bought my ticket,” Joy said.
“Me too,” Shauna said.
“She sings like an angel,” Amy-Liz said.
Andie spoke. “I heard she’s dating some guy in her band.”
Amy-Liz stood up and sauntered around, pretending to play the sax. “Wouldn’t it be cool to travel together all over the country?”
“How romantic,” I said, keeping my eyes on Christiana.
“What sort of professional training does she have?” Miss Austria asked, tilting her head.
I wanted to say, Who needs training when you can sing like an angel? but I stifled my thoughts and watched the reactions of the others.
Andie described Miss Trent’s vocal training to a T. For Christiana’s sake. As always.
Mom saved the day by announcing supper. We gathered around the dining room table where brightly colored name cards decorated each place setting. I spotted Andie’s name beside Christiana’s. Even my own mother was watching out for Christiana. Not for me.
Soon we were seated. “Let’s pray,” Mom said, and she began. First a special blessing on the birthday girl, then a joyful thanks to the Lord for “Holly’s friends, each one of them,” and last a food blessing. Everyone joined in with “amen” at the end. All but Christiana.
“Andie, start the buns and the chips around,” I said.
Mom took the girls’ soda orders and left the room while Andie began describing sloppy joes in great detail to Christiana. When she finished with the ingredients, she said, “My mom makes them every Monday night.”
“Sometimes my mother sneaks leftovers into the hamburger mix,” Amy-Liz complained. “It’s disgusting.”
“That’s nothing,” Joy said. “My mom uses ground turkey for our sloppy joes.”
“Eeew!” the girls squealed.
After supper, Mom brought out the cake. The girls sang the birthday song while I contemplated my wish. Birthday wishes are supposed to be special. Very special.
Mom lit the candles. “Happy birthday, Holly-Heart.”
I closed my eyes, wishing for the day when I would be number one again with Andie. Taking a deep breath, I blew out my candles. All but one.
“Don’t worry, Holly,” Andie said, eyeing the lone candle. “Today’s not your real birthday, is it?”
I didn’t know how to take her remark. I hoped she was being kind. But she sounded a bit catty. Anyway, my wish would never come true now. Thanks to one lousy candle.
For the gift opening, we converged on the living room and sat on the floor. I observed Christiana, noticing her shining eyes as she glanced at my gifts lined up on the sofa. She held hers tightly, fingering the pink bow in the center. Did she think her gift was more wonderful than all the rest?
I opened hers last, and soon discovered it was from both her and Andie. The gift was a jewelry box, which meant it probably wasn’t Andie’s idea at all. And by the sound of the Mozart tune, I was sure Christiana had chosen it.
To make things worse, when the beautician showed up, Christiana suddenly developed a headache. Andie turned on her friendly charm and arranged for her mom to pick them up.
“Why can’t you stay?” I cornered Andie, pleading with her.
“It’s Christiana’s first day here, and I’m her host,” she reminded me rather coldly. “She probably has jet lag. It’s two o’clock in the morning in Austria right now, you know.” And with that comment, she flounced off to get their jackets.
We started the facials without them. Andie and Christiana sat in the living room, whispering and giggling while they waited for their ride. I sat in the kitchen with the rest of the girls while Joy smeared Andie’s cucumber mask on my face. After it dried, I cracked it twice on purpose thinking about Christiana. She had to be so perfect. Every word, every gesture…
It was so disgusting. Besides that, she had Andie wrapped around her little finger.
Could my friendship with Andie survive five more weeks of this freak show?
SECOND-BEST FRIEND
Chapter 11
When Andie’s mother
“Me too,” Shauna said.
“She sings like an angel,” Amy-Liz said.
Andie spoke. “I heard she’s dating some guy in her band.”
Amy-Liz stood up and sauntered around, pretending to play the sax. “Wouldn’t it be cool to travel together all over the country?”
“How romantic,” I said, keeping my eyes on Christiana.
“What sort of professional training does she have?” Miss Austria asked, tilting her head.
I wanted to say, Who needs training when you can sing like an angel? but I stifled my thoughts and watched the reactions of the others.
Andie described Miss Trent’s vocal training to a T. For Christiana’s sake. As always.
Mom saved the day by announcing supper. We gathered around the dining room table where brightly colored name cards decorated each place setting. I spotted Andie’s name beside Christiana’s. Even my own mother was watching out for Christiana. Not for me.
Soon we were seated. “Let’s pray,” Mom said, and she began. First a special blessing on the birthday girl, then a joyful thanks to the Lord for “Holly’s friends, each one of them,” and last a food blessing. Everyone joined in with “amen” at the end. All but Christiana.
“Andie, start the buns and the chips around,” I said.
Mom took the girls’ soda orders and left the room while Andie began describing sloppy joes in great detail to Christiana. When she finished with the ingredients, she said, “My mom makes them every Monday night.”
“Sometimes my mother sneaks leftovers into the hamburger mix,” Amy-Liz complained. “It’s disgusting.”
“That’s nothing,” Joy said. “My mom uses ground turkey for our sloppy joes.”
“Eeew!” the girls squealed.
After supper, Mom brought out the cake. The girls sang the birthday song while I contemplated my wish. Birthday wishes are supposed to be special. Very special.
Mom lit the candles. “Happy birthday, Holly-Heart.”
I closed my eyes, wishing for the day when I would be number one again with Andie. Taking a deep breath, I blew out my candles. All but one.
“Don’t worry, Holly,” Andie said, eyeing the lone candle. “Today’s not your real birthday, is it?”
I didn’t know how to take her remark. I hoped she was being kind. But she sounded a bit catty. Anyway, my wish would never come true now. Thanks to one lousy candle.
For the gift opening, we converged on the living room and sat on the floor. I observed Christiana, noticing her shining eyes as she glanced at my gifts lined up on the sofa. She held hers tightly, fingering the pink bow in the center. Did she think her gift was more wonderful than all the rest?
I opened hers last, and soon discovered it was from both her and Andie. The gift was a jewelry box, which meant it probably wasn’t Andie’s idea at all. And by the sound of the Mozart tune, I was sure Christiana had chosen it.
To make things worse, when the beautician showed up, Christiana suddenly developed a headache. Andie turned on her friendly charm and arranged for her mom to pick them up.
“Why can’t you stay?” I cornered Andie, pleading with her.
“It’s Christiana’s first day here, and I’m her host,” she reminded me rather coldly. “She probably has jet lag. It’s two o’clock in the morning in Austria right now, you know.” And with that comment, she flounced off to get their jackets.
We started the facials without them. Andie and Christiana sat in the living room, whispering and giggling while they waited for their ride. I sat in the kitchen with the rest of the girls while Joy smeared Andie’s cucumber mask on my face. After it dried, I cracked it twice on purpose thinking about Christiana. She had to be so perfect. Every word, every gesture…
It was so disgusting. Besides that, she had Andie wrapped around her little finger.
Could my friendship with Andie survive five more weeks of this freak show?
SECOND-BEST FRIEND
Chapter 11
When Andie’s mother
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