Excerpt from I've Got a Secret

By Lara Bergen

• PRINT
• EMAIL

From: AllieOop@cablewest.com
To: Hays3@amerimail.com
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 5:45 PM
Subject: MISS YOU!
Attach: BEST FRIENDS 101.jpg

Hey, Mandy girl! Just got home and I am SO sad! :( I miss camp SO much! :’( Don’t you?! I wish it could last forever—real life is so boring! Or—as camp director Bill-Take-a-Chill-Pill would say—“This is not—I say NOT—acceptable!”

Of course, I know you’re happy to be back with you-know-who! Lucky dog! Please—you have to write me back and tell me all about your big reunion!

YBFF (Your best friend forever!),

Allie

 

OBTW—I played our talent show DVD for my brother on the ride home, and guess what he said? Give up? “That girl who played those dudes in your skit was SO awesome!” You’re such a star! :)
OBTW2—Remember this picture?

 

Amanda laughed out loud as she scrolled down to a picture of her and another girl. They stood arm in arm, both wearing messy wigs and goofy, clown-like grins. She shook her head and was about to hit REPLY when Kate, her oldest friend, appeared in the doorway.

“Amanda!” Kate called out, running in with a wide grin on her freckled face. “I missed you so much! How was camp? You look so tan!”

Amanda jumped up and happily hugged her friend.

“You look tan, too!” she said, standing back after a moment. “I thought it rained a lot in Ireland.”

“It does,” said Kate. “Believe me! There was literally moss growing on my shoes.” She smiled and turned her head from side to side. “This is from my sister’s self-tanner. I snuck a little this morning. Not too orange?”

Amanda nodded her approval. “No, it’s good. But you missed a spot, right there.” She pointed to Kate’s neck and giggled as her friend quickly tucked in her chin.

ARTICLE	The Back to School WEB Almost everybody is nervous about the first day of school, but for elementary school students moving up into middle school, that new world can look mighty big and scary. My school is part of a program called W.E.B (Where Everybody Belongs).