Blob Read Free

chicken soup is too hot for early September. I nix the lazybones diet, the cabbage soup diet and the blueberry diet. The One Good Meal diet sounds like something you do before you are executed.
    I check out a page with diet tips. I like tip number one about chewing gum whenever you feel hungry. I can’t do that in school, but maybe I can skip breakfast and chew gum instead. But tip number two says to never skip breakfast. Tip number three says to take one day at a time. I can do that. All I need is the right diet.
    I spot the You Can Do It in Seven Days diet. On Monday you’re allowed to eat all the fruit you want except bananas. A whole day of fruit? I like fruit but…
    On day two you can eat all the vegetables you want. You can even add mustard, soy sauce or vinegar. I like most vegetables but a whole day of them? And adding mustard, soy sauce or vinegar to them doesn’t sound any tastier.
    Day three is much better. All the fruit and vegetables you want. But day four is weird—five bananas and five glasses of milk. I hate milk except chocolate milk. I would barf on day four. But maybe barfing is part of the diet. Maybe it helps you lose weight. I don’t have to become bulimic or anything. I could just have one barfy day a week. Then again, maybe I’ll grow to love bananas and milk.
    I’ll give the You Can Do It in Seven Days diet a try.

“Probably nothing in the world arouses more false hope than the first hours of a diet.”
    â€”Dan Bennett
    chapter five
    When I wake up on day one of my diet, I’m almost excited. I shoot out of bed and head down for breakfast. I gobble down a pear and an apple. I pack another apple and a pear and some grapes into a baggie for lunch.
    â€œAll I want for supper is fruit,” I tell Mom, “so don’t worry about cooking for me. I’m on a diet.”
    â€œAll you eat on this diet is fruit? That’s crazy,” says Mom. “You’ll get sick.”
    â€œNo the first day is just fruit. Tomorrow I can eat vegetables. But just vegetables.”
    Before Mom has time to lecture me about my crazy diet, I’m out the door.
    I decide to smile no matter what happens today. After all, today is a new beginning. Today is the first day of my diet. Today I will not let Zoe or Sarah get to me.
    A block from school, I see Carolyn and Denise heading toward South View. I went to middle school with them. I know them well enough to say hi, so I catch up with them.
    â€œHi!” I say.
    They both smile and return the greeting.
    â€œI like your hair short,” I tell Carolyn.
    Carolyn beams as she runs her hand through her red curls. “Thanks. I thought it would look horrible this short, but now I love it. How was your first day?”
    â€œFine,” I say, smiling. I’m relieved I know someone at South View besides Sarah and Zoe. “How about you?”
    â€œI hate math already. I don’t understand a word Ms. Murray says. She thinks everyone is a math genius. Well, I’m not. I love Ms. Holmes in art though.”
    â€œMe too,” I say.
    â€œAre you joining any clubs?” asks Denise.
    â€œI haven’t thought about it,” I say. “What are you joining?”
    â€œChoir for sure. So are Zoe and Sarah from middle school,” says Denise.
    â€œOh,” I say. “I can’t sing.”
    â€œWell, there are lots of other clubs. Did you see the list?”
    â€œNot yet. I think I stuffed it into my backpack. It must be in there somewhere.”
    â€œIf you have a twelve o’clock lunch, I’ll show you my list in case you lost yours,” Denise offers.
    â€œThanks. That would be great.” I try to sound matter-of-fact. I don’t want them to know how happy I am to have someone to eat lunch with.
    In homeroom I smile at Sarah as I slide into my seat. She gives me another one of her half smiles. This one is actually more like a quarter of a smile. Her lips