"Truth or Dare - Pfeffer, Susan Beth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pfeffer Susan Beth)

"Jessica's really nice," I said to Libby as we started walking out of the cafeteria.
"I like her," Libby said. "Not everybody does, but I do."
"What don't people like about her?" I asked.
'Til tell you after school," she said. "I don't think it's right to talk about somebody in school, do you?"
I'd never given it any thought. "You're right," I said. "Somebody might overhear."
"Exactly," Libby said. "You live kind of near me anyway, don't you?"
"Mulberry Street," I said.
"I'm on Oak," she said. "We can walk home together, like we used to."
"Fine," I said, although I would rather have walked home with Jessica. Not that she asked me. Not that I even knew where Jessica lived. Libby would just have to do.
The rest of the school day passed pretty quickly. In social studies Jessica noticed that I was sitting next to her, and she smiled at me and said hi. I noticed that Amy and Michelle were both in my gym class, so when we picked teams, I made sure to be on theirs, and we played soccer together. Libby was in my science class and even though we didn't sit near each other, she passed a note over to me that said, "Meet me after school." All of which made junior high a lot nicer than it had been the day before.
Even so, I was impatient for the school day to end, so Libby and I could talk. I had study hall last period, and I thought it would never end. I pretended to do my math homework, and I tried looking at my social studies textbook, but mostly I doodled and thought about how I'd made these four terrific friends in just one day. I decided I'd write to Francie just as soon as I got home to let her know. I thought about calling Mary Kay to tell her, but I thought that might make her feel bad. If she didn't have to go to St. Theresa's then she'd be in the junior high with me making the same terrific friends. I'd tell Mary Kay, but only when I was sure she'd made new friends too.
Eventually the school bell rang, and we all jumped up and ran to our lockers to get our stuff. I had no trouble spotting Libby outside and we started walking home together like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Jessica and Amy and Michelle said they were going to Comptons," Libby declared, as we started our walk. "Michelle said she heard that all the cutest boys hang out there, and Amy said she heard they made the best ice-cream cones there, so they figured they'd try it."
"My brother Mark used to get stuff there
when he was in junior high," I said. "He said Mrs. Compton was really mean to the kids."
"She sure is," Libby said. "I went there once with my friend Megan, and Mrs. Compton practically kicked us out for no reason."
"I'd like to try her ice cream though," I said. "I love ice cream."
"The ice cream is wonderful," Libby said.
"Well, if it has good food and cute boys then both Amy and Michelle will be happy," I said. "I guess Mrs. Compton won't be too bad then."
"She'll probably like Jessica," Libby said. "Some kids think Jessica is stuck up, but grown-ups always like Jessica. Mom says that's because Jessica has really great manners."
"Good manners are important," I said. I vaguely remembered my mother screaming that at us once.
"Sure they are," Libby said. "They make grown-ups like you."
"That's important too," I said. And then all of a sudden I realized what Libby had said. Her mother knew Jessica. Libby must know her really well then. I could ask her all kinds of things about Jessica. "How do
you think Jessica got her great manners?" I asked for starters.
"My mom says Jessica's mom has lovely manners and that's why Jessica has them," Libby replied. "Their house is always spotless too."
I'd never seen a spotless house, but I could imagine what one looked like. It seemed right that Jessica lived in a spotless house and had a mother with great manners.
"Is she rich?" I asked. "She acts like she's rich."
"I guess so," Libby said. "Jessica's father is a big doctor in New York. He has lots of famous patients."
"Wow," I said. "I bet that's why their house is so spotless. Doctors are used to having things really clean."
"My father's a doctor too," Libby said. "But he doesn't mind a little clutter. He says he likes it."
A little clutter was almost as exciting to me as spotless. My mother says if you live in a house with less than two closets per person you should expect a total mess. There are six of us and six closets and a total mess.
"Is that how you know Jessica?" I asked. "Because your fathers are both doctors?"
Libby laughed. "Just the opposite," she said. "My mom and Jessica's went to college together. They ran into each other years ago, and they've been friends ever since. They were always bringing us over to play with each other."
"So she's your best friend?" I asked.
"No," Libby said. "I don't really have a best friend right now."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Well, I was good friends with Megan Jones, but we started fighting all the time last year," Libby said. "We used to like to do all the same stuff, but then all of a sudden she liked video games and I didn't like them that much, and we'd fight about what we should do. I'd want to go to the movies, and she'd want to go to the arcade, and it wasn't fun anymore."
"I had two best friends," I said. "But one of them moved last year and the other one is going to St. Theresa's now."
"It's rough," Libby said. "When you have a best friend you can count on her to do all the fun stuff with. And she's someone to talk to about the important stuff."
"And study with," I said, thinking about how often Francie and Mary Kay and I had studied for tests together. "And have sleep-overs with and giggle with." - "Mom says I'll be making new friends
this year," Libby said. "She. says it's perfectly normal to make new friends as you get older. Especially in junior high."
"My brother Mark said the same thing," I said.
"Jessica's been really nice about letting me hang out with her and Amy and Michelle," Libby continued. "But they're her friends, you know. That's why I was glad you joined us at lunch."
"I was glad you made room for me," I replied. "It's like we're old friends and new friends at the same time."
"I like that," Libby said, and smiled at me.
I smiled back. Old friends and new friends and new old friends. With Jessica as my best friend, everything would turn out just fine.
Chapter 3
The next day at lunchtime, I stood in the cafeteria, holding my tray, hoping someone at Jessica's table would notice me and invite me over. Sure enough, Libby spotted me and waved. I would have preferred it if Jessica had seen me, but I was willing to settle for Libby. At least it was a start.
"Hi, everyone," I said, feeling kind of shy. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," Jessica said. "There's an extra chair here just for you, Cathy." She smiled brightly at me.