invited the girls
to come over on Friday evening to watch the rented movie. She needed the time
alone with them to work on their friendship—and their loyalty. The last thing
she needed was Funny and Melissa squabbling among themselves.
She had scrubbed the apartment last night and baked more
cookies. She'd dug into her wallet and bought three six-packs of soda, lots of
popcorn, and real butter to drizzle over the hot popcorn. This time she made
sure to check her bureau mirror for any notes from her father as soon as she
got home. There weren't any.
So far everything seemed to be going pretty well. Funny and
Melissa were a little quiet, but they were smiling. Laura thought that things
might just be getting back to normal.
Tonight her friends didn't mention the maid or how great the
apartment looked. Laura had gone to a lot of trouble, but she didn't mind when
no one gushed over how clean the place was or how good the cookies tasted. She
had more important things on her mind.
The movie started, and Scarlett O'Hara was surrounded by
handsome Southern gentlemen, talking and flirting with her on the veranda of
her sprawling plantation home.
Tammy sighed. "Imagine being surrounded by
good-looking, rich guys who all want you! Can you think of anything more
wonderful?"
Laura grinned. "It's fun, all right."
Melissa shot her a mean look. "Yeah, right, McCall.
Tell us all about it."
Laura was startled. What was wrong? In her mind she played
back what she'd just said.
I get it, she thought. Melissa must be jealous.
Ordinarily, Melissa's sarcastic remark would have prompted
her to make a nasty retort. But she couldn't afford to do that right now. She
had to get The Fantastic Foursome on her side. Her future at Wakeman was riding
on the next few days.
"I mean," Laura said, trying to smooth things
over, "I mean, it must be fun to have that much attention from cute guys."
No one said anything.
Hmph, Laura thought. I could have told them about the time
at the swimming pool when I was visiting my cousin in Minneapolis. Within
twenty minutes we were surrounded by six cute boys who were all flirting with
us. One of them was in high school!
But they wouldn't appreciate the story tonight, she decided.
Maybe another time.
She heard a key in the lock, and in walked her father and
Trudy.
"Hi, everyone!" Mr. McCall said.
"Hi, Daddy," said Laura.
"Hi, Mr. McCall," the other three girls chorused.
"Trudy," Laura said, "these are my friends,
Funny, Melissa, and Tammy. Guys, this is Trudy Dwyer."
The three girls and Trudy exchanged hellos.
Trudy looked great again. She was wearing a short black
skirt, black textured hose and a yellow tank top with a blouse over that.
"Hey, Trudy," said Laura. "I like your
outfit."
Trudy looked pleased. "Thanks, Laura. I like yours—this
time."
"Dad, isn't Trudy's skirt cute?" Laura asked.
"Certainly is," her dad said.
"Good, I'm glad you like it." Laura grinned. "Because
it's exactly like my black one—the one you made me change last week."
Mr. McCall rolled his eyes. "I should have guessed."
Trudy laughed and playfully socked him in the arm. "She's
too smart for you, Walker," she said.
Laura smiled triumphantly and turned back to the movie.
"Thanks for letting us come over tonight," Tammy
said to Laura's father. "I just love this movie."
"Sure thing," Mr. McCall replied. "You girls
are welcome any time."
Tammy sighed. "If only my parents would say things like
that." She stared off into the distance. "I guess when you have a
maid, you aren't so uptight about having guests."
Laura almost rocketed out of her chair. Did Tammy say
what I thought she said?
"If you have a what?" asked Mr. McCall.
"A mai—"
"I know!" Laura interrupted frantically. "Let's
play cards while we watch the movie!"
She jumped up and ran to the small desk next to the window.
Opening the drawer, she grabbed the cards, then slammed the drawer shut again
and ran back to where the girls were sitting.
"How about
to come over on Friday evening to watch the rented movie. She needed the time
alone with them to work on their friendship—and their loyalty. The last thing
she needed was Funny and Melissa squabbling among themselves.
She had scrubbed the apartment last night and baked more
cookies. She'd dug into her wallet and bought three six-packs of soda, lots of
popcorn, and real butter to drizzle over the hot popcorn. This time she made
sure to check her bureau mirror for any notes from her father as soon as she
got home. There weren't any.
So far everything seemed to be going pretty well. Funny and
Melissa were a little quiet, but they were smiling. Laura thought that things
might just be getting back to normal.
Tonight her friends didn't mention the maid or how great the
apartment looked. Laura had gone to a lot of trouble, but she didn't mind when
no one gushed over how clean the place was or how good the cookies tasted. She
had more important things on her mind.
The movie started, and Scarlett O'Hara was surrounded by
handsome Southern gentlemen, talking and flirting with her on the veranda of
her sprawling plantation home.
Tammy sighed. "Imagine being surrounded by
good-looking, rich guys who all want you! Can you think of anything more
wonderful?"
Laura grinned. "It's fun, all right."
Melissa shot her a mean look. "Yeah, right, McCall.
Tell us all about it."
Laura was startled. What was wrong? In her mind she played
back what she'd just said.
I get it, she thought. Melissa must be jealous.
Ordinarily, Melissa's sarcastic remark would have prompted
her to make a nasty retort. But she couldn't afford to do that right now. She
had to get The Fantastic Foursome on her side. Her future at Wakeman was riding
on the next few days.
"I mean," Laura said, trying to smooth things
over, "I mean, it must be fun to have that much attention from cute guys."
No one said anything.
Hmph, Laura thought. I could have told them about the time
at the swimming pool when I was visiting my cousin in Minneapolis. Within
twenty minutes we were surrounded by six cute boys who were all flirting with
us. One of them was in high school!
But they wouldn't appreciate the story tonight, she decided.
Maybe another time.
She heard a key in the lock, and in walked her father and
Trudy.
"Hi, everyone!" Mr. McCall said.
"Hi, Daddy," said Laura.
"Hi, Mr. McCall," the other three girls chorused.
"Trudy," Laura said, "these are my friends,
Funny, Melissa, and Tammy. Guys, this is Trudy Dwyer."
The three girls and Trudy exchanged hellos.
Trudy looked great again. She was wearing a short black
skirt, black textured hose and a yellow tank top with a blouse over that.
"Hey, Trudy," said Laura. "I like your
outfit."
Trudy looked pleased. "Thanks, Laura. I like yours—this
time."
"Dad, isn't Trudy's skirt cute?" Laura asked.
"Certainly is," her dad said.
"Good, I'm glad you like it." Laura grinned. "Because
it's exactly like my black one—the one you made me change last week."
Mr. McCall rolled his eyes. "I should have guessed."
Trudy laughed and playfully socked him in the arm. "She's
too smart for you, Walker," she said.
Laura smiled triumphantly and turned back to the movie.
"Thanks for letting us come over tonight," Tammy
said to Laura's father. "I just love this movie."
"Sure thing," Mr. McCall replied. "You girls
are welcome any time."
Tammy sighed. "If only my parents would say things like
that." She stared off into the distance. "I guess when you have a
maid, you aren't so uptight about having guests."
Laura almost rocketed out of her chair. Did Tammy say
what I thought she said?
"If you have a what?" asked Mr. McCall.
"A mai—"
"I know!" Laura interrupted frantically. "Let's
play cards while we watch the movie!"
She jumped up and ran to the small desk next to the window.
Opening the drawer, she grabbed the cards, then slammed the drawer shut again
and ran back to where the girls were sitting.
"How about
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