Fabulous Five 001 - Seventh-Grade Rumors

by Betsy Haynes

  "Well, I don't know about cheerleading yet, but I'm definitely going out for the yearbook," said Jana. "It's called The Wigwam, and I've been dying to be on the staff for ages."

  "That really is a good idea," said Katie. "I think we should all join the staff together."

  "I wonder what kinds of jobs seventh-graders can get?" asked Christie. "Probably all the really good ones are grabbed by eighth- and ninth-graders."

  Nobody said anything for a minute until Katie brightened. "Hey, wait a minute. For one thing, I'll bet there's a seventh-grade editor."

  "But that's only one job," Jana reminded her.

  "So? If there's one good job, maybe there are more," said Katie. "What about reporters and photographers? They must need all sorts of people. We'll just have to wait and find out when we get to the first meeting next week."

  "Don't anybody breathe a word to anybody that we're signing up for the yearbook," cautioned Christie. "If Laura and her friends find out, you know they'll sign up, too."

  When the bell rang, the girls headed for homeroom. Randy was already there, and when he saw Jana, he gave her a little wave that made her heart flip-flop. Jana and Christie kept their eyes on Laura and her friends as much as they were able to during the short homeroom period. Jana had the feeling that they were being watched, too.

  After homeroom, when Jana got to her English class, she was surprised to see Funny already seated. She hadn't noticed her in the class the day before, but that was probably because it hadn't been until lunch period that they got acquainted.

  "Hi, Jana," called Funny. Then she motioned Jana toward her. "I've saved you a seat."

  Funny pointed to the desk next to her own and then removed the notebook she had left there to save the seat. Funny had a huge smile on her face, and Jana couldn't help smiling back as she slid into the seat. Whatever Funny and Laura had been fighting about at the lockers yesterday, Funny didn't seem to be bothered about it now.

  "Thanks," Jana said. "I didn't realize you were in this class. Maybe it isn't going to be so dull, after all."

  Before Funny could reply, Miss Dickinson came sweeping into the room. Rumor had it that this was Miss Dickinson's first job out of college, and Jana suspected that if dramatics were taught at Wakeman, she would be teaching that instead of English. Her long brown hair was swept up in an old-fashioned pouf with a tiny bun sitting on top like a crown. Her clothes were old-fashioned, too. Today she was wearing an ankle-length blue skirt and a lacy cream-colored blouse with a cameo brooch at her throat.

  Jana giggled as she remembered how Miss Dickinson had introduced herself to the class the day before. "My name is Miss Dickinson and I teach English literature and poetry," she had tittered, "but I'm no relation to Emily."

  Nobody in the class had gotten it, and she had patiently explained that Emily Dickinson had been a famous poet.

  Now as she turned her back on the class and began scribbling on the board, Funny tossed a note onto Jana's desk.

  Isn't she a riot? It's going to be fun to have a nut for a teacher!!!

  Funny

  Jana read the note and then nodded to Funny. She glanced up to see that Miss Dickinson was still writing on the board and scribbled an answer on the bottom of the note.

  Do you think Lucy ever hid out in her bedroom closet?

  Jana

  Funny covered her mouth with both hands to hide her laughter when she read Jana's note. Then she hurriedly wrote a third message and tossed it back to Jana.

  No. It was probably the Three Stooges, instead.

  Funny

  By this time Miss Dickinson had turned around and instructed the class to open their books. Jana tried to keep her mind on the lesson, but her thoughts kept returning to Funny and the crazy series of notes. She really was a lot of fun. She could even turn a boring old English class into a good time. If only I could become real friends with her, Jana thought. If only my other friends would understand.

  Glancing down, Jana saw another note on her desk. She looked questioningly at Funny, who nodded. Jana opened the note, expecting it to be another silly observation about Miss Dickinson. But she was wrong.

  Dear Jana,

  Are you going to sign up for the yearbook staff?

  I am. I can't wait. If you sign up, too, maybe they would let us be seventh-grade coeditors. Wouldn't that be a ball?

  Please say you'll sign up. Please! Please!

  Your new friend,

  Funny

  Oh, no! thought Jana, and then she clamped her hand over her mouth hoping with all her might that she had not said the words out loud. What would her friends in The Fabulous Five think if she went out for coeditor of the yearbook with one of The Fantastic Foursome? What would her new friend think if she turned her down? What was she going to do?

  CHAPTER 7

  Jana passed a note back to Funny saying that she hadn't made up her mind yet which activities she would sign up for and that they could talk about it later. That wasn't quite the truth, but at least it would give her some time to think. Her friends in The Fabulous Five would be furious if they found out she was even thinking of trying for coeditor of The Wigwam with a member of The Fantastic Foursome. On top of that, Christie had sworn everyone to secrecy about joining the staff.

  In the hall between classes, she saw Christie and they walked along together. "Has Beth been acting funny to you?" Christie asked. She had a worried look on her face.

  Jana nodded. "She wouldn't even talk to me yesterday. I've been trying to figure out if I've done something to make her mad."

  "Same here," said Christie. "She hasn't said two words to any of us since that big blow-up with The Fantastic Foursome at the fence yesterday. I was wondering if there's more to that situation than we realize."

  "Do you mean that maybe she and Laura McCall already have some kind of war going on that we don't even know about?"

  Christie nodded. "Maybe they met over the summer at the beach or something, and Beth just never told anybody."

  "I never thought about anything like that." Jana mulled it over for a moment and then shook her head. "I guess it's possible, but we saw a lot of Beth this summer, and she didn't mention anything about Laura."

  "So maybe it was something that was too embarrassing to tell anyone about. Or maybe Laura is blackmailing her. Things like that happen, you know."

  Jana shot Christie a quick glance. She was referring to the time in sixth grade when Taffy Sinclair had blackmailed Jana over finding their teacher's wallet after it had been stolen from the classroom. Jana had been innocent, but she had looked guilty, and Taffy had made the most of it.

  "Maybe," said Jana, but she still had doubts. Beth was her very best friend. Surely she would have confided in Jana about something like that. Or would she? Beth was changing. There was no doubt about it. Maybe the truth was that she had decided she wanted new friends now that she was in junior high. Maybe she was tired of Jana and the others. Jana shuddered. Maybe, now that they were at Wakeman, nothing would ever be the same.

  At lunch everyone was still talking about the latest rumor about Laura McCall. Christie had heard that Laura was planning one of her famous unchaperoned parties in the next couple of weeks and that she was planning to invite all of the boys from Mark Twain Elementary but none of the girls. Everyone was talking about it, that is, except for Beth, who sat at the far end of the table nibbling at her sandwich and ignoring the others. Jana glanced at her from time to time, but Beth seemed to be totally absorbed in her own thoughts. Even her clothes were less flashy than usual, Jana thought. Her slacks and matching shirt were in soft, muted shades of plum.

  "I heard that Laura has this big crush on Shane Arrington, but he won't pay any attention to her," said Katie. "She has the parties so she can invite him over and flirt with him."

  "Then why is she inviting all the boys from our school?" demanded Jana. "Is she trying to make Shane jealous, or is she looking for someone new to have a crush on?"

  Melanie gasped. "
That rat! She had better leave Scott alone, and Shane Arrington is definitely too good for her."

  "And you know that her three friends are just as bad as she is," said Christie. "I mean, they wouldn't be her friends if they weren't."

  "Don't any of them have boyfriends from their own school?" asked Melanie. "I mean, there are tons of cute seventh-grade boys from Riverfield."

  "From what I hear none of them has a real boyfriend," said Katie. "Melissa McConnell is supposed to have a crush on Jon Smith. You know, the boy whose parents are on television, but she's the only other one of The Fantastic Foursome that I've heard anything about."

  "I'll bet that all four of them want to steal Mark Twain boys just to spite us," said Melanie. "What a bunch of jerks!"

  Jana's mind was racing. What if Laura picked Randy to go after next? She just might do it, too. She glanced at her friends. They hated Laura McCall, but they didn't like the other three much better, including Funny Hawthorne. She could guess what they would say if she told them that she and Funny were becoming friends.

  Suddenly she noticed that Beth was no longer at the table. "Hey, did anyone see where Beth went?" she asked.

  Katie shook her head. "What's the matter with her, anyway? She's been acting strange ever since school started. I get the feeling that she doesn't really want to be friends with us anymore."

  "You're telling me," said Melanie. "I tried to talk to her this morning, and she almost bit my head off. Do you know what her problem is, Jana?"

  "No, but I have to find out." Jana jumped up from the table and crammed the garbage from her lunch back into her paper bag, scooping everything up and heading for the door. "See you guys later," she called back over her shoulder.

  She dumped her trash into the plastic can beside the door and dashed into the hall. Beth was nowhere to be seen. I have to find her, Jana told herself. Something's wrong, and I've got to get her to tell me what it is.

  The hall was crowded with kids rushing in both directions. She didn't see anybody that she knew well enough to ask if they had seen Beth. Maybe she's in the girls' room, Jana thought. Ducking inside, she looked around quickly, but there was no sign of Beth. Could she have gone outside? Jana wondered.

  She had just stepped into the sunlight when she heard someone call her name. It was Funny. She was alone, and she was motioning to Jana. Jana glanced around to make sure none of her friends had come outside. She wasn't sure what they would think if they saw her talking to Funny Hawthorne.

  "Listen. It's about Laura," Funny said as soon as Jana got to her. "Don't worry about her. I know you and your friends don't like her. I also know she comes off a little snotty sometimes, but she's really okay. She has a tough time at home with just her dad. He makes her do everything. You know, cook, clean, stuff like that. She says he's never heard of women's liberation. We are always telling her how we'd like to trade places with her and not have a mother hassling us all the time, but she says it's really the pits."

  Jana felt as if Funny had read her mind and knew that she and her friends had just been talking about Laura.

  "Sure . . . well, okay," Jana floundered. "See you later."

  "Okay, but think about what I said about trying for seventh-grade coeditors of the yearbook and call me," Funny insisted. "Here's my number. I wrote it down for vou."

  What am I getting myself into? Jana wondered as she stuffed Funny's phone number into her pocket and headed across the school ground to look for Beth. Was Funny telling the truth about Laura or just making excuses? After all that Jana had heard about Laura, it was hard to imagine that she needed sympathy for living alone with her father and getting to do practically anything she wanted. She was used to having things her way—at home, with her club, at Riverfield school, and now she was trying to take control at Wakeman Junior High. Not only that, wouldn't Laura be mad at Funny for being friends with Jana the same as Jana's friends would be mad at her?

  Just then Jana spotted Beth. She was all alone and she was standing in their special spot gazing out through the chain link fence. Jana stopped. She wanted to run up to Beth and start talking to her and make her understand that whatever the problem was, her best friend was ready to listen. Still, she didn't want to blow it, so she hesitated, stopping a little distance away to plan her next move. Beth hadn't noticed her yet, and as Jana got closer she could see wet streaks on her cheek.

  "She's crying," Jana whispered to herself. Beth was leaning against the fence and sobbing softly. In one hand was the same small bead bracelet that Jana had seen her holding the day before.

  "Beth, what's wrong?" Jana cried, rushing forward. "You can tell me. Honest, you can."

  Startled, Beth turned toward Jana, dropping the beads on the ground. The surprise that registered in her eyes for an instant changed to anger.

  "Go away!" she shouted. "Just mind your own business and leave me alone!" In one quick motion she scooped up the fallen bracelet and spun away, turning her back on her best friend.

  Jana rocked backwards onto her heels as if she had been hit by a tidal wave. She stared at Beth's back, trying to comprehend her words. Go away. Mind your own business. Leave me alone. It was clear that their friendship was over.

  So, Jana thought, if that's how she wants it, it's all right with me. If she thinks she's too good for her old friends, that's her problem. She stiffened, raised her chin defiantly, and called back, "Okay. Have it your way. I'll leave you alone—FOREVER!"

  Then she stomped off in the direction from which she had come, praying silently that Beth had not noticed that there were tears on her cheeks, too.

  CHAPTER 8

  Jana tried to force herself not to think about Beth all through her afternoon classes. She knew that once she allowed the memory back into her mind, the pain would be almost too much to bear. But she could not keep pictures of Beth—clowning, talking, being a friend—from flashing into her thoughts. Each time that happened she made herself concentrate on Funny. Silly, crazy, funny Funny. How super to have a friend like that, one who could make you smile instead of feel like crying, she reminded herself over and over again.

  Funny was waiting for Jana in the hall after algebra, and as usual, she was smiling. "Let's walk to history together," she said as she fell in step.

  "Sure." Jana returned the smile. Up ahead she could see someone who looked like Beth moving in the same direction as they were going. At least the hair was the same as Beth's. Jana was glad to have someone to talk to, something else to think about.

  "Did you ever see so many gorgeous guys under one roof in your entire life?" asked Funny as they stopped outside the door to their history class. "I mean, Copper Beach has a few cute boys, but you girls from Mark Twain Elementary don't know how lucky you are. Your class is filled with hunks!"

  "You think we're lucky," Jana countered. "Riverfield guys aren't so bad, either. I've seen Shane Arrington. Talk about a hunk!"

  Funny giggled. "I'm tired of all those boys. I've known most of them since first grade. Besides, I like your hunks better."

  "So which ones did you have in mind?"

  "Well . . . there's one named Randy something-or-other that knocks me out. He's got dark, wavy hair—"

  "Whoa!" cried Jana. "He's not only taken, he's mine." She smiled and said the words in a teasing way, but she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy, just the same. "Who else do you have your eye on?"

  Funny laughed in her usual good-natured way. "Don't worry. I won't go after your boyfriend." Then she gazed off in the distance for an instant as if visualizing one good-looking boy after another and then said, "We-e-e-e-ell, there's a really cute guy named Scott and a gorgeous blonde named Keith. Are they taken, too?"

  Jana nodded. "By two of my best friends. Scott is Melanie's boyfriend and Keith is Beth's."

  At the mention of Beth, Jana felt a catch in her throat. She had momentarily forgotten about the awful scene at the fence, but Funny was smiling so brightly that she was able to push the memory out of her mind again.


  "I promise not to go after Randy," Funny teased, "but I'm not so sure about the other two. Maybe you'd better fill me in on Melanie and Beth so I can analyze my competition."

  "Sorry," said Jana. "My lips are sealed."

  "Oh, come on. Surely you can tell me one or two juicy little tidbits." Funny's eyes were twinkling and she was rubbing her hands together in delicious anticipation. "Nothing major, of course. Just something itsy-bitsy that I can use against them."

  I love this, Jana thought. It's so much fun to joke with Funny. Aloud, she said, "Nope. You could tickle me with a thousand feathers, and I wouldn't breathe a word. You could . . ."

  Suddenly Jana's face froze in the middle of a smile. She had the creepy feeling that someone was looking at her. Glancing around quickly, she found herself staring straight into Katie Shannon's eyes. Beside her stood Christie, and she was looking at Jana, too. Neither of them was smiling, and Jana knew instantly why. It was because she was talking to Funny. After all, Funny was one of The Fantastic Foursome, one of Laura's followers. The enemy.

  Jana shrugged and gave them an apologetic smile as she ducked into the classroom. "Come on, Funny, we'll have to talk later," she mumbled. "We'd better go in now. It's almost time for the bell."

  Once she slid into her seat, Jana glanced back at the door. She couldn't see Christie and Katie anymore. She was glad. Part of her felt guilty for talking to Funny and for enjoying it so much, but another part of her was angry. It was obvious what they had been thinking, but they had misunderstood. Funny was a super person, nothing like Laura McCall. How could they be so blind?

  Jana sighed. She couldn't remember when she had felt so depressed. During lunch period she had lost her best friend for no reason at all except that she had wanted to help. Now two of her other friends were being unreasonable because she was talking to someone else. But Jana didn't realize just how unreasonable until she went to her locker after school and found Christie, Katie, and Melanie waiting for her.