New Girl Read online

  Contents

  Copyright Page

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  First published in 2011 by

  MACMILLAN EDUCATION AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

  15–19 Claremont Street, South Yarra, 3141 Australia

  Visit our website at www.macmillan.com.au/primary

  Visit the Star Girl website at www.stargirluniverse.com

  Associated companies and representatives throughout the world.

  Copyright © Louise Park 2011 (text)

  Copyright © Macmillan Education Australia 2011 (illustrations)

  All characters and names in the Star Girl series are fictitious and not based on persons

  living or dead.

  All rights reserved.

  Except under the conditions described in the Copyright Act 1968 of Australia and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

  Park, Louise, 1961—

  New girl / Louise Park.

  9781420290295 (pbk.)

  Park, Louise, 1961-Star girl ; no. 1.

  For primary school age.

  A823.4

  Series conceptualised and created by Louise Park

  Packaged by Paddlepop Press Pty Ltd in conjunction with

  Jaclyn Crupi Professional Editorial Services

  Cover illustration by Kyla May

  Designed by Natascha Lenz

  Internal illustrations by Melanie Matthews and Kyla May

  Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group

  Papers used by Macmillan Education Australia are natural, recyclable products and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

  These electronic editions published 2011 by

  Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd

  Level 1, 15-19 Claremont Street, South Yarra 3141

  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

  Star Girl: New Girl

  Louise Park

  Adobe eReader format

  978-1-45869-501-7

  EPub format

  978-1-45869-502-4

  Online format

  978-1-45869-500-0

  Macmillan Digital Australia

  www.macmillandigital.com.au

  Visit www.macmillan.com.au/primary to read more about all our books and to buy both print and ebooks online. You will also find subject catalogues, teacher support material and news of professional development events.

  SEAS

  A SPACE STATION BOARDING

  SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND BOYS

  The Space Education and Action School (SEAS) is located on Space Station Edumax. Students in the space-training program complete space missions on planets in outer space that are in danger and need help.

  Not all students will make it through to their final year and only the best students will go on to become space agents. Addie must make it through and become a Space Agent. Outer space needs her.

  CHAPTER ONE

  STAR GIRL TO JESS

  5 things you need to know about Valentina:

  1. She can’t stand mess. The room has to be like really perfect.

  2. She doesn’t think I should be here.

  3. She thinks she’s the best. So what if she’s the highest-scoring space cadet?

  4. She doesn’t like me.

  5. It’s like she rules everyone and everything.

  Addie

  JESS TO STAR GIRL

  Yuck! Tidy kinda isn’t your thing Ads! You need a new roomie. Can you get one? Jess

  Addie smiled. Jess’s little bear hugs always made her feel better.

  Addie was in her dorm room. It was Monday afternoon. She was sending messages to her friends back home on Earth. Addie was using her SpaceBerry. It was a small computer and a mobile phone. All the space cadets were given one when they started at SEAS.

  SCHOOL ISSUE SPACEBERRY

  Addie loved her SpaceBerry. She’d never had a mobile phone before. I just wish I had someone I could call on it here, thought Addie. It was okay to send messages back home but phone calls cost too much money. And she didn’t have any real friends at SEAS yet. She’d only been there three weeks.

  Addie was just about to write back to Jess when Valentina burst through the dorm room door. ‘Sending messages to your silly little friends again, Adelaide? Let me guess—writing to Paris, Adelaide?’ Valentina said with a mean little laugh. ‘You’ll be home soon anyway I’m sure. You didn’t really make it into SEAS. We all know you’re only here because someone else left.’

  Addie snapped her SpaceBerry shut. She thought about saying something back. Something like how she’d made it in because she was on the top of the list and next in line for a spot. But she didn’t. Maybe if I just ignore her she’ll go away, thought Addie.

  ‘And do something with those gross pyjamas. Eeew!’ said Valentina.

  ‘They’re on the floor on my side of the room. Not yours,’ said Addie.

  ‘I don’t care,’ said Valentina. ‘My room. My rules.’

  ‘Actually it’s our room,’ Addie mumbled. But you’d never know it, she added silently. Valentina’s gymnastics trophies and awards from her old school took up almost every shelf.

  Now I know why the last roommate thought boarding school wasn’t for her, thought Addie. But I plan on staying no matter what.

  Addie pushed her pyjamas into the Press and Pick. The P&P had a chute for dirty clothes and a hanging space for clean clothes. Its touch screen had a picture of every piece of clothing that was put into it. Addie just picked the clothes she wanted on the touch screen. In no time the clothes were floating in the hanging space all clean and pressed. It was so efficient, although sometimes it did have little wardrobe malfunctions. One time Addie got her school tunic and a bikini top for a school shirt.

  Addie closed the lid on the Press and Pick. Then she turned and looked at Valentina.

  She was picking up Addie’s toy animals one by one from Addie’s bed.

  Addie’s tummy started doing back-flips.

  ‘And stick these stupid things in there too,’ Valentina said. ‘I’ll make sure they don’t come back.’

  Addie grabbed her penguin before Valentina got to it. She’d had it since she was little and she loved it to bits. ‘I can have whatever I want on my bed.’

  ‘They’re dirty and untidy looking,’ said Valentina. ‘I don’t want them in the room.’

  But Addie knew her animals weren’t safe from Valentina. She was looking for a safe place to lock them away when the big plasma screen on their bedroom wall flashed.

  Good, thought Addie. She waited for Valentina to go. Then she put her soft furry friends in the drawer underneath her bed and activated the lock.

  Addie raced into the dining hall. She was a bit late and everyone was already sitting down at the tables. Addie looked around. There was a spare seat with Valentina and her group. I’m not going there, thought Addie. Then she saw Miyako and Olivia, the girls she’d been sitting with in Alien ID class. They were waving and they
’d saved her a seat.

  Yes! thought Addie and she raced over and sat down.

  ‘So, how’s Miss Valentina-meana today?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘She hates me,’ Addie said.

  ‘She doesn’t really hate you,’ Miyako said.

  ‘What’s with her anyway?’ Addie was trying hard not to get angry but she couldn’t help it. ‘I asked to change rooms. The dorm teacher, Mrs Lamrock said that Valentina and I had to agree for me to move. And Valentina said no! Why? She hates me sharing her room. I thought she’d be happy to get rid of me.’

  ‘She’ll never give you a room change now,’ Olivia said. ‘Not now that she knows that’s what YOU want. That’s how she works.’

  Addie looked like she was about to cry.

  ‘Come on, forget about her and let’s eat,’ said Olivia.

  The girls ate quietly for a while and then Miyako said, ‘Addie, you know Valentina just wants to make you sad, don’t you?’

  ‘I know,’ said Addie. ‘And she’s doing a good job too!’

  ‘So, hang with us and be happy!’ said Olivia. ‘It will drive her nuts.’

  Addie looked at Miyako and Olivia. They were both pulling really silly happy faces at her. She burst out laughing. It was the first time she’d laughed all day. Then she made her eyes pop and pulled her mouth into a silly banana shape.

  ‘You look good that way!’ giggled Olivia.

  ‘See!’ Miya said. ‘Come on, there’s apple pie and ice-cream for dessert.’

  But just then Addie’s SpaceBerry sounded.

  Addie had a doorbell sound for incoming messages on her SpaceBerry. It reminded her of home. ‘I’m wanted in the FlyBy,’ Addie said. ‘My first space mission! Awesome! Gotta go.’

  ‘Addie,’ Miya called after her, ‘have fun!’

  ‘Thanks,’ Addie called back as she headed for the FlyBy. Her two friends were still making funny happy faces at her.

  Addie smiled. Who cares about Valentina? she thought.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Addie knew where the FlyBy was. She’d landed there in the school space shuttle a few weeks ago. But today it looked different. It was busy. There were stacks of landing bays and lots of SEAS space-bots unloading food and supplies from all the space pods that had just landed. This place is totally amazing, thought Addie. I love it!

  Addie found the mission briefing room but the door was shut. She stood in front of the Face Scan screen on the door.

  The screen beeped and then flashed.

  Addie opened the door and went inside.

  ‘Oh great,’ Valentina groaned. ‘The new girl. I guess we’ll be getting zero points for this mission.’

  Addie’s mouth dropped open. Valentina was the last person she expected to see.

  ‘Valentina!’ said Mr Cruise. ‘It’s your job to help Adelaide on her first mission. And as always, you must work together. As a team.’

  Addie didn’t look at Valentina. She stared at the floor. She hated being the new girl and she didn’t really like being called Adelaide.

  ‘Right girls,’ said Mr Cruise. ‘This mission is to the Halifax Galaxy. You’ll be going to a planet there called Polare. It’s an icy planet with lots of ice-mountains, packed ice and freezing seas. Something is melting the ice there. Your mission is to find out what.’

  ‘What space shuttle will we be going in?’ asked Valentina.

  ‘Galactic Racer 2,’ said Mr Cruise.

  ‘We need to get you there as fast as possible. The Racer has a small space pod on board. You’ll use it to land on the planet. Can I have your watches, please?’ asked Mr Cruise. ‘I need to upload myself as the mission holograph teacher. I’ll check that your chips are working as well.’

  GALACTIC RACER 2

  Every cadet had a SEAS holographic watch that had to be worn at all times. Space cadets used them on missions to talk with their mission teacher. All a space cadet had to do was flip open the watch cover and the teacher was there, ready to help.

  SCHOOL ISSUE HOLOGRAPHIC WATCH

  Teachers used the GPS tracking chip in the watches to keep track of their cadets on missions. They could find them anywhere, anytime using the tracking chip.

  ‘I’ll have everything ready for take-off in about ten minutes,’ said Mr Cruise. ‘Use the time to learn as much as you can about Planet Polare and its alien life forms.’

  The girls sat down at the FlyBy computers. Addie took out her SpaceBerry and plugged it into the computer. I’ll download some stuff onto my SpaceBerry, she thought.

  After she downloaded a photo of the aliens she got up to go to the toilet. On the way she took a look at Valentina’s computer screen.

  She’s online chatting with friends! She hasn’t done any work for the mission at all.

  ‘Your watches are ready,’ said Mr Cruise. ‘I’ll check your spacesuits now.’

  ‘Thanks, Mr Cruise,’ Valentina said.

  Valentina waited until Mr Cruise had turned away to look at the suits. Then she grabbed both watches. She quietly removed the chip from Addie’s watch then turned it off and slipped the chip into her shirt pocket. That will get her into heaps of trouble back at school, Valentina thought.

  A moment later, Addie came back into the room.

  ‘The spacesuits are ready,’ said Mr Cruise. ‘Hurry girls, gear up.’

  Addie looked at the spacesuits. They were all white with matching helmets and they were a bit of a strange shape.

  The bottom looked totally enormous. Addie pulled hers on and laughed. ‘My bum looks huge!’ she said.

  ‘Not huge. Massive!’ said Valentina. ‘I’m not wearing that. Where are the normal suits, Mr Cruise?’

  ‘These are normal suits, Supernova 1,’ Mr Cruise answered. ‘We’ve given you extra padding in the bottom, knees and elbows. It’s not a fashion show. The ice on Polare is very hard.’

  Mr Cruise continued, ‘Now, we also have some new space boots for you. They have a few features on them for various environments. There are different soles for different surfaces. You’ll be needing the ice-holds on your boots in Polare. The buttons for your boots are on your ice poles.’ Mr Cruise picked up a set of poles. ‘These poles have special grips. The right grip has buttons to control your boots.

  SPACE BOOTS AND POLES

  The left grip has buttons for the base of the poles,’ Mr Cruise continued. ‘There are two settings. Spike and shovel. Shovel is handy when you need to dig through the snow.’

  Mr Cruise took out his SpaceBerry and keyed in a code. The wall of the briefing room slid open. On the other side sat Galactic Racer 2.

  ‘Your mission packs are waiting for you onboard,’ said Mr Cruise. ‘And you know the rules: Work as a team. Stay together at all times. Investigate and report back. Good luck girls and don’t forget to call me if there’s anything you need.’

  The girls climbed onboard. The hatch closed and Mr Cruise was gone.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Addie sat in her seat on Galactic Racer 2. As she did, air whooshed out from her spacesuit.

  Valentina pulled her suit on and did it up. ‘I look ridiculous,’ she said. ‘I’ll be surprised if my bum fits in the seat.’ She sat down beside Addie and a huge whoosh of air exploded into the cabin.

  ‘Better than a whoopee cushion!’ Addie laughed.

  ‘Well, our bums sure are soft and comfy,’ giggled Valentina.

  She looks pretty nice when she smiles, thought Addie. It’s good to be having a bit of fun with her.

  Addie looked around the cabin. A big screen was mounted on the cockpit wall in front of them. There were handsets, headsets and all kinds of gadgets and gizmos.

  ‘Do we always get to fly in things as awesome as this?’ Addie asked. ‘And where’s the pod thing?’

  A voice came through the cabin speakers. ‘So many questions Star Girl,’ said the pilot.

  ‘And hello again, Supernova 1. I’m Space Agent Space Surfer and I’m your pilot on this mission. The pod is in the launching bay and yes
, when I fly, we always fly in style!’

  ‘Oh my God!’ gasped Valentina. ‘It’s Space Surfer. Excellent!’

  ‘Who’s Space Surfer?’ asked Addie.

  ‘Only the hottest learner pilot at our school,’ said Valentina.

  ‘Learner pilot!’ Addie repeated. She could feel those tummy back-flips starting up again. ‘You mean he’s learning to fly and flying us? Like, using us to learn on?’

  ‘Don’t you know anything, new girl? First years are cadets. In second year we learn to fly. In third year we get to fly solo on Ps if we pass our tests.’

  ‘So, he can fly? He does know what he’s doing?’ Addie asked.

  ‘Of course I know what I’m doing,’ said Space Surfer. Addie blushed. She hadn’t realised he could hear her. ‘I’m on my Ps now and an agent. Please don’t leave your seats during the flight. We’ll be taking a few shortcuts to get you to the Halifax galaxy more quickly. Things might get a little bumpy. Just sit back and go with the flow.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Addie with a grin. ‘Our spacesuits have heaps of extra padding in the bum area. We’ll be alright!’

  ‘There’s no way he’s going to be seeing me in this stupid get-up,’ mumbled Valentina. She turned the in-flight cinema on and began watching a movie.

  Addie looked out the cabin window. She couldn’t stop looking at the thousands of different-coloured stars. ‘It’s amazing out there,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know space was so colourful!’ They flew past gas clouds and loads of other galaxies that looked like swirls of stardust. ‘I love space!’ she said.

  Just then the Racer rocked to the left. Then it rocked to the right. The girls had to hold on to their seats. The Racer bounced and lurched and Addie started to panic.

  ‘Space rocks,’ said Space Surfer. ‘Don’t worry. We’re nearly there.’

  Addie held onto her seat. She tried to focus on how fast everything was flying past. Outside her window space rocks, smaller galaxies and constellations all whizzed by. Space Surfer was right, thought Addie. The trip here has been too quick! I want to see more.

  The Racer began to slow down and Addie could see a planet coming into view. It looked very purple.