Kid Power by Susan Beth Pfeffer

a scary movie in the first place. That’s why.”
    â€œI’m really sorry I forgot,” I said. “Can we go next week?”
    â€œYou’ll probably be too busy next week,” she said. “Making more precious money.”
    â€œOh, cut it out,” I said. “You’re just jealous because I’m taking care of Mrs. Townsend’s garden and you’re not.”
    â€œI am not jealous,” she said. “I thought you were my best friend.”
    â€œI am your best friend,” I said.
    â€œThen how come you forgot all about me?” she asked.
    â€œYou’ve forgotten about me too sometimes,” I said.
    â€œI never have,” she said. “Name once when I forgot about you.”
    I thought about it for a moment. Lisa never forgot anything. When we were seven, I told her red was my favorite color, and when I was ten, she gave me a red pen for my birthday. Just because it was my favorite color. By then green was my favorite color, but I never had the heart to tell her. “So you have a better memory than I have,” I said. “That doesn’t mean I’m not your best friend.”
    â€œFace it, Janie,” Lisa said. “All you care about is making money. That’s all you ever talk about anymore. Money, money, money. You’re a regular old Midas.”
    â€œI am not,” I said.
    â€œYou are too,” she said. “Go count your money and see how much fun that is.”
    â€œYou’re just jealous,” I said again.
    â€œI’ll tell you one thing I’m not jealous of,” she said. “There’s something I think you should know.”
    â€œWhat?” I asked, more scared than mad.
    â€œRemember those bugs you thought were so cute?” Lisa said. “They’re Japanese beetles. They’re going to eat Mrs. Townsend’s garden until it’s nothing but holes, and then you’ll be sorry. Good-bye, Janie.”
    â€œGood-bye to you, too,” I said angrily, and slammed down the phone. Mom, who’d been sitting in the kitchen pretending not to be listening, stopped pretending. “You two have a fight?” she asked.
    â€œShut up,” I said, and stormed out of the kitchen. I went up to my room and looked at the envelope where I’d been keeping my money. I had wanted to count it, just to see how much I’d earned, but thanks to Lisa, I was no longer in the mood. So instead I stayed in my room until suppertime and read. I didn’t enjoy it very much because every time the story got boring, I started thinking about Lisa. I almost called her again, but then I decided not to. Let her call. She was the one who insulted me. I hadn’t said anything except to apologize. If she was any kind of friend, she’d just laugh and say it was okay. Let her be the one to call.
    â€œYou seem sulky tonight,” Dad said at suppertime. We were having a barbecue, and he made the hamburgers. Dad always got upset when he did the cooking and we didn’t eat enough.
    â€œLisa’s mad at me,” I said.
    Dad looked at Mom. I recognized the old raised eyebrow look. “What about?” he asked.
    I knew I didn’t want to tell him, but I figured he’d worm it out of me. “She’s just jealous because of Kid Power,” I said.
    â€œLisa never seemed like the jealous type to me,” Carol said.
    â€œA lot you know,” I said. “She’s even jealous that I have an older sister.”
    â€œThat’s not jealousy, that’s taste,” Carol said.
    â€œHow did this fight happen?” Dad asked. “How do you know she’s jealous?”
    â€œWe were supposed to go to the movies today and I forgot,” I said. “I called her up when I got home, and I apologized for forgetting. I apologized a lot, but she didn’t care. It’s all because I got the job taking care of Mrs. Townsend’s garden. She felt she should have