Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson Read Free Book Online Page A

said.
    â€œHmmm,” I said.
    â€œKeena Ford.” Mom bent her eyebrows together so that they were almost touching in the middle of her forehead. “Do I look like I want to make a deal with you? Please just behave yourself. It is the right thing to do, and I will be very proud of you. Be a big girl.”
    â€œI will be very good, Mommy. I promise,” I said. Mom gave me a squeeze and knocked on the door.
    Tiffany’s mom opened the door. Tiffany was standing right behind her. Right away I could smell roses, because it always smells like roses in Tiffany’s apartment. Tiffany’s mom burns smelly candles all the time that are supposed to smell good but really they just make you sneeze and wish you could go outside.
    â€œThanks again, Sylvia,” Mom told Mrs. Harris.
    â€œIt’s no problem, Nikki,” Tiffany’s mom said. “I just feel awful for you. I hope Brian can fix his behavior before it’s too late.” She shook her head sadly.
    I looked at Mom. I felt worried. I didn’t know what Tiffany’s mom meant, but she made it sound like something bad was going to happen to Brian.
    â€œOh, I don’t think it’s as bad as all that,” Mom said to Mrs. Harris. “Brian just needs to learn to stop being a clown at school.”
    â€œOh, I am sure you are right,” Mrs. Harris said. She kind of laughed. “Don’t mind me. I was just watching this television program about this nice family whose son was in jail. It was the saddest thing. And he first started getting into trouble in middle school. But I’m sure that won’t happen with Brian.”
    â€œMmm-hmmm, well, I should be home by five, Sylvia,” Mom said. She said it without really opening her mouth, like her top and bottom teeth were stuck together.
    â€œKeena is going to be here for almost two HOURS?” Tiffany said. She did not sound like she was very excited about having me stay at her house.
    â€œBelieve me, my mom doesn’t like leaving me here any more than you like it,” I told Tiffany. “Right, Mom?” I looked at Mom. She made a laugh sound that also sounded like a coughing sound. Then her face changed colors a little bit.
    â€œEr, I am just sorry to ask for a last-minute favor,” Mom said to Mrs. Harris. “So thank you. See you at five,” she added, then she kissed me on the top of my head and left me standing there with Mrs. Harris.
    â€œWell, come on in, Keena,” Mrs. Harris said. “You poor dear.”
    At first I had no idea why Mrs. Harris called me “poor dear,” but then I decided that she probably did not think it was much fun playing with Tiffany either.
    â€œAh-choo! Ah-choo! Ah-choo!” I said.
    â€œOh dear, you have a cold?” Mrs. Harris looked at me like I was poisonous, or a bomb. “Your mom didn’t tell me you were sick.”
    â€œI’m not sick,” I told her. “I think I’m just allergic to your smelly candles.”
    Mrs. Harris frowned at me. Then she said, “You girls can go to Tiffany’s room. Please do your homework. Then Tiffany must do her workbook pages. Then you can play.”
    â€œAh-choo!” I said again.
    Tiffany and I started walking to her room. “Your brother MUST have been very bad if your mom had to go to a meeting at the school,” Tiffany said like she knows everything. Tiffany always talks like she knows everything. “I thought you were the only bad kid in your family.”
    I opened my mouth to call Tiffany a mean name, but then I remembered that I had promised to be very good. So I just said “Mmm-hmm” with my mouth closed, the same way Mom had said it to Mrs. Harris.
Then I didn’t talk to Tiffany the whole time we did our homework. I decided that I was not going to say one more word to Tiffany until my mom came back to get me.
    My teacher Ms. Campbell just said that writing time is over, so I will