Going Wild Read Online Free PDF Page A

by telling her to stop—she was stuck with her for the rest of the day. Charlie had known people like Kelly at her old school, and she’d steered clear. But she couldn’t do that now. Kelly was all she had.
    With a sinking feeling she started to realize that if Kelly gossiped about other people to her, a complete stranger, she would probably do the same about Charlie. That made Charlie want to be very careful about how she acted. Yet Kelly continued to be outwardly charming to almost everyone, and they all seemed to like her. Maybe they were all too scared to act any other way.
    â€œSo who’s your best friend?” Charlie asked, thinking the best way to get through the rest of the day was to be the one asking the questions. “Was she there at lunch?”
    Kelly’s face clouded. “Oh, you know,” she said. “I think having a best friend is kind of babyish, really. Don’t you?” She waved to a group of boys walking down the hall the other way, and they all waved or lifted their heads or smiled in acknowledgment.
    â€œHmm.” Charlie nodded thoughtfully, but totally disagreed. Having Amari as a best friend was not babyish at all. Maybe Kellythought that way because she didn’t have one.
    On their way to sixth period, Kelly kept on with her cheery, outgoing personality, while never failing to follow up with casual, sometimes biting remarks about people once they were out of earshot. Charlie was growing tired of it. She almost stopped Kelly several times, but then remembered that if she did something to make Kelly mad, Kelly might just tell the whole school behind her back—and that was just not something Charlie needed to happen on her first day. Charlie began to dread the time between classes almost as much as she dreaded facing another period where she had no idea what was going on. The entire day was overwhelming.
    As Kelly and Charlie walked through the sunny courtyard to the auditorium for sixth-period theater class, a girl with black hair and an athletic build waved. “Three days!” she belted out to Kelly.
    â€œCan’t wait,” said Kelly, with a genuine smile this time. Charlie looked on curiously.
    â€œHiya, Charlie,” the black-haired girl said. “I’m Maria Torres. I’m in your first and second periods, though I’m sure you wouldn’t remember me.” She flashed an infectious grin.
    Charlie felt herself smiling back. “At this point I can’t even remember what my first- and second-period classes are,” she said.
    â€œMath and science,” Maria said with a laugh, and continued walking. “See you around!” she called, and waved at the girls.
    Charlie waited cautiously to see what negative thing Kelly would say about Maria, but the girl was silent.
    â€œWhat’s happening in three days?” Charlie asked.
    â€œSoccer team tryouts,” said Kelly.
    â€œOh, right!” said Charlie, growing excited. “You play soccer? Me too! I’m definitely going to be there.”
    â€œYep,” said Kelly, who didn’t seem nearly as excited. She pushed through the door and narrowed her eyes at Charlie. “Are you any good?”
    Charlie was taken aback, and then she struggled over how to answer. If she said yes, would Kelly think she was bragging? If she said no . . . well, that would be silly. Charlie shrugged and tried to look mysterious.
    Kelly put on her plastic smile again as theater students surrounded her with questions and shoved fabric for costumes in her face. Soon she was swept away, leaving Charlie standing alone, trying like mad to figure out what Kelly’s deal was. But soon Mr. Anderson and his bright-yellow shirt beckoned her backstage and explained what the class was working on to prepare for the big show. He introduced her to Sara, the stage manager, and then assigned her to work with the student props manager, Carmelita, the girl Kelly had talked to in the