"You little snitch!!!" she said. "You told Mr. Logan about Aimee and Mike because you're jealous. You're nothing but a little baby who doesn't even belong in the sixth grade with us!"

"Hhhow did you know?" gasped Melissa.

"What do you mean how do I know?" Erika said with a snort at Aimee. "I happen to be her best friend from temple for four years! You're her little charity case that she felt sorry for. She doesn't even like you." Erika said in a low, mean, voice.

"Wait a minute," Melissa looked around the group. Erika waited for her to finish with her arms crossed, brows knit. Aimee still refused to look at Melissa, standing with her fists clenched. Eric, Joey and Shane swung overhead on a monkey bar, looking down at Melissa with curiosity. "I didn't tell anybody about the race."

"You're such a liar, you just said you did," said Erika.

"I did not," Melissa said weakly.

"Yes you did!!" cried Joey and Shane together.

"I wouldn't tell on Aimee! I didn't!"

"I wouldn't tell on Aimee..." sang Joey and Shane.

"You gonna cry now, baby? That's what I'd aspect from somebody who's only ten," hissed Erika.

"It's expect," said Melissa quietly.

"Well, I guess I know what I'm talking about, since I’m really supposed to be in the sixth grade!"

"She's gonna cry!" shouted Joey and Shane with glee. Eric stared at her, still swinging on his arms.

"Give the baby a bottle!" shouted Erika.

"She's Baby snitch!!" Joey laughed. He and Shane thought this was a great joke; their laughing made them momentarily lose their grip on the monkey bars.

"I win!" shouted Eric.

"Oh," said Joey in an exaggerated high pitched voice, "I'm going to cry..." he and Shane began to sniffle as they remounted.

Melissa turned her head to one side, lip trembling. She was determined not to let them see her cry. "Here she goes," taunted Erika, "Booo-hooo!"

Suddenly a red kickball bounced behind Melissa and hit her in the back of the knee. She grasped it, took it up and threw it with all of her might at the swinging boys. The missile did not make contact with any target, it barely hit Eric in the foot. "Hey Baby Snitch! Don't take it out on me!" he yelled. Everyone laughed with delight. Melissa turned on her heel and went inside the building.

After all of that, it turned out that instead of being reprimanded for their daily race, Aimee and Mike were made into hall monitors. Since they were already out of the classroom in the mornings, preparing for the announcements, Mr. Logan thought they would make excellent morning monitors. Four other six graders were selected for recess and the afternoon.

Once again, Aimee entered the classroom at an odd interval, and produced quite a sensation. Melissa refused to look at her, instead looking at the low row of windows in the classroom. She stared straight ahead as Aimee sat down at her desk and Mrs. Hopkins began the math lesson, which Melissa hardly heard any of as she sat silently fuming over morning recess.

So all the humiliation was for nothing, she thought bitterly. Aimee didn't even get in trouble, but got a reward,even though she did run in the hall everyday! True, it was mostly Erika and the boys that yelled at her, but Aimee had been behind it all. As Mrs. Hopkins was inverting fractions for multiplication, Melissa saw a folded piece of paper flutter across her desk.

Melissa, I didn't tell Erika to yell at you about the race, she just did it. But just because she thought you got me in trouble, that's all. Mr. Logan wasn't even mad. And Shane and Joey think they are so cool anyways, but they're not funny. Aimee

Melissa read the note over a few times. She supposed this was Aimee's way of saying she was sorry. After all, she wasn't yelling on the playground and it did probably look as if Melissa had told the principal. Melissa picked up her pencil, preparing to write a reply, when she caught Erika Biswan's eye. Melissa was startled to see Erika still frowning, even though it seemed that all was well with Aimee. Melissa deduced that Erika had seen the note and was annoyed with Aimee for trying to make peace.

Baby Snitch, Erika mouthed silently. Melissa sat, still staring at the back of Erika's head after she had turned. It was at this unfortunate moment that Eric Lysander chose to blow a spitball right at the back of Shane's neck, making Aimee laugh.

Melissa whirled, unsure of whether or not Aimee was laughing at her. Aimee covered her mouth, not looking at Melissa, and Erika Biswan turned back around and made another face. Suddenly Melissa was angry all over again. She wasn't going to be humiliated a second time today. Aimee can have her note; her note that didn't even apologize. Melissa crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it over at Aimee's desk while the teacher's back was turned. She stared straight ahead for the rest of math lesson, ignoring Aimee and Erika.

As they were gathering their books at the end of the day, Aimee leaned over and hissed, "God Melissa, you really are a baby, I told you what happened."

Melissa swept past her, heading for the door.

"Hey Baby Snitch," said Erika as she passed.

"Shutup Erika!" snapped Melissa.

"Hey, hey, what's this about?" Melissa heard Mrs. Hopkins say. Melissa ducked into the coat room, grabbed her things and disappeared.

After that day, the class was split into three groups. The first was lead by Erika, who had made sure that the entire class knew Melissa was only ten within a day. Eric Lysander greeted her with "Hey Egghead!" when Aimee was within earshot. Erika would loudly proclaim that she was glad she wasn't youngest person in the class, then pass notes to Aimee about how weird some smart people were that landed in Melissa's vicinity.

The second group, made up of Bobbie Morris and her friends, defended Melissa from Erika, crooning "Just don't listen to them, Melissa," but then went off to their own pursuits. The third group was sick of both Aimee and Melissa and their escalating achievements as the rivalry turned into open warfare. When Aimee got the prize for attendance first quarter, they grumbled that she was teacher's pet. When Melissa's book report was read aloud to the class as an example, they couldn't see why so much fuss was being made over someone who wasn't even a real sixth grader.

Aimee acknowledged neither Melissa nor the factions that had sprung up around them. The only signs she gave were conspirator's smiles at Erika and triumphant glances Melissa-ward when she got one hundreds in fractions, Melissa's worst subject.

By the time the family studies research project was announced, Melissa had one main goal in everything she tackled in school from helping verbs to kickball at recess. Beat Aimee.