Free Almost Identical #1 by Lin Oliver

Don’t tell anyone, but she still sucks her thumb at night.”
    â€œI do not!” I protested, but it didn’t matter, because Alicia and Sara didn’t believe him, anyway. They were both laughing and giving Ryan flirty looks. It’s amazing. He is a total girl magnet without even trying.
    â€œYou’re both such naturals,” Sara said. “Really talented.” Then, turning to Alicia, she added, “We should get them to come to Truth Tellers.”
    â€œTruth Tellers?” Ryan said. “Whoa, that sounds serious. What is it?”
    â€œIt’s this kind of drama group that meets after school,” Alicia said. “Sara and I are in it, and a bunch of our other friends.”
    â€œYou do plays?” I asked.
    â€œNo, it’s not that kind of drama. We do sketches and monologues and scenes about our lives. We try to tell the truth about things, ‘express our true selves,’ as Ms. Carew says. She’s our sponsor.”
    I recognized her name from my schedule. “Oh, she’s my English teacher. Can anyone join?”
    â€œAnyone who’s interested.”
    â€œWell, that leaves me out,” Ryan said. “No offense, ladies, but it sounds way too weird for me. My true self doesn’t have all that much to say.”
    â€œWhat about you, Sammie?” Sara asked.
    Before I could answer, I heard Lauren’s voice next to me. I hadn’t seen her approach, but apparently she had just come from the quick-service window because she was holding two peach yogurts.
    â€œI got you some lunch,” she said to Ryan. “You coming to our table?”
    â€œSure,” Ryan said. “You didn’t happen to get a cheeseburger or anything, did you? Not that yogurt doesn’t look delish, but I’m what you call a meat eater.”
    â€œWell, come on, meat eater,” she said, flashing him a strawberry-scented smile. “Someone at the table will have some caveman food. Let’s go. You coming, Sammie?”
    What I wanted to do was stay there with Alicia and Sara. It was so easy to be with them. We were having fun. I hadn’t realized how much energy I was exerting to talk with all the kids at the SF2 table until I felt how easy and natural it was to be with these other girls. I didn’t feel like they were judging me. We were just all being us.
    â€œCome on, Sammie,” Lauren repeated as she and Ryan walked away.
    All right, Sammie. Stand up for yourself. Tell her you’re not going to the SF2 table. Tell her those kids make your armpits sweat.
    â€œHey, Lauren,” I called out. “I think I’m going to—”
    Lauren turned around, interrupting me. “Sammie. Everybody’s waiting.”
    I stood there for a second, and then I made a decision. Actually, it wasn’t even a decision; it was more of a reflex, the kind of thing you do before you even have a chance to think about it.
    I went. I don’t know why, but I did.
    I said a quick good-bye to Alicia and Sara and followed Lauren to the table. When I got there, I sat down next to Ryan, who promptly announced that I would do my baby imitation in exchange for somebody giving him something with meat in it. Jared gave him half of his second meatball sub and I was on.
    â€œDo it, Sammie,” Ryan urged. “You guys, this is going to blow you away. Watch this.”
    I held my nose, stuck out my tongue, squinched up my eyes, and let out one of the funnier baby wails I have ever done.
    But you know what?
    No one laughed.

Ms. Carew
    Chapter 7
    â€œNow that you’ve had a week to adjust to the new school year, we are happy to announce that after-school activities will begin today,” Principal Pfeiffer said over the loudspeaker. “The Chess Club meets in Room Fourteen with Mrs. Zajak, the Film Club in the auditorium with Mr. Walsh, the debate team in Bungalow Three with Mr. Boring, and Truth Tellers in the Patio Room with Ms.