Because of Anya by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Author:Margaret Peterson Haddix [Haddix, Margaret Peterson]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781442457782
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 2002-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Nobody laughed. Some people stared—Anya even felt Mrs. Hobson’s eyes lingering on her too long during spelling. Stef Englewood and her little gang kept whispering together, and turning around and looking, then whispering some more.

Anya spent as much time as possible during recess hiding out in the bathroom so no one would try to talk to her.

Then it was time for gym.

Anya walked down the hall on shaking legs. This was worse than going to the dentist, worse than going to the doctor to get a shot, worse than that time back in third grade when she’d had to stand up in front of the whole class and give a five-minute speech. It seemed just plain wrong to keep going forward when she knew that what waited for her in the gym might be her worst nightmare.

“Hello, fourth grade,” Mrs. Vance boomed as soon as Anya’s class stepped into the room. “Ready for some fun?”

Mrs. Vance was the kind of gym teacher who must have hated school when she was a kid herself. She acted like everyone ought to be really grateful to her because phys ed had to be the only enjoyable part of the school day.

“I know you all spent your whole Christmas break wishing and wishing for school to start again so we could get going on the gymnastics unit,” Mrs. Vance said. “Well, the moment you’ve been longing for is finally here!”

She started dividing them up into groups. Anya was hoping for the balance beam, but Mrs. Vance sent Yolanda, Leah, Sammy, and Ryan in that direction. Anya waited, her heart sinking further with every assignment Mrs. Vance doled out.

When just six kids were left, Mrs. Vance announced, “Okay, the rest of you can go practice front and back rolls and cartwheels on those mats over there. We’ll rotate you onto the other equipment as soon as possible.”

Anya was one of the six kids.

So was Stef Englewood.

Anya stood as far back in the group as possible while Tyler showed off a dramatically flawed cartwheel.

“Don’t you know you’re supposed to keep your legs straight?” Stef said. She did a cartwheel of her own, smooth and polished. “I’ve been taking gymnastics since I was three. This is so easy.”

Anya didn’t pay attention to how straight Stef kept her legs. Anya was too busy watching the way Stef’s hair floated around her head—bouncing, then flattening with Stef’s leap, flowing toward the ground when she was upside down, settling lightly on her shoulders when she was done.

“All right, Anya, let’s see yours,” Mrs. Vance said, coming up behind their group.

“M-me?” Anya said.

“Unless you’ve changed your name,” Mrs. Vance said. “See anyone else around here named Anya?”

Anya stepped up to the mat. Why hadn’t she gotten Mom to write a note to get her out of gym?

She knew why. If Mom had written a note, she would have had to explain why Anya couldn’t do cartwheels or headstands. She would have had to tell Mrs. Vance or Mrs. Hobson or the principal or someone that Anya had lost her hair and was wearing a wig.

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