Alison stacked the books on her desk.
âBut sheâs so famous!â I said.
Maizie growled. I wondered if it was true that she tried to bite reporters who asked too many questions.
âIt doesnât matter that sheâs famous,â Alison said. âWhen sheâs home sheâs Mom. The other stuff is just her work. It has nothing to do with me.â
âYou sound so well adjusted,â Rachel said. âKids of stars arenât supposed to be well adjusted. Theyâre supposed to be neurotic.â
âI canât help it if Iâm not. Now could we please change the subject?â
I looked at Rachel. All three of us were quietfor a minute. Then I said, âWhen you were little and you lived in France did you eat frogsâ legs?â
Alison laughed. âEven when we change the subject youâre still asking questions!â
âStephanie likes to know everything about her friends,â Rachel said, linking her arm through mine. âItâs a sign that she cares.â
Left Wing
The window in the second floor girlsâ room at school looks down on the playing field. I discovered this on Monday at the end of lunch period when I happened to look out that window. The soccer team was at practice. And who should be playing but Jeremy Dragon! I ran down to the cafeteria to tell Rachel and Alison. Then the three of us raced back up to the girlsâ room.
âHe plays left wing!â Alison said.
âWhat does that mean?â I asked.
âThatâs his position,â Alison said. âLook â¦Â heâs trying for a goal!â
We held our breath. But he missed.
Since then we donât waste a lot of time in the cafeteria. As soon as we finish eating we comeup to the girlsâ room and spend the rest of lunch period looking out the window. Jeremy Dragon has hairy legs. Rachel says that means heâs experienced.
âExperienced how?â I asked.
âExperienced sexually,â Rachel said.
âReally?â I asked. âHow do you know that?â
âI read it,â Rachel said.
âHow far do you think heâs gone?â Alison asked.
âFar,â Rachel said.
âAll the way?â Alison asked.
âPossibly,â Rachel said.
âJust because he has hair on his legs?â I asked.
âThat and other things,â Rachel said.
âLike what?â
âI think what Rachel means,â Alison said to me, âis that his body is very mature.â
âWell, so is Rachelâs,â I said. âShe has breasts and she gets her period.â
âReally?â Alison said to Rachel. âYou get your period?â
âYes,â Rachel said. âIâve had it since fifth grade.â
âI havenât had mine yet,â Alison said.
âNeither has Steph,â Rachel said.
âAnd thatâs the whole point,â I told her.
âYour
body is developed and you donât have any experience. You havenât even kissed a boy.â
âJeremy Dragon is in ninth grade,â Rachel said. âI certainly expect to have kissed a boy by the time Iâm in ninth grade.â
âIâve already kissed two boys,â Alison said.
Rachel and I looked at her. âReal kisses?â I asked.
âYes.â
âWhen did this happen?â Rachel asked.
âLast year. I kissed one at the beach and the other in the courtyard at school.â
âHow old were these boys?â Rachel asked.
âMy age. Sixth grade.â
âKissing a sixth grade boy isnât the same as kissing someone like Jeremy Dragon,â Rachel said. âKissing Jeremy Dragon would be a whole different story.â
Alison looked out the window. After a minute she said, âI see what you mean.â
Mr. Kravitz
Mr. Kravitz, the exterminator, came to our house in a white truck that had K RAVITZâSINCE 1967 printed in small letters on the door. He wore a