Free Fabulous Five 026 - Laura's Secret by Betsy Haynes Page A

people, she has lots of
friends—"
    "Not so many now," Beth interrupted. "I heard
that Sally and Jennifer had planned to invite her to their party, but now they've
decided not to. They say they're not going to hang around with her until it's
proven one way or the other if she's a thief."
    "They're afraid Alexis might steal from them?"
asked Jana.
    "Right," said Beth.
    "Wow," exclaimed Jana. "I thought in this
country we're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty."
    "But have you seen Alexis today?" asked Beth. "She
looks like something the cat dragged in! She's acting weird, too, keeping to
herself, walking along the hall as close to the lockers as she can get."
    "I don't know what to think," said Jana. "I'm
going to be nice to her, but I'm going to be careful, too. It's just so sad.''
    The girls filed out of the bathroom.
    As soon as they were gone, Laura opened the stall door and
moved to the mirror. She took out some blush from her backpack and brushed it
on, all the while thinking about Alexis.
    If Jana and Beth were questioning Alexis's honesty, then everybody must be wondering about her.
    Laura looked at herself in the mirror. She suddenly didn't
like what she saw. Oh, sure, she was still good-looking. It wasn't that. She
just felt different about herself the last few days.
    She thought about the lie for the millionth time. Laura hadn't
planned to hurt anybody. But she had ended up lying about Alexis to protect
herself. She had told the lie only to her friends, true, but Tammy had spread
it. And now she felt like the world's biggest jerk. She felt as if she had a
rock in her stomach. She was sick of feeling this way, sick of the whole thing.
    She had to put her plan into action—right now. She stuffed
the blush into her backpack and hurried out of the bathroom.

CHAPTER 12
    Laura slipped into her place at the lunch table.
    "Hi, Laura," Tammy said brightly.
    Funny and Melissa barely acknowledged her. They nodded
slightly and went back to their conversation. Laura's stomach twisted
painfully. She hoped that her plan would not only save Alexis's reputation, but
also get Laura herself back in the good graces of her friends. She knew now
that it wasn't just their loyalty she wanted, it was their genuine friendship.
    "Hi, everyone," Laura said. She cleared her
throat. "Could I interrupt you guys for a minute?"
    Melissa rolled her eyes, but she and Funny stopped talking.
    "I'm calling a meeting after school today," Laura
announced.
    "Of The Fantastic Foursome?" Tammy asked.
    "Yes, hut I'm asking Alexis, Lisa, Sara, and Marcie to
come, too," said Laura.
    Funny frowned. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
    "Don't you think there's been enough trouble already?"
asked Melissa. "I don't think I can stomach any more bad scenes for a
while."
    "There won't be any bad scenes," Laura insisted. "I
just want to talk to everybody. I promise you the results will be good."
    "And peaceful?" asked Funny.
    "And peaceful," Laura assured her.
    Funny and Melissa exchanged glances.
    "No offense, Laura," Funny said, "but you're
not exactly known for promoting peace."
    Laura bit her tongue. She didn't want to blow her plan by
getting mad and causing an uproar.
    "You'll have to trust me." Laura's jaws clenched
tightly.
    "I'll be there!" Tammy said.
    "Good. Come to our spot next to the building right
after the final bell." She looked at Funny and Melissa. "Will you two
be there?"
    They both nodded.
    "Good," Laura said, standing up. "See you
there."
    "Aren't you going to eat?" asked Tammy.
    "I'm not hungry," Laura replied. "And I have
some things to do. See you after school."
    Laura moved away from the table and glanced around the
cafeteria until she spotted Alexis sitting with The Fabulous Five. Swallowing
hard, she marched to their table.
    It was Alexis who first saw Laura coming. She dropped her
sandwich, and her face turned ashen. The others, who had been chatting
together, stopped talking and watched Laura approach.
    This was one time Laura