After class, the girls were all walking quietly down the street together, all with different things on their minds.
Tomo: I can't believe I have to work with Kagura!
Kagura: I can't believe I have to work with Tomo!
Kaorin: I can't believe I get to work with Miss Sakaki!
Sakaki: I wonder if we'll see the gray kitten along the way…
Chiyo: I sure wish I had a partner.
Yomi: WHY do I have to be stuck with Osaka! We'll lose for sure!
Osaka: …
Finally, Sakaki broke the silence. "Do you guys wanna go for a bike ride today? It's really sunny out."
Everyone thought for a moment. Then Tomo blurted out, referring to Kagura, "Sorry, but we've got a science fair to win!" She grabbed Kagura's arm and ran down the sidewalk.
Kaorin faced Sakaki timidly. "I guess….we should start on our project now too, right?"
Sakaki nodded. "Probably. We'll have a better chance of winning if we get an early start." They, too, went off in another direction.
Chiyo, Yomi, and Osaka were left. "So what are we gonna do, Yomi?" Osaka asked in her usual slow way. Yomi didn't answer.
The three walked along, still keeping quiet. Yomi and Chiyo were thinking of something else: a topic for their projects. And Osaka went off into her own little world…
"Okay, so what's going on here?" Kagura asked in a somewhat snappy tone. Tomo had a huge box in her arms, and was struggling to get through the door. She somehow managed to get in, and dumped the contents on the table.
Kagura fished through the things. "Clay? Glue? Food coloring?" she said, picking up the items in turn. "What's all this stuff gonna do!"
"We're making a volcano, of course! Everybody does it, and they always seem to win!"
Kagura brightened. "Oh! I get it: good idea, Tomo."
The girls sat there, just staring at the supplies. "Sooooo," Tomo started. "Um, how exactly do e make a volcano?"