The Slumber Party Secret

by Carolyn Keene

  Nancy was disappointed. But she wasn’t going to give up.

  “I have another idea,” Nancy said. “I’m going to check our room before class starts.” She turned and raced back into the school.

  Students weren’t allowed to be in the classrooms during lunch hour. Quietly Nancy sneaked into her room. She didn’t touch anything. But she looked at everything lying on top of the desks. No one seemed to have a green pen.

  She was just walking out of the classroom when she ran right into her teacher!

  “Nancy,” Ms. Spencer said. “Were you looking for me?”

  “Ummm . . .” Nancy said.

  “Someone told me that you have a petition to give me,” Ms. Spencer said.

  Nancy blushed. “Oh, uh, well, not really. I mean, it’s sort of a joke,” Nancy said. She held the papers behind her back.

  Ms. Spencer held out her hand. “May I see for myself, please?”

  Nancy watched her teacher’s face as she read the petition. At first Ms. Spencer frowned, but she kept reading. Then she pressed her lips together. Nancy couldn’t tell if she was angry or going to laugh.

  Finally Ms. Spencer looked at Nancy. “I’m afraid these things aren’t possible,” she said. “I love dogs, too. I can understand why you’d want one for the classroom.”

  Ms. Spencer handed the papers back to Nancy. She gave her a big grin. “You have quite an imagination, Nancy Drew,” she added.

  Just then the bell rang. Recess was over. Nancy sat down at her desk. Even if she didn’t have any answers yet, she was having fun. She felt just like a detective!

  By bedtime that night Nancy still had nothing new to write in her notebook. She took it out of her backpack, anyway. She sat cross-legged on her bed. Then she opened the notebook and wrote:

  Thursday. 20 signatures in Ms. Spencer’s class.

  23 signatures in Mrs. Apple’s class. No new clues.

  On Friday Nancy and Rebecca walked to school together. It was Rebecca’s birthday and the day of the party. Rebecca carried a big box of cupcakes. There was one for each person in her class.

  Nancy looked over at the box. “I wish I were in your class,” she said.

  Rebecca giggled. “Don’t worry. We’ll have cake at the party tonight. I’ll make sure you get a piece with a big icing rose.”

  Nancy held the school door open for Rebecca. She walked her friend to her cubby. Every third-grader had a cubby. They were in the hallway. Each student’s name was printed on colored paper and taped to the top of the cubby.

  Nancy helped Rebecca put the box of cupcakes in her cubby.

  “See you later,” Nancy said. Then she went down the hall to her own classroom. Ms. Spencer was late, and the door was still locked. All the kids were standing around in the hall.

  “Rebecca brought cupcakes for her birthday,” Nancy told Bess and George.

  “Cupcakes? Where?” Jason Hutchings said.

  “In Rebecca’s cubby,” Nancy answered without thinking.

  Just then Ms. Spencer arrived. She unlocked the door. Everyone went in and sat down. Ms. Spencer began to call the roll. She called Jason’s name, but there was no answer.

  Nancy looked at Bess. “Uh-oh,” Nancy said.

  “Yeah,” Bess said. “Major uh-oh.”

  Ms. Spencer finished calling the roll. A second later Jason raced into the room.

  “Here I am!” he called out to Ms. Spencer.

  Jason licked his fingers. Nancy saw pink icing at the corners of his mouth.

  “Where have you been, Jason?” Ms. Spencer asked.

  “I thought you were lost, Ms. Spencer,” Jason said. “I was out looking for you.”

  Everyone laughed, including Nancy.

  Ms. Spencer shook her head and smiled, too. Jason was like that, Nancy thought. He could make grown-ups laugh. And he could make them believe almost anything.

  “All right, class,” Ms. Spencer said. “Take out your math books. It’s time for math review.”

  Nancy rolled her eyes. Not again!

  She took out her math book. She also took out her new blue notebook. Quickly she wrote down: “Jason. Stolen cupcake.” Maybe it was a clue!

  At lunch Rebecca found Nancy.

  “I’m going to die,” Rebecca said, grabbing Nancy by the wrist. “Wait till you hear what happened!”

  “Let me guess,” Nancy said. She pretended to think very hard. “I know! Someone stole one of your cupcakes.”

  “How did you guess?” Rebecca said. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.

  Nancy smiled. “Because I know who did it.”

  “Who?”

  “Jason Hutchings,” Nancy said. “He was licking pink icing from his mouth this morning. It’s my fault, too. I told him you brought cupcakes.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Rebecca said. “It’s his fault. He gets away with everything! And guess what happened then?”

  “What?”

  “Well, there weren’t enough cupcakes for everyone. And Lindsay Mitchell didn’t get one.”

  “Uh-oh. Bad news,” Nancy said.

  “Right.” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “She has a big sweet tooth. She got really mad, too. But that’s not all.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Rebecca handed Nancy another note. Like the first one, it was written in green ink. It said, “We have a secret.” Secret was printed in extra large letters all the way across the page.

  “Weird,” Nancy said. “When did you get it?”

  “I found it in the box of cupcakes,” Rebecca said.

  “Do you think it was—”

  “Jason!” both girls said at once.

  Still, Nancy didn’t feel sure. “He did steal the cupcake. He could have put the note in the box then. But what’s the secret?”

  “I don’t know,” Rebecca said.

  “And why would Jason have sent you that first note saying your party is doomed?”

  “I don’t know,” Rebecca said.

  “And how could he have stolen your party invitations?”

  “I don’t know,” Rebecca said.

  “Me, either,” Nancy said. “But I’m going to find out!”

  6

  Party Pranks

  Hurry, Daddy, we’re going to be late for the party!” Nancy said.

  She was wearing her favorite long-sleeved flowered dress. Hannah had brushed Nancy’s hair until it shone. She stood in the driveway with her arms full. Sleeping bag. Backpack. Rebecca’s birthday present and a card.

  Nancy had made the birthday card herself with colored markers. On the front she had drawn a big gold star around Rebecca’s name. Inside, Nancy wrote, “You’re the Star of Your Own Birthday!”

  Carson Drew came down the driveway and frowned at Nancy. But she could tell it was only a pretend frown. “What’s the rush?” he said. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave home?”

  Nancy giggled. “It’s just one night, Daddy,” she said. “Come on!”

  “Yes, yes, I know.” He tried to sound serious. “I’m not sure I want you to go. What if I need you for something tonight?”

  Nancy laughed again. She knew her father was teasing. “You won’t need me, Daddy. It’s just one night. Please! I’m going to drop everything!”

  “Okay,” her father said with a smile. “Let’s load up the trunk.”

  Nancy put her sleeping bag, backpack, and the present in the trunk. Her father drove to Bess’s house.

  They had to wait because Bess was still getting dressed. Finally she came outside. She was wearing a purplechecked jumper, purple tights, and a purple shirt. Mr. Drew piled Bess’s things into the trunk.

  Then they picked up George. She was wearing a dress with three big buttons down the front. Mr. Drew put her things into the trunk, too.

  “It’s a good thing we aren’t picking up anyone else,” Mr. Drew said. “This trunk won’t hold any more sleepover supplies!”

  At five o’clock the three friends arrived at Rebecca’s party. Mr. Drew
helped them take their things into the house. Then he gave Nancy a goodbye kiss and hug.

  Mrs. Ramirez took George, Bess, and Nancy out to the backyard. All the other girls were already there. They were playing games.

  Rebecca ran up to greet her guests.

  “Guess what?” she said, taking Nancy’s hand.

  “Happy birthday,” Nancy said. “What?”

  “I got another note! About an hour ago someone rang the doorbell. When I opened the door, no one was there. This note was lying on the doormat.”

  She handed a piece of paper to Nancy. It said: “We’re having a party—and YOU can’t come!”

  The printing was the same. But this note was written in blue ink.

  “I know who sent it,” Bess said. “Jason. He lives so close.”

  “That’s what I think, too,” Rebecca said. “But he’s so dumb. Why does he think I’d want to go to his stupid party, anyway?”

  Nancy just looked at the piece of paper. She didn’t say a word. It didn’t make sense for Jason to have written the note.

  Nancy, Bess, and George joined the other girls. But Nancy couldn’t forget about the three notes. What did they mean? Had Jason sent them? And if so, what was he planning to do?

  She thought about it while they played badminton. She thought about it while they jumped rope.

  But she forgot about it when someone felt a drop of rain.

  “Let’s go in,” Katie Zaleski said. “I don’t want to get wet.”

  “No, wait,” Rebecca said. “We haven’t gone on the treasure hunt yet.”

  Rebecca’s mother had planned a treasure hunt. She came outside and gave each girl a map of the backyard.

  “Is it buried treasure?” Nancy asked.

  Mrs. Ramirez smiled. “No, it’s not buried.”

  “But is it bigger than a TV?” Nancy asked. “Or is it small enough to fit in a backpack?”

  Mrs. Ramirez laughed. “You ask too many questions, Nancy.”

  “No, she doesn’t,” Rebecca said. “She asks just the right amount.”

  Rebecca squeezed Nancy’s hand. “Come on. Let’s make up teams,” she said. “Nancy, George, Sarah, and Jessie can be on my team. Courtney, Bess, Katie, and Amara will be on the other team.”

  “That’s not fair,” Bess said. “I’ll never find the treasure without Nancy. She’s good at finding things. I don’t know where to look.”

  “Just follow the map,” Mrs. Ramirez said. “The treasure is hidden near one of the pictures.”

  Soon the girls were running all over the backyard. The maps were hard to figure out. They didn’t have any words on them—just pictures.

  One picture was of a peach. Rebecca got that one. It was the peach tree in the corner of the yard. George climbed the tree to see if the treasure was up there. It wasn’t.

  “I felt rain!” Amara called.

  “Who cares?” George called down. “Just keep looking.”

  There was a picture of a dog on the map. Jessie guessed that it stood for the doghouse. George crawled into the doghouse to see if the treasure was there. It wasn’t.

  “Did you feel that? It’s raining,” Katie called from the other side of the yard.

  “I didn’t feel anything,” Nancy said. She looked up at the sky. The sun was shining. How could there be rain? Nancy kept looking for the treasure.

  There was a picture of ants. Nancy thought for a while. “I know!” she said. “Ants would be near the picnic table!”

  George crawled underneath the table and looked up. “Here it is!” she cried.

  Nancy got on her hands and knees so she could see under the table, too. The treasure was in an envelope, taped under the picnic table top.

  George pulled it loose and opened it. Inside were nine fancy pencils with fuzzy animal heads on top. They were party favors. Rebecca handed them out.

  “Thanks!” Courtney said. She held her fuzzy teddy bear pencil up to her cheek.

  Several drops of water fell on Bess’s head. One ran down into her eye. “Let’s go in,” Bess said. “I don’t want my kitten pencil to get wet.”

  Suddenly Nancy felt lots of drops. But the sun was still shining. How strange, she thought.

  “Okay, let’s go eat pizza and then birthday cake,” Rebecca said.

  Everyone ran to the deck on the side of Rebecca’s house. There was another big picnic table there. It was covered with a pink-and-white paper tablecloth. Pink paper plates and napkins were set at each place.

  “Oh, no!” Rebecca cried. She was the first one up the steps to the deck. “No!” she cried again.

  Big tears filled Rebecca’s eyes. “I hate this birthday! I hate it!” she cried.

  Nancy hurried to see what was wrong. She looked at the deck. It was dry. She looked at the tablecloth. It was dry. She looked at the plates and napkins. They were dry.

  Then Nancy looked at the cake. It was decorated with roses and white icing. Mrs. Ramirez hadn’t put the candles on it yet, though. Nancy knew that Rebecca had wanted everyone to see the cake first because it was so pretty.

  There was one problem.

  Someone had stolen the biggest rose from the center of the cake. Now there was a huge, ugly hole on top!

  7

  Noises in the Night

  Jason Hutchings did this, I know he did,” Rebecca said. She rubbed her tears away with her hands. Then she stomped into the house. Nancy followed her.

  “Mom? Jason’s trying to ruin my party!” Rebecca yelled.

  “Calm down,” Mrs. Ramirez said. She was standing at a kitchen counter, opening boxes of pizza. Rebecca told her about the cake.

  “Why don’t you and Nancy and your friends eat the pizza at the dining room table? I’ll see if I can fix the cake.”

  “But aren’t you going to call Jason’s mother?” Rebecca whined. “I know he stole that rose.”

  “Not right now,” her mother said.

  Rebecca’s mother moved the cake indoors. She put the pink tablecloth and the plates on the dining room table. Everyone was hungry. Nancy ate two slices of pizza with pepperoni.

  While they ate, the girls talked about the cake. Who would do such a terrible thing?

  “Bess is right. It must be the boys,” Courtney said.

  “Jason gets away with everything. Everyone knows that,” said Sarah.

  The other girls agreed. Nancy looked and listened. She was thinking about someone else. Someone with a sweet tooth. Someone who always got her feelings hurt. Someone named Lindsay Mitchell.

  There was only one problem. How could Lindsay steal the rose? She didn’t even live nearby.

  The girls finished eating. Then Rebecca sat at the table and opened her presents. She loved them all. But she especially loved the card Nancy made for her. She cut out the star with her name on it so she could put it on her bedroom door.

  “Time for cake!” Rebecca’s mother called as she carried it into the room. She had moved the icing roses around to cover the hole. She had also put colored sprinkles on top. That way the messed-up icing didn’t show. With the candles lit, the cake looked perfect, Nancy thought.

  Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Rebecca. Then she made a wish and blew out the candles.

  After cake and ice cream the girls spread out their sleeping bags on the living room floor. It was almost dark outside.

  “Time for a scary movie,” Rebecca said. She put a video into the tape machine.

  “I’m scared just thinking about it,” Bess said. She shivered with excitement. “Do we have to watch this?”

  “Yes,” Rebecca said. “And you have to scream. That’s what makes it fun.”

  Bess looked over toward the front window. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

  “Not yet, silly,” Rebecca said.

  Bess screamed again.

  “What’s wrong, Bess?” Nancy asked.

  Rebecca’s mother came running into the room. “What happened?” she asked.

  “I saw a shadow through the
window. And I heard a noise outside,” Bess answered. “I got scared.”

  Nancy ran to the window to look. Mrs. Ramirez looked out, too.

  “There’s nothing there,” Mrs. Ramirez said. “Maybe you girls shouldn’t watch this movie. How about something else?”

  “No!” Rebecca said.

  “We want to see the movie!” Jessie and Katie cried.

  “Okay,” Mrs. Ramirez said. “But maybe Bess doesn’t want to watch.”

  “That’s okay,” Bess said. “I’ll watch the movie.”

  Bess wrapped her sleeping bag around her knees. Nancy sat on the floor, leaning against the couch. The movie started. It was about a haunted house.

  Suddenly Bess poked Nancy. “Listen!” Bess whispered. “Did you hear that?”

  Nancy nodded. She had heard the noise. So had Jessie. It sounded like something hitting the window.

  Jessie jumped up and pressed the Stop button on the VCR.

  There it was again! Nancy thought. Everyone heard it this time. Something was moving around in the bushes outside!

  Nancy went to the window and looked out.

  She couldn’t see anyone in the front yard. But across the street she saw a pizza delivery car. The driver was carrying three large pizza boxes to the house.

  “Nobody’s out there except for a pizza guy. He’s taking three pizzas to Laura McCorry’s house,” Nancy said.

  “Are you sure no one else is there?” Rebecca asked. She had gotten up and come to the window beside Nancy.

  “Pretty sure,” Nancy said. “Maybe it was the wind.”

  “Then let’s watch the movie,” Katie said.

  “Go ahead,” Nancy said. “I’ll be right back. I want to get something first.”

  Nancy went to her backpack and took out her new blue notebook and a pen. Then she curled up on the floor beside Bess. Nancy opened the notebook to a blank page and started to write. But her pen was out of ink.

  “Does anyone have a pen I can borrow?” Nancy asked.

  “Sure,” Courtney said. She got a pen from her backpack. It was a fat pen with six different colors of ink.