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

she moved in without hesitation. Rhonda was winding her hair around a fingerand smiling up into his face, flirting, being flirted with, and knowing that everybody who saw her was jealous.
    Margalo approached from the direction Rhonda was facing, a big fake smile on her fake friendly face. “Hey, Barbie,” Margalo greeted her.
    Rhonda’s cheeks turned pink with anger. “That’s not my name and you know it!”
    â€œAnd I see you brought Ken to school with you today,” Margalo said, passing them by.
    She heard laughter spreading around, the way ripples of water circle out when you drop a penny into a wishing well. She pretended not to notice.
    Ken—or whatever his name was—backed off from Rhonda like she’d tried to kiss him or something, and she tossed her head of big hair before she flounced off to join her formerly jealous friends.
    Margalo joined Mikey at the table.
    â€œI’m saving my coleslaw for Heather,” Mikey told her.
    â€œYou ought to eat the coleslaw and give the hot dog to Heather,” Margalo advised.
    â€œI like hot dogs,” Mikey protested. “Even boiled, like this, as long as there’s mustard and onion—”
    Margalo shrugged. You never could tell Mikey anything.
    â€œWhat about Linny?” Mikey asked.
    As soon as the question was asked, Margalo had the answer. “Linny’s my new best friend.”
    First Mikey’s face pinched with anger. Then she got it and “She should be mine,” Mikey said.
    â€œWhy? It’s my idea.”
    â€œBecause I’m the one she’ll hate having around the most. You could turn out to be okay, but I’m permanently out of it.” As Margalo opened her mouth to say, So what? Mikey pointed out, “It’s your own fault for being well-dressed,” and then added, “You know I’m right.”
    Margalo shrugged. That day she was wearing a red-and-white-striped sweater over a calf-length black skirt, and she thought her shrug must make her look even more French.
    Mikey didn’t notice that. “You really know how to get people where it hurts, Margalo,” she said, admiringly. “You really understand people.”
    â€œYou could, too,” Margalo told her friend.
    â€œMaybe, but it would take too much time. And most people aren’t worth the trouble. Except for you,” Mikey said. “I understand you .”
    â€œWhat makes you so sure about that?”
    â€œYou’re like Machiavelli,” Mikey said.
    At that point, Frannie joined them at their table so they could go to seminar together, and asked, “Who’s like Machiavelli?”
    â€œMargalo.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Frannie said, and turned her brown spaniel eyes on Margalo.
    â€œYou never think anything bad about anyone,” Mikey pointed out.
    Frannie didn’t care about that. “Margalo wants people to like her, so she can’t think it’s better to be feared than loved. And that’s Machiavelli’s main point, isn’t it? So you’re the one like him, not Margalo.”
    Margalo was impressed. “She’s right, Mikey. You’re right, Frannie. I thought I was, but it’s really Mikey.”
    â€œHe was wrong, anyway,” Frannie went on.
    â€œOh, yeah? Take a look at recent history,” Mikey advised her.
    Frannie didn’t argue. “I know,” she said.
    â€œOr like gangs,” Mikey added. “Even kids in gangs run people by fear.”
    Frannie pointed out, “It’s no big deal, scaring people. Everybody can be frightened. But Machiavelli was saying was that it’s better government to be feared than loved, and all I’m saying is, I don’t agree.Are you two ready to go to seminar? Because you haven’t finished your coleslaw, Mikey. Unless you’re going to dump it on Heather? Or is this a dumpless day?”
    That inspired Margalo’s next revenge. It