No One Must Know Read Free Page B

than piano lessons?” he asked, winking at me.
    “Much better!” I winked back.
    “You’ll have to tell me all about it tonight. Mom’s in the kitchen making lunch for you.”
    “Hurry up,” Dr. Wolfe said to Dad. “The sooner we get there, the sooner I can beat you.”
    Dad laughed, slapping his tennis racket against his thigh. “In your dreams, old buddy,” he said, following his friend out of our house. “In your dreams.”

Chapter 3

    O n the first day of school, I was almost late for my social studies class. I slipped into the room just before the bell rang and saw Molly waving to me from the back of the class.
    “I saved you a seat,” she said as I plopped down beside her.
    Jean was in the row in front of us. She turned around and, in a sarcastic voice, asked, “Aren’t you happy to be back at school?”
    I stuck out my tongue.
    “We’re going to be so busy with homework and planning our tea for Girl Guides,” Molly said, a little glumly.
    Jean smiled. “I’m so glad you joined, Alex. You’re going to love it. All the girls are really nice – except Christie, of course. She’s such a snob.”
    “Did she invite you to her birthday party?” Molly asked me.
    “She’d never invite me!” The ever-popular Christie barely acknowledged my existence when we passed each other in the hall. “She doesn’t even know I’m alive.”
    “Me neither,” Molly said.
    “Or me,” Jean said. “Well, never mind. Fall is here, so we can start planning our own birthday party soon.”
    “It’s still too early – almost three months away. I don’t think…” My voice trailed off as the classroom door opened and a blond boy sauntered into the room. My heart began tap dancing in my chest when he sat down in an empty seat at the end of our row.
    Molly nudged me with her elbow. “The boy from the beach!”
    Jean turned around again. “His name’s Jacob Pearlman. I heard Miss Wilton telling Mr. Jackson that he just moved here from Toronto.”
    “You were right, Alex,” said Molly. “He is
seriously
cute!”
    “Wait! I just realized something,” Jean whispered. “If he’s the same boy who went back to Jew beach, he mu –”
    “Quiet!” Mr. Bradford said, pointing his ruler at us. “Pay attention, girls. Class is about to begin.” He softened his words with a smile, and I smiled back. He was my favorite teacher, the only one who never yelled at us, strapped us, or sent us to the office.
    Looking around the room, he said, “Welcome back, everybody. It’s nice to see so many familiar faces – and some new ones too.” This last remark was directed at Jacob. “I know you’re all eager to hit the books, so let’s not waste any time. We’re going to start the year by examining our country’s role in the Second World War. Who can tell me the dates of the war?”
    Total silence reigned in the classroom. All of us were careful not to make eye contact with him.
    He laughed. “Come on Surely one of you must know the answer. It wasn’t all
that
long ago.”
    A couple of kids snickered in the back of the room, but no one else budged. I was on the verge of raising my arm when Jacob put up his hand.
    “The Second World War started in 1939 and ended in ’45,” he said. “Fifteen years ago.”
    “Quite right, Jacob. If your classmates had cracked their textbooks at all over the summer, they too would have been able to answer my question.”
    Jacob gulped. Being singled out for praise by a teacherdid not enhance a person’s popularity, especially in a new school.
    “Who, besides Jacob, can name our allies and our foes during the war?” Mr. Bradford asked.
    I put up my hand. “Germany was our enemy, and Britain, the United States, and the USSR were our allies.” Jacob wasn’t the only one who read the social studies text.
    “As usual, Alexandra has the correct answer,” Mr. Bradford said, beaming at me.
    I sank down in my seat, wanting to die. Mr. Bradford had a certain enthusiastic