On Tuesday morning, Luke and Carlos stood outside their fourth-grade classroom.
"I've been thinking," said Carlos.
"If we make up with Katie now, she'll make us square-dance."
Luke raised his eyebrows.
"So maybe we should make up after her report?"
"Exactly," said Carlos.
"Uh-oh," said Luke. "Here she comes."
Katie was marching down the hall.
Joy and the friendship meter were right behind her.
"Guys!" called Katie.
Luke groaned. "We're caught.
Like rats in a trap."
"I've come to say I'm sorry," Katie announced.
She glanced at Joy, who nodded.
"Sorry I missed practice.
I should have watched the clock."
"Carlos?" said Joy.
Carlos looked down at his feet.
"Sorry I got mad," he mumbled.
"Luke?" said Joy.
Luke sighed. "I shouldn't have hung up on you."
Joy looked at the friendship meter.
The pointer was on the smiling face.
"That's good enough," she said.
"I think you've made up now."
Luke and Carlos didn't say anything.
They just rushed into class.
"That wasn't so bad," said Katie.
"And I feel a lot better!"
"See?" Joy beamed.
"Friendship is good for your health!"
That afternoon, Olivia presented her report.
She held up a poster with a big yellow sun.
"You may think a tan looks good," she said.
"But too much sun can cause burns now—and skin cancer later.
So use sunscreen."
Olivia held up another poster.
"In Hawaii they have bugs called centipedes.
They can grow to be thirty centimeters long, and they sting.
This black bug isn't a centipede. It's a tick."
Katie smiled from ear to ear.
"If you've been walking in tall grass," said Olivia, "check for ticks when you go inside."
Olivia held up her last poster.
"Poison ivy," she said.
"If you see a plant like this—with three leaves—stay away.
If you touch it, rush inside and wash with soap and water.
Don't wait or it might be too late!"
Then Olivia passed around a jar of hand cream.
"Cream can protect your skin.
This one is made from kukui nuts.
Just like my necklace!
Go ahead and try some."
"Very nice report," said Ms. Barrow.
Carlos was next.
"If you didn't have ears," said Carlos, "you couldn't hear sirens, trains, or even tornadoes."
"We wouldn't be able to hear you!" said Katie.
"So you must protect your ears."
Carlos looked at his note card.
"Loud sounds can harm your ears.
If other people can hear music from your earphones, the music is too loud."
Carlos looked at his note card again.
"Don't put anything pointy in your ears.
In fact, don't put anything in your ears.
That's all," he said and returned to his desk.
"Good report," whispered Katie. "Short and sweet."
Luke's report on healthy eating was the last one of the day.
He was serving snacks!
"Food is like gasoline for our bodies!" said Luke.
"We can't run without it."
He unrolled a big poster and pinned it to the whiteboard.
"This is a food pyramid.
And these are snacks prepared by my mom at Fried Pie Heaven.
They include all the food groups in the pyramid.
Fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and nuts!"
"Where are the fried pies?" asked Larry.
Luke sighed. "I've got bad news," he said.
"Fried pies are not on the pyramid."
"WHAT?" cried the fourth graders.
"They have too much fat and sugar.
We shouldn't eat them very often.
That's why my mom makes sure there are healthy foods on the menu too."
"Dig in!" said Luke.
While the fourth graders ate, Katie sneaked up behind Luke and Carlos.
"Hi, guys!" she said with a big grin.
"Is tonight okay for square-dance practice?
My presentation is tomorrow!"