10. Vivid Tangerine, Scarlet, Azure, Aquamarine, Cornflower, Fuchsia, Flamingo Pink

At recess, I went to my spot. I slid down against the wall until I was sitting smack on the concrete. I held my backpack in my lap and kept taking things out and putting them in, like there was something I was looking for but was having a real hard time finding. Bertie still skipped over and sat down right next to me.

“You got the study guide from Ms. G.?” I couldn’t tell if she was asking me or telling me.

She took her glasses off and gave me a big eye roll. Then she put her glasses on, grabbed my backpack, and fished around until she found the big yellow envelope. She held it so close to my face, I couldn’t not take it.

It wasn’t sealed. The flap was just folded under. I opened it.

The paper on top looked more like a birthday party invitation than a form for school. It was the same vivid tangerine as the one Bertie had handed in this morning.

Around the edges, there were cartoon kids wearing sashes. They were opening doors and helping the little kids on the bus and off the bus. There were a bunch of crowded-up words in the middle and a picture of a big whistle at the bottom, with a thick line for the parents to sign on.

Under the form was a packet. It had its name right on the front in big capital letters. Its first name started with S, and its middle name started with S, and its last name started with G, and that’s how I knew it was the Safety Study Guide. I guess I had gotten the envelope all wrong.

“Let me know if you have any questions,” Bertie said. “I’ve been studying for that thing since second grade.”

I flipped through the pages like I was reading everything real quick. The words didn’t look all that long or complicated, mostly five or six letters.

“What’s it about?” I asked.

You can’t just ask someone “Can you read this to me?” But if you ask a question about the thing, you can usually get them to tell you the most important parts.

“Let’s see,” Bertie said. She took the packet and turned to the second page. There was a list with number one, two, and three.

“There’s hallway walking, sidewalk safety, and cafeteria etiquette.” She said the last word real slow and courteous. “Mostly it’s about giving people friendly reminders and being helpful, and if things get too heavy, you find a teacher.”

It sounded like it was mostly about how to be at school. I already knew a ton about that.

“We can study together sometime,” Bertie said. “But not right now. Now I’m going to find us a ball to play wallball.”