Fabulous Five 019 - The Boys-Only Club Read Online Free PDF Page A

She had collected only three
signatures all afternoon. What was wrong with these girls? Couldn't they see
how much discrimination there was against women in the world?
     
    "So you're collecting signatures on another petition."
    Katie hadn't noticed that Laura McCall had been listening to
her conversation with Alexis and Mandy. Tammy Lucero, Funny Hawthorne, and
Melissa McConnell were with her.
    "What great crusade are The Fabulous Five working on
now?" Laura asked with a haughty smirk.
    Katie narrowed her eyes at the group of girls. Laura wore
her long blond hair in a braid that started at the top of her head and came
down over her left shoulder. She had a habit of twitching the end of the braid
like a cat twitching its tail.
    Tammy Lucero was small and dark-haired and had enormous
brown eyes. She was the biggest gossip in Wakeman Junior High.
    Melissa McConnell was blond and stuck-up and very
meticulous. She was also a brain.
    Funny Hawthorne had long, wavy brunette hair and wide blue
eyes. She was more friendly than the others and had a bubbly personality. She
and Jana had even become good friends, and seventh-grade coeditors on the
yearbook, The Wigwam.
    The girls had surrounded Katie, and she was immediately on
the defensive. "It's something that every girl should be concerned about,"
said Katie, sticking out her chin defiantly. She expected to be ridiculed by
The Fantastic Foursome, no matter what she did.
    "Can I see the petition?" asked Laura, twitching
her braid. Katie reluctantly gave her the petition.
    "The Fabulous Five are always trying to be big deals
and change everything," said Melissa, her nose stuck in the air. "You
think you're something."
    Laura put her hand out to quiet her. "I'll sign this,"
she said, digging a pen out of her purse. Both Tammy's and Funny's mouths
dropped open, and Melissa looked as if she had just been sabotaged.
    Katie was at a loss for words, too, as Laura scribbled her
name on the petition and then shoved it at Melissa for her signature.
    As the rest of The Fantastic Foursome took turns signing,
Laura said, "This is one idea you've come up with that I agree with,
Katie. I'm like you, I can't understand those other girls wanting to let boys
run over them. A class at Wakeman on women's rights would be a great thing. In
fact, it should be mandatory for girls."
    Katie blinked in amazement. It was the first nice thing
Laura McCall had ever said about one of The Fabulous Five. But maybe Laura did understand. She lived with her father, who was supposed to be a swinging
bachelor. Katie had heard rumors that Laura had to take care of the house for
him. "I'm glad you think so," Katie said cautiously.
    "I heard about the boys-only computer game club some of
the guys have started," Funny said. "A lot of boys are joining. I
guess Kevin Walker-Noles has a humongous family room downstairs, and other guys
are going to bring their computers over."
    Laura looked at Funny thoughtfully and then back at Katie. "You
know, it would be kind of nice if someone would start a club for girls. That
would show them we're as good as they are."
    "Yes, it would," Katie agreed.
    "It's kind of hard to do something like that on a
school night, but maybe Saturday night would be a good time."
    "Saturday night?" asked Katie. "I don't know
if you'd get any girls to come. You heard them talking in the locker room about
wanting to be with boys. Alexis Duvall said she'd do anything for a date with
Bill Soliday. With the boys playing computer games on Friday, the girls wouldn't
give up Saturday night and not have any dates on the weekend."
    "You're thinking like those other girls now," said
Laura, "and that's exactly my point. If the boys don't mind giving up one
of the weekend nights, why should the girls? We've got to show them we're
just as unconcerned about dating as they are. Otherwise they'll know they've
got us wrapped around their little fingers."
    It seemed strange to hear Laura say "we" when she
was talking about her