The New Girl

Got a new student in my class today. Her name is Delaney Holland. She moved here from Masachewsits. Actually, her full name is Claire Delaney Holland, but nobody calls her that. It's either Delaney or "Laney," her nickname. And since today was the last day of "Picture Week," she got the yearbook photo you see up top.

So, she walks up and introduces herself, and this boy in the back shouts, "Taylor Swift! Taylor Swift!" I know shes some kind of singer or other, but as far as listening to her music, no thanx.

Anyway, Laney is a true geek. Even geekier than you, Haley, if that's possible. Her mom is an arkitech and her dad is a college professer. She's got an older sister who's a concert musician. So yeah, they're all brainiacs.

So, me and Kit and Jess decide to invite Laney to sit with us for lunch. "You got stuck with the weirdos," Kylee Phillips shouts from across the cafeteria. Unfortunately we're on the graveyard lunch shift this year, and Harriet since she's an upper grader, got the good one.

Laney whips out her laptop and tells us she misses her BFF, Dakota, who is out traveling. Naturally this intrested Jess, who's been to Belize and Egypt. She wants to be a wildlife bioligest and she showed us this notebook where she wrote down all kinds of stuff about animals and plants and drew a lot of pix. "How long you been doing this?" Kit, ever the reporter, asks.

"A few years now," replies Laney.

"Mind if I interview you for the back to school issue?"

Laney looks at her, confused. "What back to school issue?"

I explained to Laney that every year Adams' newspaper and yearbook staffs combine to put out this big issue about returning to school in the fall.

It's me and Kit's job to show Laney the ropes at Adams Middle School. Especially since you're not here to help out, Haley.

Laney doesn't know it yet, but I plan to recruit her for the paper. I could tell she and I are gonna get along .... just ... fine.