Gertie's Leap to Greatness Read Free Page B

do anything like that.”
    Roy blew a raspberry against the back of his hand, and Junior’s neck turned pink.
    â€œI spent the summer at my mom’s salon,” he said. He looked at Ms. Simms and pressed his lips together so tightly it was clear she’d need a crowbar to get another word out of him.
    â€œRight. Thank you for sharing.” Ms. Simms checked her list. “Mary Sue Spivey, will you take over from Junior?”
    The seat-stealer stood and turned to face the class.
    â€œI’m Mary Sue,” she said. “I didn’t know we were going to have to say anything. We don’t do this at my school in California.”
    â€œYou’re from California?” asked Leo.
    â€œLos Angeles,” said Mary Sue. “My father’s a film director. We only moved here because he’s shooting a new Jessica Walsh movie nearby.”
    â€œHold the mayo,” said Roy. He banged his cast against his desk. “You know Jessica Walsh ?”
    Everyone stared, breathless, at Mary Sue. Jessica Walsh had her own television show and her own collection of sticker earrings and her own cotton-candy-scented shampoo.
    Mary Sue looked at them all, sitting on the edges of their seats. “Of course,” she said, lifting one shoulder. “My father is Martin Lorimer Spivey. He’s directed lots of Jessica Walsh’s films. He’s filming in Alabama, so he brought me along.” She pulled a phone from her pocket and started thumbing the buttons. “I think I have a picture with her.”
    Ms. Simms didn’t mention that phones were against the rules. Instead, she went to look over Mary Sue’s shoulder. “Oh my goodness, it’s really her,” she said.
    Mary Sue passed around her phone.
    Gertie looked at the picture of Mary Sue Spivey standing beside the most famous twelve-year-old movie star in the country before she handed the phone to Jean.
    â€œI’m sure you’ll have a lot of stories to share with us,” said Ms. Simms. “We’ll have to talk more later.”
    Mary Sue’s speech had been interesting, but it wasn’t because she was that interesting, thought Gertie. It was because Jessica Walsh was. But everyone was whispering and craning their necks to get a better look at the new girl, like she was the famous one.
    â€œThank you, everyone,” said Ms. Simms when they’d finished. “I feel like I know all of you a little better. Mary Sue, you’re new here, so you should know that we keep phones off and put away during class, please.”
    Gertie’s heart lifted.
    â€œAnd, Gertie,” Ms. Simms said, “I think it would be best to release that impressive frog during recess, don’t you?”
    â€œWhat?” Gertie grabbed the corners of the box. “Can’t I take him home and put him back in his culvert?”
    â€œI’m sure he’ll be just as happy here.” Ms. Simms frowned at Roy as she said, “I’m sure he needs plenty of fresh air.”
    *   *   *
    At recess, Gertie, Junior, and Jean carried Zombie Frog toward the back of the playground.
    â€œWhat if he can’t find his way back home?” Gertie said. “Do you know how horrible that would be? Lost. Cars almost running over you. Squish. ”
    Junior shuddered.
    Gertie trudged on, stopping where the trees grew right up against the sagging fence that marked the edge of the school property. She knelt and set the frog on the ground.
    â€œHe is an impressive frog.” Junior scuffed his shoe against the leaves. “That’s what Ms. Simms said. Impressive. ”
    Gertie hoped Ms. Simms had meant it. But if Ms. Simms had loved Zombie Frog, she wouldn’t have wanted Gertie to get rid of him, would she? She would have wanted him to become their class mascot or pet or something. Gertie had thought Phase One was in the bag, but now she wasn’t sure. Had Mary Sue’s speech