The Brightest Stars of Summer

by Leila Howland

  “So . . . aren’t you in a movie?” Peter asked Marigold. When he said “aren’t,” it sounded like “ahh-nt.”

  “Not anymore,” Marigold said. Then she changed the subject. “Do you think you could take me sailing again?”

  “Um, sure,” he said.

  “Great,” Marigold said. “How about tomorrow?”

  “I’m working in the dining room tomorrow and the next day,” Peter said. “But maybe the day after that.”

  “Okay,” Marigold said, though three days felt like an eternity.

  “Do you girls want to come to Edith’s?” Peter asked.

  “We just came from there,” Zinnie said.

  “And we can’t ruin our appetites for dinner,” Lily said.

  “Okay,” Peter said. Marigold thought he looked a little relieved.

  “Glad you girls are back. But I better go. I gotta meet the team. I’ll see you later,” Peter said.

  “Bye, Prince Peter!” Lily said.

  “See ya!” Zinnie said.

  “Can’t wait to go sailing!” Marigold called. But Peter was already halfway across the lawn, and he didn’t look back.

  16 • Lunch Box Blues

  “I really hope Aunt Sunny and Zinnie find a Princess Arabella or Lumberjack Joe lunch box,” Lily said to Marigold as they searched through Aunt Sunny’s recipe card collection for the one that was labeled “Priscilla’s Summertime Cake.”

  “I hope they have one, too,” Marigold said, though she was doubtful that Smith’s Market had the lunch box Lily wanted so badly. Smith’s was the only grocery store near Pruet, and even though it was also kind of like a general store, selling everything from gardening supplies to beach towels, it was pretty small.

  The other places Aunt Sunny had called were all sold out. When Sunny had called Smith’s, they said they might have one, but the workers were too busy to go and check at that moment. So Aunt Sunny and Zinnie went to see for themselves. They had to stop by anyway to pick up cake flour, sugar, butter, and eggs for their big baking plans. Aunt Sunny pretty much knew the recipe by heart, but she still wanted to follow her mother’s instructions “to the letter.” It was her wedding cake, after all, and she wanted it to be just right.

  “I can’t be the only one without the lunch box again,” Lily said. “It will be too terrible. I’m already the only one who doesn’t go to Cross Street Elementary!”

  “Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” Marigold said. “And in the meantime, keep looking for a recipe title beginning with a P. ‘Priscilla’ begins with a P.” Marigold was starting to worry that Aunt Sunny had lost the recipe for the cake. She and Lily had looked through all these cards twice and they hadn’t found it yet.

  “Who is Priscilla again?” Lily asked.

  “She was Aunt Sunny and Grammy’s mom, our great-grandmother. She was Aunt Eleanor’s mom, too, but none of us ever knew Eleanor. She died before I was born.” As Marigold heard Aunt Sunny’s car rumbling down the driveway, she said a silent prayer that Smith’s had had a Princess Arabella or Lumberjack Joe lunch box.

  “They didn’t have it,” Zinnie said a few moments later when she and Aunt Sunny walked in with their arms full of groceries.

  “Oh no!” Lily said.

  “I’m sorry, dear,” Aunt Sunny said. “They’re sold out. Did you girls find the recipe?”

  “Not yet,” Marigold said. Aunt Sunny bit her lip in concern. “But we’ll keep looking.”

  “They did have a lunch box with Jennifer Rabbit on it,” Zinnie said.

  “Jennifer Rabbit is for babies!” Lily said, covering her face with her hands.

  “Zinnie and I will go to the library tomorrow to see if we can order one online,” Marigold said in a soothing voice as she rubbed Lily’s back. She sensed a tantrum coming on.

  “But what about tomorrow?” Lily said through her tears. “What am I going to do about lunch tomorrow?”

  “Lily, my girl, how about if you take a basket instead of a lunch box?” Aunt Sunny suggested as she put the groceries away. “I have a great collection, and you can pick out the one you like the best.”

  “Everyone will laugh at me if I bring a basket!” Lily said. She flung herself on the table in a fit of sobs, and the recipe cards fell from the table and scattered on the floor. Zinnie bent down to pick up them up as Marigold pulled Lily onto her lap.

  “How about if I draw Princess Arabella on your lunch bag?” Marigold suggested as she held Lily tight. She knew just how Lily felt. It was no fun not fitting in.

  “That’s a fantastic idea,” Aunt Sunny said. “I even have some glitter you can add to make Arabella’s dress sparkle.”

  “That would look so pretty,” Marigold said. She felt Lily’s tears subsiding.

  “Do you think you can draw a good-enough picture?” Lily asked, wiping her eyes.

  “Definitely,” Marigold said. “Want to give it a try?”

  “Okay,” Lily said, nodding. “But we’re going to have to use a lot of glitter. Probably all the glitter that Aunt Sunny has.”

  “Found it!” Zinnie said, holding up the recipe card they’d been searching for. “Look, it was stuck to the back of the one for Mrs. James’s Johnnycakes.”

  “Oh, thank goodness,” Aunt Sunny said, taking the card from Zinnie. Her eyes filled as she read it over.

  “Is that the right recipe?” Marigold asked. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” Aunt Sunny said, dabbing her eyes. “It’s just the sight of my mother’s handwriting. Makes me miss her. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. Lily, you get the measuring cups and spoons. Marigold, you get the mixing bowls. Zinnia, you wipe down the table. I’ll grab the aprons and put on some music. It’s time to get baking!”

  17 • The Boyfriend Question

  The next day at the town beach, Marigold waited until Zinnie had climbed over the jetty. Then she pulled her iPad out of her beach bag and opened her digital diary. She had a lot to write about and she hadn’t had a moment to herself since they’d returned to Aunt Sunny’s yesterday afternoon. First she and Lily had looked for the cake recipe, then Marigold had to comfort Lily about the lunch box situation, and then they’d had to do so much baking. In total, they needed to bake six cakes to make three tiers: two twelve-inch, two nine-inch, and two six-inch. They’d only made half of that last night and it had still seemed like they’d made enough cake for several birthday parties.

  Lily didn’t have the patience to wait for the cakes to be finished for Marigold to make her Princess Arabella lunch bag. So after they’d helped with the batter, Marigold had drawn Princess Arabella on the plain brown bag while Zinnie and Aunt Sunny finished the cakes. Lily got pretty excited about the glitter, and when she held up the bag to show Aunt Sunny, silver and gold glitter ended up in the cake pans along with the batter. Marigold was worried that Aunt Sunny might get mad, but she just laughed. It wasn’t enough glitter to hurt anyone, Aunt Sunny said, and anyway, what could be more appropriate than a little sparkle in a wedding cake?

  Once the cakes were in the oven and the dishes were done, and Lily was in bed, Marigold was planning to write in her diary. Zinnie was working away in Aunt Sunny’s old office, so it really was the perfect time. But Marigold heard clicking sounds coming from the living room and she was too curious to ignore them. She discovered Aunt Sunny making her wedding dress.

  “Come and join me,” Aunt Sunny said. She was working at a sewing machine. “I’d love your company.”

  Marigold sat on the nearby sofa and watched as Aunt Sunny sewed lace onto fabric. They sat together for a while without saying anything. Marigold never felt like she had to talk when she was alone with Aunt Sunny. Marigold observed Aunt Sunny carefully moving the fabric through the machine, transforming a plain piece of cotton into a sweet wedding sash.

  “Maybe I can make a dress this summer, too,” Marigold said after what must’ve been at least a half hour of quiet, except of course for the sound of the sewing machine.

  “I’d love
to help you make something while you’re here, but a dress is pretty complicated. Why don’t we start with something simple?” Aunt Sunny suggested.

  “Like what?” Marigold asked.

  “A pillowcase is simple,” Aunt Sunny said. Marigold wrinkled her nose. She didn’t have much interest in pillowcases. “There are lots of things you can make,” Aunt Sunny went on. “Your first step will be to find a pattern. Tomorrow you can do a little research at the library. Go online, search for simple sewing projects, and see what you come up with.”

  “Good idea,” Marigold said, pulling a light throw blanket over herself and snuggling down on the sofa as Aunt Sunny went back to work. She must’ve fallen asleep there, because she woke her in the same place with the sun warming.

  This morning, Marigold had made sure to slip her iPad into her beach bag before she and Zinnie left for the day. First, they went to the library. They ordered a Princess Arabella lunch box for Lily using their parents’ online account. Then Marigold researched simple sewing patterns and printed a few out: a headband, a bag, and an apron. After that, both girls looked for wedding decorations. Marigold looked online and Zinnie searched the magazines. Marigold found a picture of flowers arranged in jars like the ones that Aunt Sunny used when she made jelly. There was a whole box of those jars on a shelf in the pantry.

  Once they arrived at the beach, they had a very busy morning collecting shells. After they’d filled up their buckets halfway, they rinsed the shells in the water, laid them to dry on Zinnie’s towel, and strategized about the decorations. Imagining the towel to be a tablecloth, they tried out various designs. They built small towers, discussed putting shells in jars, and even talked about gluing the shells to candles. At last they decided that arranging the shells in a heart shape around a vase of flowers would look best. They weren’t sure what kinds of flowers. They would have to look in Aunt Sunny’s garden when they returned.

  Because they had different types of shells, each table would be unique, which they thought Aunt Sunny would appreciate. Marigold had even found a piece of sea glass during her shell search. She thought that if they could find nine more pieces before the wedding, they could work a piece into each of the designs, making the sea-themed tabletops even more beautiful. Of course, sea glass reminded Marigold of Peter. He had a whole collection of it, including a rare red piece that Marigold had given to him as a gift last summer. And thinking about Peter had made her want to write in her diary.

  Luckily, Zinnie was now on her way over the jetty to look for more shells. Once Zinnie was out of sight, she opened her iPad and typed in her password.

  Dear Diary,

  Being an ordinary, normal girl is harder than it looks! I don’t know how people do it. This morning I picked out my red one-piece, which I know is not nearly as pretty as my striped tankini, but in order to not draw attention to myself, I have to make these kinds of choices.

  Marigold continued to write in her diary, relaxing into the idea that her diary was her new best friend. She wrote about seeing Peter and how much he had grown. She wrote about his cute accent and his red hair. She also wrote about how something felt different between them. It wasn’t like he’d been mean at all. It was just that he seemed kind of far away even though he was right in front of her. It was probably because they hadn’t seen each other in so long, she told herself. She guessed that things would get back to normal when they went sailing together.

  They’d had so much fun sailing together last year. She felt a tingle of excitement just thinking about it, but she wasn’t sure if he was her boyfriend or not. What exactly was a boyfriend? She knew that she and Peter liked-liked each other last summer, because they’d kissed and because, well, she could just tell. But had his feelings changed? Did boyfriends and girlfriends ask each other “Will you go out with me?” How did it work?

  Pilar would know. Marigold suddenly missed Pilar so much she thought she was going to cry. Would they ever be friends again? Marigold wasn’t sure how she was going to get through eighth grade without her. She wasn’t even sure how she was going to get through the summer. Who was she supposed to ask about boyfriends? Aunt Sunny? It seemed too embarrassing to talk about with her. Should she look it up online?

  Marigold barely had time to finish her thought when she saw Zinnie coming back toward her.

  “I forgot my water shoes!” Zinnie called.

  Marigold quickly closed the iPad, tucked it in her bag, and pretended to look very busy with the shells. For a moment Marigold wondered if she could talk to her about boyfriends. Zinnie could be smart about unexpected things because she read so much.

  “Hey, Marigold,” Zinnie said as she reached for a pile of seaweed, which she put on her head like a floppy, ridiculous wig. “Check it out! Am I gorgeous or what?”

  Never mind, Marigold thought, though she couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Never mind.

  “Guess what!” Marigold said as soon as she spotted Lily, who was waiting for her sisters all by herself at a lone picnic table. She looked even sadder than yesterday. Marigold hoped she would cheer up once she learned that a Princess Arabella lunch box was on the way and would arrive at Aunt Sunny’s tomorrow.

  “We ordered you the lunch box,” Zinnie said, but Lily still looked miserable.

  “Aren’t you happy?” Marigold asked.

  “No. I got poison ivy!” Lily said, and she stood up to show her sisters the rash on the backs of her legs. “And it really itches.”

  “What’s poison ivy?” Zinnie asked.

  “It’s like poison oak,” Marigold said.

  “But it looks different,” Lily said. “The other kids all know what poison ivy looks like because they live here.”

  “What did your counselors say?” Marigold asked as they started to walk down the road to Edith’s.

  “They said it must’ve happened yesterday, because it takes twenty-four hours to show up,” Lily said. Her mood seemed to lift instantly as the sailing team emerged from the yacht club. They must’ve ended practice a little early today. “Look, it’s Peter! Peter, I’m over here!”

  Peter waved and walked over to them.

  “They’re probably on their way to Edith’s, too,” Zinnie said. Marigold’s heart skipped a beat. She hoped so.

  “Hi,” Marigold said. “We’re going to Edith’s. Are you?”

  “Some of the team are going for ice cream, but the rest of us are going to the beach.”

  “Sounds fun,” Marigold said. She waited for an invitation, but none came.

  “Peter, I have poison ivy—can you believe it?” Lily said. “Let me show you.”

  Lily showed Peter the red rash on the backs of her legs.

  “What a bum-ah,” Peter said. “At least it’s not contagious. Make sure to put plenty of calamine lotion on it.”

  “I really don’t like camp,” Lily said.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that, Lily,” Peter said. “Maybe next sum-ah you’ll come to sailing camp instead.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Lily said. “Especially if you were my counselor.”

  “I’m really looking forward to going sailing the day after tomorrow,” Marigold said. “Should I meet you at the dock? At this time?”

  “Sounds good,” Peter said.

  “It looks like everyone on your sailing team is going to Edith’s except her,” Zinnie said, pointing to the girl with the loose ponytail who’d called him Pete.

  “Um, I kind of have to go,” Peter said. Marigold noticed that Peter’s ears were turning pink. “See you later.”

  That night, after they’d made the second batch of cakes and the house smelled like a cupcake factory, Marigold gave Lily a cool bath with special oatmeal powder that Aunt Sunny said would make her feel better. Marigold’s mind was on Peter and how he seemed to be acting so differently this summer. Did it have something to do with him being more grown-up? She’d thought that he would definitely like her now that she was more ordinary, but her plan didn’t seem to be worki
ng. She was wondering if she should wear a dress for their sailing adventure when Lily spoke up.

  “I want to go home,” Lily said.

  “What? Why?” Marigold asked, though she already knew. Lily was having trouble making friends.

  “Kids don’t like me here.”

  “That’s crazy,” Marigold said. “You are the sweetest girl in the world.”

  “I am?” Lily asked.

  “Yes! Remember when you made me those cookies when I was feeling sick? Or how you always bring treats to the dogs in the neighborhood? Or what about when you helped your teacher clean the whiteboards?”

  “That’s true,” Lily said. “I am a sweet girl.”

  “Why don’t you show that to the kids at camp? Do something really nice for someone there tomorrow and see what happens.”

  “Okay,” Lily said.

  As Marigold shampooed Lily’s hair, she had an idea. She needed to take her own advice and do something nice for Pilar. She needed to remind Pilar that she was a good friend—a best friend, even.

  18 • The Lighthouse of Fear

  “If you had to write a story about something, what would it be?” Zinnie asked Ashley the next day at the town beach.

  They were hanging out at the snack bar. Business was slow lately. More people seemed to be bringing their own snacks. Ashley thought she needed to create better displays to bring in more customers, and she was currently arranging a bowl of fruit. Zinnie was lending a hand by making a sign.

  “I’d write a thriller,” Ashley said as she artfully positioned fruit in the bowl. “The kind that keeps you up at night. A real nail-biter.”

  “Really?” Zinnie said as she drew an ice pop and colored it a vibrant shade of red. “I never would’ve thought about that. I don’t like superscary stuff.”

  “Are you kidding? Thrillers are the best!” Ashley added some pears to the bowl. “I know what I’d call my story: ‘The Lighthouse of Fear.’”

  “Are lighthouses that scary?” Zinnie asked. She’d always thought of them as quaint and old-fashioned. She had a cute T-shirt with a picture of a lighthouse on it.