Give Me Four Reasons Read Free Page A

directions for the gates, their parents, and the buses.
    I push through the crowd of fleeing students towards my classmates. They have formed a tight circle between the basketball post and the high mesh fence. Everyone is shouting out the school song. I shove my certificate under my arm and tap on the closest shoulder. It belongs to Jackie Horn and she shrugs off my finger as though I am some kind of pesky fly.
    I look for Rochelle and Elfi. They are on the other side of the circle. I run around and squeeze along the fenceline so that I can break in between them. But the circle begins to turn. Everyone starts kicking up their feet like they are doing some crazy Greek dance. I follow the circle, trying to get closer to Rochelle and Elfi, but their backs are to me.
    I spy Jed through a small gap in the thick fence of human flesh, but he isn’t looking my way, either.
    Stop! I want to scream out. Remember me? Paige Winfrey. I’ve been here since kindergarten, too!
    The circle speeds up and begins to move across the court like a giant spinning top. It moves so fast, some kids lose their grip on each other’s hands. The circle breaks up into three smaller circles. I chase after the one nearest me, looking for a weak spot. Duncan Tilbury heaves to the left and Stacy Lawler’s arm is left hanging. I jump into the gap.
    And then the circle collapses on top of me.
    * *
    ‘It’ll be all right,’ Rochelle says, trying to flatten out the creases and wipe off the dirt on my graduation certificate. I am so upset I barely notice as we walk out of Juniper Bay Primary School for the last time.
    ‘It’s a reminder of the day,’ Elfi says. ‘Every time you look at that certificate you’ll be caught up in the whole circle singing-and-hugging thing again.’
    I stare at my friends. They didn’t even notice that I almost missed out on being in the circle.
    ‘Why didn’t you put your certificate in your bag?’ Jed asks.
    ‘I didn’t have time. I was the last to get one, remember?’ I stuff the certificate into my backpack with my uniform and the remnants from inside my desk. And, of course, my Passport. I take it out and hug it to my chest.
    The best thing about the Passports is that they have blank pages at the back so everyone has space to write something nice in everyone else’s book. I spent most of the morning in the classroom, writing in each one. I’d almost dripped tears onto the felt-tipped words as I realised that most of these people would be at a different school from me next year.
    A shriek pierces the post-school afternoon madness. At the bus stop, Jackie Horn, Rhianna Grim, Lee Hossington and Cat Stanley have their Passports open and are reading them out loud and laughing.
    ‘Listen to what Michael Jones wrote,’ Cat Stanley squeals. ‘ Roses are red, violets are blue, you were the funniest girl on our trip to the zoo. ’
    Rochelle unzips her bag and takes out her Passport. ‘I’m reading mine.’
    ‘Mr Muir said we couldn’t read them until we got home,’ I remind her.
    ‘Oh, Paige,’ Rochelle says. ‘The three o’clock bell has rung. We’ve finished! Those teachers have no control over us now.’
    I grab Rochelle’s Passport off her. ‘Let’s all open them tonight at my party,’ I say. ‘We’ll read them together.’
    ‘I don’t think I can wait till then,’ Elfi grumbles.
    ‘Great idea, Paige,’ Jed says. ‘It will be something fun to do tonight.’ He takes his Passport from his bag and gives it to me. Then he turns to Elfi. ‘Give yours to Paige.’
    Elfi reluctantly hands over her precious book. ‘No peeking, Paige.’
    Rochelle snorts. ‘As if she would.’
    Jed places his hand solemnly on the top Passport. ‘We hereby entrust you as the Keeper of the Passports,’ he says to me.
    Rochelle places her hand on top of Jed’s. Elfi puts hers on top of Rochelle’s. I withdraw one of mine from under the stack of Passports and place it on top of the wobbly pile. We wiggle our