Fabulous Five 021 - Jana to the Rescue Read Free Page A

earrings she was wearing. They looked like real gold and were among the
prettiest Jana had seen. The girl's gaze swept quickly over Jana, then she
looked at the floor.
    "Jana," Mr. Bell said, "this is Lizzie Flagg
and her mother. Lizzie's starting school here at Wakeman today."
    "Hi," Jana said, and smiled.
    Lizzie looked up at Jana and softly said, "Hi."
She didn't return the smile.
    "Well," said Mr. Bell. "Mrs. Brenner and I
have worked out Lizzie's schedule to fit with yours, Jana. The only class she'll
have that will be different from yours is biology, which you don't have. That'll
give her a chance to meet some new people on her own."
    "Okay," said Jana cheerfully.
    She looked at Lizzie, who seemed incredibly bored as she
stared out the window, yawning. Mr. Bell looked around the room, and his gaze
stopped at Lizzie's mother.
    "Do you have any questions for us, Mrs. Flagg?" he
asked.
    Mrs. Flagg shook her head but didn't speak. Jana studied her
closely. Was she bored, too? No, it was something else, Jana decided. She
looked tired, incredibly frazzled, as if it took all her effort to sit in the
chair.
    "How about you, Lizzie?" Mr. Bell asked.
    Lizzie also shook her head.
    "Well then, I think I'll excuse you two young ladies.
Jana, you should show Lizzie to her locker first, then go to your class."
    "Here's Lizzie's locker number," said Mrs.
Brenner. She handed Jana a slip of paper.
    Mr. Bell stood up. He reached out to shake Lizzie's hand,
but she only stared at him, keeping her hand by her side.
    "Welcome to Wakeman, Lizzie," he said, slowly
lowering his own hand. "I'm sure you'll like it here. Your locker
combination is printed on your schedule card that Mrs. Brenner gave you."
    Lizzie nodded slightly.
    "I didn't hear the bell," Jana said as she stood
up. "Are we still in first period?"
    "Period one will be ending in a few minutes," the
principal said. "If you hurry, you'll have time to stop by Lizzie's locker
on your way to second period class."
    The two girls moved out the door and into the outer office.
Jana opened the door for Lizzie to go into the hall, but the girl didn't move.
    I don't like the way this is starting out, Jana thought,
biting her lower lip. But she didn't say anything. Instead she hurried into the
hall and was relieved to see Lizzie trailing along behind her.
    "I think you'll like Wakeman Junior High," Jana
said, slowing slightly to let Lizzie catch up. "Actually, most of the kids
call it Wacko." She laughed a little, and Lizzie glanced at her quickly
but didn't respond.
    "The teachers here are really nice," Jana
continued, trying desperately to make conversation as they walked down the
hall. "You'll especially like Miss Dickinson, our English teacher."
    Jana thought she saw Lizzie nod.
    The bell rang then, ending the first period, and within
seconds, the hall was crowded with seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-graders
hurrying to their next classes.
    "I remember I was really nervous on the first day of
junior high," Jana said quickly. She knew she was talking too fast, but
she couldn't help it. Lizzie's silence was getting to her. "But once you
get to know some of the other kids and the teachers, and you get involved in
school activities, you'll think it's great!"
    Lizzie glanced sideways at Jana, then muttered, "Did
anyone ever tell you, you talk too much?"
    Jana was stunned. "I wanted to tell you about Wakeman,"
she said in a small voice. "There are some things you'll have to know."
    Lizzie stared straight ahead and didn't respond. Jana didn't
speak for a full minute—at least it seemed like at least a minute—but then
realized that she had to tell her about some of the day-to-day details
about Wakeman.
    "Your locker is right around here somewhere," Jana
said. She scanned the long rows of lockers that ran down either side of the
hall. "Number twenty-three nineteen. Oh, here it is."
    Jana walked up to the tall, narrow locker painted pale blue
and turned to Lizzie. A passing student jostled Lizzie, who