Three's Company, Mallory!

by Laurie Friedman

  “SURPRISE!” we all yell.

  Chloe Jennifer’s eyes fly open. She looks as shocked as if someone just dumped a bucket of ice water on her.

  “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” we shout.

  After I explain that I planned a surprise party-before-her-party, I pause. I have something else to tell her that’s more important. It’s also a lot harder to say.

  I clear my throat and begin. “Chloe Jennifer, I’m really sorry I cut off your pigtail. It was a terrible thing to do. And I’m sorry I haven’t been very nice to you since you moved here. I really hope you’ll forgive me, and I hope you have a super-happy birthday.”

  Chloe Jennifer grins. “It’s OK,” she says. Then she hops out of bed and gives me a big hug. “Thanks, Mallory. It’s really sweet of you to help make my birthday so special.” She slips her feet into her slippers. “Let’s get the party started!”

  When we get to my house, Chloe Jennifer is even more surprised to see all the food and decorations. “It’s a Do-It-Yourself birthday breakfast,” I tell my friends.

  They crowd around the table. It’s covered with bowls and platters piled high with tons of breakfast goodies. “You can put whatever you want on your plate and make your own breakfast,” I explain. “The crazier, the better!”

  My friends start filling up plates with pancakes and waffles and decorating them with the toppings we put out—maple syrup and whipped cream and all kinds of fruit.

  “Look at this,” says April. She shows us a pancake that she decorated to look like a flower.

  Pamela makes her bagel into a clown.

  Arielle and Danielle make their waffles look like patchwork quilts.

  When everyone is done making plates, we all crowd into the living room. “Who’s ready to watch Fashion Fran?” I ask.

  Everyone cheers. All my friends like Fashion Fran.

  I turn on the TV and head for the couch, but someone grabs my arm before I can sit down. That someone is Mary Ann. “Mallory, can I talk to you?” she asks.

  I nod and follow her to my room.

  She makes me sit down on my bed, and then she starts talking.

  “Mallory, I’ve been mad at you because I didn’t understand why you weren’t being nice to Chloe Jennifer. I didn’t get why you wouldn’t like her, so I just kept trying extra hard to include her.” Mary Ann pauses. “But I did a lot of things wrong too.”

  Mary Ann picks at a loose thread on my bedspread.

  “I know I made too big of a deal about the whole look-alike thing.”

  Mary Ann keeps picking at my bedspread while she talks. “Chloe Jennifer talked to me about it yesterday. She said that even though we look alike, she doesn’t want to make a big deal about it. She told me that it makes her feel uncomfortable. She said that even though we’re a lot alike, we don’t have to be exactly the same.”

  Mary Ann pauses, but she’s not done. After a second, she adds, “She could tell that you felt left out when I wanted to be twins with her for the dance. She said it has probably been hard for you to get used to her being here, and us being look-alikes made it worse. I hadn’t thought about it that way before.”

  “I tried to tell you how I was feeling,” I say.

  “I know,” she says. “I should’ve listened.” She’s quiet for a minute like she’s having a hard time finding the right words.

  When she starts talking again, her voice is soft. “And I shouldn’t have told you our friendship was over,” she says. “We’ve been best friends all our lives. Having Chloe Jennifer around doesn’t mean we can’t still be best friends with each other. It just means we can have another good friend too.”

  I nod. “I get that now,” I say. “I was just worried that you liked Chloe Jennifer more than you liked me.”

  Mary Ann takes a deep breath. “Mallory, I’m sorry I said I didn’t want to be best friends anymore. You will always be my best friend.”

  Wow! I never thought Mary Ann would be saying she was sorry.

  And I really can’t believe Chloe Jennifer was the one who understood how I was feeling and explained it to Mary Ann. That was really sweet of Chloe Jennifer.

  “Thanks for understanding,” I tell Mary Ann.

  Mary Ann holds up her pinky. “Best friends forever,” she says.

  “Forever,” I say. I hook my pinky around hers. We shake pinkies, and then we hug.

  We’re still hugging when I hear a knock on my door. Chloe Jennifer opens it. “May I come in?” she asks softly.

  Mary Ann and I both nod. I scoot over to make room for her on the bed.

  “Mallory, thanks for the party,” she says after she sits down. “It was really sweet of you to do that for me.”

  She pauses, and then she says, “When I first got here, I was so sad about leaving Atlanta. I had a best friend there who’d been my best friend my whole life—kind of like you and Mary Ann. I didn’t want to leave her and didn’t know if I would make new friends in Fern Falls.”

  I think back to when Chloe Jennifer said she was scared to go to a new school. All I could think about then was how I didn’t want Mary Ann and Chloe Jennifer to become best friends. I didn’t pay attention to how she was feeling.

  “Moving is hard,” I say to Chloe Jennifer.

  She smiles like she knows I get it.

  “Mallory, I know you and Mary Ann are best friends,” says Chloe Jennifer. “I never want to ruin that. I just hope I can be friends with both of you.”

  Maybe it’s because she’s an only child and has spent a lot of time around adults, but what Chloe Jennifer is saying seems really mature to me. I want to say just the right thing back.

  I think about the day Chloe Jennifer moved to Wish Pond Road. A lot has happened since then. Some bad things. But some good things too.

  I found something new I like to eat at the mall.

  I got my best grade ever on a science project.

  And best of all, I’ve made a nice new friend. “Of course you can be our friend,” I tell Chloe Jennifer. “I think the three of us can have a lot of fun together.”

  She smiles like that’s the best birthday present she could get today.

  And the best part is … I like giving it.

  It’s been a long day. Chloe Jennifer has already had two parties. But the day isn’t over yet. There’s another surprise that’s about to happen on Wish Pond Road, and it’s the best one of the day.

  I walk next door to Mary Ann’s house and ring the bell.

  “It’s time,” I say when she answers. She hooks her arm through mine, and we walk across the street to Chloe Jennifer’s house.

  Her parents told me we should come over at 4, and it’s 3:58.

  “Remember, act like you don’t know anything,” I say to Mary Ann as we cross the street.

  She presses her finger and thumb together and runs them across her mouth like she’s zipping her lips shut.

  When we knock on the door, Chloe Jennifer answers. She looks surprised to see us.

  I say exactly what her mom told me to say. “We wanted to see all your birthday presents.”

  Chloe Jennifer smiles. “C’mon in.” We follow her into the kitchen, where her birthday presents are piled on the table. We start oohing and aahing as she shows us everything she got.

  “Would you girls like another piece of cake?” Chloe Jennifer’s mom asks.

  Mary Ann and I both nod, but I’m so excited that I don’t know how I’ll be able to eat cake. Just as Chloe Jennifer’s mom finishes cutting our slices, we hear a car honk in the driveway.

  “Your dad is home with the groceries,” Chloe Jennifer’s mom says. Then she looks at Mary Ann and me. “Would you girls mind helping us carry some bags inside?”

  As we get up to follow Chloe Jennifer outside, her mom winks at Mary Ann and me.

  It’s finally time! I can’t wait to see the look on Chloe Jennifer’s face when she finds out what Mary Ann and I already know.

  As we walk outside, Chloe Jennifer’s dad is coming up the si
dewalk, but he isn’t carrying grocery bags. He has a small crate. He puts the crate down in front of Chloe Jennifer, opens it, and takes out a little brown-and-white-spotted puppy.

  He carefully hands the puppy to Chloe Jennifer. “Special delivery for the birthday girl,” he says.

  “Surprise!” Chloe Jennifer’s parents and Mary Ann and I all say at the same time.

  Chloe Jennifer looks confused, like she’s not sure this is really happening. “He’s mine?” she asks her dad.

  He nods. “Mom and I told you we were waiting for the right time to get a dog. We think turning ten is a pretty good time.”

  We all watch as Chloe Jennifer hugs the puppy to her chest. “Mom, Dad, thank you so much! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she says. Then she looks at me like she wants to be sure it’s OK that she said it three times.

  I grin. “Three people saying things three times is better than two.”

  Chloe Jennifer smiles. Then sits down on the porch swing with the puppy on her lap. Her mom starts taking pictures.

  “Mom, take a picture of all of us,” says Chloe Jennifer.

  Mary Ann and I sit down on either side of her. Her mom takes a picture. Chloe Jennifer puts the puppy right up to her face and kisses his nose. “I’m going to call you Freckles,” she says, looking into the puppy’s spotted face.

  I grin and reach over to pet Freckles. “That’s a perfect name.”

  “We’ll leave you girls and Freckles alone for a while,” says Chloe Jennifer’s dad.

  As they start to walk inside, they’re smiling at each other like they’re happy they finally gave in and got Chloe Jennifer the present she wanted most.

  And they’re not the only ones who are happy. I’m happy too. Chloe Jennifer is a really sweet friend. I’m glad she’s had such a good birthday.

  I push the swing a little with my foot. We start to move back and forth.

  Freckles lets out a little sigh, like all the swinging is making him sleepy.

  I think back to how I felt when Chloe Jennifer moved here. I was so sure that she and Mary Ann and I could never all be friends. I thought three was a crowd. But now that I’ve gotten to know her, I know that’s not true.

  Mary Ann and I might have our differences. We might even argue sometimes. But I know she’ll always be my best friend.

  And now we have a new friend. A friend I like a lot.

  Mary Ann and Chloe Jennifer and I all push the swing with our feet. As we lift higher in the air, nobody says a word. It’s weird, but it’s like we all know that no one has to say anything.

  Just the three of us sitting together on the swing is enough.

  I don’t know if you ever write poetry, but after everything that happened with Chloe Jennifer, I felt inspired to make up a poem for her.

  The truth is that since her birthday, Chloe Jennifer and Mary Ann and I have been having a lot of fun together. I, Mallory McDonald, never thought I would be saying this, but three really can be good company.

  Chloe Jennifer really liked the poem I wrote, and I hope you do too!

  Three’s Company!

  By Mallory McDonald

  The best things in life come in groups of three.

  The first letters of the alphabet: A, B, and C.

  The very first numbers: one, two, and three.

  Three little piggies, as cute as can be!

  Three blind mice (even though they can’t see!)

  Three kittens without mittens (go on a shopping spree!)

  Three bears chased Goldilocks up a tree!

  Three Musketeers. Best candy ever. Trust me!!

  Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Best ice cream combo, I guarantee!

  Three great friends: You, Mary Ann, and me!

  I’m glad you moved to Wish Pond Road! It fills my heart with glee!

  I have one thing to say: Whoopee! Whoopee! Whoopee!

  Big, huge hugs and kisses!!

  Mallory

  One more thing: If you decide to have a surprise wake-up party (which would be a great decision because surprise wake-up parties are fun, fun, fun!), you should definitely have a Do-It-Yourself Breakfast. My friends loved it, and I think yours will too.

  Here’s the recipe.

  Have fun doing it yourself!

  DIY BREAKFAST (Serves 10–12)

  Ingredients:

  2 boxes mini pancakes

  2 boxes mini waffles

  2 boxes French toast sticks

  1 bag of mini bagels

  1 jar of peanut butter

  1 jar of strawberry jelly

  1 tub of cream cheese

  strawberries, banana slices, and grapes in separate bowls

  chocolate chips and marshmallows in separate bowls

  powdered sugar in a shaker

  cinnamon sugar in a shaker

  maple syrup

  butter or margarine

  You will also need:

  a tablecloth, paper plates, napkins, plastic knives and forks, and frilly toothpicks

  Directions:

  Set up a table with a pretty paper tablecloth (I like pink and purple, but any color will work). You can decorate the table (which I did) with flowers, confetti, or better yet, both!

  Put out paper plates, napkins, plastic knives, and frilly toothpicks. Arrange all the ingredients in the center of the table so your friends can get to everything easily.

  You will need to ask your parents to help you cook the pancakes and waffles and French toast sticks.

  When the smell of fresh breakfast fills the air, invite your friends over to the table and let them make their own breakfast creations. Don’t forget to take pictures before everyone eats it all up.

  Variations:

  You can change up the ingredients. Just pick things you think your friends would like. Pineapple, kiwi, coconut, chocolate sauce, meatballs … (Ew! Just kidding! But if you think your friends would like meatballs on their pancakes, go ahead and try it!)

  Yum! Yum! Yum!

  Have fun, fun, fun!

  Text copyright © 2014 by Laurie B. Friedman

  Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

  All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

  Darby Creek

  A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

  241 First Avenue North

  Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A.

  For reading levels and more information, look up this title at www.lernerbooks.com

  Cover background: © Zigi/Bigstock.com.

  Main body text set in LuMarcLL 14/20. Typeface provided by Linotype.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Friedman, Laurie B., 1964–

  Three’s company, Mallory! / by Laurie Friedman ; illustrations by Jennifer Kalis.

  p. cm. — (Mallory ; #21)

  Summary: When Chloe Jennifer moves to Wish Pond Road, Mallory’s friend Mary Ann starts including Chloe Jennifer in everything that she and Mallory do—but in Mallory’s opinion, three is a crowd.

  ISBN 978–1–4677–0921–7 (trade hard cover : alk. paper)

  ISBN 978–1–4677–2413–5 (eBook)

  [1. Best friends—Fiction. 2. Friendship—Fiction. 3. Jealousy—Fiction.] I. Kalis, Jennifer, illustrator. II. Title. III. Title: Three is company, Mallory

  PZ7.F89773Thr 2014

  [Fic]—dc23

  2013018613

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  1 — BP — 12/31/13

  eISBN: 978-1-4677-2413-5 (pdf)

  eISBN: 978-1-4677-4014-2 (ePub)

  eISBN: 978-1-4677-4013-5 (mobi)

  Company, Mallory!