‘You have to guess,’ grinned Jack.

‘Give us some clues then,’ said Michiko, glancing at Mia. ‘Is she sporty?’

‘Well, she loves playing ping-pong,’ said Jack.

‘What does she look like?’ asked Shae.

‘She’s little and cute,’ said Jack. ‘And her face is really red.’

Mia stared at Jack. Is he talking about me? She put her hands up to her cheeks. Her face was definitely red right now! And she was the smallest girl in Mrs Bonacci’s class.

Mia didn’t know what to think. It has to be me Jack’s talking about, worried Mia.

She couldn’t help feeling that everything would change if she found out that he had a crush on her. Jack was really smart and nice. He was very funny, too. And she knew that other girls thought he was cute. But Mia was happy with things just the way they were.

I really hope that Jack doesn’t have a crush on me, realised Mia. I just want us to be normal friends!

Everyone was looking curiously at Jack now, even Nick.

‘Is it someone who we know?’ asked Michiko.

‘Actually, she’s in the room with us right now!’ said Jack, grinning broadly.

‘Just tell us!’ groaned Shae.

Mia was so nervous about what Jack would say, she felt like running out of the shed. She pretended to be very interested in the silver tutu she was wearing.

Then suddenly Michiko, Shae and Nick burst out laughing. Mia looked up.

Jack was holding up his red ping-pong paddle. On it he had drawn a big smiling face.

‘This is Paula Paddle,’he said. ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’

‘Are you saying you’ve got a crush on your ping-pong paddle?’ giggled Michiko.

Jack pretended to look hurt. ‘So?’ he said. ‘What’s wrong with that?’

‘Yeah!’ chuckled Nick. ‘Jack can like whoever he wants. Even if she’s a pingpong paddle!’

‘But she’s made out of wood!’ Shae laughed.

‘I don’t care!’ said Jack. ‘I like her anyway.’ Then he gave the paddle a big smoochy kiss.

Mia started laughing, too. She couldn’t believe Jack had just kissed his ping-pong paddle! She also felt very relieved.

I’m so glad Jack doesn’t have a crush on me, she thought happily.

‘Wait a minute,’ Shae said, looking at Jack through narrowed eyes. ‘Are you sure you don’t like anyone else?’

Jack looked surprised. ‘Like who?’

‘Like Mia!’ said Michiko.

‘Sorry, but no,’ Jack said, shaking his head. ‘Just because Mia and I are buddies doesn’t mean we like like each other.’

‘Yeah,’ added Mia. ‘We’re just really good friends.’

Michiko nodded. Mia could tell she understood. But Shae still didn’t seem to believe them.

‘Let’s ask the fortune teller again,’ said Shae, pulling it out of her pocket and slotting in her fingers. ‘Do Jack and Mia have crushes on each other?’

‘This is so dumb!’ laughed Jack. But he sighed, and went along with it anyway. First he chose four, then green, and finally purple.

Mia held her breath as Shae unfolded the flap.

‘So?’ said Michiko. ‘What does it say?’

‘It says No way!’ admitted Shae, looking disappointed. ‘But I don’t believe it. I was sure you guys like liked each other.’

‘It’s just a silly fortune teller!’ Mia said.

Jack shook his head, half-laughing, half-serious. ‘It is possible for a boy and a girl to be just friends, OK?’ he said. ‘Mia’s cool and I like hanging out with her. She’s funny and really smart, too. It makes no difference to me that she’s a girl and not a boy.’

For a moment no-one said anything.

Then Michiko smiled. ‘That’s so nice.’

‘Yeah,’ Shae nodded. ‘Now I believe you. Only a real friend would say something like that.’

Mia smiled, feeling a bit shy all of a sudden. She knew that Jack liked her as a friend. But she had never heard the reasons why he liked her. It was nice to hear. But it was also a bit embarrassing.

All the same, thought Mia happily, I’m so glad he’s my friend!