by Nancy Krulik
“It was fun,” Suzanne agreed.
Katie smiled at Suzanne. Ever since the modeling show, Suzanne had been a whole lot nicer. She had just needed an activity that she was really good at. Katie didn’t blame her. She understood that it was important to feel like you were the best at something every now and then. And it was especially important to Suzanne.
Suzanne reached up and touched her new purple sun hat. “Thanks for buying the outfit I modeled in the show, Mom.”
Mrs. Lock grinned. “I couldn’t resist it. You looked so pretty.”
“Suzanne, pretty,” Heather said. “Very pretty.”
Suzanne smiled at her sister for the first time the whole cruise. “She’s getting smarter,” she told her parents.
Everybody laughed.
Just then, someone came racing through the ship’s lobby. “Katie! Wait!” he shouted.
Katie turned around just in time to see Chef Pierre coming toward her. He was carrying a big, white box.
“I’m so glad I caught you,” he said. “I made zees chocolates especially for you.”
“Oh wow!” Katie exclaimed.
“I created a mold in zee shape of zees ship. And I made white chocolate–covered strawberries. I know chocolate-covered strawberries are your favorite.”
“Thank you so much,” Katie said. “I bet your new shop is going to be the busiest one on the whole Promenade Deck.”
“I should get back to making more chocolate,” Chef Pierre said. “Zee new passengers will be boarding zees afternoon. Merci for everything, Katie.”
“You’re really welcome,” Katie told him.
“What was that all about?” Suzanne asked as Chef Pierre walked away. “How come we all didn’t get a box of chocolates?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll share them,” Katie assured her.
“Me too!” Heather said. “Me too!”
Suzanne rolled her eyes. “Maybe her name should be Me Too.”
“She just wants to be like you,” Suzanne’s dad said.
Suzanne sighed. “I guess I can’t blame her for that,” she said. “A lot of people want to be like me.”
Now Lizzie came racing over. She gave Suzanne a big hug. “I am so glad you were on this cruise,” she said. “I had so much fun. And I promise to keep practicing my model walk until I get it perfect.”
Suzanne smiled. “That will take a lot of practice,” she told her.
“I know,” Lizzie said. “I don’t expect to be as wonderful as you right away. But I’m trying.”
Oh boy, Katie thought. Heather isn’t the only one who should be nicknamed Me Too.
“Okay, everyone, time to leave and go back to real life,” Katie’s dad said.
Katie followed him to a taxi stand. It would be nighttime before they were back in Cherrydale. It was great to go on vacation, but it would be great to be home again, too.
Just then, Katie felt a cool breeze blowing on the back of her neck. She gulped. Oh no! Had the magic wind come back again? Already? Was it going to switcheroo her into someone else—right here in front of everyone?
“Whoa!” Suzanne shouted suddenly. “That wind almost blew my new hat off!”
Katie grinned. If Suzanne felt the wind, then it couldn’t be the magic wind. It was just an ordinary, everyday kind of wind. The kind of wind that didn’t switcheroo her into someone else. And that was great. Because that meant Katie would stay Katie—at least for now.
And there wasn’t anyone she’d rather be.
About the Author
Nancy Krulik is the author of more than 150 books for children and young adults, including three New York Times best sellers. She lives in New York City with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser, and their children, Amanda and Ian. When she’s not busy writing the Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo series, Nancy loves swimming, reading, and going to the movies.
About the Illustrators
John & Wendy have illustrated all of the Katie Kazoo books, but when they’re not busy drawing Katie and her friends, they like to paint, take photographs, travel, and play music in their rock ’n’ roll band. They live and work in Brooklyn, New York.