arrived home, he took me for a quick visit with Goofey. My cat seemed much better, more energetic. And he licked my hand repeatedly as if to tell me so.
When we returned home, I helped Mom set out the makeup and stuff for my birthday party. Together, we turned the kitchen into a beauty salon, complete with facial and beauty kits and hand mirrors for each girl. It was fabulous.
“The guests will be here in one hour,” I said, thinking of the Patterson and Meredith family members. “Where are we gonna stash all our kids?”
“Well, let’s see,” Mom said, grinning. “Uncle Jack took Phil and Mark out for the evening. Stan’s going to make himself scarce in his room, and Carrie and Stephie are planning their own party.”
I sat down on a barstool, absently picking up a creamy-pink blush. “I hope this make-over thing is a good idea.” Christiana’s snide remark this morning had me worried.
Mom stopped arranging things for a moment and looked at me. She pushed a stray hair off her forehead. “Is everything okay, Holly-Heart?”
“Not exactly,” I said. “I really miss Andie.”
I heard her sigh. Extra loud. “This isn’t about Christiana, is it?”
“Who else?” I muttered.
I ran upstairs to change clothes. By the time I freshened up and slipped into a clean pair of jeans and sweater, Mom was knocking on my bedroom door.
I let her in.
“How’s my birthday girl?”
“Oh, Mom.” I ran into her outstretched arms. “I love you!”
She hugged me bone hard. “Let’s start getting the sloppy joes ready. Your guests will be arriving very soon.”
I followed her downstairs. It was amazing; Mom could calm me down, no matter what. One of her many God-given gifts.
Speaking of gifts, Daddy sent me money from California, as usual. I wondered what my best friend would give me for my fourteenth birthday. As for Christiana, I would be lucky if she cracked her face to give me the slightest smile.
The doorbell rang, and I ran to get it. Shauna and Joy were first to arrive. A few minutes later Amy-Liz showed up. By the time I’d hung up their jackets, the doorbell rang again. This time it was Andie with her shadow—er, pen pal—Christiana.
“Happy birthday,” Andie said, giving me a big hug.
“Thanks,” I said. “Glad you’re here.”
Christiana reached out to shake my hand like she had at the airport this morning. Reluctantly, I held out mine.
Z-z-z-z-t-t! I shrieked and jumped back. Christiana had zapped me with a hand zinger.
“Ooh, she got you good, Holly,” Amy-Liz exclaimed. The girls laughed.
“Are you all right?” Christiana said, trying not to smirk.
I nodded, forcing a smile.
Andie giggled. “Remember, I told you Christiana loves practical jokes.”
Rubbing the zing off my palm, I led them into the kitchen. Christiana immediately launched off on entertaining my guests with her stories. She talked about Vienna and Mozart’s The Magic Flute. I couldn’t imagine Amy-Liz or Shauna or any of the others being half as interested as they looked. I was the one interested in classical music. They were diehard Mandee Trent fans.
“What’s school like in Salzburg?” I asked.
“I attend a boarding school,” Christiana said. “It’s an all-girl school.”
“You sleep over?” Amy-Liz asked.
Christiana chuckled. “It’s great fun. We pull jokes on each other nearly every night.”
I’ll bet you do, I thought.
“Tell us some tricks you’ve played,” Amy-Liz said.
“I’m sure you’ve heard of the hand-in-warm-water trick,” Christiana said.
Everyone nodded, laughing.
“And there’s the greased toilet seat,” she said.
“We did that last year on choir tour,” Andie piped up, glancing at me.
Christiana was all too eager to go on. And on.
Leaning against the kitchen bar, I decided it was time to divert the conversation away from Christiana’s neck of the woods. “Did you hear? Mandee Trent’s coming to Denver—one week from tonight.”
“I already
When we returned home, I helped Mom set out the makeup and stuff for my birthday party. Together, we turned the kitchen into a beauty salon, complete with facial and beauty kits and hand mirrors for each girl. It was fabulous.
“The guests will be here in one hour,” I said, thinking of the Patterson and Meredith family members. “Where are we gonna stash all our kids?”
“Well, let’s see,” Mom said, grinning. “Uncle Jack took Phil and Mark out for the evening. Stan’s going to make himself scarce in his room, and Carrie and Stephie are planning their own party.”
I sat down on a barstool, absently picking up a creamy-pink blush. “I hope this make-over thing is a good idea.” Christiana’s snide remark this morning had me worried.
Mom stopped arranging things for a moment and looked at me. She pushed a stray hair off her forehead. “Is everything okay, Holly-Heart?”
“Not exactly,” I said. “I really miss Andie.”
I heard her sigh. Extra loud. “This isn’t about Christiana, is it?”
“Who else?” I muttered.
I ran upstairs to change clothes. By the time I freshened up and slipped into a clean pair of jeans and sweater, Mom was knocking on my bedroom door.
I let her in.
“How’s my birthday girl?”
“Oh, Mom.” I ran into her outstretched arms. “I love you!”
She hugged me bone hard. “Let’s start getting the sloppy joes ready. Your guests will be arriving very soon.”
I followed her downstairs. It was amazing; Mom could calm me down, no matter what. One of her many God-given gifts.
Speaking of gifts, Daddy sent me money from California, as usual. I wondered what my best friend would give me for my fourteenth birthday. As for Christiana, I would be lucky if she cracked her face to give me the slightest smile.
The doorbell rang, and I ran to get it. Shauna and Joy were first to arrive. A few minutes later Amy-Liz showed up. By the time I’d hung up their jackets, the doorbell rang again. This time it was Andie with her shadow—er, pen pal—Christiana.
“Happy birthday,” Andie said, giving me a big hug.
“Thanks,” I said. “Glad you’re here.”
Christiana reached out to shake my hand like she had at the airport this morning. Reluctantly, I held out mine.
Z-z-z-z-t-t! I shrieked and jumped back. Christiana had zapped me with a hand zinger.
“Ooh, she got you good, Holly,” Amy-Liz exclaimed. The girls laughed.
“Are you all right?” Christiana said, trying not to smirk.
I nodded, forcing a smile.
Andie giggled. “Remember, I told you Christiana loves practical jokes.”
Rubbing the zing off my palm, I led them into the kitchen. Christiana immediately launched off on entertaining my guests with her stories. She talked about Vienna and Mozart’s The Magic Flute. I couldn’t imagine Amy-Liz or Shauna or any of the others being half as interested as they looked. I was the one interested in classical music. They were diehard Mandee Trent fans.
“What’s school like in Salzburg?” I asked.
“I attend a boarding school,” Christiana said. “It’s an all-girl school.”
“You sleep over?” Amy-Liz asked.
Christiana chuckled. “It’s great fun. We pull jokes on each other nearly every night.”
I’ll bet you do, I thought.
“Tell us some tricks you’ve played,” Amy-Liz said.
“I’m sure you’ve heard of the hand-in-warm-water trick,” Christiana said.
Everyone nodded, laughing.
“And there’s the greased toilet seat,” she said.
“We did that last year on choir tour,” Andie piped up, glancing at me.
Christiana was all too eager to go on. And on.
Leaning against the kitchen bar, I decided it was time to divert the conversation away from Christiana’s neck of the woods. “Did you hear? Mandee Trent’s coming to Denver—one week from tonight.”
“I already
Similar Books
