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Back The Copycat Save as PDF
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

Emily sounded like she was crying when she responded. “Me too. But then she left me to do the project, and she’s always ditching me for Cassie. Plus, I don’t get her. She’s so annoying; it’s like she has no opinions of her own. It’s always ‘Yes, Emily,’ ‘Whatever you want, Emily.’” She paused. Ali hoped she was finished but she wasn’t. “Everything about her is a lie, and I don’t need people in my life who I can’t trust. I guess I’m lucky I found out early on, before she hurt me like . . .” Her voice trailed off, and Taylor clicked her tongue in sympathy.

It was all Ali could do not to burst into tears. A sick, sinking sensation settled in her stomach. Usually kids liked it when she acted like them and agreed with their opinions, didn’t they? Then why wasn’t that working here? One of her feet started to slip off the toilet seat. She grabbed the metal toilet paper dispenser to steady herself and winced when it clanged. The bathroom went quiet.

“Someone’s in here,” whispered Taylor.

“Hello?” Emily called.

Ali was trapped.

“I think it came from the last stall,” said Taylor.

Then . . . footsteps and a sharp rap on the stall door. “Anybody in there?” Taylor asked.

Please let the bell ring, please let the bell ring.

Ali began to slip again. The toilet paper dispenser’s lid clanked as she tried to hang on.

“There is someone in there,” said Taylor. “Hold my bag; I’m going to take a look.”

Ali sucked in her breath.

“You are not going to believe this,” Taylor said.

Thirty-Five

Ali let loose a plaintive meow.

“Here, kitty, kitty,” Taylor cooed.

“There’s a cat in the bathroom?” Emily sounded incredulous.

“It’s so cute!” said Taylor. “I’m going to try to catch it.” She began to wriggle her way into the stall. Frantic, Ali jumped from her perch and slipped under the metal wall.

“It’s in the next stall!” Emily shouted.

Taylor began to crawl backward, bumping her head. “Ouch! Grab it!”

“I’m not grabbing that cat!”

“You have to! It must be lost!”

Their gym teacher, Ms. Morton, stuck her head in the bathroom. “What’s all the yelling?”

Ali saw her chance and slipped between Ms. Morton’s legs. The teacher gave a startled screech. Ali needed to get out of this building—fast. But how?

“There’s a cat in the school!” someone shouted.

A hand reached for Ali. She veered left. She had to get away before she could turn back into herself. She ran on, but came to a sudden stop when Ms. Ryder came around the corner, dangling something that smelled awfully good.