It's Not Easy Being Bad by Cynthia Voigt Read Free Book Online

state the obvious. “You hate Rhonda Ransom.”
    Mikey’s shoulders shrugged.
    â€œAnd she hates you.”
    Shrug.
    â€œWhat was it, did you pick out the most popular girls?”
    Shrug, shrug.
    They were silent for a couple of stops until Margalo said, “So now we know about our old friend Ronnie Caselli, and our old friend Tanisha Harris. Linny never liked us, anyway, so she doesn’t count.”
    â€œDon’t feel sorry for me,” Mikey warned her.
    â€œI don’t. You were pretty stupid, if you ask me.”
    â€œI didn’t ask you.”
    â€œWell, you should have.”
    â€œBut you told me you couldn’t come.”
    â€œYou know what I mean, Mikey. But I thought Ronnie was okay, and Tan, too. I really did.” Margalo wasn’t used to being wrong about people.
    â€œWe’re in seventh grade now, remember?” Mikey explained.
    The bus surged, and stopped, unfolded its doors and let people out. Then it pulled in its signs and turned off its lights, and surged along again.
    â€œEspecially Tan,” Margalo said.
    â€œHairballs on all of them, Margalo,” Mikey decided. “They don’t matter. Not to me, anyway. Not anymore.”
    Mikey sounded like she meant what she was saying.
    â€œI mean, I spent the last six weeks trying to pass as normal so I’d be acceptable to these people. I feel likeI had the six-week flu, or went temporarily insane. No, I mean it, now I feel—after this party—like I’ve been let out of a cage. I didn’t even know I was in a cage, Margalo, I didn’t even know I was sick. Boy, do I feel better,” Mikey said.
    If it was a sickness, wanting to be liked, wanting to fit in and mix in, then Margalo had it. But not, she realized, because she wanted to be popular. What she actually wanted was people thinking she was popular, so that it would be easier to be Margalo.
    Most people didn’t want you to be yourself, and now they were trying to get at Mikey because Mikey couldn’t be anything else. But Margalo wouldn’t let them get away with that, and she bet Mikey wouldn’t, either. “What are you going to do now?” she asked.
    â€œThere’s a fifteen-and-under tournament this weekend,” Mikey said. “Five clubs are signed up for it, lots of players, and that means I’ll get lots of matches.”
    â€œ I mean to get even with them,” Margalo said, “and so should you.”
    â€œI already did,” Mikey said, and went back to what interested her. “There’ll be both doubles and singles matches. Probably, I’ll win both. I’m developing a slice serve—you want to come watch?”
    Maybe Mikey didn’t want to think about it, and Margalo could understand that, but she’d find ways to get them, especially Tan and Ronnie, who were at least supposed to not be Mikey’s enemies.
    And Rhonda. It was always fun getting back at Rhonda.
    And that snotty Heather McGinty, her too.
    Margalo was cheering up. This would give her lots to think about, especially if she planned not to get in trouble over it; and that was her plan. A good revenge had to be out in public, like Mikey’s humiliation was, so that everybody would know. Also, a good revenge was one where the revengee knew better than to try to get even back. Also, a good revenge would show people they couldn’t get away with trying that kind of trick on Mikey and Margalo.

5
The Revenge of the Ant People
    I t turned out that Mikey did sometimes take Margalo’s advice. The very next day, Tuesday, Heather McGinty once again had food splatter over her as she waited in the cafeteria line when Mikey, already served, passing by, stumbled, tilted her tray as she tried to keep from losing her balance, and happened to dump her lunch all over Heather.
    â€œOops,” Mikey said.
    On Wednesday, while Heather was carrying her tray over to join her friends at their table,