Riley Read Online Free PDF Page B

class.
    Lindsay and Carly just laughed. “Are you kidding?” Lindsay said. “You’re not going to eat lunch with her , are you?”
    â€œGood way to lose your appetite,” Carly added.
    Kat didn’t answer.
    Instead, she hurried out to find Maya. They were going to Kat’s house for lunch.
    But when she ran up to Maya, her friend looked down at her feet. “I can’t come to your house for lunch today,” Maya said.
    â€œWhy not?” Kat was surprised. Then, worried, she asked, “Are you feeling okay?”
    â€œUmm…” Maya glanced at Kat, and then looked away again. “No, actually, I’m not feeling great. I think it’s better if I go home for lunch.” She began to turn away.
    â€œMaya, do you want me to come with you?” Kat asked.
    â€œUh…no. No thanks, Kat,” Maya called over her shoulder, and she walked away.
    Kat didn’t move for a moment. Her feelings were hurt. She didn’t believe Maya was feeling sick. But why wouldn’t she have lunch with her? It must have something to do with Grace. Was Maya upset about Kat asking Grace to be their friend? Kat hadn’t even decided if she was going to do it!
    Kat could hardly eat her lunch. She was worried about Grace and Maya. Then she was angry at Grace and Maya. At the beginning of the week, she had had one best friend and no new girl in her class. Now she felt like she’d lost her best friend and the new girl hated her.
    It just didn’t seem fair!
    Kat was a little late getting back to school after lunch, so she missed seeing Maya in the line to go inside. Was Maya really sick? Had she stayed home? Or had she come back to school? Kat didn’t know. That made her angry too.
    When she hurried into her own classroom, Ms. Mitchell was asking everyone to sit on the carpet at the front of the class. Kat saw Grace sit right at the outer edge of the carpet. The other students were careful not to sit near her. It was like there was an invisible wall around Grace.
    Kat was angry at her. Things had been better before she came here. But Kat also knew that she was the one who hadn’t been fair. She had to do something. She got up her courage, and she sat on the edge of the carpet too. Not too close to Grace, but close enough.
    â€œWe’re going to discuss temperature,” Ms. Mitchell said, setting out two glasses of water.
    She held up two thermometers. “Could I have two volunteers, please?”
    Ms. Mitchell picked Angela and Ari. She gave them each a thermometer to put in a glass.
    Then she said, “Before we look at the thermometers, which do you think will be higher, the temperature of the cold water or the warm water?”
    That was so easy. Of course the warm water would have a higher temperature than the cold water.

    Kat raised her hand to answer. But Ms. Mitchell called out Grace’s name, even though Grace didn’t have her hand up.
    â€œGrace,” said Ms. Mitchell. “Which do you think will have the higher temperature?”
    Grace flushed. She opened her mouth to answer. Then she closed it.
    It was such an easy question. Why isn’t Grace answering? Kat wondered. Didn’t she hear the question? Why doesn’t she just ask Ms. Mitchell to repeat it?
    Megan snickered. She rolled her eyes, like she thought Grace was stupid.
    â€œGrace?” Ms. Mitchell said again. “What do you think?”
    But Grace said, “I don’t know.” She shrugged like she didn’t care.
    Now some of the other students giggled too. Ms. Mitchell said, “Class…” in a warning tone.
    Kat frowned. Grace must be embarrassed.
    But when she looked over at Grace, she couldn’t believe it. Grace had that mean look on her face! She didn’t look one bit embarrassed. She just looked nasty.
    Kat didn’t know what to think.
    Then suddenly, she remembered what had happened yesterday in the park. Grace had asked if she