Birthday Penny! – from the eaves over the front steps. Penny sat on the steps, since Susan wouldn’t allow her to help with anything, and tried to fake enthusiasm for Susan’s sake.
At least the banner doesn’t say Happy Birthday Little Red , she thought.
The first guest arrived just as Susan brought the cake out. It was Trey Miller, dropped off by his father, a huge gray-haired man in a black Mercedes that looked far too rich for Penny and Susan’s gravel driveway.
The second was Michael.
Zoe blushed bright red as his old Jeep topped the driveway and parked at the far side. Zoe didn’t retreat to Penny’s room but did find an out-of-the-way seat and attempted to make herself as a small as possible. It was a wasted effort. Zoe was simply too tall not to stand out.
Jodi Lewis showed up a few minutes later with Chelsea, a friend of Katie’s who had quit hanging out with Katie’s old crowd when the group’s new queen bee started getting them into trouble. Penny was surprised Chelsea came; she’d only asked her for Katie’s sake, and Penny had a feeling Chelsea still didn’t like her much, only tolerated her.
When Katie had broached the subject of letting Chelsea in on their secret a few weeks back, Ronan had reluctantly agreed to tail her for a while and find an opportunity to let her see him, if she could. She couldn’t, so Katie dropped the idea, though with a few hard feelings. They had since agreed to let Ronan make the call on any future memberships to avoid the drama.
Last to arrive was a surprise guest.
“I didn’t know she was coming,” Katie said, pointing down the driveway to the approaching figure of Ellen Kelly. She pedaled her bike up the top of the rise, a bag swinging off her shoulder and her long blonde hair blowing back behind her.
Katie waved at Ellen, and Ellen returned the wave.
“I didn’t know she was coming either,” Penny said, but she smiled and walked to meet Ellen in the driveway. The others ran to catch up, Katie and Zoe falling in on Penny’s right, Jodi and Chelsea on her left.
Chelsea brightened for the first time at Ellen’s approach, shouting loudly to be heard over the others. “That blouse is so cute ! Where did you get it?”
Ellen paused for a moment, wobbling a little on her bike, to regard her rather plain teal blouse, then looked at Chelsea with raised eyebrows as if to say seriously ?
Zoe coughed discreetly into her fist, and Penny though she heard a muffled suck-up buried in the noise.
Ellen Kelly was a bit of a puzzle to Penny. She was popular, but not part of any school cliques. She had a variety of friends but no best friend, no one you could count on seeing her with. She seemed comfortable enough on her own but lately seemed curious about Dogwood’s new, inseparable trio.
“Yeah, she just kind of showed up at mine too,” Zoe said. “Just to say happy birthday. I asked her to stay.”
Chelsea looked impressed against her will.
“Hi, girls!” Ellen slid from the seat of her bike while still in motion and coasted it to a stop in front of them. “Not crashing your party. Just wanted to bring you this.”
Ellen thrust her hand into the bag on her shoulder and handed Penny a card.
Penny caught Jodi and Chelsea watching her with narrowed eyes, as if daring her not to invite Ellen to stay. She sensed an uprising in the making and was determined to head it off. “Thanks. You should stick around.”
Ellen accepted with a grin and followed them back to the house.
Penny was beginning to feel pleased about the turnout; it was nice to know she was liked, or at least tolerated in some cases, until a familiar old white VW Bug pulled up next to Michael’s Jeep driven by Miss Riggs, Susan’s older sister and Penny’s least-favorite teacher. She, like Katie’s father, had a long-standing grudge against Penny’s family that now extended to Penny herself.
Beside her, Zoe groaned.
Miss
At least the banner doesn’t say Happy Birthday Little Red , she thought.
The first guest arrived just as Susan brought the cake out. It was Trey Miller, dropped off by his father, a huge gray-haired man in a black Mercedes that looked far too rich for Penny and Susan’s gravel driveway.
The second was Michael.
Zoe blushed bright red as his old Jeep topped the driveway and parked at the far side. Zoe didn’t retreat to Penny’s room but did find an out-of-the-way seat and attempted to make herself as a small as possible. It was a wasted effort. Zoe was simply too tall not to stand out.
Jodi Lewis showed up a few minutes later with Chelsea, a friend of Katie’s who had quit hanging out with Katie’s old crowd when the group’s new queen bee started getting them into trouble. Penny was surprised Chelsea came; she’d only asked her for Katie’s sake, and Penny had a feeling Chelsea still didn’t like her much, only tolerated her.
When Katie had broached the subject of letting Chelsea in on their secret a few weeks back, Ronan had reluctantly agreed to tail her for a while and find an opportunity to let her see him, if she could. She couldn’t, so Katie dropped the idea, though with a few hard feelings. They had since agreed to let Ronan make the call on any future memberships to avoid the drama.
Last to arrive was a surprise guest.
“I didn’t know she was coming,” Katie said, pointing down the driveway to the approaching figure of Ellen Kelly. She pedaled her bike up the top of the rise, a bag swinging off her shoulder and her long blonde hair blowing back behind her.
Katie waved at Ellen, and Ellen returned the wave.
“I didn’t know she was coming either,” Penny said, but she smiled and walked to meet Ellen in the driveway. The others ran to catch up, Katie and Zoe falling in on Penny’s right, Jodi and Chelsea on her left.
Chelsea brightened for the first time at Ellen’s approach, shouting loudly to be heard over the others. “That blouse is so cute ! Where did you get it?”
Ellen paused for a moment, wobbling a little on her bike, to regard her rather plain teal blouse, then looked at Chelsea with raised eyebrows as if to say seriously ?
Zoe coughed discreetly into her fist, and Penny though she heard a muffled suck-up buried in the noise.
Ellen Kelly was a bit of a puzzle to Penny. She was popular, but not part of any school cliques. She had a variety of friends but no best friend, no one you could count on seeing her with. She seemed comfortable enough on her own but lately seemed curious about Dogwood’s new, inseparable trio.
“Yeah, she just kind of showed up at mine too,” Zoe said. “Just to say happy birthday. I asked her to stay.”
Chelsea looked impressed against her will.
“Hi, girls!” Ellen slid from the seat of her bike while still in motion and coasted it to a stop in front of them. “Not crashing your party. Just wanted to bring you this.”
Ellen thrust her hand into the bag on her shoulder and handed Penny a card.
Penny caught Jodi and Chelsea watching her with narrowed eyes, as if daring her not to invite Ellen to stay. She sensed an uprising in the making and was determined to head it off. “Thanks. You should stick around.”
Ellen accepted with a grin and followed them back to the house.
Penny was beginning to feel pleased about the turnout; it was nice to know she was liked, or at least tolerated in some cases, until a familiar old white VW Bug pulled up next to Michael’s Jeep driven by Miss Riggs, Susan’s older sister and Penny’s least-favorite teacher. She, like Katie’s father, had a long-standing grudge against Penny’s family that now extended to Penny herself.
Beside her, Zoe groaned.
Miss
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