Shaken Up Read Free

California surfer girl!”
    Kara’s compliments made me feel great. When I had first moved to Southern California, I’d been so worried about making friends and fitting in. Not only did I now have friends, but this place was starting to feel like home. And, according to Kara, I even looked like I belonged.
    â€œWell, you look like a total New England girl,” I said. Kara was wearing a knit cap and a scarf over her sweater.
    â€œIt is so cold here!” Kara shivered. “More snowtomorrow. The chance of me getting highlights from the sun is zero, which is what the temperature is!
    â€œBut seriously,” Kara continued, “I am so glad that everything is going so great for you on the Griffons. Things really turned around.”
    I smiled. “I know. Everything is sooooo much better! And today we came up with our team cheer too. I’m totally stoked to use it at our next game.”
    â€œWait. Did you just say ‘stoked’?” Kara asked, crinkling her nose in confusion.
    I paused. “Oh yeah!” I said. “You know, stoked . Like, I’m excited.”
    Kara snorted. “I know what it means, Devin!” she said. “But I’m pretty sure that’s the most California thing you’ve ever said.”
    I shrugged. “I guess I just picked it up, living out here!”
    â€œWow, Devin.” Kara smiled. “You really are a California girl now.”
    â€œI guess I am,” I replied, liking the sound of that—and that was when the room began to shake.
    At first I thought Maisie was bumping around in her room and making the walls vibrate, but then it felt as though the entire house were rocking slowly back and forth. The bottle of water on my desk fell over.
    â€œDevin, what’s wrong?” Kara asked, but it felt like her voice was a million miles away.
    I jumped up to clean up the water, and I could feel thefloor underneath my feet swaying. My heart was pounding like crazy as I realized what was happening.
    â€œEarthquake!” my dad yelled from downstairs. “Girls, get to your safe spots!”

Safe spots. Our family had done an earthquake drill a week after we’d moved in, and Mom and Dad had told us where to go if an earthquake happened. For a second my mind was a blank, and then the drill came back to me.
    I moved away from the windows and ran to an inside corner of my room, on the wall I shared with Maisie’s room. I crouched down and covered my face and head with my arms.
    I sat there, frozen in place. Then one of my soccer trophies from Connecticut launched off my bookshelf and almost hit me in the head! It landed with a thud next to me.
    I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and my Mom’s voice calling out my name. “Devin? Maisie? Are you girls okay?”
    I was too afraid to move or even answer her. I thoughtthe house was still shaking, until I realized it was me that was trembling from head to toe.
    I took a deep breath to try to calm my nerves. I put a hand out and touched the wall. It was still. How could my entire house be moving one second and not the next?
    Dad ran into my room and bent down to hug me.
    â€œIt’s okay, Devin. It’s over,” he said.
    I slowly stood up. “So that was an earthquake?”
    Dad nodded. “I don’t think it was a major one, though.”
    Mom and Maisie came into my room.
    â€œI got into my safe spot right away,” Maisie said proudly.
    â€œI did too, but now I’m wondering how safe it was,” I said, and I pointed to the trophy on the floor. “That almost hit me on the head!”
    Mom frowned. “I guess we have some more thinking to do about earthquakes,” she said.
    â€œYou’re right,” Dad agreed. “I need to go check the rest of the house. Are you sure you girls are okay?”
    Maisie and I nodded.
    â€œI actually have a test I’m supposed to be studying for,” I realized.
    Mom kissed me