Free Bee in Your Ear by Frieda Wishinsky Page B

Jake.
    â€œYou, late—always!” said Kate, laughing.
    Jake was famous for being late. He always had a crazy excuse like he lost his socks or had itchy feet.
    And, sure enough, that evening Jake was late again.

CHAPTER THREE

You Think You’re So Smart
    By 7:20, Kate was staring at her clock. She tried to picture her spelling words in her mind like Mr. Bolin suggested, but her eyes kept darting to the clock.
    7:25.
    No Jake.
    7:30.
    No Jake.
    7:40.
    No Jake.
    Was he coming at all? He was always late but never this late. Kate picked up the phone to call him, but before she finished dialing, the doorbell rang.
    â€œSorry, Kate M’ Mate,” said Jake, waving goodbye to his mom. “My mom made me dry all the dishes before we could leave.”
    â€œDoesn’t your mom put the dishes in the dishwasher?” asked Kate.
    â€œNot her favorite blue soup bowls, and we had soup for supper.”
    â€œThat’s four bowls, Jake. That shouldn’t take you so long,” said Kate.
    â€œI like to dry them just right,” said Jake. “Come on. Let’s test each other on list one.”
    Kate knew Jake was changing the subject, but it was getting late.
    â€œOkay,” said Kate. “You test me first.”
    Jake read the fifty words on the first list to Kate. There were three lists of fifty words each for the contest. That made 150 words in all.
    â€œSlow down,” she begged when he reached the homonyms stair and stare. “I need to think. Which one means steps and which one means to look?”
    But no matter how hard she tried to remember, she couldn’t.
    â€œNuts,” she mumbled. “I have to guess.”
    It was the wrong guess. Kate made many wrong guesses. She only got thirty-eight out of fifty words right.
    It was Jake’s turn.
    Jake scored forty-three out of fifty.
    â€œI’ll never do well on the contest,” moaned Kate.
    â€œJust study harder,” said Jake.
    â€œI have been studying hard. I’ve been studying so hard I have spelling dreams. Last night I dreamed a genie trapped me in a giant spelling list, and I couldn’t get out no matter how many magic words I said.”
    â€œWell, winning isn’t everything,” said Jake, patting Kate on the back.
    â€œDon’t tell me that!” said Kate. “And don’t pat me on the back like I’m a dog! You think you’re so smart, but you’re not.”
    â€œHey. Calm down,” said Jake.
    â€œDon’t tell me to calm down,” shouted Kate. “Don’t tell me anything. Ever!” And with that Kate stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
    She slammed her bedroom door and threw herself on her bed.
    â€œI’m sorry, Jake,” Kate heard her mom say. “I don’t know what’s got into Kate tonight.”
    â€œStupid spelling has got into me!” said Kate to herself.
    Kate stared at the picture of an ice skater above her bed. The skater looked like she’d just won first prize at a competition. She was smiling as if it had been so easy. But it wasn’t easy to win. No matter how hard you tried, sometimes you couldn’t win.
    Kate listened for voices from downstairs, but it was quiet. Where was Jake? Kate hopped off her bed and ran downstairs.
    â€œWhere’s Jake?” she asked her mom.

    â€œHe went home, Kate. He said you were mad at him. He called his mom and they left,” her mom said.
    â€œWell, I was mad at him,” said Kate. “He kept patting me on the back like I’m a dog. He kept telling me to calm down like I’m a baby. He wants to win that contest just as much as I do.”
    â€œJake’s your best friend, Kate,” said her mom.
    â€œThen why doesn’t he understand how I feel? I can’t remember those dumb homonyms no matter how hard I try.”
    Kate’s mom sighed.
    â€œI’m going back to my room to study, but I don’t know if it will do any