Sisterhood Of Lake Alice by Mari M. Osmon

basis. Soon, the customers started requesting a favorite song while they waited for their clothes. Lindy felt loved and totally accepted at Fresh Daisy Dry Cleaners and Laundry.
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    Before too long, Loretta was making western style costumes for her daughter. They even saved enough money to purchase bright red cowgirl boots for her. Lindy began to sing at summer concerts. She entered the contest at the state fair when she was eight years old, coming in third place. From then on, each year she won first place as she worked on perfecting her style. She was a mini version of Dolly Parton, except her hair was black instead of blonde. Lindy was a talented and fiery little girl. Each year her hair got bigger and more rhinestones appeared on her outfits.
    By the time she entered high school, everyone knew Lindy, her talents and her wacky personality. It did not come as a surprise when the choral director asked her to join a girl’s quartet. What did surprise Lindy was the lecture she received on being a team player. It was made very clear to her that this quartet would be a place where all the girls would showcase their talents. It took Lindy a little while to adjust to not being the star of the show.
    She quickly discovered that the friendships of Emily, Grace, and Rebecca were far more important than the spotlight. It was the first time she had close girlfriends, and she enjoyed every minute of it. On their sleepovers at Emily’s house, Lindy would bring her bags filled with makeup and hair supplies. By the end of the night, all four girls had Lindy’s big hair, bright blue eye shadow, and rings on every finger. They would dance around Emily’s bedroom, singing and laughing.
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    The girls of SOLA had grown to be such good friends that when they started dating, they promised to get an okay from the other girls before going out. They all agreed that Friday night was their sleepover girls’ night and Saturday was date night. They often would go out with their dates as a group. Most Sunday afternoons, they talked about their dates while they studied and practiced their songs.
    Lindy told the girls all about the facts of life. She gave them graphic details about her dates, which sent them all into fits of giggles. Lindy dated a few boys but found that most of them were too afraid of her wild style to ask her out. She preferred to have many good friends that were boys instead of boyfriends. Anyway, she knew that she was destined for fame and did not want to be attached to anyone that she might have to leave behind.
    *
    Lindy surprised everyone by being an A+ student. She excelled in math and science classes. She knew that money was always tight around the laundry and had given up any hopes of going to college. Just before Thanksgiving of her senior year, the principal called her to his office. When she arrived, Loretta and Lenny were already there. At first, she thought something had happened to her brother. However, when she saw her mom wink at her, Lindy knew it was good news.
    The principal stood up, shook Lindy’s hand, and informed her that she had received a full scholarship to Mankato State University. The Pulaskis beamed with pride as they hugged each other. Lindy would be the first Pulaski to go to college. They knew that she would succeed at whatever she put her mind to. Lindy was excited about the promise of a new adventure. There would be no stopping her now. Mankato be warned, Lindy was on the way!
     

Chapter Four  
    Rebecca DuPree
    People often described Monica DuPree as quiet, hard working, and a good student. She had a contagious laugh, gentle smile, and easygoing nature. She lived at home with her mother, Ruby, who had been widowed for many years.
    Tim Meyer came from one of the most influential families in Fergus Falls. They owned most of the apartment buildings in town and had recently built a large apartment complex for senior citizens. Tim was the star quarterback on the Otters’ football team. Monica and