Unbreakable Read Free

doing is walking back to class and it's a free country."
    "Wh-what list?" Nina ventured tentatively, her heart pounding at her daring. All the other girls in the class had gone to the second grade together, and even if they hung out with different groups, they knew each other well. Only she and a handful of boys had been promoted from a different class. And now, even after several months, she still felt, and was usually treated, like an outsider.
    Gwen rolled her eyes and held out the paper as she explained that all of them except Katy had last names on the passenger list. "This means we're special," she finally declared. "We might be real Pilgrims! We're practically famous."
    Jacie snorted. "I told you, I'm not a Pilgrim."
    "Is your name Priest?" Gwen asked curtly. "If it is, then read it and weep. You are a Pilgrim." She turned to Katy. "Sorry, Katy. Schaub isn't on the list. I looked twice." Katy looked as though she might cry. "But I'm cousins with Audrey and her last name is on the list. If she's a Pilgrim, then I am, too. We're related." With a quick hand Katy scrubbed the green war paint from her cheeks, then plucked the white feather from her hair in a showing of Pilgrim solidarity.
    Gwen drew in a thoughtful breath, then tugged her purple, construction paper bonnet a little tighter on her head so it wouldn't blow off. "I don't think that counts, Katy. I think we should make our own club since we're all on the list. Amy is moving to Toledo over Thanksgiving, so I'll have lots more time to play with you all at recess because I won't have a best friend."
    "You don't stop being best friends with someone just because you're apart," Audrey said, frowning. She tugged her skirt a little higher on her thick waist.
    "True, but I won't be able to play with Amy ever again." Gwen turned to Nina, who was quietly watching the entire exchange with intelligent, interested eyes. "You never play with anyone, Nina. You just sit and watch." Then she addressed Jacie. "And all you do is swing, swing, swing. Even if there was a highest swinging record in The Guinness Book of World Records ," which she doubted, "the people from the book are never going to come to Hazelwood, Missouri, Jacie." "If I break a world record, they'd have to," Jacie challenged hotly, kicking a rock that wasn't really bothering anyone.
    "But wouldn't a club be way more fun than breaking a record?" Gwen glanced at the building nervously, sure the bell was about to ring any second.
    "No," Jacie said flatly. "I hate Mickey Mouse Club reruns. They sing too much and act stupid." Miffed, Katy crossed her arms over her chest. "Talent Round-Up Day isn't so bad." "C'mon, Jacie, let's do a club," Audrey enticed, loving the idea of being in something special. "It could be fun." Then she gave Gwen a poke in the chest, causing her to drop the pink passenger list. "But only if Katy can be in it, too."
    "No way, Audrey." With a scowl, Gwen pinched Audrey's arm, earning a squeal. Then she picked up the list. "Everyone can't be in the club or it will be too big. No boys and nobody off the list. That has to be the rule. And don't hit or poke me again or I'm telling Mrs. Applebee."
    "No fair!" Katy protested, with Jacie nodding her agreement. "I want to be in the club. I would be a good member. Maybe they just forgot my name."
    "W-wait." A faint voice interrupted them and all eyes swung to Nina. The girl prayed that her stuttering would magically disappear. But, of course, it didn't. "I th-think," she stopped and forced herself to slow down and think about every word as her mother had reminded her so many times. "I think K-Katy should be able to j-j-join." She exhaled as though she'd just run a mile and smiled. Everyone was still paying attention. "See?" She pointed to a name on the list at the very bottom. The last name wasn't Schaub, but the first name was Katherine.
    "That's my name!" Katy crowed, nearly choking on her wad of Bazooka bubble gum. "I'm Katherine Schaub. My name is on