Dorinda's Secret Read Online Free PDF Page B

the whole thing up about being in a singing group called the Cheetah Girls. I’m sure she must have put that in her reports. She’s always writing things down when she visits.
    â€œUm, okay, lemme see,” I say, trying to be nice to Mrs. Tattle. “I’ll sing you the song that Bubbles wrote.”
    â€œBubbles?” Mrs. Tattle asks, like she’s kinda curious.
    â€œOh, she’s the leader of our group—that’s her nickname. Her real name is Galleria Garibaldi.”
    â€œOh,” Mrs. Tattle says, nodding her head. “That’s an interesting name.”
    â€œUm, yeah, her mother is a fashion designer, and she named Bubbles, um, Galleria, after the mall in Houston,” I say. I start giggling, warming up to Mrs. Tattle because I see her eyes sparkling a little. “Her father is Italian—from Italy—so that’s where she got her last name.”
    â€œYes—Garibaldi was a popular hero in Italy,” Mrs. Tattle says.
    I just keep smiling, because I’m not sure about Italian history. I’d better ask Bubbles before I go blabbing my mouth, so I decide I’d better sing and get it over with. “Um, okay, here’s the song that Bubbles wrote. It’s called, ‘Wanna-be Stars in the Jiggy Jungle.’”
    â€œOh, that’s cute!” Mrs. Tattle says, scribbing stuff down in a folder—which I know is my case file.
    I smile at Twinkie. She loves to join in on the chorus of this song. I clear my throat and start singing the first verse:
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â â€œ
Some people walk with a panther
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
or strike a buffalo stance
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
that makes you wanna dance
.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
Other people flip the script
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
on the day of the jackal
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
that’ll make you cackle
.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
But peeps like me
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
got the Cheetah Girl groove
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
that makes your body move
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
like wanna-be stars in the jiggy jungle
.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
The jiggy jiggy jungle
!
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
The jiggy jiggy jungle
!”
    Sure enough, Twinkie and Topwe join in for the chorus and the B verse, making a whole lot of noise—but at least it’s fun:
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â â€œ
So don’t make me bungle
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
my chance to rise for the prize
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
and show you who we are
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
in the jiggy jiggy jungle
!
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
The jiggy jiggy jungle
!”
    Mrs. Tattle starts clapping enthusiastically. I’m so glad that I made her feel better. That’s what I love most about singing—seeing how happy it makes people.
    â€œWhere
is
the jiggy jungle?” Mrs. Tattle asks me. I can tell she really is interested now.
    â€œBubbles says it’s this magical, cheetah-licious place inside of every dangerous, scary, crowded city, where dreams come true—oh, and where every cheetah has its day.” I get embarrassed, because I suddenly realize maybe Mrs. Tattle thinks the whole thing is kinda cuckoo.
    But instead, she looks at me with tiny tears forming in her eyes. “I’m so glad you found a friend like Bubbles,” Mrs. Tattle says softly. Then she adds hesitantly, “I remember reading in the reports that you had trouble connecting with other kids.”
    That makes me embarrassed. I didn’t know one of the caseworkers put that in their report! They are so
nosy
!
    Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mrs. Bosco nodding her head. “Yes, that’s right. Dorinda has really changed a lot, now that she is in this group with the Cheetah Girls.”
    â€œThis is really great, Dorinda,” Mrs. Tattle exclaims.
    I guess