The Adventure of a Lifetime Read Free

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    Giggles?
    Reality came rushing back to Betty. She realized there were twenty-six pairs of eyes staring at her as she stood at the front of the class. Meekly, she put her backpack away and sat down with a sigh of relief—she had made the bell. Peggy and Shelly gave her questioning looks, but Betty’s head was bent over her desk, not wanting to make eye contact.

Chapter 3
    Betty’s classroom was a perfect square. She pretended to be more interested in this shape than in Peggy and Shelly, who were watching her closely. She didn’t want to tell them she had missed the bus because of Amber. They weren’t big Amber fans, and just wouldn’t understand how a book could make you late.
    Betty’s teacher, Mrs. Shumpridge, went to the front of the room and clapped her hands. “Settle down, class. I know it’s the last day of school but we still have much to do. Our schedule is a bit different today, so I hope you pay attention. At the end of the day we’ll sign yearbooks, but for now we will have ten minutes of silent reading.”
    Betty went to get Amber the Brave from her backpack. As she made her way back to her desk, holding the book, she wondered what would happen next.
    Opening the book, Betty found the place where she had left off. The crocodile dragons were about to bite Amber, but soon enough, Amber had tossed all of them onto the shore, where they burned and eventually turned into a pile of ashes. Go, Amber!
    Before Betty knew it, the ten minutes had flown by and Mrs. Shumpridge announced “Class, put your books away.”
    As Betty slid her book into her desk she felt that it was going to be a long day. With her book probably gone for the rest of the school day, how would Betty ever get her proper dose of adventure?
    The class finished writing, math, and science in the morning. During each subject, Betty felt like taking out her book and reading, but resisted, knowing she would get caught. It had happened before.
    Thud. Science textbooks closed. Thump, thump, thump. The third-graders made their way to the cafeteria, where they all sat down at the lunch table. Betty knew she had to tell Peggy and Shelly about what happened that morning, but she was pretty sure they weren’t going to understand.
    â€œSo,” Peggy said.
    â€œRight. Okay. Well, this morning, I woke up late! And so I went downstairs and ate and read—”
    â€œAte and read?” Shelly interrupted.
    â€œYes! I’m a multitasker.” Betty said impatiently. Peggy laughed, but was silenced by Betty’s glare.
    â€œAnd so, I missed the bus because I was reading Amber . Then your mom came and gave me a ride here,” Betty concluded. “But she said some weird stuff.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œUh…nothing,” Betty said. How was she supposed to tell Peggy and Shelly what happened when she wasn’t sure herself?
    Now out of things to say, Betty awaited the twins’ response. It was an awkward silence and Betty found herself staring at their outfits—the morning hadn’t given her much time to look.
    The twins were identical and often dressed the same—today, they were both wearing tie-dye shirts over denim skirts. Their bony faces had sharp features—pointy noses, high cheekbones, and hazel eyes that often seemed browner than green. The only difference was Peggy had glasses and braces, while Shelly had a deeper tan, due to the fact she spent more time outside.
    Still nothing. The silence was frustrating, and Betty found herself looking at the clock, waiting for them to say something. It was 11:30. Betty sighed.
    â€œSo, you were late because of Amber?” Shelly finally asked.
    â€œWell, it’s Amber the Brav e !” Betty replied in defense. “I’m telling you, it’s wonderful! You guys should totally read it—”
    â€œI like mysteries,” Shelly said. The athletic twin didn’t read much, but when she did,