Free Girl Power by Melody Carlson

the happier I’ll be.”
    “Well, thank you.” Cleo followed Lisa into the kitchen where they continued to talk.
    “This is so cool,” said Kyle. “We’re going to have real furniture. I can help move it.”
    “This seems to be working out just fine,” Morgan told Emily as they headed back into her bedroom.
    Emily looked around her much more colorful room and sighed happily. “It’s starting to feel like home here.”
    Morgan nodded. “You are home, Emily.”
    “I hope so.”
    “Remember that feeling I had yesterday?” Morgan reminded her. “How I thought God was working things out for you?”
    Emily laughed. “You were totally right!”

chapter ten
    Three quiet days passed with no bully attacks and by Thursday afternoon, Amy questioned whether or not they really needed to continue their arrangement. She’d made it clear that she didn’t like arriving at school later than usual. Morgan wished Amy would lighten up. She thought their walk might be all that was holding the four of them together.
    “Why not stick together?” urged Morgan as she looked to the others for support. “I mean, we don’t know what those guys are up to right now.”
    “Besides,” added Emily, “we should use this time to keep working on our plans for fixing up the trailer court.”
    “That’s right,” said Carlie. “My dad said to tell you guys to be ready bright and early on Saturday. He wants to get back from digging up plants by noon.”
    “And we need to start some of our fund-raising plans,” said Amy, finally getting into the spirit of things. “I’ve already started collecting cans. Man, you should see how much pop my sisters and brother drink. You’d think their teeth would be rotten by now.”
    “And my dad told me that he’d help us make some planters out of the old fence pieces that we piled up last weekend,” said Carlie. “So that’ll be free.”
    “Cool,” said Morgan. “And my grandma read something in the paper about how the dump is giving away recycled mulch.”
    “Recycled mulch?” said Amy. “Like, what is that supposed to be?”
    Morgan shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s free, and Grandma said it would come in handy.” She turned to Carlie. “Do you think your dad could get some for us in his pickup?”
    Carlie nodded. “And your grandma’s right. It will come in handy.”
    Morgan lowered her voice and hissed through her teeth, “Don’t look now, but I think we’re being watched. Up there by the fence next to that alley … I see a bike tire.”
    “Oh, brother,” said Carlie. “They just don’t give up, do they?”
    “Let’s just act natural,” said Morgan. “Don’t let them think they’re getting to us.”
    “I’m getting out my phone.” Amy paused to dig in her backpack.
    “That’s not a bad idea,” said Morgan as they waited for her.
    “Yeah, it might show them that we’re not going to take it anymore,” said Emily.
    So the girls continued walking, with Morgan and Carlie in the lead and Emily and Amy following. Sure enough, there was Derrick. He was with a boy that Morgan didn’t recognize, and both of them were scowling, trying to look tough.
    “Don’t act scared,” whispered Morgan as they got closer. “Show ‘em your cool face.”
    The four girls continued walking, and Morgan made an attempt at light conversation. “Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
    “Yeah,” said Carlie. “And only a week until summer va—”
    “Thought I told you trailer trash to stay off our turf,” snarled Derrick, pulling out his bike to block their way.
    “I thought we told you this was a public street,” said Morgan, still walking.
    “Public for some people,” said the other boy with narrowed eyes. He was taller than Derrick with a buzz cut and a bad complexion. “Not for people like you.”
    Morgan and Carlie were only a foot or so away from the boys, and Amy and Emily were right behind them. Morgan’s eyes fell to a piece of wood Derrick brandished