Sophie and the New Girl Read online

  “Who was the girl?” she said.

  “B.J. Schneider,” Maggie said.

  “Do you know her?” Mrs. Clayton said to Phoebe.

  Phoebe shook her head, but Sophie was nodding hers.

  “B.J. was there the day he” — Sophie nodded toward Mr. Janitor Man — “was fixing Eddie’s locker. She saw him get the door open with a screwdriver.”

  “Mr. Fenwick?” Mrs. Clayton said to the janitor.

  He grunted. “I remember. One of them told me that was ‘Eddie’s locker’ like it was King Tut’s tomb.”

  “That actually does sound like B.J.,” Mrs. Clayton said. She looked around the room. “But I want all of you to understand that this doesn’t prove Eddie planted the camera — ”

  “Don’t need to.” Coach Virile stepped into the room and pulled Eddie in after him, lunch ketchup still at the corners of his mouth. “Eddie’s going to prove it himself. Let’s go, Mr. Wornom.”

  Eddie turned his radish-red face toward Phoebe. “You’re trash,” he said. “If I hadn’t of gotten caught, they woulda kept thinking you did it.”

  Beneath the voices that all rose at once, Jimmy’s made its way to Sophie. “I guess he proved it,” he said.

  There was a lot to sort out before the Round Table adjourned that day. Maggie apologized to Phoebe for not coming forward right away. Phoebe apologized to Maggie for being hateful — at least as much as Phoebe could, Sophie decided. Phoebe got Campus Commission with Coach Nanini for attacking Eddie — which brought on a gap-toothed smile. Eddie was taken out of their hands by Mr. Bentley, the principal.

  Although it was almost time for fifth period when they left Round Table, the rest of the Corn Flakes and the Lucky Charms were waiting for them in the hall.

  “They talked me into telling,” Maggie said.

  “We saw her with Vincent’s note that must have fallen out of your track pants, Soph,” Fiona said.

  “And she was all bummed out,” Willoughby put in.

  “So we interrogated her,” Fiona said.

  “But we were nice,” Darbie said. “Corn Flake style.”

  Fiona grinned. “Just doing our job.”

  “And we did ours,” Vincent said. He pulled a Q-Tip out of his pocket. “If Wornom hadn’t confessed, I was ready to get his DNA.”

  “I guess I’m the only one who didn’t do my job,” Sophie said. “I never even got to talk to Phoebe.”

  “She’s right there,” Fiona said, nodding down the hall.

  Phoebe was indeed lounging by the water fountain.

  “I don’t think she’s standing there because she’s thirsty, Soph,” Darbie said.

  Sophie tilted her chin and walked toward the victim of discrimination whose rights she had just stood up for.

  I can’t change her, she thought in an inner voice that sounded very much like Liberty Lawhead’s. But I can help her see who she really is. Well, she added as she dodged the last person between her and the Diva at the water fountain, Jesus and me, that is.

  Glossary

  blackguards (bLAK gards) very rude and offensive people

  civil rights (siv-il rites) laws and ideas that are supposed to make sure everyone is treated equally. Civil rights movements try to bring attention to people who need these rights.

  delusion (di-LOO-shun) believing something is there when it’s not, and thinking it’s still there no matter what anyone tells you

  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Doktor Mar-tin Loo-thur King Joon-yur) a very important man in the 1960s. He used nonviolence to help make African Americans equal in the United States. He was shot and killed on April 4, 1968.

  flan (flahn) a really thick and wiggly custard dessert that is popular in some Hispanic cultures

  foostering about (FOO-stur-ing a-bout) an Irish way of saying “stop wasting time”

  heinous (HEY-nus) unbelievably mean and cruel

  illusion (eh-LOO-shun) when something looks incredibly real, but it isn’t

  Latino (lah-TEE-no) a person whose family was originally from Latin America (Central and South America), but who now lives in the United States

  Marielitos (mar-e-el-EE-toes) people who left Cuba by boat to Key West to be free from the Cuban government. They lived in tents on an Air Force base until the U.S. government could find places for them to live, and some people treated them badly afterward because they believed the Marielitos were all criminals.

  monologue (MAW-nol-og) a long speech given by one person who doesn’t allow anyone else to talk

  phlegm (flem) thick, icky stuff in your throat that usually appears when you’re sick

  scuttlebutt (skuh-tell-but) juicy rumors and gossip

  statuesque (stah-chew-ESK) tall and graceful, and looking a lot like a really impressive statue

  swordplay (sord-play) showing you can use a sword very well, and could defend yourself if necessary

  virile (VEAR-uhl) the definition of manly; muscular, strong, and really hunky. Think cute movie star meets not-icky body-builder.

  Sophie Series

  Written by Nancy Rue

  Meet Sophie LaCroix, a creative soul who’s destined to become a great film director someday. But many times, her overactive imagination gets her in trouble!

  Book 1: Sophie’s World

  IBSN: 978-0-310-70756-1

  Book 2: Sophie’s Secret

  ISBN: 978-0-310-70757-8

  Book 3: Sophie Under Pressure

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71840-6

  Book 4: Sophie Steps Up

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71841-3

  Book 5: Sophie’s First Dance

  ISBN: 978-0-310-70760-8

  Book 6: Sophie’s Stormy Summer

  ISBN: 978-0-310-70761-5

  Book 7: Sophie’s Friendship Fiasco

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71842-0

  Book 8: Sophie and the New Girl

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71843-7

  Book 9: Sophie Flakes Out

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71024-0

  Book 10: Sophie Loves Jimmy

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71025-7

  Book 11: Sophie’s Drama

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71844-4

  Book 12: Sophie Gets Real

  ISBN: 978-0-310-71845-1

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.

  Bibles

  Every girl wants to know she’s totally unique and special. This Bible says that with Faithgirlz! sparkle! Now girls can grow closer to God as they discover the journey of a lifetime, in their language, for their world.

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  Hardcover ISBN 978-0-310-71581-8

  Softcover ISBN 978-0-310-71582-5

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  Available now at your local bookstore!

  Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.

  About the Publisher

  Founded in 1931, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan, a division of HarperCollinsPublishers, is the leading international Christian communications company, producing best-selling Bibles, books, new media products, a growing line of gift products and award-winning children’s products. The world’s largest Bible publisher, Zondervan (www.zondervan.com) holds exclusive publishing rights to the New International Version of the Bible and has distributed more than 150 million copies worldwide. It is also one of the top Christian publishers in the world, selling its award-winning books through Christian retailers, general market bookstores, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, and the Internet. Zondervan has received a total of 68 Gold Medallion awards for its books, more than any other publisher.

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