Pippa Morgan’s Diary

by Annie Kelsey

  Except Mandy Harrison. She said, “Here’s the world’s greatest singer! Pippa Morgan, our Voice Factor contestant. Come on, Pippa! What did Steven Fowl really say when he heard you sing?”

  David Furnivall joined in. “He probably couldn’t speak because he was too busy laughing.”

  Then Mandy and David collapsed in giggles.

  I hoped Catie or the twins might stick up for me. But they just stayed huddled around their table with Freya like nothing had happened.

  I thought I would dissolve into the floor like wet bath salts, but then Mr. Bacon came in and started taking attendance and then class began and I didn’t get the chance.

  At recess, I couldn’t face the playground so I asked Mr. Bacon if I could stay in the classroom again and write in my diary. Mr. Bacon looked at me sadly and asked if I was still missing Rachel. My eyes got hot and prickly when I said yes. Then he said, “I thought you were starting to make friends with Catie and the twins?”

  That’s when I asked if I could go to the bathroom because I didn’t want him to see me cry. I’m still here waiting for my eyes to stop looking so red. I’d better go and splash some cold water on my face before the bell rings.

  Lunchtime

  I’m glad I’ve got my diary to write in while I eat. I don’t care if my ketchup drips on it. I’m sitting by myself, of course. I guess I’m off Catie’s lunch schedule forever. Her table is full. Catie is way more like Tiffany J than I am, with a gazillion friends lined up to take my place.

  I wish she’d let me explain.

  I’ve tried to imagine this horrible feeling away all morning. After break I pretended I was Tiffany J and that I was just visiting the school. I gave everyone big, happy smiles, and if anyone whispered when I passed them, I told myself that they were just whispering about how great I am.

  But it’s hard to keep imagining I’m Tiffany J while Catie’s sitting three tables away, giggling with Julie, Mandy, and Freya. I bet Tiffany’s never been ignored in her whole life.

  I’m going to go and stare out of the coatroom windows. If I’m very lucky I might spot a passing circus; then I could run away with it and never come back.

  Friday

  Mom’s right. Being sad won’t make anything better. I’m not going to think about Catie today, even though she’s still avoiding me. When the bell rang for break, I came to the bathroom to write in my diary. Jenny was checking her hair in the mirror when I walked in and she actually said hi to me and asked if I was okay.

  I blurted out that I was really sorry I’d lied to Catie, and Jenny said that Catie was upset because she thought I was her friend and friends don’t lie to each other.

  ME: I didn’t mean to lie to her. I just felt so lonely after Rachel left and Catie wouldn’t speak to me until she thought I was a Voice Factor contestant.

  JENNY: (looking thoughtful) Why didn’t you tell her the truth before the rehearsal?

  ME: Because I knew she’d be angry with me and I didn’t want to lose her friendship. I really like her. And you and Julie.

  Jenny just nodded like she was busy thinking and went back to the classroom.

  At least I had a chance to tell someone how I feel. I guess I just have to get used to being alone. I’ll write Rachel a long letter tonight. I know she still likes me. And I might as well try and enjoy the talent show. At least I’m still part of it, even if I’m just making sure everyone gets the right props before they go onstage. I might be so good at it that I end up working in showbiz. What if I was in charge of Tiffany J’s props? Or even her costumes! I can hear her now: “Pippa, bring me my sparkly dress! And have you ironed the floaty scarves? Really, Pippa, you’re fabulous! I don’t know how I’d manage without you.” I’d have to go on all her world tours because she wouldn’t trust anyone else to look after her wardrobe. Maybe one day I’ll even design her costumes! Wow! I’d never thought of that before. I bet I’d make a great costume designer!

  There’s the bell. Gotta go.

  Later

  That was the BEST SHOW EVER.

  I was standing in the wings with a clipboard, next to a pile of pom-poms and Darren’s ventriloquist dummy. I’d already given the third graders their cardboard lollipops. (They sang the Oompa Loompa song from Willy Wonka. They were all painted orange. SO CUTE!) I’d held up a mirror so the fifth-grade boys could check their hair before they performed “I Love You Whatever” and I had just given the fifth-grade cheerleaders their pom-poms when Catie tapped me on the shoulder.

  CATIE: Jenny told me what you said. (She was chewing her thumbnail so I knew she was nervous.) And you’re right. I did only talk to you because I thought you were going to be on the Voice Factor. I’m really sorry about that.

  ME: (panicking because it sounded like she’d only ever liked me because of the Voice Factor thing) It’s okay. I mean, you don’t have to be sorry. I’m the one that lied and you’ve been so nice to me and I only wanted to be your friend. After Rachel went away I thought I’d never have a friend again and then I met you and… (I choked up now. It was like everything was washing over me like a bucket of cold water.) I’ve been wanting to tell you the truth for a long time but I was scared that you’d stop being my friend. I’m really sorry I messed everything up.

  I ran out of breath. And words. So I shut up and waited for Catie to go back to her real friends.

  But she didn’t. She stared at me for a bit. Then her eyes started to well up. “Oh, Pippa!” And she hugged me.

  Then she gave me a tissue so I could wipe my nose and she hugged me again. Then she said it was okay.

  Not just “okay” okay—like people say when they want to avoid an argument—but REALLY okay.

  ME: Do you still want to be my friend? (my heart was beating louder than the music thumping from the school hall)

  CATIE: Of course! (hugging me again) You’re so much fun to be around.

  ME: Even though I lied?

  CATIE: You have a big imagination. And you were lonely and feeling bad. And I kind of made you lie by ignoring you, which was really mean of me. But I didn’t know you then. I’m really lucky that you wanted to be my friend so much because I’m so BORING! But with you, my life is much more fun! I climbed a tree because of you and we’re about to go onstage and perform in front of the whole school.

  ME: (my heart dropping into my shoes) We?

  CATIE: You can dance with me! You taught me all the moves.

  (By now the fifth-grade cheerleaders had stopped thumping around the stage and were filing past us into the wings.)

  ME: (heart zipping back into my chest and feeling lighter than it’s done in days) You really want me to dance with you?

  CATIE: (laughing) As long as you promise not to sing.

  Then she grabbed my hand and swung me onstage.

  Ms. Allen stared at us from the farside of the stage like we’d gone crazy and hijacked the show. But it was too late. Our music was already playing.

  The dance was a bit of a blur but it must have gone well because the crowd cheered at the end. The twins were whooping and the audience was clapping. Then Catie was tugging my hand as she bent into a low, sweeping bow. I bowed too and Ms. Allen started flapping her hands in the wings, telling us to get offstage so that Darren and his ventriloquist dummy could follow us.

  After the show, Jenny and Julie were bouncing around us, telling us how great we were. Then the judges announced the winners and guess what? We came in second!

  I know, right?

  SECOND!

  Then the end-of-school bell rang and Catie’s mom arrived and we told her about our dance and coming in second and she offered to take us out for pizza to celebrate.

  After-school pizza is the best. Especially when you’re sharing it with your new best friend. I was a little nervous in the restaurant at first because every time I took a bite of my breadstick, I’d send crumbs showerin
g over the tablecloth. But Mrs. Brown doesn’t seem so worried about crumbs in restaurants, and she let us eat as many breadsticks as we liked.

  MRS. B: I didn’t know Catie was a good dancer. She never dances at home.

  CATIE: I’m scared I might break something.

  MRS. B: Then why don’t you practice on the lawn? There’s plenty of space there. (she winks) Then you could keep an eye on Mr. Briggs at the same time, in case he starts burying more things in Harry’s sandbox.

  I was about to blush, but Mrs. Brown laughed so kindly it was impossible to feel embarrassed.

  Then she dropped me off at home, where Mom was watching a wildlife documentary. I told her all about the show and how Catie had forgiven me and how we did the best dance ever. Mom hugged me and told me I was brilliant, then I grabbed my diary and snuggled in beside her to write while she drifted back to baboon spiders of Borneo.

  What an amazing day.

  Dancing in front of an audience was EPIC. I can’t believe I ever wanted to be a singer.

  I still can’t believe we came in SECOND! And it was only our first performance. Imagine how good we’ll be if we keep practicing. I don’t think I’ll bother being a costume designer now. Not when I love dancing SO MUCH.

  I can imagine us at Wembley Stadium. Me and Catie are leading an acrobatic dance company. The crowd is watching us from the shadows while spotlights pick me and Catie out from the troupe. I kick up my heels into a graceful handstand and hold it while Catie leaps up and lands so that she’s standing on the soles of my feet. She balances there, then gracefully lifts one leg and pirouettes. I turn slowly beneath her so we’re moving like a ballerina pirouetting on a mirror.

  Mom’s just asked what I’m writing about. I told her about the acrobatic dance troupe, and she rubbed my hair and said, “Your imagination is so big I worry that you’ll fall into it one day.”

  Perhaps I will, but I don’t care. My big imagination is one of the reasons Catie likes me. I guess I’ll always make stuff up but there’s one thing I’ll never do again:

  I’ll never lie to my new best friend, Catie Brown. (Except maybe next week when she comes for a sleepover at Dadville. I was planning to tell her that he’s just staying in the apartment while his mansion is being decorated. I like to imagine he’s a secret millionaire. I bet Catie will too.)

  Top ten reasons why Catie and I are BFFs

  1. We dance really well together—so well we even win prizes!

  2. We both like Tiffany J (although Catie doesn’t like her quite as much as I do. No one likes Tiffany J as much as I do!)

  3. I help Catie do exciting things, like climbing trees and bungee jumping out of helicopters over shark-infested oceans (we haven’t actually done that last one yet…)

  4. We laugh LOADS when we’re together—even when things go wrong. Especially when things go wrong!

  5. Catie lives in a perfect movie-style house, but she doesn’t mind that my house looks like a rummage sale that’s been trampled on by a herd of elephants!

  6. We both like walking on tickly things in our bare feet.

  7. We do awesome school projects together.

  8. Catie actually thinks that my disasters are funny, and she never sighs or rolls her eyes at me like certain teachers I could mention!

  9. Catie says that I’m “fun to be around.”

  10. Catie is really forgiving and kind.

  YOLO by Tiffany J

  YOLO

  You know

  So let’s go

  Have fun!

  You only live life one time

  So make sure it’s a fun time

  Join in with this cool rhyme

  And come and dance with me

  YOLO

  You know

  So let’s go

  Have fun!

  You only live life one time

  So get out in the sunshine

  Party till it’s nighttime

  And sing this song with me

  YOLO

  You know

  So let’s go

  Have fun!

  You only live life one time

  So make it one long playtime

  Join me up on cloud nine

  And have some fun with me

  YOLO

  You know

  So let’s go

  Have fun!

  PIPPA MORGAN’S SLEEPOVER ESSENTIALS

  • Your own pillow—other peoples’ pillows always feel like they are filled with rocks. Why is that?!

  • A flashlight—in case there’s an alien invasion in the night and they cut off all the electricity. Or you need to find your candy during the midnight feast.

  • Candy for the midnight feast.

  • NON-CHOCOLATEY candy for the midnight feast. Chocolate melts and gets everywhere—it doesn’t matter how quickly you eat it. One time, when I brought a bag of chocolate buttons to a sleepover at Rachel’s, I woke up with chocolate stains all over my pajamas. It looked très gross! (Très is French for VERY!)

  • Your coolest pajamas—even if they aren’t the comfiest. My hero, Tiffany J, says she always wears her coolest pajamas when she’s away on tour. And going to a sleepover is a little like being on tour because you’re away from home and…and…yes, you’re away from home.

  • A Tiffany J CD—she does awesome sleepover music—especially her song “BFFs Forever.”