Free My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe

to Rachel the next time I see her.
    "Smart monkey," I say, and tear it out of my sketchbook. I fold it up and put it in my backpack.
    Then I get out my note from Anastasia. I read the poem again. I pull a piece of paper out of my desk drawer and write a note back.
Dear Anastasia,
    Thanks for the poem. Now I'm craving tacos. Too bad we aren't getting ready to celebrate the Purdee Taco Pageant together. They'd print your poem in the newspaper for sure. Plus, a Taco Tossing contest sounds much more exciting than a 'Tater Tossing contest. And then the pageant queen could be crowned The Big Enchilada.
    Cordelia
    P.S. I hope you have fun at the parade this weekend. Watch out for flying potatoes.
    After supper I do my homework while my mom reads the newspaper. When she's done, I find scissors and a glue stick. I cut out the letters
H, I,
and
A
from the headlines. Then I glue them to a piece of notebook paper so they say
HI A.
    I tuck the message inside my backpack, along with Rachel's picture.

    The next morning when I get to the bus stop, Jenna is already there, talking Quinn's ear off. Rachel and Tess are standing together comparing shoelaces. I walk over to Rachel and hand her the folded up picture of Princess Penelope. "Better save it for later," I whisper, glancing at Jenna.
    Rachel gives me a knowing nod. She unzips Joyce and puts the picture inside her backpack. Then she zips Max twice.
    When I get to school, I leave my note in the secret stone. I slip my newspaper message under some graded papers Mr. Crow has put on Stacey's desk.
    After our first recess, I see Stacey in the coat-room, digging around in her lunch box. She pulls out a juice box of Hi-C, carries it into the classroom, and sets it on the edge of her desk.
    "What's that for?" Jenna asks her.
    Stacey does a fake cough. "Scratchy throat," she says, pointing to her neck.
    But the Hi-C just sits there, so I know it's really a secret message to me.
    Later, when I check the secret stone, I find this note from Anastasia:
Dear Cordelia,
    Jenna wants me to go to the parade with her, but I know my grandma will be there. If we run into her I will have to explain to Jenna that she isn't my rich aunt. And then my grandma will feel Sad that I told lies about her. And Jenna will be mad that I lied to her, too.
    Maybe I'll pretend to be sick so I don't have to go.
    Anastasia
    It's cold and drizzly as I walk home from the bus stop. A bike is parked by our door, and when I get inside I hear some kid plunking on the piano. The notes don't match at all.
    I head to my room and close the door tight, shutting out the sound. George gives me a grateful look from my bed.
    I just shake my head at him. "Too lazy to get up and close the door?"
    No response from the monkey. I walk over to George and pick him up. "You have to learn to do some things for yourself, you know."
    George just stares at my left ear. But I can tell he's listening. "If you sit around and wait for me to solve your problems, you will start to collect dust. And dust attracts
moths,
George. Big ones."
    I sit down at my desk and set George on my lap. I pull out some paper and start writing.
Dear Anastasia,
    I think if Jenna were a real friend, she would want to know the truth about you Living with your grandmother. And she wouldn't be mean about it. Besides, you can't pretend to be sick forever. And you can't Lie forever, either.
    Cordelia
    I plan to hide my note in the secret stone the next morning, but it's pouring rain. It's still raining when our first recess rolls around, so Mr. Crow says, "I suggest you use this time to finalize
your plans for the Potato Pageant windows. We'll be painting them the day after tomorrow."
    Since Jenna tore up my first design, Mr. Crow gives my cluster a new piece of paper. And since nobody in my cluster mentions the first design, I figure they weren't that crazy about potato pirates after all.
    We stare blankly for awhile.
    "Any ideas?" I finally ask.
    "Nope," Rusty says. "My brain is