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“Running away isn’t the answer,” Aiden said

“I don’t care I’ home”

“Hold on, Aiden If soht to …” Walker began

Aiden raised his hand for silence “Let’s get all the facts straight before we do anything, Walker Now, Regan,” he said, his voice soothing, “how old was this big girl?”

“I don’t know”

“Okay Do you knohat grade she’s in?”

“Hoould she know that?” Spencer asked “Regan’s just a kindergartner”

“I do too know,” Regan said “She’s in second grade, and her naan, and she’s mean”

“We’ve established that she’s mean,” Aiden said i “So noe’re getting somewhere”

Walker and Spencer were both san didn’t see

“You said that the second grader irl cry?” Aiden asked

Regan nodded “She ht”

“What did she do to make her cry?” Walker asked “Did she hit her?”

“No”

“Then what?” Now Walker sounded as frustrated as Aiden did

Tears welled up in Regan’s eyes again “She ive her her barrettes”

“Was the girl in kindergarten?” Aiden asked

“She’s a very nice girl too She sits beside me at the round table Her name’s Cordelia, but she said everybody calls her Cordie and I should call her Cordie too”

“Do you like this Cordelia?” Spencer asked

“Yes,” she said “And there’s another girl I like too Her name’s Sophie, and she sits at the same table with me and Cordie”

“There you go,” Aiden said “You’ve only been at the new school for one day, and you’ve already made t friends”

Believing the traurabbed his car keys and headed for the door Walker stopped hiure out what to do about the bully”

Aiden paused at the door “You’ve got to be kidding The bully is a second grader”

“We still need to do soan,” he insisted

“Like what?” Aiden deo to school tomorrow and terrorize the kid?”

Regan perked up “That’d be good,” she said “Make her leave Cordie and Sophie and me alone”

“Or,” Aiden said, “you could handle the problem on your own You could stand up to the bully Tell her you aren’t going to give her anything and to leave you and your friends alone”

“I want the first one”

Aiden blinked “The first one?”

“The one where you and Spencer and Walker come to school with me and scare her That’s the one I choose You could stay all day with me if you want”

“This isn’t a an

“Hold on Didn’t you say the bully … what’s her name?” Walker asked

“Morgan”

“Okay Didn’t you say that Morgan was going to torain tomorrow?”

Regan sniffed, and her eyes widened

“So why are you worried? She’s not co after you,” Walker said

She looked so serious “Because she’s my friend, Walker”

Aiden smiled “How do you think she’ll feel if you don’t show up tomorrow?”

“Cordie isn’t going back to that school either She told me so”

“Yeah, well, I’o,” Aiden said “You know, Regan, there are

two kinds of people in the world Those who run from bullies and those who face them”

She wiped the tears away from her face “What kind am I?”

“You’re a Madison You face trouble You don’t run from anyone”

She didn’t like hearing that but knew froe his ued She at least felt better because she had shared her fears

The next ht about not wearing the barrettes, but she wore them anyway, just in case Cordelia needed extra ones

By the time she arrived at Briarwood, she was sick to her sto by the school doors

“I thought you weren’t coan said when she reached her

“Daddy made me,” Cordie answered dejectedly

“My brother made me”

Sophie called out to theet her book bag straps over her shoulders

When she saw Cordie and Regan together, she ran to theht Sophie looked just like a princess Her hair was such a light color, it looked alreen

“I knoe can do,” Sophie announced the second she’d caught up with theyan and get Cordie’s barrettes back”

“How?” Regan asked

“Hohat?” Sophie said

“How do I get the barrettes back?”

“I don’t know, but ”

“Daddy says I have to tell the teacher about Morgan, but I’ to,” Cordie said She brushed her dark curls over her shoulder and added, “Telling will only an madder”

Regan was suddenly feeling very adult “We have to tell her to leave us alone Aiden said so”

“Who’s Aiden?” Sophie asked

“My brother”

“But Morgan’s only bothering me” Cordie said “Not you or Sophie You should run and hide from her”

“You could hide with us,” Sophie suggested