Girls Don't Have Cooties by Nancy E. Krulik Read Free Book Online

Chapter 1
    “Here comes Jeremy,” Suzanne Lock said. She looked out across the school playground. She quickly handed her best friend Katie Carew an envelope. “Put this in your backpack, fast!”
    Katie looked at the envelope curiously. “What’s the big secret?” she asked.
    “It’s an invitation to a party, this Saturday, at my house,” Suzanne quickly explained.
    “Oh,” Katie answered. “So why do I have to hide it from Jeremy? Just give him his invitation too.”
    Suzanne shook her head. “Jeremy’s not invited. No boys are. It’s just for the girls in our class.”
    Katie was shocked. “You mean you’re only asking half of our friends to your party? You can’t do that. We’ve been friends with Jeremy forever.”
    Suzanne shook her head. “Jeremy’s your best friend, Katie, not mine,” she insisted. “I only hang out with him when you’re around.”
    Katie couldn’t argue with that. It was true. Jeremy Fox and Suzanne were both Katie’s best friends. The two of them got along okay when they were with Katie. But Jeremy and Suzanne didn’t always like each other.
    “What kind of party is it?” Katie asked.
    “A sleepover!” Suzanne told her excitedly. “I’m going to rent some movies. We’ll do each other’s hair and play games. My mom even said we can put on makeup—if we wash it off before we go to sleep.” Suzanne flashed Katie a secret smile. “Of course, we’re not going to sleep at all. Who sleeps at a sleepover?”
    Katie shrugged. She didn’t know how to answer that. She’d never been to a sleepover party before.
    “So, will you come?” Suzanne asked her.
    Katie nodded. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”
    “Hey you guys! What’s up?” Jeremy asked as he walked over to where Suzanne and Katie were standing.
    Katie quickly stuffed her invitation into her backpack. “Um, nothing ,” Katie murmured.

    She suddenly felt a little guilty about Suzanne’s all-girl party—even though she wasn’t the one who was throwing it.
    “I gotta go,” Suzanne said quickly. “I need to talk to Mandy and Miriam about something important.” She winked at Katie. Katie looked away.
    Jeremy laughed as Suzanne walked off. “Suzanne’s so funny,” he said.
    “Why?” Katie asked.
    “She’s always got something important to tell someone,” he said. “Doesn’t she ever have nothing to say?”
    Katie giggled. “Not Suzanne. Even if she did, she’d make a big deal about how she had nothing to say.”
    Jeremy nodded. Then he changed the subject. “My parents are taking me to the Magic Lamp Amusement Park on Saturday night. We’re going to check out that new Lightning Bolt roller coaster. They said I could bring a friend. Wanna come?”
    Katie’s eyes flashed. The Lightning Bolt was supposed to be an amazing roller coaster. The TV commercials said it has three loops and goes really fast!
    “Wow! The Lightning Bolt would be a great one to add to my list!” she exclaimed. Katie was trying to go on at least fifty roller coasters before she became a grown-up. So far she’d been on seven different ones.
    “That’s what I thought,” Jeremy told her.
    “I would love to go ...” Katie began. Then she remembered Suzanne’s party. “Except I can’t go Saturday night,” she finished sadly.
    “How come?” Jeremy asked her.
    “Well ... um ... I ...er ...” Katie stammered nervously. “I kind of promised to hang out with Suzanne on Saturday night,” she said finally.
    That was the truth. Jeremy didn’t have to know about the all-girl party.
    Jeremy thought about that for a minute. “I guess I can bring two friends.”
    Katie gulped. She really didn’t want to have to tell Jeremy about Suzanne’s party. It would only hurt his feelings.
    “Suzanne doesn’t like roller coasters much,” Katie said quickly.
    “That’s okay. Neither does my mom. They could go on the bumper cars while we’re on the Lightning Bolt.”
    Katie sighed. “Well ... see ... Suzanne and I sort of have