The Valentine Star by Patricia Reilly Giff Read Free Book Online Page B

finished we have things to talk about.”
    Emily wrote the first word. “Bean,” she said under her breath. “B-e-a-n.”
    She wondered what Ms. Rooney was going to talk about. Maybe she was going to talk about Sherri.
    Emily wrote
bean
three times. “Bean, dean, fean, green,” she whispered.
    Mean, she thought Mean to Sherri.
    Quickly she wrote the next word. S-t-e-a-m.
    She didn't want to think about being mean to Sherri.
    Then Sherri stood up. She took the pass for the girls’ room. She went outside.
    “1
have some exciting news,” Ms. Rooney said.
    Everyone sat up straight.
    “We are getting a student teacher,” said Ms. Rooney.
    “Neat,” said Dawn,
    This was really exciting news, Emily thought.
    The first grade had had a student teacher all year.
    Her name was Ms. Martin.
    She wore purple nail polish and ggld eyeliner.
    Emily hoped their student teacher would be just like Ms. Martin.
    “When is she coming?” Dawn Bosco asked.
    “Tomorrow,” said Ms. Rooney.
    Good, thought Emily. She'd wear her almost-new yellow blouse. The one with the green kittens on the collar.
    The new student teacher would love it.
    Dawn leaned over. “I have a brand new sweat suit,” she said. “Purple stripes. I think I'll wear it tomorrow.”
    Emily tried to smile at Dawn. “Nice,” she said.
    “I'll wear my ladybug earrings too,” Dawn said.

    Emily looked out the window.
    That Dawn was the luckiest girl in the world, she thought.
    She looked toward the door.
    Just then Sherri opened her classroom door. Her eyes looked red.
    She walked past Emily's desk.
    She dropped a piece of paper on top.
    Emily picked it up.
    She opened it carefully under her desk so Ms. Rooney wouldn't see.
    In big black letters Sherri had written:
    YOU'LL BE SORRY.

The next morning Emily wore her look-like-real fur jacket.
    Underneath she had on her yellow blouse.
    It had green kittens on the collar.
    She wanted to look perfect for the new student teacher.
    She rushed down the hall with Richard.
    Sherri Dent was ahead of them.
    “Come on, Beast,” Emily said.
    She quick-stepped to get ahead of Sherri.
    Sherri looked over her shoulder.
    She began to quick-step too.
    She dashed into the classroom.
    Emily dashed into the classroom right behind her.
    “Everyone's in a hurry today,” Ms. Rooney said.
    Someone was standing next to Ms. Rooney.
    It had to be the new student teacher.
    She didn't look anything like Ms. Martin.
    She didn't have long purple nails.
    She didn't have gold eyeliner.
    She didn't have any eyeliner at all.
    She was wearing a puffy pink coat. And she was ten times prettier than Ms. Martin.
    Emily took off her look-like-real fur jacket.
    She straightened her Blouse.
    She hoped the new student teacher would see the kittens on the collar.
    “This is Ms. Vincent,” Ms. Rooney said.
    “Wow,” said Matthew Jackson.
    Ms. Vincent smiled at him.
    “Ms. Vincent will sit with you this morning,” said Ms. Rooney. “She has to get to know everyone.”
    Ms. Vincent took off her puffy pink coat. She hung it in Ms. Rooney's closet.
    Then she sat in an empty chair near the science table.
    “Time to work, class,” said Ms. Rooney. “You can talk with Ms. Vincent when you finish your boardwork.”
    Quickly Emily took put her pencil. She'd try to be the first one finished.
    She was dying to talk to Ms. Vincent. She was dying to tell her about the Valentine box.
    She opened her notebook.
    Inside was the You'll be sorry note from Sherri Dent.
    Emily had forgotten she had put it there.
    She looked at Sherri Dent.
    She wondered how Sherri was going to make her sorry.
    She crumpled up the note.
    She shoved it into her desk.
    She wasn't going to spoil her day.
    She wasn't going to think about that mean Sherri.

    She wasn't even going to look at her. Emily looked up at the board. She had to do health, Fill in the blanks. Emily hated health.
    She never knew the exact right answer. She wrote the first sentence.
    Take a bath____times a week.
    She