CHAPTER 9

Greater Cause

I didn’t sleep well that night. I was too upset about Monica. But I wasn’t tired when I got up the next morning.

I was really WORRIED. I might lose my best friend. But now I had found a greater cause than recycling straw wrappers.

At lunch, I stood on a chair. Everybody stared at me. Maybe they thought I was going to sing another kindergarten song, like Monica had the day before.

“I think we should change how Pine Tree Middle School picks cheerleaders,” I said loudly.

Everyone groaned and went back to their lunches. I kept going anyway. “A group of students and teachers would pick the best cheerleaders,” I said. “We shouldn’t just keep picking the most popular kids. Unless they’re the best, of course.”

I didn’t mention cheerleader dares. The dares would stop if the older girls didn’t pick the new girls.

“That’s all,” I said. Then I sat down.

Nobody clapped. My announcement was a flop.

Monica leaned over and glared at me. “You don’t want me to make the squad,” she said quietly. Her eyes flashed. She was really mad.

“Yes I do,” I said. “That’s why I helped you practice all last week.”

“Gina likes me,” Monica said. “I was going to make the squad. But now you want to change the rules.” Monica picked up her tray and left.

Anna and Carly waved her over. Monica sat down with them. They were glad to see her.

I felt awful. We were having macaroni and cheese with brownies for dessert. It was my favorite school lunch, but I wasn’t hungry anymore.

“The eighth-grade cheerleaders have always picked the new cheerleaders,” Adam said.

“But the tryouts should be fair,” I said.

Becca sighed. “Will Monica ever be our friend again?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said. “When she stops being mad.”

I’ve known Monica since kindergarten. I didn’t believe she’d pick cheerleading and Anna over Becca and me. For one thing, Monica always plays fair. She just wasn’t thinking straight. RIGHT?

Anna came over to our table. She put her hands on her hips. “The popular girls have always been cheerleaders, Claudia,” she told me. “It’s a tradition. You can’t change tradition.”

“I can try,” I said.

I wasn’t as sure as I sounded. I knew that people didn’t like change. Not even if change was going to make things better.

My great cause might be another lost cause.

Like saving a tree.

I didn’t tell my friends to recycle their straw wrappers, so they all forgot. I recycled mine before I dumped my tray.

I could save a tree by myself. It would only take three thousand years.

“Oops!” said Adam. He pulled his straw wrapper out of the trashcan. Then he put it in the recycling bin and smiled at me.

I smiled back. “Thanks,” I told him. It wasn’t a big thing, but it made me feel better. Adam recycled because he saw me do it.

Too bad leading by example wouldn’t help me change how Pine Tree Middle School chose cheerleaders.