by Annie Bryant
“I love this song!” Maeve exclaimed, twirling around to the beat. The sequins on her dress sparkled, casting little rainbows all over the party room.
Avery laughed. “You love every song Riley plays.”
“Of course I do!” Maeve gushed. “Isn’t he amazing?”
“I think”—Sophie leaned over and whispered in Charlotte’s ear—“someone has a, how do you say, crush?”
“Yeah,” Charlotte answered, noticing Dillon standing off to one side. “And I think someone else, how do you say, wants to dance with you!”
“Bonjour, mademoiselle,” Dillon greeted Sophie with a little bow before he swept her into a spin around the floor. “Comment ça va aujourd’hui?”
“Awesome, dude,” Sophie replied. “Your French accent is totally coolio!” Then, spontaneously: “Will you come visit me in Paris?”
Dillon looked down at his shoes. He’d worn the fancy, pointy ones just for this occasion. “Uhhh . . . sure.”
“You already have a scarf and fashionable shoes. You’ll fit right in!” Sophie winked.
As Nick spun her around, Charlotte stole a glance at Dillon and Sophie dancing together. She’d overheard Sophie invite him to France and had no idea if that could ever really happen. . . . But it was nice to dream. And maybe Sophie would come back to visit Boston again some time. I would really love that,Charlotte said to herself, swallowing a lump of sorrow about this being Sophie’s last day. Her plane was leaving early the next morning. I’m really going to miss her,Charlotte realized.
“. . . and life will be brighter, bigger, kinder, crazier, now that I have youuuuu!” Riley finished the last song in the set with a flourish of guitar picking. It was a new tune, one Maeve had never heard before. She jumped up and down and clapped as loud as she could, until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Maeve,” her mom began, “your father and I are so impressed with the maturity you and your friends have shown. This party truly upholds our feelings about what becoming a Bat Mitzvah means. I love you so much, my grown-up daughter.”
“You were wonderful today,” her dad added. “I am so proud of you. Your friends really came through with this party, once they explained what they were up to—how this was a true community effort—we were happy to pitch in and help.” He swept Maeve into a bear hug and added, “I love you, darling.”
Maeve hugged her parents, one in each arm.
“I love you both, too. Mom and Dad,” she said, stepping back and breaking free. “And now, there is something I need to do.” Her parents watched her walk to the stage.
“Uh hum,” Maeve said, taking the microphone off the stand. As long as the stage was empty, Maeve figured she should be on it. “Testing one, two, three.” Her voice reverberated around the room.
All eyes turned to her.
I love this feeling, Maeve thought. I was born to be right here, center stage, mic in hand. She smiled, enjoying the moment, trying to capture the feeling and bottle it forever. I bet this is exactly what it feels like when you go up to accept your Academy Award, she decided.
“I want to thank you, Mom, Dad, the BSG, and everyone yet again,” Maeve began. “I just want you to know how much I appreciate all the love and work you put into this party. I don’t think I can tell you all enough times how happy I am!!!”
The whole room broke into applause and cheers, thanking the party organizers. When it died down, Maeve continued, “You should know that this party isn’t just for me. It’s for Sophie too. The sixth Beacon Street Girl is headed back to France—today’s her last day here.” She looked directly at Sophie. “Bon voyage, mon amie.” Maeve came down off the stage and gave Sophie two bisous, one on each cheek, and wished her a safe trip home.
“Now,” Maeve said, “in honor of Sophie’s last night and my Bat Mitzvah celebration, there is only one other thing we need to do. As the character named Julian Marsh says in the 1933 classic movie, 42nd Street, ‘You’re gonna dance until your feet fall off—and you’re not able to stand up any longer!’ So, let’s boogie!”
Mustard Monkey came back onstage.
Maeve declared, “Hit it!”
Epilogue Bon Voyage, Mon Amie
At the airport Sunday morning, Charlotte was all mixed-up. As she handed Sophie a small, wrapped gift, she felt nervous, excited, and sad. Sad to say good-bye, but also sad that Sophie was leaving just when they’d started to really feel like BFFs again.
“What is this?” Sophie asked, her eyes wide.
“A farewell present,” Charlotte said, not wanting to give away the secret.
Sophie shook the box. “Is it another cap like the one Dillon gave me?” She was wearing that hat right now, for the flight. Charlotte wondered briefly if Sophie’s parents would recognize their new, American daughter!
“Nah. You have plenty of sports gear now.” Charlotte poked at Sophie’s matching Red Sox T-shirt.
Sophie peeled back the wrapping paper. “Perhaps it is a new scarf to replace the one I got all tangled up during our long, dangerous hike?”
Charlotte looked at the scarf Sophie was wearing. It was bright pink; a gift from Maeve. “Nope,” she said. “You have too many scarves already, anyway!”
Sophie shook the box. “Is it a—”
“Just open it already!” Charlotte groaned. The anticipation was killing her. I can’t wait to see her face when she opens the lid, Charlotte thought.
“A book?” Sophie asked, pulling the gift out of the box and looking at the cover. Her eyebrows drew together as she read the title out loud: “‘Orangina’s Travels.’”
Charlotte watched the shift in Sophie’s face as she realized what she was holding in her hands. Her features softened and her eyes widened. Sophie’s mouth curled up into a huge smile.
“You finished it!” Sophie cheered. “When? How?”
Charlotte couldn’t contain her joy at seeing Sophie’s excited reaction and began jumping up and down, just like when Sophie had first arrived at the airport. “I finished it a few days ago. When you took Marty to the park. My dad printed it out on nice paper, then Isabel drew the cover. Katani sewed the book together. Maeve wrapped it and Avery glued on the bow. This book is a gift from the entire BSG.”
“I can’t wait to read the ending,” Sophie marveled, cradling the book to her chest as if it were the most priceless treasure she’d ever held. “I’ll read it on the plane.”
Charlotte hugged Sophie tight and gave her two bisous, one on each cheek. “I will miss you terribly, my dear friend.”
Sophie kissed Charlotte back in the same Parisian fashion and repeated Charlotte’s sentiment, only this time, in French, “Tu va me manquer terriblement, toi, mon cher amie.”
“Write to me,” Charlotte called out, her voice breaking with emotion as Sophie walked up to join the line waiting to go through security.
Sophie turned back toward Charlotte and promised, “Chaque jour, Charlotte. I will write to you every day. You are my best friend, for always.”
The End
Sweet Thirteen
BOOK EXTRAS
Young Authors Contest Winner
New Tower Rules
Sweet Thirteen Trivialicious Trivia
Book Club Buzz
Charlotte’s Word Nerd Dictionary
Young Authors Contest Winner
Caitlyn Dwyer, New York Age 14
* * *
Orangina’s Travels
Part 7
The Three Companions
A feline figure stepped out from the shadows in the mossy pumpkin forest—it was the black cat from the storybook.
She trotted up to Orangina and Big Bruce. “Ah, Bruce,” she said. “We meet again. After that last incident, I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to show your face in this forest.” The cat chuckled.
“Who are you?” Orangina asked.
“I am Serena. I come down to Earth from the heavens every October by means of a shooting star. I’m the black cat you should watch out for, if
you’re superstitious.”
Serena rolled her green eyes. “Ever since he”—she gestured toward Bruce—“messed up the pumpkin forest by creating butterbees, I haven’t been able to get back up to the sky!”
Orangina saw real sadness in the black cat’s eyes. “Maybe I can help you,” he told Serena. “What could I do?”
“There is this old riddle that says:
If autumn squash should grow on trees,
Companions three pick the magic leaves,
Watch out for the new crossbreed,
They disappear if you do succeed.
“But I couldn’t perform the task by myself. The butterbees would attack me right away! And besides, there need to be three companions. But now I seem to have found someone the color of a pumpkin. . . .” Serena gazed at Orangina hopefully.
“But what exactly are these ‘magic leaves’?” Orangina asked.
“I know this one!” said Big Bruce. “The three magic leaves are scattered among the trees.”
“They are golden, and sparkle like the sun,” added Serena. “Please help us!”
Orangina didn’t need persuading. He set off in search of the first leaf, followed by Big Bruce and Serena.
“So how exactly did you mess up the forest?” Orangina asked Bruce as he scanned the trees for a golden leaf.
“I’m an adventurer, see. So I was adventuring,” Bruce explained. “I found a gold leaf, and I was running back to the tunnels . . . but then I knocked a beehive out of a tree onto three butterflies. Long story short: butterbees. Serena was pretty mad at me when she found out about my accident. . . .”
“So I shrunk him,” Serena finished.
Just then, Orangina spotted the first leaf. He gracefully climbed up the tree and started to rip the leaf off the branch—but a sudden swarm of butterbees caught him off guard!
“Look out!” Serena shouted, but it was too late. Orangina fell out of the tree.
Of course, cats always land on their feet, and Orangina held the golden leaf safely in his mouth. Charlotte would be so proud of me, Orangina thought. I’m helping a friend in need!
“Run!” Serena shouted as the butterbees dove and stung.
The trio ran as far as they could before Bruce shouted, “Mate, there’s the next leaf!” Serena was quick to claw the leaf off the tree, and they kept running.
There were several hundred vicious insects trailing the group, but all of a sudden Big Bruce stopped and reached into a small hole at the base of a tree. Orangina soon realized why: The last leaf was tucked away inside! The three companions held up their leaves triumphantly, and the butterbees disappeared.
“Now you just need to put the leaves into a beehive-shaped pumpkin, and I’m back in the sky!” Serena told them.
“And I’m back to my normal height!” Big Bruce added.
Orangina saw the perfect pumpkin hanging from a nearby tree at the edge of a meadow. And he was just tall enough to reach up and pick it.
When he placed the golden leaves inside the pumpkin, Serena rose up in the air, and Big Bruce grew from tiny to medium to gigantic!
“Thank you, thank you both!” Serena called out, rising higher and higher until she was just a silvery dot in the sky.
Big Bruce looked around, then down at Orangina from his new, giant height. “Big Bruce is back! Thanks, Orry. Now I can send you home. . . .”
Orangina’s vision blurred, and he squeezed his eyes shut as the ground seemed to fall away. When he opened his eyes, he was on a familiar boat, floating down the Seine river. Home sweet home! he thought.
* * *
THE NEW TOWER RULES CREATED BY THE NEWEST ORDER OF THE RUBY AND THE SAPPHIRE
Be it resolved that all girls are created equal!
1. We will speak our minds, but we won’t be, like, obnoxious or anything.
2. We won’t put ourselves down, even if we aren’t supersmart, super- coordinated, or a supermodel.
3. We’ll be loyal to our friends and won’t lie to them, even if they make a mistake or do something totally embarrassing.
4. We will go for it—how will we know what we can do if we don’t try?
5. We will try to eat healthy and stay active. How can you chase your dream if you can’t keep up?
6. We won’t just take from people and the planet. We’ll try to give back good things too.
* * *
AMENDMENTS:
1. We can add as many amendments as we like.
2. We will dare to be fashion individualistas—like, we’re all different so why should we dress the same?
3. Sometimes we’ll veg out—just because we feel like it!
4. We should have as much fun as we can.
5. We should try to save money so if we ever want to, we can start a business or something someday.
6. We will try to keep an open mind about new people.
7. When in doubt . . . phone home!
8. We won’t let people take advantage of us. . . . We deserve respect!
9. We won’t let competition ruin the BSG—friendship is way more important than winning.
10. We won’t judge people by their looks.
* * *
Note from Maeve Proposed new amendment:
Maeve: Family and friends are way more important than glitz and glamour—so don’t forget it!
What’s the Vote?
Katani—family before fashion!
Charlotte—so true.
Avery—sweet new rule!
Isabel—I love it.
Sophie—Bien sûr!
Sweet Thirteen trivialicious trivia
1. Where was Henry Yurt’s Bar Mitzvah?
A. At his house
B. At a fancy hotel
C. At a science museum
D. On a cruise ship
2. What is the fruit that makes Isabel’s parrot, Franco, fly around like crazy and ruin the BSG’s baking?
A. Oranges
B. Mango
C. Strawberries
D. Pineapple
3. What is the name of the little man in Charlotte’s story?
A. Terrible Tunneling Tommy
B. Big Bruce Barley
C. Gruff Gus
D. Lucky Larry
4. What does Dillon teach after school?
A. Karate
B. Basketball
C. French Club
D. Soccer
5. What DOESN’T Austin do during Maeve’s first babysitting job?
A. Throw LEGOs
B. Stomp all over his carrot sticks
C. Rip up his homework
D. Lock himself in the bathroom
6. Which American slang word does Sophie have a lot of trouble pronouncing?
A. “Dude”
B. “Rad”
C. “Fabulous”
D. “Totally”
7. In the lunchroom, Ms. O’Reilly tells Charlotte a story to help her deal with Sophie’s popularity. What is it about?
A. Rock stars
B. Scarves
C. Tulips
D. Skype
8. What kind of animal does Dillon fight off for Sophie while they’re hiking?
A. A skunk
B. A chipmunk
C. A bug
D. A pigeon
9. What is Maeve’s final mitzvah project?
A. Collecting movies for sick kids
B. A tutoring program for kids with learning differences
C. Volunteering at a soup kitchen
D. Fixing up the park at Jeri’s Place
10. How did Maeve end up getting her dream dress?
A. Miss Pink donated it
B. The BSG had a fund-raiser to buy it
C. Sam bought it (with Maeve’s money)
D. Ms. Kaplan gave it to her
ANSWERS: 1. C. At a science museum 2. D. Pineapple 3. B. Big Bruce Barley 4. A. Karate 5. C. Rip up his homework 6. A. “Dude” 7. C. Tulips 8. B. A chipmunk 9. B. A tutoring program for kids with learning differences 10. C.
Sam bought it (with Maeve’s money)
Book Clup Buzz
1. Maeve wants her Bat Mitzvah party to be glamorous, with a red carpet theme, while Henry Yurt’s is all about science. What would be the theme of your ideal party?
2. Everyone at AAJH wants to be BFFs with Sophie! How does this make Charlotte feel? Have you or one of your friends ever been superpopular or felt left out by someone who was? What do you think it’s like to constantly be in the spotlight?
3. Events from real life inspire Charlotte’s writing. Have you ever written a story based on something from your life? Name two things that happened to Charlotte in this book that turned into ideas for Orangina’s story.
4. Franco and Marty wreak havoc in Isabel’s kitchen. Describe the grossest or messiest cooking disaster you’ve ever had!
5. Maeve’s Bat Mitzvah is an important rite of passage for her. Have you ever had a meaningful personal experience like this one? What kind of effect did it have on you?
6. When Dillon wants to impress Sophie, he totally changes his look and even how he acts. Would you change yourself for a crush? Why or why not?
7. Sophie’s fashionable scarves create a major fad at AAJH. Has there ever been a fashion craze at your school? Did you participate or stick with your own sense of style?
8. Maeve realizes that she can use her own experience with dyslexia to help Austin with school. Have you ever helped someone else like this? How do you deal with a super-difficult homework assignment?
9. Sophie says yes to too many activities and ends up overbooked! Have you ever been in a situation where you had to choose between two – or more! – activities and risk disappointing one set of your friends? How did you choose?
10. Everyone works together to pull off Maeve’s surprise Bat Mitzvah party. Have you ever planned a surprise party before? How did it go? Did people keep it a secret?