BooksBarbecue
Back The Copycat
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Chapter One
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Chapter Two
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Chapter Three
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Chapter Four
  19. Twelve
  20. Thirteen
  21. Fourteen
  22. Chapter Five
  23. Fifteen
  24. Sixteen
  25. Chapter Six
  26. Seventeen
  27. Eighteen
  28. Nineteen
  29. Chapter Seven
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Chapter Eight
  34. Twenty-Three
  35. Twenty-Four
  36. Twenty-Five
  37. Chapter Nine
  38. Twenty-Six
  39. Twenty-Seven
  40. Chapter Ten
  41. Twenty-Eight
  42. Twenty-Nine
  43. Thirty
  44. Thirty-One
  45. Chapter Eleven
  46. Thirty-Two
  47. Thirty-Three
  48. Thirty-Four
  49. Thirty-Five
  50. Chapter Twelve
  51. Thirty-Six
  52. Thirty-Seven
  53. Thirty-Eight
  54. Chapter Thirteen
  55. Thirty-Nine
  56. Forty
  57. Forty-One
  58. Forty-Two
  59. Chapter Fourteen
  60. Forty-Three
  61. Forty-Four
  62. Forty-Five
  63. Forty-Six
  64. Forty-Seven
  65. Chapter Fifteen
  66. The Following Summer
  67. About the Author
  68. About the Publisher

Something hard lodged itself in Ali’s stomach. She’d been so anxious to hear Alfie speak she’d forgotten she’d have to as well. If Alfie was smooth, Ali was scratchy. “A-Ali Sloane,” she stuttered. “I’ve never debated before. I want to be a lawyer someday, so it might help.”

It all come out in one fell swoop. Where had the lawyer comment come from? The idea had never occurred to her before. But everyone else’s introductions were so impressive; she’d realized she needed to say something interesting too.

The teacher smiled. “I’m not surprised. Your great-grandmother was a real pioneer here in Saint John.” As if she realized that the other students might not understand, Ms. Ryder added, “Ali’s great-grandmother was one of the first female lawyers in the city.”

Cassie’s hand rocketed upward. When Ms. Ryder nodded for her to speak, she turned to Ali first and then pivoted to Alfie. “So, are you guys related or what?”

“Cousins,” said Ali, forcing herself to look in Cassie’s and Alfie’s direction.

“Really?”

She waited for Alfie to respond. Several terrible seconds passed, and then he said, “Yes.” Ali’s face burned. Why had she thought this would be the best way to meet him?

Ms. Ryder glanced from Ali to Alfie, as if she expected them to say something more. When they didn’t, she said, “I think that’s enough introductions for now,” and pushed a button so that the grammar lesson was replaced by the same debate information she’d passed out earlier. “Many of you are old pros at debate, but some of you are new, so we’ll take a couple of minutes to review the basics.”

Ali reached into her knapsack and grabbed a notebook and pen.

“You don’t need to write this down, Ali,” Ms. Ryder said.

Ali flushed. “I like to write things down. It helps me remember.”

Murray pointed at his own pen and paper. “Me too. Plus, it’s been scientifically proven that when a person writes something down, they remember it better.”

Ali glanced over at the fancy penmanship in Murray’s notebook, all loops and curls, and did her best to imitate it.

Ms. Ryder chuckled. “I stand corrected.”

For the next ten minutes, they discussed debate styles, and how one team put forth a proposition while the opposing team tried to tear it apart. Ali took notes, but none of it sank in. All she could think about was Alfie sitting three chairs away. Was he surprised that she was at Princess Elizabeth School? Did he want to be friends too?

ALI’S RULES FOR WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU WANT TO MEET SOMEBODY

  1. Don’t join a club you have no interest in joining.
  2. Don’t catch them off guard.
  3. Don’t say stuff just to say something. A lawyer? Not in a million years.