The Two and Only Kelly Twins Read Free Page A

wearing a skirt and Roberta was wearing jeans. Their brother, Simon, had on jeans, too.
    “I’m going to sit with some guys from my class,” he announced, and disappeared at once.
    Ilene wished there was a way that she could disappear, too.
    “I’d like to meet your other sister,” said Roberta to Arlene. “How come she doesn’t go to this school like you two?”
    Arlene’s mouth dropped open with surprise.
    Ilene gave her a poke.
    “She’s extra smart, so she goes to a very special school for kids who are geniuses,” said Ilene, thinking quickly.
    “We’re pretty smart, too,” said Claudia.
    “Not as smart as Marlene,” said Ilene.
    Roberta looked from Ilene to Arlene. “Does she wear matching clothes like you both do?”
    Arlene might not have been as smart as the imaginary triplet sister, but she had already caught on to what Ilene was doing. “No. At her school the kids all have to wear uniforms,” she said.
    “Then everyone would look like they are twins or triplets or quads or something,” Claudia said with a laugh.
    “Yeah,” said Ilene. “Well, see you around.” Then she dragged Arlene to a table that only had two empty chairs.
    “She thinks she’s so special because she’s a triplet,” she grumbled. “And what’s worse, with the name Best, she thinks they
are
the best.”
    “I know,” said Arlene. “That’s just the way her sister is, too.”
    Neither Roberta nor Claudia was shy. Considering they were new to the school, you’d think the two of them would keep together during lunch and recess. But when Roberta finished her lunch, she rushed outside to play. Claudia came over to where Arlene and Ilene were sitting.
    “My sister and I would love to meet your other sister,” said Claudia. “What’s her name again?”
    “Marlene,” said Ilene.
    “Doreen,” said Arlene at the same time. She’d forgotten the name that Ilene had said before.
    “What?” asked Claudia.
    “Doreen,” said Ilene.
    “Marlene,” said Arlene at the same time.
    “There’s too much noise in here,” said Claudia. “Let’s go outside so we can hear each other better.” She put her arms around Ilene and Arlene and pulled them to the door.
    Ilene looked over at Arlene. “Marlene,” she whispered.
    Arlene nodded.

    Roberta came over to join her sister and the twins. “So, can we all get together and have a playdate?” she asked.
    “Oh, yes,” said Ilene, pretending to think it was a good idea. “Let’s do that sometime. Maybe next month.”
    “Why wait so long? How about this coming Saturday?” asked Claudia. “Where do you live?”
    Arlene looked helplessly at Ilene. Ilene looked scared. What had she gotten them into?
    Arlene recited their address. At least she knew the answer to that question.
    “But I don’t think this Saturday . . . ” she began to say. She was going to tell Claudia that they wouldn’t be home on Saturday, but she was interrupted by the bell. Recess was over, and it was time to line up to return to class.
    “It’s a date,” said Claudia as she went off with Arlene.
    “Who would believe that there would be two sets of triplets here in our new school?” Roberta whispered to Ilene.
    Ilene shrugged. Who, indeed, would believe that?
    Luckily Roberta and Claudia were not walkers. They took one of the big yellow buses waiting outside of the school building. Arlene and Ilene were walkers. They joined Monty and Joey as they headed home.

    “It’s amazing about the triplets,” said Monty.
    “Yeah,” Joey agreed.
    “Listen,” said Ilene. “We’re playing a trick on Roberta and Claudia. I told them we have another sister and that we’re triplets, too. Don’t let on to them that I made that up.”
    “You lied to them?” asked Monty.
    “It’s not exactly a lie,” said Arlene, defending her sister. “It’s more like a joke. The only trouble is they want to come to our house on Saturday, and then they’ll find out the truth.”
    Joey started laughing. “I