I said in my head My name is Austin fifteen times looking at the page on the left. I said My name is Austin fifteen times looking at the page on the right. I turned the page.

“What’s shakin’, eggs and bacon?”

It was Bertie. She sat down right next to me.

“I like your backpack. Does it have one of those divider-thingies so you can put books in one half and papers in the other, and the papers don’t get all squished down at the bottom? I love those.”

I held my book a little higher to show her I was reading. Maybe she hadn’t noticed.

“Ooh, it’s got a gold medal!” she practically shouted. For a small person, Bertie’s voice was very big. It carried all the way across the cafeteria. “What’s it about?”

“Um,” I said. “It’s about two lonely children who create a magical forest kingdom.”

“Cool beans,” she said. “I just finished this series with, like, twelve books in it, and my dad and I are having a debate about whether it’s better to read books in a series or books that are not in a series. What do you think?”

I didn’t really think anything, but then the bell rang.

I put my bookmark back in its place and carefully put Ms. G.’s book into my backpack. Then I followed Bertie to the classroom. I probably could have found it on my own today, but this way was just easier.

“Good morning!” Bertie said in a loud, singsong voice as we walked through the door.

Ms. G. was on the other side of the classroom, watering a plant on the windowsill. It needed it, too. Its leaves were all dry and brown, like they could have been made out of the pages of her book.

“Hi there,” Ms. G. called back. “Hey, Bertie, could you help Austin get started this morning?”

“You bet,” Bertie said, and she got a big smile on her face, I think because Ms. G. asked her to be my helper.

Bertie led me to the cubbies along the wall by the door. “First, take out what you need, and hang your backpack in your cubby.”

I took out my notebook and my pencil and Ms. G.’s book. Then I hung my backpack in a cubby next to Bertie’s that now had a name tag that said Austin. I was glad this school had cubbies inside the classroom. Some places, they’re out in the hall, and you never know who’s messing with your stuff.

“Next,” Bertie said. She walked to my desk, and I followed. “Put your homework at the top of your desk. And if you have a bus note or a permission slip or something like that, put it on top.” Bertie dug a folded paper out of her back pocket. It was bright orange, like vivid tangerine.