they’ll all be mad at me , she thought.
“Grace!” she heard Jenna moan. “You used up all the napkins!”
“Well, there’s tons of gooey cheese and ham, okay?” Grace replied.
As Natalie headed back toward the living room, she teared up, overwhelmed. It was only the first night of the big weekend, and she had had it.
“Hey, we’ll get it cleaned up, okay?” Alyssa said, giving Natalie’s arm a squeeze. “Tomorrow morning, no one will even be able to tell there was a mess.”
“Thanks,” Natalie said, meaning it. But tomorrow morning seemed very, very far away.
Alex woke on Saturday morning with a start. Her clock radio blared a way-too-perky pop song as she groaned and fumbled for the snooze button. Then she stopped herself. Snoozing was not an option. She had to get up and get going if she was going to make her soccer game on time.
It was still dark in her room. She flicked on the lamp and peered into the darkness. Brynn was asleep in her sleeping bag, with one arm thrown over her head. Alex wondered how late Brynn had remained in the living room.
She got up and tiptoed over to Brynn, gazing down at her by the soft light of the lamp.
“Brynn?” she whispered. “We have to get up for my soccer game, okay?”
Brynn didn’t move.
“Brynn?” she whispered more loudly.
There was still no response.
She touched her sleeping bag and gave it a little nudge. Nothing.
Alex didn’t know what to do. Brynn had said she wanted to watch Alex’s game, but she was so tired, Alex was having trouble waking her up. Brynn would want to be rested for all the fun at the party and Natalie’s sleepover.
Alex decided to think about it as she got on her soccer uniform. But after she had dressed in her dark blue shorts and white jersey, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and brushed her teeth, Brynn was still fast asleep.
On her way into the kitchen, Alex spotted a book balanced on the arm of the recliner. She picked it up and examined the title. It said, NEW YORK CITY: 101 COOLEST PLACES TO GO.
She turned to a page that Brynn had marked by folding down the corner. It was labeled THEATER SCENE. In the margin she had written, Ask Natalie about this!
There were a lot of other pages turned down at the corners. Brynn had read and studied her guidebook with as much care as Alex would give a textbook. Being rested for their trip to the city was surely more important to Brynn than watching Alex’s stupid soccer game.
Alex scrambled some eggs and toasted English muffins. Everything was ready when her mom walked into the kitchen. She was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt that read SOCCER MOM! ASK ME HOW!
Yawning, she said, “Good morning, honey. Ready for your game?” They talked in low voices so they wouldn’t wake up Alex’s father and brother, who both had the luxury of sleeping late.
“Yes,” Alex replied. She dished the scrambled eggs onto two plates.
“What about Brynn?” her mom asked, as she picked up the plates and carried them to the dining room table. “Isn’t she joining us?”
“She stayed up really late. I think she’d rather sleep,” Alex said, sitting down. She picked up her fork and began to eat the fluffy eggs.
“Oh?” Her mom cocked her head. “At dinner she said she couldn’t wait to see you play.”
“That was before she stayed up all night reading,” Alex confided. “I know she doesn’t want to be tired for the reunion.”
“Maybe you should ask her what she wants,” her mom said.
“Then she’ll be awake,” Alex pointed out. “Anyway, there’s no time now.” She gestured with her fork at the clock. “We have to leave as soon as we’re finished eating.”
Her mom glanced at the clock. “Oh! You’re right about that. But I hope she’s not too disappointed.”
“Trust me, Mom,” Alex said. “I know what I’m doing.”
Only, she didn’t, exactly. She really, really, really hoped she was doing the right thing. But she wasn’t totally positive she was.
I
“Grace!” she heard Jenna moan. “You used up all the napkins!”
“Well, there’s tons of gooey cheese and ham, okay?” Grace replied.
As Natalie headed back toward the living room, she teared up, overwhelmed. It was only the first night of the big weekend, and she had had it.
“Hey, we’ll get it cleaned up, okay?” Alyssa said, giving Natalie’s arm a squeeze. “Tomorrow morning, no one will even be able to tell there was a mess.”
“Thanks,” Natalie said, meaning it. But tomorrow morning seemed very, very far away.
Alex woke on Saturday morning with a start. Her clock radio blared a way-too-perky pop song as she groaned and fumbled for the snooze button. Then she stopped herself. Snoozing was not an option. She had to get up and get going if she was going to make her soccer game on time.
It was still dark in her room. She flicked on the lamp and peered into the darkness. Brynn was asleep in her sleeping bag, with one arm thrown over her head. Alex wondered how late Brynn had remained in the living room.
She got up and tiptoed over to Brynn, gazing down at her by the soft light of the lamp.
“Brynn?” she whispered. “We have to get up for my soccer game, okay?”
Brynn didn’t move.
“Brynn?” she whispered more loudly.
There was still no response.
She touched her sleeping bag and gave it a little nudge. Nothing.
Alex didn’t know what to do. Brynn had said she wanted to watch Alex’s game, but she was so tired, Alex was having trouble waking her up. Brynn would want to be rested for all the fun at the party and Natalie’s sleepover.
Alex decided to think about it as she got on her soccer uniform. But after she had dressed in her dark blue shorts and white jersey, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and brushed her teeth, Brynn was still fast asleep.
On her way into the kitchen, Alex spotted a book balanced on the arm of the recliner. She picked it up and examined the title. It said, NEW YORK CITY: 101 COOLEST PLACES TO GO.
She turned to a page that Brynn had marked by folding down the corner. It was labeled THEATER SCENE. In the margin she had written, Ask Natalie about this!
There were a lot of other pages turned down at the corners. Brynn had read and studied her guidebook with as much care as Alex would give a textbook. Being rested for their trip to the city was surely more important to Brynn than watching Alex’s stupid soccer game.
Alex scrambled some eggs and toasted English muffins. Everything was ready when her mom walked into the kitchen. She was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt that read SOCCER MOM! ASK ME HOW!
Yawning, she said, “Good morning, honey. Ready for your game?” They talked in low voices so they wouldn’t wake up Alex’s father and brother, who both had the luxury of sleeping late.
“Yes,” Alex replied. She dished the scrambled eggs onto two plates.
“What about Brynn?” her mom asked, as she picked up the plates and carried them to the dining room table. “Isn’t she joining us?”
“She stayed up really late. I think she’d rather sleep,” Alex said, sitting down. She picked up her fork and began to eat the fluffy eggs.
“Oh?” Her mom cocked her head. “At dinner she said she couldn’t wait to see you play.”
“That was before she stayed up all night reading,” Alex confided. “I know she doesn’t want to be tired for the reunion.”
“Maybe you should ask her what she wants,” her mom said.
“Then she’ll be awake,” Alex pointed out. “Anyway, there’s no time now.” She gestured with her fork at the clock. “We have to leave as soon as we’re finished eating.”
Her mom glanced at the clock. “Oh! You’re right about that. But I hope she’s not too disappointed.”
“Trust me, Mom,” Alex said. “I know what I’m doing.”
Only, she didn’t, exactly. She really, really, really hoped she was doing the right thing. But she wasn’t totally positive she was.
I
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