Always, Abigail (25 page)

I laughed. I laughed like I'd never laughed before. In the most bizarro way I knew how.

AlliCam and J&M didn't know what to do. And none of them had anything to say.

Bizarro laughter was the ultimate secret weapon. It was the best way to turn lemons into lemonade.

It was not only how Gabby survived being the outcast, it was how she survived everything that happened to her. Her laughter took the power away from everyone and everything.

Gabby wasn't an outcast. She really was a genius.

1.
Felt Kip's note about McKenzie's party that was in my front jeans pocket.

2.
Looked over at the bulletin board in the corner and saw the reminder Ms. Jenson had posted about the pom squad photos coming up in just two days. My to do list was posted right underneath it.

1.
Stand up for Gabby.

2.
Stand up for myself.

“I quit.”

And AlliCam and J&M gasped like someone in the circus had just fallen from the high wire. And I put a check mark behind “Stand up for myself” on that to do list in my head.

I went and sat on the late bus and waited for practice to be over.

They walked past my seat and sat in the back of the bus.

He walked past my seat and sat across from AlliCam.

She saved a seat for Jackson.

“Need me to wash your pom uniform for Saturday's pictures?”

“Yes, I need it washed, but not for pictures. I'm giving it back to Ms. Jenson tomorrow.”

My mom wasn't all that surprised when I told her what happened.

The bookstore.

A copy of
The Little Engine That Could
.

Dear Gabby,

You're like the little blue engine—always willing to rescue someone who needs help. You make people do things they never thought they could do. Anyone who has you as a friend is lucky.

Even though there's no way to tell you I'm sorry, I want you to know that I am. And even though there's no reason for you to forgive me, I hope that maybe someday, maybe somehow, you will.

Your friend (I hope),

Always,

Abigail

Hatchet
.

I decided since Gabby liked it so much I should give it another try. Besides, it would be another book Gabby and I could talk about if she ever decided to forgive me.

A copy of
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
.

It was from Gabby.

Dear Abigail,

I forgive you.

Hope you'll trip trap back to kindergarten and tell some stories with Jackson and me. (He's not as much of a troll as we thought.)

Your friend,

Gabby

(Next to her writing, Gabby had labeled the three billy goats on the title page—Jackson, Abigail, and Gabby. Underneath that she'd written, “We're a trio, so trolls don't scare us!”)