My New Best Friend

by Julie Bowe

  But Jenna doesn't yell. She just walks back inside the house and closes the door, carefully, like it's made of glass.

  Chapter 15

  Stacey's right. My mom is so busy teaching piano she doesn't notice us sneaking into the house and up to the attic.

  "We better be quiet," I whisper to Stacey as we tiptoe across the floor. "If my mom hears us creaking around she'll come up here for sure."

  Stacey nods and sits down on the floor. I sit down, too, and glance at the mermaid. I realize it's been days since I plugged her in.

  After a few minutes of sitting, my butt realizes how hard the floor is. It shoots a few complaints to my legs.

  Then my head realizes how hot it is up here.

  And how boring it is to be so quiet.

  And how thirsty it makes me.

  And how hungry.

  And how I really do need to go to the bathroom.

  ***

  After the piano music finally stops and I hear my mom opening and closing drawers in the bedroom below us, I turn to Stacey. She's peeling aluminum foil off the shrine and flicking the bits around.

  "This is fun and all," I whisper. "But maybe you should get back home before your grandma figures out you're gone?"

  Stacey sighs and flicks another bit. "I suppose," she says. "But let's do this again tomorrow, okay?"

  "Um ... I don't know," I say. "I mean, I might be busy."

  "Doing what?" Stacey asks.

  I think for a minute. "Well, tomorrow's Tuesday, which means we'll probably have tacos for supper. So there will be a lot of tomato chopping that needs to get done."

  "Maybe on Wednesday, then?" Stacey asks.

  "Maybe," I say. "But my mom doesn't give piano lessons on Wednesdays so, honestly, she could be anywhere in the house."

  Just then, the phone rings. I hear my mom pick it up.

  "Hello?" she says. "Tootie! Hi!"

  I glance at Stacey. "Your grandma?"

  Stacey nods and we press our ears to the floor so we can hear what my mom is saying.

  "No, Stacey's not here. Ida's at Jenna's house, practicing their Greek dance. Uh-huh ... Uh-huh ... I see. Well, maybe Stacey went to Jenna's house anyway? Why don't you call over there and check. And if she shows up here, I'll send her straight home."

  Stacey looks at me. "Time to go," she whispers.

  "Fast," I whisper back.

  As soon as we hear my mom clattering in the kitchen, we sneak downstairs and out the front door. Stacey takes off and I wait on the porch for a minute. Then I stomp back inside. "Hi, Mom!" I shout, slamming the door. "I'm home! From Jenna's house! Where I've been all afternoon!"

  Then I run upstairs to the bathroom, fast, so I can avoid any questions or accidents.

  I'm working on my second helping of macaroni and cheese at supper when the doorbell rings. I hurry to answer it in case Stacey decided to come sneaking around again.

  It's not Stacey.

  It's Jenna Drews.

  Jenna holds my backpack out to me. "You forgot this," she says.

  "Um ... oops," I say. I take the backpack from her. "Thanks."

  Jenna just lifts her chin. Then she glances off to the side. "The paint's still wet," she says.

  I step onto the porch and see a box sitting next to her. It's the same box that was sitting by her picnic table earlier, only now it's painted on all four sides. No matter which way you look at it, you see Mount Ida.

  "Wow," I say, walking around the box. "How did you get it painted so fast?"

  Jenna shrugs. "Rachel helped a little." Then she points to a hole that's cut out of the top. "That's your head hole. If you wear a white hoodie and tuck your chin, you'll look snowcapped."

  "Good idea," I say, and give her half a smile.

  Jenna glances away. "Rachel thought of it."

  She turns to leave. Then she stops and turns halfway back. "I told the other girls you were sick," she says. "So you had to leave early."

  "Oh," I say, shifting my backpack. "Um ... thanks."

  Jenna gives me a quick nod. "But that's the last time I lie for you."

  She turns away and marches down the steps.

  Later, I don't sleep the greatest. A green cyclops keeps eyeing me. I try to hide from it, but everything I duck behind fades away.

  When it's finally morning, I can hardly get out of bed, partly because I'm still tired and partly because my sheets are twisted around me like a toga.

  I bump into Mount Ida on the way to my dresser. I hauled the box up here last night even though some of the wet paint rubbed off onto my favorite shirt.

  I study the box for a minute. I feel bad about not helping to paint it. And about sneaking away from Jenna's.

  I glance up at George. He's sitting on top of the box like a mountain climber.

  "She cut me a head hole," I say to him. "Even after I snuck out."

  George watches me from the peak.

  I trudge to my dresser and open a drawer. I dig around for my second favorite shirt. When I pull it out, my No-Good Nymphs shirt comes along for the ride. I hold it up and study the nymph—spiders, fangs, and all.

  I glance at George again.

  He looks past me to my desk.

  I walk over to it. I pull a black marker out of a drawer and lay the shirt on the floor.

  I scribble over the spiders. And make their legs longer and wavy so they look like highlights in the nymph's hair.

  I change her capital V eyebrow into bangs.

  And put braces on her fangs.

  Then I change the N in No-Good back into a D. I frown a little because it looks more like an O that swallowed a Z sideways. But sometimes sideways is the best you can do.

  I pick up the shirt and show it to George. "Better?" I ask.

  George studies the shirt.

  "Better," I say.

  Then I fold it up and put it back in my drawer.

  Even though Stacey believes me when I tell her I'm too busy to sneak around with her after school, I keep myself extra busy all day Tuesday, so there won't be time for the subject to come up again. I clean the hamster cage before class. I volunteer to make crepe-paper banners for Greek Day during morning recess. I eat lunch fast and then patrol the cafeteria, looking for second graders who need a hand opening their milk cartons. For afternoon recess, I clean the hamster cage again.

  If Jenna is making the Do-Good Nymphs practice the Greek dance and do good deeds, I'm too busy to notice. Which works out good because, like usual, I'm avoiding Jenna, too. Only today it feels different. Like I'm not avoiding her because she's been a jerk. But because I have.

  Wednesday is basically a repeat of Tuesday. Hamster cage. Milk cartons. Crepe-paper banners. Cyclops dreams. But on Thursday when Mr. Crow is setting up a video called All About Greece, a note sails onto my desk.

  We haven't hardly talked since Monday! I'm So tired of being ^grounded. At (east I get to ego to ballet class today. And then we get to practice for our Greek Day dance afterward! Maybe we should ask the mermaid to make something extra fun happen, just for us, tomorrow?

  S.

  I pretend to be very busy looking for a pencil until the video starts. Then I pretend to be very interested in learning all about Greece. Afterward, when Mr. Crow asks for a volunteer to bring the video back to the library, my hand shoots up. It shoots up again when he asks for volunteers to paint the cardboard pillars he built for Greek Day. Quinn, Meeka, and Joey are done with their pillars by the end of our first recess. I do mine extra slow so I have to work on it during our second recess, too.

  Chapter 16

  After school, I stick close to Randi as we walk with the other girls to Miss Woo's so we can practice our Greek dance as soon as their class is done. Jenna and Stacey are in the lead. Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene come next. Me, Randi, and her basketball bring up the rear. She spins the ball on her finger as we walk along.

  "I could never learn how to do that," I say, watching the ball spin.

  "It's not so hard," Randi says,
catching the ball. "If Brooke can learn, anyone can."

  Brooke looks over her shoulder and gives Randi a squint. "Ha, ha," she says.

  Randi grins.

  "When did you teach Brooke how to spin a basketball?" I ask.

  "Last weekend," Randi says. "When she slept over."

  I pull Randi to a stop. "Brooke spent the night at your house? On purpose?"

  "Sure," she says. "Lots of times. When my mom and dad work the weekend night shift Jade stays over with me and my brothers. Brooke usually comes, too."

  "But why would Brooke do that?" I ask. "I mean ... it seems like you're not the best of friends."

  Randi shrugs. "So?" She spins the ball on her finger again. "There's no rule that says you gotta be best friends to sleep over."

  Randi glances down the sidewalk at the other girls. Jenna and Stacey walk into Miss Woo's. Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene are nearly there. "Hey, Brooke!" Randi hollers. "Show Ida your spin!"

  Brooke stops and turns around. Randi bounces the ball to her. Brooke catches it and gives it a spin on one of her polished fingers. A few seconds later it wobbles off and bounces back down the sidewalk.

  "Needs work," Randi says, scooping up the ball. Brooke does a pageant bow anyway and heads inside.

  "Hey, look!" Randi says when we catch up to the others. "Mount Ida! Doing a flip!" She points to my costume that's sitting upside down by a bench in the entryway.

  I nod. "My mom said she'd drop it off for me." A cardboard lightning bolt is sticking out of the box and I see Jenna's green leotard, vines, and a rock sitting on the bench. "Somebody must have dropped off Jenna's stuff, too," I add, but Randi has already wandered into the studio.

  "Sweet!" she shouts, bouncing her basketball on the big wooden floor like she's in a gym. The other girls drop their stuff by the bench and head to the far end of the studio where Miss Woo is talking to Tom and some other dancers.

  I sit down on the bench and watch Randi dribble her ball and fake-shoot at an invisible basket. Pretty soon, Miss Woo has all the dancers stand along a wooden bar, facing a wall of mirrors. I can see both sides of them as they lift their arms and bend their knees. Stacey's back looks long and loose, like wet paint on dry paper. Jenna's back looks stiff and straight, like she could bend that bar if she wanted to.

  Thump! Thumpthumpthump...

  I glance toward my box and see the lightning bolt jiggle.

  I walk over to the box and peek inside.

  "Hi, Ida!" Rachel smiles up at me.

  "Hi, Rachel," I say back. "What are you doing in there?"

  "Playing." Rachel holds up her poodle. Three Kens and two Barbies are riding on its back. "My dad dropped me off on his way to the bait shop," she says. "We needed eggs."

  I give her a smile. "Do you want to sit on the bench with me?"

  "No, thanks," Rachel says. "I like it in here. It's cozy."

  "Hey, Ida! Think fast!"

  I look up and see a basketball bulleting straight at my nose. I lift my hands and the ball bounces off my arm. It rolls across the studio floor.

  "Oops," Randi says. "I guess you weren't ready."

  "I probably wouldn't have caught it even if I was," I say and take off after the ball.

  All the dancers have moved to the center of the studio. The ball zigzags between their legs and so do I. It finally comes to a stop at the tiny feet of Miss Woo.

  "Did you lose something?" she asks.

  I scoop up the ball. "Sorry," I say. "It got away from us." I glance back at Randi. She's swinging the lightning bolt around like a sword.

  Miss Woo glances at Randi, too. "Would you and your friend like to join the class?" she asks.

  "Um.. .no, thanks," I reply. "I've never been very good with tights. And Randi was born to play basketball. Or run a restaurant."

  Miss Woo gives me the hint of a smile. "I meant, would you like to join us just for today?" She takes the basketball from me and motions to Randi. Randi drops the lightning bolt and gallops over.

  Miss Woo stands us side by side in the last row. Actually, we are the last row. "Just do what they do," she says, pointing to the others, and walks away.

  A moment later, music starts playing and everyone starts moving. Back and forth. Up and down. They look like paper dolls cut from the same strip of paper.

  I start moving, too. So does Randi. Back and up. Forth and down. We are cut from different paper. Trust me.

  "Meeka, extend your legs!" Miss Woo calls out. "Brooke, point your toes! Jenna, pull in your bum!"

  Bum is the ballet word for butt.

  "Hey, Ida," Randi says. "How's this?" She extends her leg and points her high-top. Then she kicks Jenna right in the bum. Jenna whips around and I see fireworks.

  "Watch it!" she snaps at Randi.

  "I was," Randi says, grinning. "And then I kicked it."

  Tom Sanders is dancing in front of me, so I try to copy him, even though he is a boy. Before long, I'm only one knee bend and two pointed toes behind. Tom looks over his shoulder at me. "Fun, huh?" he says.

  I smile a little and nod because, actually, it's not so bad.

  After class, Tom and some of the other dancers get their stuff and go. Rachel crawls out of the box and picks up her lightning bolt. Stacey, Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene are already wearing their nymph costumes—white leotards, white tights, and one rhinestone tiara.

  I pull up my white hoodie and put on my box. Randi pulls a bedsheet out of her backpack. It's covered with spaceships and green aliens. She wraps it on. Jenna rolls her eyes.

  "Here, Ida," Jenna says, handing me a piece of paper. "Memorize this while I put on my costume."

  "Huh?" I say, looking at all the writing on the paper.

  "You're the first one on stage, so it makes sense for you to introduce our dance to the audience."

  "But mountains can't talk so wouldn't it make more sense if—"

  "I'll decide what mountains can and can't do," Jenna says, walking off.

  Just then, Miss Woo walks up to us with a clipboard. "I need to know how many guests will be here for the program," she says. "I want to be sure I have enough chairs set up and crowns made."

  "Crowns?" Brooke says.

  "I told Mr. Crow I would make traditional Greek olive branch crowns for all the guests," Miss Woo explains.

  "I'm allergic to olives," Brooke says.

  Miss Woo smiles. "They won't be real olive branches," she says.

  "In that case, sign my family up for three," Brooke says. "Mom, Dad, and Jade. I already have a crown." She adjusts her tiara.

  We all start giving Miss Woo numbers and she writes them on her clipboard.

  "Just my mom and grandma," Stacey says when it's her turn.

  "Not your father?" Miss Woo replies.

  "No ... um ... he's busy that night. Actually, he's on a trip. With my brother. They won't be back in time for the program."

  Miss Woo nods and makes another mark on her clipboard. "I'll get the rest of the numbers from Mr. Crow," she says.

  Jenna reappears wearing her vines. Miss Woo turns to her. "Shall I start your music?" Jenna gives her a nod and Miss Woo walks away.

  I walk over to Stacey. "I thought you had to go to your dad's this weekend," I whisper.

  "I do," she whispers back.

  "How can you, if he's on a trip?"

  "He's not. I just said that because I know he won't be here."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I told him the program got canceled."

  "What? "

  Stacey pulls me away from the other girls. "I told my dad that Mr. Crow has been sick lately, so he canceled the program. Now I don't have to worry about inviting Tanya. All I have to do is make sure he drives me to Kelli's early on Sunday. Then I'll have time to hide Kelli's camera so she can't send pictures of the program to my dad. That way, he'll never know there really was a program and—"

  "Stacey—stop!" I suddenly say. "You can't hide the program from your dad and take your mom's camera and—"

>   "Relax, Ida," Stacey says. "The mermaid will take care of—"

  Before Stacey can say another word, I grab the bottom of my box and throw it off. It tumbles across the floor.

  "Whoa!" Randi shouts, jumping back, "Volcanic!"

  The other girls jump back, too.

  I plant my feet and zero in on Stacey. "You can't keep saying the mermaid makes stuff happen!" I shout. "It's only true because we decided it's true! We make stuff happen by lying and sneaking around!"

  Greek music starts playing through the speakers, but nobody starts dancing. We're all too busy watching Stacey grab her stuff and run out the door.

  Chapter 17

  I think about calling Stacey when I get home from Miss Woo's, but after avoiding her at school and then blowing up at her at dance, I'm afraid she will hang up on me.

  I tromp around the house, looking for my mom so I can tell her I stood up to Stacey, just like she said I should. Only I wish she would have told me the part about how standing up to your best friend actually makes you feel about as tall as a bug when she turns and runs away. And when you hear the door slam behind her, all your bug-sized brain can think about is how she will probably just keep running and running and running until she runs into a better best friend.

  I go upstairs, but before I can find my mom, I find the attic door. I go up the narrow steps and walk over to the mermaid. "Stacey said you'd make things better," I tell her. "But, the truth is, things were already pretty great before you came along. I had a new best friend. Most of the other kids were being nice to me. I got that one run in kickball. But now things are going bad and it's all your fault."

  I wait for the mermaid to give me an I'm sorry look. But all she gives me is her same plastic smile.

  I trudge down the attic steps and into my room. I fall onto my bed and hug George tight.

  The next morning when I get to school, I wait around outside until the bell rings. I disappear into the crowded hallway and count floor tiles all the way to my classroom so I won't accidentally look up and see Stacey scowling at me. But when I get to my classroom, I walk right into a purple backpack that is still attached to someone.