We were so lucky to get into Pottery Palace. The only opening they had for the next three Saturdays was that 3:00 p.m. slot, and my mom had to put down a one-hundred-dollar NONREFUNDABLE deposit. So should I also tell them to forget about the pottery part of the party? Should we all just come to your chess match?
You like lists. Let’s think back to a very important list . . .
THE TWO REASONS WHY WE STARTED GOING TO CLUBS IN THE FIRST PLACE:
1. To Cast My Birthday. And I accomplished that. Sure, I never found an Ashley Desdemona, but I have a Bethany Livingston. The real-life people at our school are possibly better than the made-up people on my show.
2. Talk to Jackson Whittaker. Except you realized that talking to Jackson wasn’t your problem. It was talking to anybody. Which is so true, Olivia. You clam up around people, and they never get to see the amazing person I do. Chess Club helped change that, but I’m worried it’s changing you TOO much.
We agreed we wouldn’t let anything or anyone come between us. We agreed we could make other friends as long as we stayed FOREVER friends. WE AGREED. But I’m not sure if that’s happened. I think our tide pool ceremony didn’t really work. I’ve branched out. You’ve branched out. But why does that have to mean we’re branching AWAY from each other?
Going to the office to FILE.
Piper
Piper,
You forgot to add Danny on your goals.
—O
Olivia,
What are you talking about?
—Piper
P,
You also got to use LEGO Club as a way to see Danny. You had other good things happen too, so don’t forget that. You said he acts weird in the hallway, but guess what? I saw you staring at him when you were at your locker the other day. Just staring.
O
Olivia,
Why would you possibly bring Danny into this? I don’t care about Danny! I’m not the boy-crazy one here. STAY FOCUSED. I just shared my soul with you; write me back for real.
Piper
Chapter 29
Piper,
OK, fine. I won’t talk about Danny, even if I am totally right. But you notice everything about him—his lemonade stand, his braces-free teeth, everything. There’s something going on there and you don’t see it.
Just like how you’ve become friends with Savannah Swanson’s crew when it hurts me. You don’t see that either. I wish it didn’t hurt, but it does. I want to think they’re not so mean, but I don’t even know how to give them a chance.
The thing is, I don’t think you’re being fair. Like AT ALL. You know what a big deal chess is to me and you know why. You don’t know what it’s like to suddenly be an only child and try to, like, win your parents’ love when all they want to do is call Jason and talk about Jason and wonder about Jason and JasonJasonJason.
Your mom is so easygoing and your dad . . . your dad used to VOLUNTEER IN YOUR CLASSROOM. Remember? And then he stopped because you didn’t like him reading with you in class because it made you nervous? I don’t think my dad could name one teacher of mine. Ever. He knows the names of every ancient civilization and their modes of communication, but he can’t even talk to me about why school gives me a stomachache.
You say that we have the same problems at home, but we don’t. You don’t understand what I’m going through. How could you?
Friendship is about sacrifice, and you haven’t been doing that much for me lately. I haven’t even seen you since you got all obsessed with being friends with everyone and their mom.
Are you jealous that I’ve gotten close to Ellie? Is that what this is really about?
I’m not going to apologize, Piper. That’s what always happens. You get mad and I say I’m sorry, even if I’m not the one who was wrong. You should have asked me if that time worked before you scheduled it. Everything is always about YOU, and now there is something about ME, and I’m not sorry about it.
So . . . there.
Olivia
Chapter 30
O—
Fine. Don’t come to my party. There are ten other people who would love to come. And no, I’m not jealous of you. AT ALL. I’ve been super understanding and there for you for years. I’m the one who brought you a fake plant to cheer you up when those girls humiliated you. I’m ALWAYS cheering you up. And I didn’t even TALK to the Savannah Swanson girls at first, even though they were nice to me. I was trying to be nice to you—cover your back, like always. But what happens? The first chance you get, you ditch me to shove a horsey thing across a checkerboard.
I’m going to call my mom and have her come pick me up early. And don’t tell me I don’t understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. Feeling alone is feeling alone. Sympathy is sympathy. Parents are parents, Olivia. At least you don’t have a sibling around anymore getting in the way! (Okay. Not that I think my siblings get in the way. You were just being super only-childy there. AND YOU AREN’T EVEN AN ONLY CHILD!)
P—
Fine. I won’t come, and I don’t even feel bad. I’ll probably go to Dairy Queen after with my friends and have best time ever! That’s real mature to leave the animal shelter IN NEED because you’re mad at me. Here, take the notebook.
O—
Keep the notebook.
Don’t bother writing me anything else.
I won’t read it.
Have a nice CHESS-FILLED life!
Chapter 31
Piper,
Two days. We’ve had two days of silence.
But you know what? I have things I want to say and this is the only way I know how to tell you. I know you won’t read this. And it doesn’t even matter.
It’s strange how I thought this notebook was going to be the thing that kept us together . . . the thing that would be our lifeline. But all it did was tear us apart.
You have a whole new world now. Friends. Popularity. A super-long party-invite list.
And you’re just . . . gone.
Honestly, I’m glad you’re gone. You deserve your paper-thin friendships. You’d rather throw some attention-seeking bash just to put on a spectacular show than spend a boring night watching me play a chess tournament.
Guess what? Life isn’t a soap opera, Piper. So why are you always trying to make it one?
Why couldn’t you have postponed the party? Don’t you see that I’ve finally found MY thing? That Chess Club is the place where I truly feel like myself? I don’t even feel like myself around you anymore.
I hope you enjoy your pottery and your new friends. Or friends who are acting like friends. Just don’t come running to me when they all ignore you once this party is over. That’s what people like them do to other people. They act like they’re your friend and then set you up for humiliation the next chance they get. They’re just the same as Savannah Swanson and those girls in third grade. JUST THE SAME. I mean, some of those ARE the same because they were WITH Savannah!
Don’t come looking for me when they aren’t there anymore. I’m not going to be there for you either.
I would end this with a grateful, but right now, I can’t think of anything I’d want to share with you.
And that makes me sadder than you’ll ever know.
Olivia
Chapter 32
Piper,
Whether you ever read this or not, just know that my life is crumbling. My life is a Girl Scout shortbread cookie.
You know that letter to Jackson? The one I’ve been writing on my lunch napkin? The one Ellie and her friends are helping me with?
It’s.
Terrible.
They want me to make jokes. Actual knock-knock jokes. That’s their idea of flirting.
I have no idea what to say to him. That’s always been your department. You always have the best suggestions, the best ideas. But now your department doesn’t exist.
This isn’t easy. It’s just not.
—Olivia
Here’s the lame letter they want me to give him. Not that you’l
l even see this.
Jackson,
Knock knock!
Who’s there?
To who?
No, no . . . to WHOM.
Hope you liked my joke! But I have one question . . . how is it that I know so many hundreds of digits of pi, but not the seven digits of your phone number?
—Olivia
My life is crumbling.
Piper,
It’s pretty late. I’m leaning against my bed, the way you and I always did when we had late-overs and we’d write out our favorite playlists—the ones we wanted to play at our wedding because we just KNEW we’d have a double wedding. Pink with purple/orange/aqua accents. Rainbow-striped veils. The wedding planner threatening to sue the DJ for breaking her heart.
I’m not sure why I’m thinking about all of that.
I guess because I was listening to Track 1 of our playlist and it hit me that our double wedding will never happen. We can’t even agree on flowers.
(Deep, calming breath . . .)
How did this happen?
—Liv
(This page is my soul, Piper.)
(Empty.)
Hi, Mrs. Jorgensen. It’s Olivia. Could you get a message to Piper for me?
Sure, honey. Whatcha need?
Could you let her know I hope she has a great party?
Of course. We will miss having you there, sweetie.
And I’m really sorry I can’t go.
I wish I could go. Would you tell her?
Sure. Have to go check on twins now. Good night!
What did you end up ordering for the pizza? Pepperoni, I’m guessing? Or did she branch out and get spinach and pesto?
Liv, why don’t you just call Piper?
We’re not talking.
Should I ask why?
It’s a lot of things really. Probably a lot more things than a text should handle.
I will have a talk with Piper.
Good night . . .
And did you get her any yellow balloons?
Hello? Okay. Bye.
Liv,
It’s Friday. And it rained this week. So can we meet at our tide pool today? I think I’m getting those weird stomachaches you get about my party. At least I think it’s about my party.
—Piper
BETHANY’S BUSINESS
HOME NEWS EVENTS ABOUT CONTACT
Holy hippopotamus! I know I said last weekend was the best, and at the time it was, but then this weekend happened and ruined all other weekends for me forever.
I’m totally getting ahead of myself. First, let me give my Sunday stats:
3 = number of people I complimented today
6:40 = Time I woke up so I could curl my hair
8:25 = How fast I ran the mile in track!
12th = My reading level! I just finished the last Lord of the Rings and now I think I’m going to start some of the Russian novelists. Dad said those are SUPER long and hard ☺
1 gazillion = The number of times my mom complained about the literacy curriculum at our school
AND NOW IT’S TIME FOR SOME KUDOS!!
Tessa, who had on the CUTEST reindeer sweater today. I want to steal ALL OF HER CLOTHES.
Tennis team for winning against the Bayside Turtles, which is, like, the lamest mascot. Sorry, Bayside.
Our choir gets to sing songs from FROZEN! Oh my gosh, I know those songs by heart, and I hope hope hope I get a solo. Although I’ll be happy for whoever gets it.
Oh, and I guess there was some sort of math thing and a chess tournament, and . . . I don’t know what else. I don’t know where I put my school newsletter. But yay everyone for doing your thing!
So back to my weekend. Friday night was cool. My parents took me to this uber fancy steakhouse and I got to order a lobster tail, and even though I think fish is pretty gross, I loved ordering it. And I wore my adorable pink sequin dress from my aunt Catherine’s wedding.
And then Saturday was Piper Jorgensen’s birthday party. Piper is that girl who goes to my church and stuck up for Tessa at LEGO Club.
She always seemed kind of . . . like she just wanted to do her own thing before. But now we are, like, WAY close and I love her bunches! She’s really, really funny. Anyway, she invited twelve people cuz she’s twelve. And then two or three more because she’s so so popular. AND THERE WERE BOYS. It was the first guy/girl party my parents let me go to. Not that it was advertised as one. Like we didn’t dance or kiss each other or anything. But my parents are usually so strict about it, and they didn’t even care that there were boys there! And there is one boy I kind of like, WHO I WON’T NAME, but his name starts with a J. Anyway, we sat by each other during the pottery part. We all got to choose a different ceramic thing, and I heard J say that he loves to drink tea, and although I thought that was kind of gross and weird, since he’s twelve, I decided to be super brave and make him a tea MUG. Which is a coffee mug for tea.
Ugh, but here is the bad part. He started talking about another girl.
“Hey, is everyone here already?” he asked me as he smeared more black on his dragon figurine.
“I don’t know exactly who RSVPed,” I said helpfully. “But we’re twenty minutes in, so anyone with good manners would be here by now.”
“Huh. What about that Olivia girl?”
“Who?”
“You know. Piper’s best friend.”
“Oh yeah. I don’t know.” Note: I really didn’t know. It’s hard to keep track of every single person at the school. I think Piper mentioned her before, but I haven’t met her. Hi, Olivia, if you’re reading this!
J frowned. “I totally came because I wanted to see her.”
Right. So this was the NOT AWESOME part of the day.
But then Tessa said, “Don’t bother. She’s in love with Jackson.”
“Seriously?” Jordan . . . I mean, J asked. “Are you sure?”
“Positive!” I said. “So, anyway, you like tea, right?”
And then we just started to chat up a storm!! And I got so brave and painted TO JORDAN on the bottom of the coffee . . . sorry, tea mug (duh, there’s no reason not to just write his name here. If he’s reading this, he knows who he is ☺).
So then we were cleaning up and this girl in a super-cute A-line skirt rushed in with some old guy and Piper started crying and they were hugging and blabbering and hugging. We were supposed to go to the pizza place then, but stayed a little longer so that girl could work on her jewelry jar. Jackson went and sat by her, and that kind of made Jordan talk to me more, so I didn’t mind.
And then we went to Crown Pizza, and some kids from our school who weren’t even invited showed up, so then there were over twenty of us, and we had a skeeball tournament and the boys did a basketball competition on that moving hoop game. Jordan bought me some cotton candy with his tickets too.
Seriously, best party ever. I’m so glad Piper and I are friends!
It’s so late, and I still have to practice violin AND start reading The Scarlet Letter, since that’s on the ninth grade required reading list and I already blew through the middle school reads.
Thanks for reading, peeps! Tell me in comments what YOU did this weekend.
6 COMMENTS
* * *
Tammi35: OMG, I wish I’d gotten invited to that party! Sounds awesome!
Davedude: Played Minecraft, watched YouTube videos of people playing Minecraft. Creepers, yo!
Danahuffhuff: The party was so awesome. But wait. What if Jordan reads this? LOL.
Ellieheartschess: I’m pretty sure the girl in the A-line skirt WAS Olivia. I’m glad everything worked out. Your blog is awesomesauce.
Vitaminsdirect: Excellent post! You can find out more about my life-changing vitamins by going directly to my blog and paying $19.95. . . .
Bethanyblogs: Spammers? Seriously? Managing this blog is like a full-time job. I need an intern.
Chapter 33
O. L. I. V. I. A.
Hello, best friend,
I di
d read all of your letters in here. Let’s not talk about the first one. And we don’t even need to talk about the Jackson one because, well, I think that worked out at my party. ☺ Also, I found the Post-It note I wrote you under a locker a few doors down from you. I went back to check if you got it, and there it was, smooshed underneath. I put it in The Notebook and I included the text conversation you had with my mom that I didn’t even see! For the sake of historical accuracy.
But I’m TOTALLY getting ahead of myself.
I printed off Bethany’s blog post to document my party from some different points of view. (Again. Historical accuracy. You’re welcome, aliens.) I’m glad my party was such a hit, but more than anything I’m so glad you came. I think you’re a little right—the party sort of took over my life for a while! And it wasn’t about being soap opera-y (even though it was!). The party became more about (See! I’m list-ing like you. BFF.):
1. My parents doing something just for me. Which I always said didn’t matter, but I think when we started writing our feelings about family stuff in this notebook, I realized it DID matter. And at my party my dad said he was glad to do something “just for me” because I’m always doing stuff for other people. And he said that’s why I made friends so easily when I finally wanted to. Because I’m good at helping out. That whole conversation was almost better than the new yarn I got as a b-day gift!
2. I think that’s part of why I do like having friends now. Even though it takes work and I still like being close with just a few people (and soap operas), reaching out to people was . . . well, it was fun, okay? There, I said it. Tell Bethany Livingston and you die. I love the girl, but I still have to take her exclamation points in small doses.
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