Georgia's Greatness by Lauren Baratz-Logsted Read Free Book Online Page B

that when I can just tell you and then you can tell your parents?"
    Mandy's jaw dropped. This, to Mandy, was chaos.
    "Now, do you know what else?" Ms. Harkness asked.
    We couldn't imagine, but we were very eager to learn.
    "Georgia," Ms. Harkness announced, "is going to be Grand Marshal!"
    "Congratulations!" we all cried, and we gathered around Georgia to give her high-fives.
    Georgia looked very proud, as well she might. Then:
    "But what does the Grand Marshal do?" Georgia asked.
    "Why, she walks ahead of everyone else," Ms. Harkness said, "and she carries the biggest flag of all."
    We thought Georgia might faint dead away from the sheer thrill of it all.
    Ms. Harkness clapped her pretty hands once more.
    "Now, everyone get your raincoats on and we can head over to the gymnasium. You can practice your marching and flag-carrying, so you'll all be ready for next Monday's parade."
    "But surely Mrs. McGillicuddy will be back by next Monday," Mandy objected.
    "She might be," Ms. Harkness said. "But then again, she might not."
    "But what if it's still raining next Monday?"
    Mandy could be such a pest.
    "Oh, I'm sure the rain will stop for that one day," Ms. Harkness said.
    And somehow, we were all convinced that even the weather couldn't say no to Serena Harkness.
    ***
    In the gymnasium, we were all very excited to get our flags and our marching assignments. Georgia's flag really was the biggest, and she put the grand in Grand Marshal, marching up ahead of us.
    Almost a minute into the marching, Georgia stopped and turned around.
    "Do you think Ms. Harkness made me Grand Marshal," she said, whispering so our substitute teacher couldn't hear her, "because she thinks I'm special or impressive, like Zinnia said?" She looked worried. "Or is it because of what Rebecca said, that she thinks I'm trouble and if I'm at the head of the line it's easier to keep an eye on me?"
    "Who cares why?" Annie whispered back before Rebecca could whisper anything nasty; Rebecca's mouth had opened. "I think you should just enjoy your moment in the sun."
    So that's what Georgia did. We all did.
    We marched up and down the length of the gym, with Ms. Harkness watching from the sidelines.
    About five minutes into our marching, Ms. Harkness pulled out a cell phone and started talking on it.
    "That's odd," Mandy muttered. "Mrs. McGillicuddy never talks on her phone when she's supposed to be watching us."
    "Well," Rebecca pointed out with a sneer, "it's not as though we can hurt ourselves just marching with flags."
    "I need to go to the bathroom," Georgia suddenly announced. "Here, Zinnia, take this big flag for me. You lead for a bit."
    Before any of us could object, Georgia walked off toward the door that led to the girls' locker room.
    Zinnia was the smallest of us, a full seven inches shorter than Annie. The huge flag nearly toppled her, but she did seem very proud, marching ahead of us.
    We marched on.

    Georgia was gone at least ten minutes. By the time she returned, Ms. Harkness had ended her phone call, told us all that we had earned a break from marching, and announced recess. When Georgia strolled up to us, we were all hanging upside down on the gymnastic equipment.
    "Don't you have to go to the bathroom too?" Georgia said to Mandy.
    "No," Mandy said. "I went before I came to school."
    "That's funny," Georgia said. "Just looking at you, I was very sure that you must have to go."
    A look of horror came over Mandy's face.
    "Oh, no!" she cried. "Suddenly I do!"
    And she ran off toward the girls' locker room.
    "Gather round," Georgia whispered in an urgent voice once Mandy was gone.
    "No," Rebecca said. "It's too much fun hanging upside down."
    "All the blood is rushing to our heads," Marcia observed.
    "And it feels really good," Durinda said. "It beats cooking meals for eight."
    We knew that despite the praise it earned her, Durinda sometimes resented being our cook.
    "Fine," Georgia said, "then I'll just have to talk to you like that. There's not much