it!" Then she hurries to
Just as the bus slows to a stop, I see Jenna running down the sidewalk toward us.
The doors open, but Rachel doesn't budge. Quinn pulls Tess past her and they climb on.
"You get on," I tell Rachel. "I won't let the bus leave without Jenna."
Rachel looks up at me. Then she climbs onto the bus. She stops at the top of the stairs, scribbles another note, and hands it to the bus driver. "I would appreciate a little more cooperation," she says.
"I'll keep that in mind," the driver replies, stuffing the note into her pocket.
I glance down the street again. Jenna is getting closer. Red face. Green braids flying.
"Will you be joining us today?" the bus driver calls down to me.
I glance up at her. "Um ... yes. It's just that Jenna is running ... a little late."
The driver glances down the street and sees Jenna. She toots the bus horn, like that is going to help the situation.
I keep waiting at the bottom of the steps until, finally, Jenna runs up behind me, breathing hard. Her braids look fuzzier than usual. Like she wore them to bed last night and then her mom didn't have time to rebraid them this morning. She's also wearing a new T-shirt. I know it's new because there's still a sticker on the sleeve that says clearance: $4.99. There's a nymph drawn on the shirt, but it's small and off to one side because most of the shirt is filled up by a big, puffy fish. now that's a big fish story! is printed under the fish in letters that look like fishhooks.
"Nice ... um ... shirt," I say.
Jenna just pushes past me and climbs onto the bus.
Our bus gets to school later than usual, so there isn't time to meet Stacey at the broken water fountain. And I don't get to spend any recess time with just her because Jenna keeps a tight leash on the nymphs all day, reminding us to do good deeds and promising a special prize at our meeting after dance today.
During cleanup at the end of the day, Mr. Crow lets all the dancers go to the bathroom and change into their dance clothes. That includes all of the girls, except me and Randi. And none of the boys, except Tom Sanders.
When the girls get back, everyone looks different. Brooke has her long hair bunched up in a pink scrunchy and she's wearing a pink leotard and pink warm-up pants. Meeka and Jolene have matching ponytails, sparkly purple leotards, and purple warm-up pants. Jenna has pinned her green braids to the top of her head. Her new orange leotard with the exploding fireworks peeks out from under her hoodie. Stacey's curly hair looks just the same, but she's wearing a black leotard and matching pants.
When the last bell rings, Jenna gets us all organized for the walk to Miss Woo's. She must have her good-deed radar turned up full blast because she marches ahead of the pack, picking up
candy wrappers, rescuing a ball from a prickly bush for a little kid, and helping Mrs. Eddy walk across Birch Street.
"I'm quite capable of crossing the street by myself," Mrs. Eddy tells Jenna.
"I'm happy to help," Jenna replies, pulling her along.
When we get to the park, Randi takes off for the basketball court. "Holler when it's nymph time!" she yells as she dribbles away. I stop by a bench near the playground. "I'll wait for you guys here," I say.
Stacey stops, too. "Why don't you come with and watch us dance?" she asks.
I think about sitting at Miss Woo's watching Stacey and the other girls dance. I think about them twirling and pointing and pliéing around. Then I think about them whispering and giggling between dances and Stacey telling me later what they were whispering and giggling about, only it won't seem so funny the second time around.
I sit down on the bench. "I'm good," I say. "I want to work on a new drawing anyway." I slip off my backpack, unzip it, and pull out my sketchbook and a pencil.
Stacey gives me a smile. "Okay," she says. "We'll be back before you know it!" Then she hurries to
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