MS. COLMAN

“Well, here is my classroom,” said Karen. She and Nancy were standing by the door to one of the first-grade rooms. “See you later.”

“ ’Bye, Karen,” said Nancy sadly.

Nancy looked down the hallway. She knew where her room was. She walked toward it very slowly. Natalie ran by her. Omar ran by her. Ricky ran by her.

“Hey, slowpoke!” Ricky called to Nancy.

Nancy stopped outside Ms. Colman’s room. She poked her head in the door.

“BOO!” shouted Bully Bobby.

“Aughh!” shrieked Nancy.

“Scared you, you baby,” said Bobby. He glared at Nancy.

“Leave me alone.”

“Not unless you tell your little first-grade friend to leave me alone,” replied Bobby. Then he ran after Sara. “Hey, you! New kid!”

“Oh, make like a bee and buzz off,” said Sara. Then she ignored Bobby.

Nancy took another step into the room. She saw Natalie, Ricky, the Barkan twins, and some other kids she knew from kindergarten and first grade. And she saw a lot of kids she did not know.

“Good morning, boys and girls,” said a grown-up’s voice.

Standing in the doorway behind Nancy was Ms. Colman. She was smiling. She was smiling even though Ian Johnson was pretending to brush his hair with an eraser. And even though Audrey Green was giving herself a tattoo with a red Magic Marker. And even though Hank Reubens was tickling Leslie Morris and had made Leslie fall on the floor.

Ms. Colman stepped over to her desk. She set a pile of papers on it. The kids in her class ran to find desks of their own. When they were seated, all the boys were in the back and all the girls were in the front. “Hmm,” said Ms. Colman. “This will not do.”

Ms. Colman told each of her students where to sit. When they had switched places, Nancy found herself in the back row. At the end of the row was that pest Ricky Torres. Next to him was Hannie Papadakis, Karen’s friend. Nancy sat on the other side of Hannie. And next to Nancy, at the other end of the row, was … nobody.

That was probably supposed to have been Martha’s desk, thought Nancy. I would have been sitting next to my best friend.

Nancy looked at Hannie. She was about to lean over and whisper, “Psst! Hey! Hannie Papadakis!”

But Hannie was busy whispering to Sara Ford who sat in front of her. Then Terri Barkan turned around and asked Hannie if she could borrow a pencil. And then Ricky passed a note to Hannie.

Nancy sighed. She gazed around the room. Who would be her second-grade best friend?

“Girls and boys,” said Ms. Colman, “before we begin today, I would like you to put your things away in your cubbies. The cubbies are over there.” Ms. Colman pointed. “I have written your names on them. Will the students in the front row please find their cubbies?”

Row by row, the kids in Ms. Colman’s class put away their lunch boxes and bookbags and backpacks and extra sneakers. They hung up their sweaters and jackets and baseball caps. Chris Lamar put away his rubber football. Tammy Barkan put away her walking robot action figure.

When everyone was finished, Ms. Colman said, “Okay, girls and boys. Listen up.”