Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake by Julie Sternberg Read Free Book Online Page B

me,
    very surprised.
    I lifted one slimy, dripping wet pickle slice
    with my fingers.
    I could barely look at it!
    And it stank so badly!
    But still.
    I held my nose
    and took a sour, nasty bite
    and swallowed.
    I didn’t even have a drink!
    I didn’t think I could take too many more
    of those bites.
    But I had to finish two whole slices!
    I closed my eyes.
    I could feel Pearl watching me.
    “What is she
doing
?” someone at the table said.
    “Shh!” Pearl told them.
    The whole table went silent.
    I made a big decision.
    I was still holding the rest of the slice.
    I grabbed the other slice, too,
    and shoved them both in my mouth at once;
    and,
    with my eyes squeezed shut,
    I chewed and chewed
    as fast as I could
    and
    swallowed
.
    “Wow,” I heard Pearl say.
    Then,
    without my even asking,
    she handed me her water.

I’d hoped Pearl and I could play together
    during recess that afternoon.
    Because she’d given me water!
    And after lunch, she’d started smiling at me again!
    But
Ainsley
    was still not smiling.

    And Pearl chose Ainsley
    over me.
    Together,
    the whole entire recess,
    they did a fancy hand-clapping game
    that I’d never seen before!
    Ainsley must’ve taught it to Pearl
    one Monday or Wednesday afternoon
    when
Pearl
was supposed to be teaching
Ainsley
.
    I sat by myself on a bench
    while they clapped and sang.
    And I tried to
think
.
    Because I needed another plan.
    Finally,
    as the recess bell rang,
    I had an idea.
    I needed to talk to Pearl and Ainsley right away.
    I hurried behind them
    and saw them walk into the bathroom.
    I decided to follow them in.
    Even though I did
not
    have good memories
    of that place.
    At least there was no one else in the bathroom
    this time.
    And Pearl and Ainsley weren’t sharing a stall,
    with Ainsley weeping inside.
    I could see Pearl’s sneakers in the stall by the wall
    and Ainsley’s flats in the next stall down.
    “Um,” I said.
    To get their attention.
    Then I said, “It’s Eleanor. I’ve been thinking—
    what if we promise that you will never
    tell
me
someone else’s secret,
    and I will never tell
you
someone else’s secret?
    If someone shares a secret with you,
    I don’t want to know about it!
    Ever!
    Then
could we be friends?
    Because I
hate
    not being friends!”
    For a second,
    neither of them spoke.
    Then Pearl cried out from behind her door,
    “I don’t want to be told secrets, either!
    And I
definitely
won’t tell.
    I wish I could erase sharing Ainsley’s secret.
    I should
never
have done that!”
    Pearl and I both waited then,
    for Ainsley to say something.
    Finally,
    in a little voice,
    Ainsley said,
    “Do we have to do this
    while I’m peeing?
    Could I talk to Pearl about it later?”
    “Yes, definitely!” Pearl said. “We’ll talk later!”
    And I said, “Okay.”
    But I thought,
    Why can’t
I
talk about it, too?
    It’s my idea!
    I left them in the bathroom then.

    For the second day in a row.
    But at least
    this time,
    I wasn’t running
    to the nurse.

Mrs. Quaid let us practice in our bunny costumes
    at rehearsal that afternoon.
    “We won’t do this often,” she said.

    “But it helps give you a feel for your characters.”
    Those soft, furry costumes
    zipped right over our clothes.
    And we each got a headband
    with two giant ears attached!
    My costume was lavender,
    and Katie’s was yellow,
    and Nicholas’s was pale blue.
    We all had white bellies and paws and ears.
    I liked seeing my friends as bunnies
    and being one myself.
    But still.
    I dreaded the solo
    and hugging Nicholas.
    I got ready to
punch
freckly Ben
    with my rabbit paw
    if he started chanting
anything
.
    I’d never punched anyone in my life.
    But I’d never eaten pickles, either,
    before that day.
    I figured I’d punch Ben twice.
    Once for me
    and once for Ainsley.
    When everyone was in costume,
    Mrs. Quaid said, “Let’s begin with scene two.”
    I closed my eyes for a second
    and shook my head,

    knowing what was coming.
    And sure enough,
    as