Free Sophie Under Pressure by Nancy N. Rue Page A

was totally torn off.”
    Sophie gasped. “Did the wind do it?”
    â€œThere was no wind today.”
    â€œDidn’t we attach it right?”
    â€œIt didn’t happen by itself,” Fiona said. “Boppa went up there and looked at it. He said somebody tore it off!”
    Sophie’s tongue went stiff. “Who would do that? Oh — it was Rory and Isabella, huh?”
    â€œNo — they were at the library with Kateesha all afternoon.
    Besides, I know who did this, and so do you.”
    â€œI do?”
    â€œIt was so Maggie. She brought costumes today, by the way — ”
    â€œAre they amazing?”
    â€œThey look just like the pictures,” Fiona said. “But that isn’t the point.”
    Sophie could almost see Fiona’s eyes going into Corn Pop slits.
    â€œShe was even pretty decent when she and Kitty were up in the space station with me,” Fiona said, “but that was just an act. She’s still mad because we didn’t do it her way.”
    Sophie was shaking her head as if Fiona could see her through the phone. “It doesn’t make sense. If she messed it up, it would ruin her grade too.”
    â€œThat’s just it. She thinks she’s going to tell us how to fix it and she’ll get her way because our way didn’t work, and when we get a good grade she’ll say it was all because of her. We could even get taken out of GATE for not doing more work than her.” Fiona gave a hard little laugh. “But I have news for her. Boppa already fixed it. He said it was something we couldn’t do and he’ll explain it to Mrs. Utley. I’m sure glad Ms. Quelling isn’t our science teacher.” Fiona finally took a breath. “So what are you going to do now?”
    â€œMe?”
    â€œYou’re the captain. You need to have a plan or Maggie is going to keep doing things until she ruins it for all of us. I think you should call a meeting of just you, me, and Luna, and tell us what you want us to do.”
    Sophie mumbled something and hung up and closed her eyes. Jesus showed up right away, looking at her with kind eyes.
    â€œIs this your job or mine?” she whispered to him.
    He didn’t answer of course, but it did make her think of the Bible story Dr. Peter had told her to read. That was supposed to be about the Mama Mission, but she needed some help with this mission or it was going to fall completely apart.
    Sophie pulled her Bible out and propped up against her pile of plump pillows. She noted that she and Dr. Peter were both into big cushions. Another reason she liked him so much.
    It wasn’t hard to find John 6, verses 1 through 13. Since before Christmas, Dr. Peter had her read a Bible story almost every time she saw him and she was getting good at finding her way around.
    Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee , she read, and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
    Sophie could already imagine herself as one of them. Any minute now he would perform a miraculous sign for her and fix this whole space-station dilemma. She got a picture in her head of herself in a little purple robe and a rope belt and sandals.
    When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him , he said to Philip , “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him , for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
    Sophie was glad she hadn’t imagined herself as Philip. She didn’t know the answer to that question.
    Philip answered him , “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
    Another of his disciples , Andrew , Simon Peter’s brother , spoke up. “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish , but how far will they go among so many?”
    Sophie thought that must be the little kid Dr. Peter had mentioned.