"Replica02 - Pursuing Amy - Kaye, Marilyn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kaye Marilyn)

Amy knew Tasha was right. There was an unwritten law at Parkside. That end of the cafeteria was officially off limits to anyone other than ninth-graders. So with more than a little reluctance, Amy walked toward the table where her archenemy, Jeanine Bryant, held court.

"Don't say anything about my new bra size," Tasha whispered as they got closer.

"Good grief, Tasha," Amy said. "Do you really think the whole world is going to be interested in your chest?"

"Well, excuse me," Tasha said. "Maybe it doesn't mean anything to you, but it's a big deal to me."

Amy eyed Tasha's chest. "Not that big a deal."

They both started laughing, and they were still laughing when they reached the table. Jeanine and her friend Linda Riviera looked at them suspiciously.

"Mind if we sit here?" Amy asked. That was the polite thing to say, but to make sure Jeanine didn't think she was asking permission, Amy proceeded to pull out a chair without waiting for a response.

"It's a free country," Jeanine said airily. She turned to Linda. "Did I tell you what happened at gymnastics yesterday?"

Surely she would have told her friend any big news earlier, but Linda picked up on the obvious hint. Clearly Jeanine wanted to brag in front of the newcomers.

"No," Linda said loudly. "What happened?"

"I did a perfect double back flip on the balance beam. Tasha, you were there, did you see me?"

Tasha nodded. "Yeah. It was almost as good as the triple back flip Amy did on the beam last month."

Amy smiled. Best friends always knew the right thing to say.

Jeanine turned her attention to Amy. She gave her a sugary smile, but her eyes flashed dangerously. "It was too bad you had to drop out of gymnastics, Amy. Was it getting to be too much pressure for you?"

"No," Amy said carelessly. "It was too easy. I was getting bored."

"And your mom didn't want you to develop an eating disorder," Tasha reminded her.

"Oh, yeah. Right." That was the excuse she'd given Tasha when she dropped out. She couldn't very well have told her that she had to conceal her identity, that she couldn't become a world-class gymnast and have her face plastered on cereal boxes. It was time to change the subject. "I wonder when the new swimming pool is going to open."

"Pretty soon, I think," Linda said.

"Can you swim, Amy?" Jeanine asked sweetly.

"Of course I can swim," Amy replied.

"I hope we form teams and have real competitions," Jeanine went on. "What's your best stroke?"

"Oh, I do them all pretty well," Amy replied, but her mood was beginning to deteriorate. It depressed her to know that she could always beat Jeanine, at swimming or anything else, but that she wasn't allowed to prove it. What could she safely brag about right now?

"I got the cutest sweater yesterday at the mall," she announced. "Red, with a hood."

"It's just like the one on the cover of Seventeen" Tasha added in support.

"That's nice," Jeanine said, and addressed Linda. "We have to go to the mall this week. My mother says I can use her credit card and get a new winter coat."