Sophie Under Pressure Read Online Free PDF

a big jar of a very orange-looking liquid, some plastic cups, and individual bags of pretzels into a basket that was attached to a rope on a crank handle. Sophie knew that was for transporting stuff up to the tree house. She’d been up there several times before — just not for business this important.
    Sophie leaned over the railing to watch her. The lady had perfectly curled hair down to her shoulders and teeth as white as Tic Tacs.
    â€œIs she part of our ground crew?” Sophie whispered to Fiona.
    â€œShe can be,” Fiona said. “Actually, she’s the new nanny. Her name’s Kateesha.”
    â€œShe doesn’t look like she has any bruises yet,” Maggie said.
    Kitty stroked her own hair dreamily. “She looks like Halle Berry. I wish I looked like that.”
    Maggie shook her head. “You’ll never look like that. You’re Caucasian.”
    â€œBut you’re just as pretty,” Sophie put in quickly. It wouldn’t be good to start off with Kitty in tears.
    Boppa had built lockers against the railings that had lids on hinges so the girls could put stuff in them, and Sophie put her backpack in hers. She was already pretending it was a spaceship compartment. The basket arrived through the ladder hole and Fiona said, “We should eat first. We’re going to need sustenance if we want our minds to be sharp.”
    â€œDefine ‘sustenance,’ ” Kitty said.
    â€œFood,” Maggie told her. “I don’t know why she couldn’t just say that.”
    â€œBecause ‘sustenance’ sounds more scientific,” Fiona said.
    Sophie was already pouring the orange stuff into cups. A few grainy things floated to the top of each one.
    â€œWhat is it?” Maggie said as she stared into hers.
    â€œIt’s the Tang I was telling you about,” Kitty said proudly. “It comes in this powder stuff and you mix it with water.”
    â€œSomebody didn’t mix it up enough,” Maggie said.
    Fiona drained hers and pulled the Treasures Book out from under her arm. “Captain,” she said to Sophie, “do I have your permission to present information?”
    â€œYes,” Sophie said. “But please call me Stella. Stella Stratos.”
    â€œI haven’t thought of a name yet,” Kitty said. Her voice was starting to wind up.
    â€œThat can wait,” Fiona said.
    â€œI thought Sophie was captain,” Maggie said.
    Sophie pointed at the book. “Let’s see your information.”
    It would be advantageous for us to get this going , Stella thought, or I’m going to have a mutiny on my hands.
    Fiona produced some pages that she had printed off the Internet. Like about twenty. Fiona never did anything halfway.
    â€œYour report please, crew member,” Sophie said to her.
    Fiona cleared her throat, very scientifically, Sophie thought — and pointed to a paragraph. “We would actually be called an expedition crew. We’re building an international space station that will weigh a million pounds when it’s done and there’ll be six laboratories in it for research.”
    â€œDo the stations have names?” Sophie said.
    Fiona frowned importantly over the page. “One’s Destiny. They call one Leonardo.”
    Kitty squealed. “Let’s call ours that!”
    â€œWe’re going to need to get to know the station before we name it,” Sophie said.
    â€œLike a puppy?” Maggie said.
    â€œIs this a picture of it?” Sophie pointed to a long narrow shiny vehicle that had two enormous flat wings above it and so many robot-like arms she expected it to come alive right on the page. Her heart actually started to race. Yeah, this had more dreaming tucked into it than anything she had ever thought up before.
    â€œWe’re gonna build that?” Maggie said. She pulled her chin back into her neck.
    â€œSomething like it,” Sophie