Sara, Book 3 Read Free Page A

climbed the ladder.
    “Yes, hi,” Sara called back, trying to cover up the way she was feeling with a cheerful sound.
    Seth climbed up and sat awkwardly on the bench beside Sara.
    “So, what’s up?” Sara began.
    “Not much. How about with you?” Seth answered.
    “So, did you have a good day?” Sara didn’t know what she wanted to hear from Seth. All she knew was that she wanted to feel
better, and she hoped that he might say something to her that would help her to feel better.
    “Yeah, I had a good day. Did you?”
    “Yeah, okay, I guess.”
    It didn’t look like Seth was going to volunteer anything, so Sara decided that she would have to be more direct.
    “So, anything new happen since the last time we talked?”
    “No, not really.” Seth nervously untied his shoelace and tightened it and tied it again. “Well, wanna swing on the rope?”
Seth asked, standing up and looking out across the river. He didn’t look at Sara.
    “No, I don’t really feel like it. You go ahead.” Sara said limply.
    “Nah, I guess I better get goin’. I’ll see ya tomorrow.”
    Seth climbed down the ladder.
    Sara sat, dumbfounded. This was not the way this day was supposed to happen. This was supposed to be a happy day of catching
up with each other and getting back in the swing of swinging from the rope. Sara had been so looking forward to this day.
What in the world was going on?
    Sara watched Seth disappear into the trees. She could barely remember ever feeling so bad.

C HAPTER 3
    A Little Triumph
    T he next morning, Sara awakened with a happy heart. She stretched a nice, long stretch and sat up in her bed. But then she
remembered Seth and the new girl at school, and that tense, uncomfortable feeling washed right back over her. She flopped
back onto the bed and pulled the covers around her. She wasn’t ready to get up to face this day. What she really wanted to
do was fall back asleep, away from this awful feeling.
    Her mother knocked on her door, opening it and walking in at the same time. “Sara, are you up? It’s nearly 7:30!”
    Why bother knocking if you’re going to just walk right in anyway? Sara thought. She felt extremely irritable. She didn’t want to get up—ever!
    “I know, I know,” Sara grumbled. “I’m coming.”
    “Everything all right, honey?” her mother asked. She hadn’t seen Sara in a bad mood for a very long time. It was actually
shocking to see this positive, sweet girl in such a terrible state first thing in the morning.
    “Everything is just dandy,” Sara quipped sarcastically.
    Her mother felt the sting of Sara’s response but decided not to reply and make it more than it was. She quietly closed the
door.
    Sara sat on the edge of her bed feeling even worse because of her unpleasant response to her mother. “Geez, what’s wrong with
me?” she whined, flopping back on her bed and pulling the covers up around her again.
    “I’ll see you tonight,” Sara heard her mother call out. “Your lunch is on the table.” Sara heard the back door close and the
squeaky garage door open. She heard the tires of her mother’s car crunching through the gravel driveway. Tears welled up in
Sara’s eyes. I’m such a bad daughter, she thought. What is the matter with me?
    Well, if I don’t get going, I’m going to be late for school. Sara quickly dressed, grabbed the paper bag containing her lunch, and hurried out the door. She looked at her watch. “Ten
minutes ‘til the first bell. Well, if I run, I can make it,” she said, breaking into a gentle run. Her book bag swung back
and forth in a gentle rhythm, and as she ran, Sara’s gloom lifted.
    As she came through the front gates, she heard the first school bell ring, and she broke into a broad smile. “Good job!” she
complimented herself. Nothing like a little triumph over crisis to cheer one up, she thought.

C HAPTER 4
    The New Kid in Town
    “S ara, wait up!” Sara heard Seth calling from behind. She looked back