Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu

Author:Jennifer Mathieu
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Published: 2021-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

Miss Odeen is sitting quietly at her desk, reviewing our compositions, while we’re supposed to be working on some grammar exercises. Normally, I don’t mind Miss Odeen’s grammar work, because she makes an effort to write funny phrases for us to correct, sentences that include mentions of the Beatles and the Supremes and her pet cat, Mr Whiskers.

But today, I can barely focus. Ever since we heard about Johnny’s murder charge the other night, it’s been impossible for any of us to think straight. This morning Mama tried to get me to tell her why I was acting so out of sorts. She’d be even more worried if she knew I cut school yesterday and spent the day with Juanita and Sunny at the park, smoking and talking in circles about Johnny’s murder charge. Juanita and Sunny want to believe that the charges can’t stick. That there isn’t really enough evidence to hold Johnny. After all, the switchblade couldn’t be connected to Johnny for sure, and lots of kids carry blades like that. But we’d read in the paper that some of Preston Fowler’s friends had claimed they’d spotted Johnny and Preston in an argument earlier near the bathroom. It had all been made up, of course. But who was going to believe a bunch of kids from the wrong side of the tracks over tea sippers with daddies in important places?

Diane cut school yesterday, too, but she’d been too upset to join us at the park. The same for Connie, who cut again today.

Diane did drag herself to Eastside High this morning, though, her face pale and her eyes red-rimmed from crying. As I glance at her from my desk in Miss Odeen’s class, my heart sinks. She’s seated next to me and keeps staring straight ahead, her expression bleak. She won’t pick up her pencil to try and complete Miss Odeen’s assignment.

But when I peer back at her again toward the end of class, I find her looking over at me. She looks magazine-pretty as always, her auburn hair pinned back in a ponytail, dressed in one of her many sharp dresses, this one dark blue with tiny mother-of-pearl buttons running down the front. When our eyes meet, she glances down to the floor. Beside her bright white Keds, I spy a folded-up piece of composition paper. She slides it toward me with her right foot, and in one quick and hopefully graceful swoop, my eyes on Miss Odeen, I reach down and grab it.

I unfold it carefully in my lap and peer down. Diane’s script is schoolteacher perfect.

I wish I knew how we could help Johnny. Could you please meet me after school at the tree and we’ll walk home together? I want to come up with something. Please don’t tell the other girls. xoxoxo Diane

I fold the note back up as tight as I can and slip it into my pocket as I nod yes at Diane. She offers me a smile of gratefulness, and her eyes glass over again, but she simply turns her focus forward before she lets tears fall.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.