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This is Jack.Today Jack is in a hurt mood. He is feeling hurt because he hasn’t been invited to Rebecca’s birthday party. Jack’s best friend Billie is invited to the party. She showed Jack her invitation after school today. Rebecca is having a sleepover party. It sounds like lots of fun. Jack feels cross that he wasn’t invited. Rebecca is his friend, too!

He even feels cross at Billie for showing him the invitation. When he saw it he ran all the way back to his house through the hole in the back fence. Now he is lying on his bed feeling mad and bad, but mostly sad. He begins to worry. Why didn’t she invite me? he wonders. I invited her to my party. Maybe she doesn’t like me anymore? Maybe nobody likes me?

Jack imagines everyone in his class having fun at Rebecca’s party without him. He feels more miserable than ever.

The next day at school, Jack and Billie walk past Rebecca in the playground. She is standing with a group of girls from their class. They are talking and laughing together. ‘Hey, Jack! Hey, Billie!’ Rebecca calls when she sees them. Billie stops to wave. But Jack looks away and pretends he didn’t hear.

He walks straight past the girls into the school building. Billie skips to catch up with him. ‘Hey, Jack, what’s up?’ Billie asks. ‘You’ve been acting weird all morning. Didn’t you hear Rebecca say hello?’ Jack frowns and shakes his head. Billie looks at him strangely. Billie and Jack have known each other forever. Billie knows Jack better than anyone in the world. Except maybe Scraps. It is very hard for Jack to hide how he feels from Billie. Jack scrunches up his face. ‘You wouldn’t understand,’ he says grumpily. ‘Everyone likes you.’ ‘What are you talking about?’ Billie says.

Jack thinks about telling Billie how he feels. Doing this usually makes him feel better. But then he remembers that Billie was one of the people invited to Rebecca’s party. How can she go to Rebecca’s party without me? he thinks, feeling cross all over again. ‘It’s nothing!’ he says, and pushes past Billie into the classroom. But as soon as he sits down he feels bad for being cross with Billie. She hasn’t really done anything wrong. Billie walks into the classroom and glares at Jack.Then she sits down at a desk on the other side of the room. Jack slumps down in his chair.