The Copycat Kid Read online

  The Copycat Kid

  published in 2012 by

  Hardie Grant Egmont

  Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street

  Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia

  www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au

  eISBN: 9781742737744

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

  stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without

  the prior permission of the publishers and copyright owner.

  A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia

  Text copyright © 2012 Sally Rippin

  Illustration copyright © 2012 Aki Fukuoka

  Logo and design copyright © 2012 Hardie Grant Egmont

  Design and typesetting by Stephanie Spartels

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Billie B Brown has one fancy headband, two purple shoes and three star buttons on her top. Do you know what the B in Billie B Brown stands for?

  There is a new girl arriving in Billie’s class today. Her name is Mika. She has come all the way from Japan.

  Ms Walton has asked Billie to be Mika’s buddy. She can’t wait. She has dressed up especially. Doesn’t she look nice?

  Billie and her best friend Jack walk to school with his mum. They are very to meet Mika.

  ‘I wonder what she’ll be like?’ Billie says. ‘Ms Walton says she has black hair like me!’ Billie and Jack reach the school gate.

  Ella and Tracey are waiting for them.

  ‘Cool top!’ says Tracey.

  ‘Thanks,’ says Billie. ‘I just got it on the weekend.’

  ‘The new girl is here!’ Ella says. ‘Come and see. She’s in the classroom.’

  Billie and Jack run after Ella and Tracey.

  They all peer in the classroom window. Ms Walton is talking to the new girl’s mum. The new girl has black hair and big brown eyes.

  Billie thinks she looks lovely.

  Ms Walton sees them peeking through the window. ‘Billie, come and meet Mika,’ she calls.

  Ella and Tracey run over to the monkey bars. Jack goes to play soccer. Billie walks into the classroom to meet Mika.

  ‘Mika, this is Billie,’ says Ms Walton. ‘She will look after you until you know your way around.’

  ‘Hi!’ says Billie excitedly. ‘Nice to meet you!’

  Mika looks at Billie. Then she looks at her mum. Mika’s mum smiles and says something to Mika in Japanese. Mika nods and her cheeks turn pink. ‘Hello,’ she says quietly.

  ‘Mika doesn’t speak much English yet,’ Ms Walton explains to Billie.

  ‘Oh,’ says Billie.

  Just then the bell All the kids in Billie’s class start coming inside and sitting at their desks.

  Normally Billie sits next to Jack, but today she sits with Mika.

  Jack waves at her from their usual seat. Billie waves back. She feels very She is a good buddy!

  At recess, Billie and Mika sit under the big tree. They eat their snacks and watch the kids in the playground. Billie smiles at Mika.

  Mika smiles back.

  All day long Billie looks after Mika. Sometimes Billie does actions to explain to Mika what Ms Walton is saying. But mostly Mika just watches what Billie does.

  Billie is sure that Ms Walton will be very happy with her.

  The next morning Billie gets ready quickly. Then she waits at her front door for Jack. She is excited to see Mika again.

  When they get to school, Billie rushes straight into the classroom to look for Mika.

  ‘Hi, Billie,’ says Ms Walton. ‘Mika will be happy to see you. In fact, it looks like you have a fan!’

  Billie looks over to where Mika is sitting. Mika stands up and waves to Billie.

  Then she turns around in a circle to show Billie what she has on. Billie can’t believe her eyes! Mika is wearing…

  One fancy headband, two purple shoes and three star buttons on her top.

  Just like Billie was wearing yesterday!

  Billie is surprised. She feels seeing Mika wearing the same clothes as her. Billie likes looking different. She doesn’t know what to say.

  But Mika just smiles and follows Billie out into the playground.

  Lola is standing over at the drink taps with Tracey and Ella. Billie likes Tracey and Ella but Lola can be annoying.

  ‘Hey,’ Tracey says. ‘Mika has the same top as Billie.’

  ‘They must be twins!’ Lola says.

  Billie feels her face get hot. ‘No, we’re not!’ she says. ‘That’s just silly.’

  But secretly she feels that Mika has copied her.

  At recess, Mika follows Billie to the soccer pitch. They sit down to watch. Jack runs up to them.

  ‘Hi, Billie,’ he says. ‘Do you want to join our team?’

  ‘Um…’ Billie isn’t sure. She loves playing soccer but she doesn’t want to leave Mika on her own.

  ‘Come on,’ pleads Jack. ‘We’re losing. We need you!’

  ‘Oh, all right,’ says Billie. Then she turns to Mika. ‘You wait here. OK?’

  She taps the bench. ‘I am going to play soccer.’ Billie points to the soccer field.

  Mika smiles and nods. Then, before Billie can say anything, Mika runs onto the soccer pitch! Billie’s mouth drops open.

  What? That’s not what Billie meant! She watches Mika run after the ball. Mika is fast. Very fast! Maybe even faster than Billie.

  ‘Hey, Mika is good at soccer!’ Jack says. Then he runs onto the pitch too.

  Billie plonks back down on the bench and squeezes her mouth tight. She feels a big ball growing inside her. It’s not fair! Billie is the best girl at soccer. Not Mika!

  When the bell rings, Billie stomps back to class. Mika follows her.

  The next lesson is Art. Mika sits next to Billie. Billie is still feeling cross.

  ‘OK, class,’ says Ms Walton. ‘Today I’d like you all to draw an imaginary land. I want you all to come up with something unique.’

  Hmmm… thinks Billie. Something unique.

  Then Billie has an idea. A super-dooper idea. She will draw a polka-dot land. Polka-dot trees, polka-dot houses, even polka-dot people.

  No-one else will think of that! thinks Billie. She works hard on her drawing all lesson.

  Ms Walton walks over. ‘That’s a wonderful drawing!’ she says from behind Billie.

  ‘Thanks!’ says Billie, feeling proud. But when she looks up, she sees that Ms Walton is speaking to Mika.

  Billie looks over at Mika’s drawing and

  Mika has drawn a polka-dot land too. Polka-dot trees, houses – even polka-dot people. Just like Billie!

  Billie is That was her idea! She feels like she is going to explode. She stands up and stomps her foot.

  ‘Stop copying me!’ she shouts at Mika.

  Mika looks at Billie. Her eyes grow very wide.

  Just then, the bell rings for lunch. Billie runs out of the classroom. She never wants to be a buddy again!

  Billie sits under the big tree in the playground. She still feels angry. But she also feels a teensy bit bad for shouting at Mika.

  Billie sees Ms Walton walking towards her. She feels nervous. She is sure Ms Walton is going to be cross. Ms Walton sits down on the bench beside Billie.

  ‘You know you shouldn’t have shouted at Mika,’ Ms Walton says.

  Billie nods. ‘I know,’ she says. ‘It’s just that…it’s just…she won’t stop copying me. It’s SO annoying!’

  Ms Walton smiles. ‘I said you had a fan, didn’t I?’

  Billie frowns. ‘She doesn’t have to do everything I do!’

  ‘Imagine what it must be like for Mika,’ says Ms Walton. ‘Everything is new and different for her. Imagine if you couldn’t understand what anyone was saying.’

  Billie thinks about this. It sounds

  ‘Then imagine if you met someone who looked after you. Someone kind, like you, Billie,’ says Ms Walton.

  Billie looks up at Ms Walton in surprise.

  ‘Mika’s mum said she couldn’t stop talking about you yesterday,’ says Ms Walton. ‘She went shopping last night to get Mika the same top as yours.’

  ‘Really?’ Billie says. She hadn’t thought about it this way before. ‘So that’s why she’s copying me? Because she likes me?’

  ‘That’s right,’ says Ms Walton.

  ‘I feel bad for shouting at her,’ Billie says.

  ‘Would you like to say sorry?’ Ms Walton asks.

  Billie nods. Ms Walton calls over Mika.

  ‘I’m really sorry I yelled at you,’ Billie says to Mika.

  ‘So, do you still want to be Mika’s buddy?’ Ms Walton asks.

  Billie shakes her head. ‘No,’ she says. ‘Not anymore.’

  ‘Oh dear, why not?’ says Ms Walton, looking worried.

  Billie grins at Mika. ‘Because I’d rather be your friend.’

  Mika looks confused.

  Maybe she doesn’t understand me, thinks Billie. Then she has an idea. A super-dooper idea. ‘Wait here!’ she says.

  Billie runs to the school library. She sits down in front of a computer and types in a message. Another message comes up on the screen in strange squiggly letters. Billie copies them onto a piece of paper.

  Billie can’t understand the words but she knows Mika will. Do you know why? That’s ri
ght! Billie is writing in Japanese. Can you guess what it says? Turn over the page for the answer.

 

 

  Sally Rippin, The Copycat Kid

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