Deer Deary,
>Iye can't beleeve Clare wood due that too mee! Wee our best freends! Eye no sum of the Pykes are none for beeing fast with the boys - Margeaux, Vanesa, Adam - but nott Claer! She nevr told mee she even new who too doo THAT! It is sew gross. Thay aren't even merreed!
Clar beetrayed me. After I cunfyded my darkest secrits tu her. Like the Helloween two yeers ago whin I at three pears of wax lipps becaus Eye thot thay were candy. Oar, aboot the Chrismus party wear Marie-An's dad tung-kissed me under the missiletoe.
I'll nevr trust Clear Pick again!
After a week, the sting of Claire's betrayal has not faded. We've not spoken a word to each other. Not even at BSC meetings! Claire looks tired and miserable. Good! Plus, she has a nasty cold sore on her lip. Ha!
The other girls are appalled by Claire's behavior. BSC members just don't act like that. We're nice, wholewheat girls. Maybe we can kick her out of the club. What would clients think of a club with a member like her?
Besides that problem, tomorrow is the eighth grade exit exam. I'm so worried. My parents are, too. They even bought me a bag of Doritos in exchange for my promise to study all night. Dad arranged for Gabbie to come over to help with my math and history. I just hope we can concentrate without thoughts of a certain someone distracting us.
Gabbie comes over around seven, loaded down with books and binders.
"Here, Claudie," she says, pulling a clear plastic container from her book bag. "Myriah made you some good luck brownies."
"Chilly," I reply, sinking my teeth into a moist and creamy caramel walnut brownie. "Mmm, brain food."
Gabbie giggles and sits back on the bed. She tucks her dark blonde blunt-cut hair behind her ears, then begins spreading her notes out on the bed. Gabbie is so serious and quiet, not at all the way she was as a kid. There's a sadness about her, ever since her sister, Laura, got trampled to death by their dog, Chewy. I guess a small suburban house wasn't the right place for a gargantuan dog like Chewy. Luckily, the city sent him to live on a big farm in the country! Chewy can run, jump, romp, and chase rabbits (instead of three year old girls).
"I talked to Miss Himmler this afternoon. She says to really focus on map skills and more recent history - the Korean War, Vietnam, the Cold War. Do you have those notes, Claudie?"
I glance up from my eleventh brownie. "Huh? What's the Cold War?"
Gabbie sighs. "Let's start on map skills. I have some blank maps here. I'll point to a country and you tell me its name." Gabbie points a stubby teal-colored fingernail at a big land mass.
I twirl some glossy black hair around a finger. I wonder what I should wear for tomorrow's exam. Maybe my neon green fishnets with -
"Ahem," Gabbie clears her throat.
"Huh? Oh. Um, Egypt?"
"Claudie! That's Canada!"
My face flushes. How am I supposed to learn all these things in one night?!
"It's no use, Gabs. Claire and Anthony have me too distracted. You and Nina will have to graduate without me,"
"Oh, Claudie!"
"It's okay. What's one more year?"
Gabbie sighs again. "Let's study anyway."
As far as I'm concerned, Gabbie might as well tutor a monkey. I'll be in eighth grade forever!