Excerpt
andlt;bandgt;andlt;aandgt;The Newsandlt;/aandgt;andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WHAT IS TAKING SHELLY so long?and#8221; Echo asked. She swam back and forth, then peeked around the corner of her shell. If Shelly didnand#8217;t hurry, they would be late for school.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Too bad I donand#8217;t have one of those gadgets humans use to talk to someone whoand#8217;s far away,and#8221; Echo said.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;People fascinated Echo. Ever since Shellyand#8217;s grandfather had told her about their machines that capture singing, Echo had wanted to see a human. She even wondered what it would be like to andlt;iandgt;notandlt;/iandgt; have a tail.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;She did a huge backward flip and smiled. Having a tail did have andlt;iandgt;someandlt;/iandgt; advantages. If she kept practicing her flips, she hoped to make the Tail Flippers team at her new school, Trident Academy. Tryouts were this week. Her best friend, Shelly, had already tried out for the Shell Wars sports team at school. Echo did another flip, this time twisting sideways.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;That was great,and#8221; Shelly said, swimming up beside her.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;There you are!and#8221; Echo squealed. and#8220;Have you heard the news?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Yes!and#8221; Shelly shouted. and#8220;I canand#8217;t wait!and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Me neither,and#8221; Echo said. and#8220;Come on, letand#8217;s get to school.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The two mergirls splashed past the statues of famous merfolk in MerPark.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I canand#8217;t believe Pearl was able to do it,and#8221; Echo said as they swam quickly along.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Shelly brushed a lock of red hair out of her face. and#8220;Pearl?and#8221; she asked. and#8220;Pearl didnand#8217;t even try out.and#8221; Pearl was another mergirl in their third-grade class, who seemed to think she was better than everyone else.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Echo laughed as they reached the entrance to their school. and#8220;You donand#8217;t have to try out; you just need lots of jewels to pay for them.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;You can andlt;iandgt;payandlt;/iandgt; to get on the Shell Wars team?and#8221; Shelly asked. and#8220;I thought Pearl hated Shell Wars.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Echo stopped and stared at her friend. and#8220;andlt;iandgt;Whatandlt;/iandgt; are you talking about?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Iand#8217;m talking about Shell Wars. Coach Barnacle announces who made the team today. What are andlt;iandgt;youandlt;/iandgt; talking about?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Echo grabbed Shellyand#8217;s hands and squeezed them tightly. and#8220;Iand#8217;m talking about Pearland#8217;s birthday party. Sheand#8217;s invited the Rays!and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Youand#8217;re kidding!and#8221; Shelly screamed. There wasnand#8217;t a merperson alive who hadnand#8217;t heard of the Rays. They were an amazing boy band and they were very, very cute.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Didnand#8217;t you get your invitation?and#8221; Echo asked.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Shelly shook her head.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I bet youand#8217;ll get it today,and#8221; Echo told her friend. She smiled as they went into the school, but she was a little worried. Pearl wasnand#8217;t exactly the nicest mergirl in their class, and she didnand#8217;t like Shelly very much.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;What if Pearl hadnand#8217;t invited Shelly? What would Echo do?