Ella and Olivia - The New Girl - Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The morning passes quickly. Soon, the lunch bell rings. Ella and Zoe race out to the playground. Zoe has a new skipping rope. But they must eat their lunch before playtime. Today, Zoe has a tuna sandwich. Ella has a salad-and-cheese sandwich. Millie sits on a bench all by herself. 

When Ella isn't looking, Millie sneaks a glance at the other girls. Millie unpacks her lunch box. She doesn't have a tuna or salad sandwich. Millie has sushi. She even has her own set of chopsticks and soy sauce. Millie eats four pieces of sushi with her chopsticks. She learned to use them when she was just four years old. 

I can't use chopsticks, thinks Ella. My sandwich is a bit plain. But she doesn't say anything. She doesn't want to talk to Millie at all. There is NO WAY she wants to swap her lunch for Millie's. 

The playtime bell rings. Zoe and Ella jump up and begin skipping. Peter and Jo come over too. Soon everyone is having fun. Then Ella hears a loud voice say: 'Skipping is BORING!' 

Of course, it's Millie.

Some of the other kids are watching Millie. She is drawing with a piece of chalk on the ground. First she draws one box. Then she draws another. 'Hopscotch is SOOO much better,' says Millie.

Soon, everyone is watching Millie play hopscotch. Peter and Jo go to watch too. Zoe and Ella are left alone. They have no-one left to skip with.

'I hate hopscotch!' Ella says loudly. But Millie and the others don't hear. They are too busy throwing stones onto the squares.

Ella hears another voice calling across the busy playground. It is Olivia! Olivia runs over to Ella and gives her a big hug. Wow! Ella is still surprised to see Olivia in a uniform. Her little sister is growing up!

'I love being at big school!' says Olivia. 'My teacher is so nice. And I've got a new friend called Lily.' 'That's great, Olivia!' But Ella is distracted by what the new girl is doing.

Olivia turns to Zoe, 'Hi, Zoe!' She knows Zoe is Ella's best friend. Zoe thinks Olivia is really coool. She wishes she had a sister. Her brother Will is no fun. 

He only likes playing computer games. 'Do you want to play hopscotch?' Zoe asks. 'Come on!' And just like that, Ella is alone. She still holds the skipping rope. All the other kids are having so much fun playing with Millie. Olivia is finally playing with the big girls. Ella feels a TEENSY bit left out.

Then she hears a very LOUD voice. 'You're too little to play hopscotch,' Millie says. 'No babies allowed!' Ella can't see who she is talking to. But then Olivia walks over to Ella. She holds back fresh tears. 

'I'm not allowed to play,' Olivia sniffs. 'That girl is being mean!' 'That's IT!' Ella yells. She doesn't think Millie should be mean to Olivia. Besides, Olivia isn't a baby anymore-she is at big school! Ella pushes her way to the front of the crowd. 'Millie, you're busted! No-one yells at my little sister and gets away with it!'