Authors: Annie Bryant
Crush Alert (19 page)
“How do you know if you’re in love, Miss Pierce?” she asked suddenly.
It was a question meant to be asked in the middle of the night right before bed, when Mom comes in to tuck you in and plant a comforting kiss on your forehead.
Miss Pierce will just have to do,
Charlotte realized as she inhaled Miss Pierce’s perfume, which smelled of green tea and flowers.
Miss Pierce smiled and thought for a while before answering. “I’m not a poet, but I think…Pushkin was on the right track, for the most part. Love is in the wondrous moment of meeting and recognizing yourself in someone else.”
“What about beauty’s angel?” Charlotte asked.
“Well, love goes beyond physical appearance…what’s most important is the person within: the beauty of the heart. People grow old. Hair fades to gray. We get wrinkles.” Miss Pierce pointed to some of the lines on her own face.
“I don’t really notice those, Miss Pierce!” Charlotte blurted out.
“Charlotte,” Miss Pierce said with a nod, “that’s because you already care about me. We always think the
people we love are beautiful. But the people you think are beautiful do not always love
you
. It can get very confusing. But that’s love.”
Charlotte thought of Nick, his smile, the way his eyes lit up when he talked about sports or a new book he was reading. The way he looked at her. The special kiss they had shared after the dance. She thought about the misunderstandings and the confusion, the tears she had cried when she thought he didn’t like her anymore. And she knew that whatever there was between Nick and her—it was something she would always keep close to her heart.
One thing was for sure, if astronomers could fall in love with fruit sellers and mutts could fall in love with pink poodles, then she could find someone to love and who would love her back, and so could Katani, Avery, Maeve, and Isabel.
That evening, Charlotte logged on to her computer and found an e-mail from Sophie waiting in her inbox.
To: Charlotte
From: Sophie
Subject:
Bonjour!
Charlotte,
ma cherie
, you are the most fortunate girl! I knew Nick was honorable boy. I will give you a rose to celebrate. @}~~~~ (Do you like it?) I can’t believe he kissed you! I only kissed a boy on the cheek once. Do not worry, your secret is safe with me,
but you can talk to your BSG friends! They will keep your secret too. I miss you, Charlotte. Never forget me.
Bisous,
Sophie
To: Sophie
From: Charlotte
Subject:
Bonjour, Mon Amie!
Dear Sophie,
I really miss you, too. I wish you could meet Nick, and all my new friends. I told Avery about the kiss, and I felt a little better. Less crazy, but I am still walking on air!!!! And Marty is all better too. He was lovesick over a pink poodle named La Fanny. They are such a cute couple!
If you see Orangina, tell him I’m writing a story about his travels.
Au revoir!
Charlotte
To be continued…
BOOK EXTRAS
Love Potion #9 Recipe
Trivialicious Trivia
Charlotte’s Word Nerd Dictionary
Book Club Buzz
Remember to ask for an adult’s help and permission before trying this at home!
Ingredients:
1 head of red cabbage
1 knife (or blender, or grater)
1 pitcher
1 coffee filter
Several clear plastic cups (or beakers)
Hot tap water
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO
3
)
Vinegar (acetic acid, CH
3
COOH)
Extra credit:
Antacids, lemon juice, seltzer water, household ammonia…and anything else you want to try!
Directions:
- Ask an adult for help to chop, grate, or blend the cabbage into very small pieces.
- Place the cut up pieces in a pitcher and cover just to the top of the cabbage with very hot tap water.
- Wait at least fifteen minutes for the water to turn pinkish purple. (The longer you wait, the stronger your cabbage juice will be.)
- Pour some of the juice through the coffee filter into a plastic cup (or beaker).
- Add a teaspoon of baking soda…then watch what happens!
- Next, add some vinegar. Can you turn the juice pink again?
- Get out some more plastic cups and experiment with the rest of the juice and any “extra credit” ingredients you have at home. How many different colors can you make?
- Clean up!
The Facts:
Red cabbage juice contains
flavin
, a special kind of pigment molecule that changes color depending on the pH of the liquid. Vinegar is acidic, and baking soda is the opposite: a base. You can actually use cabbage juice to measure the pH of different chemicals using a color scale like this:
| | Color | pH | |
| | Red | 2 | acid |
| | Purple | 4 | |
| | Violet | 6 | |
| | Blue-Violet | 7 | neutral |
| | Blue | 8 | |
| | Blue-Green | 10 | |
| | Greenish-Yellow | 12 | base |
Crush Alert trivialicious trivia
- Where is the new boy Trevor from?
- A. Hawaii
- B. California
- C. Florida
- D. Texas
- A. Hawaii
- What kind of snack does Charlotte knock over at the newspaper meeting?
- A. Cheese Doodles
- B. Pretzels
- C. Chex Mix
- D. Barbecue potato chips
- A. Cheese Doodles
- What footwear does Maeve ruin in the soccer game?
- A. Pink boots with sparkly fur
- B. High-heeled black boots
- C. Pink-and-white-checked rain boots
- D. Soft pink leather loafers
- A. Pink boots with sparkly fur
- When Charlotte first discovers Marty’s illness, where does she find him?
- A. Out on her balcony
- B. In the bathroom
- C. Under her dad’s desk
- D. In Ms. Pierce’s apartment
- A. Out on her balcony
- When Charlotte talks to her Dad about Nick, what show are they watching?
- A. A special about the Serengeti
- B. A documentary about Renaissance France
- C. A romantic comedy
- D. A discovery show about exploring the Great Barrier Reef
- A. A special about the Serengeti
- What do you add to cabbage juice to make it froth with pink foam?
- A. Diet Coke
- B. Baking soda
- C. Vinegar
- D. Tums
- A. Diet Coke
- Which is NOT the title of a song that Riley writes in this book?
- A. “Furniture Boy”
- B. “Valentine Song”
- C. “You, You, You”
- D. “My Girl, My Star”
- A. “Furniture Boy”
- What Valentine’s Day craft do Isabel and Kevin teach the kids at the homeless shelter?
- A. Crepe-paper flowers
- B. Pop-up Valentine’s Day cards
- C. Painted heart magnets
- D. Heart stamps cut out of potatoes
- A. Crepe-paper flowers
- What is the name of Ms. Pink’s boyfriend’s dog?
- A. Duke
- B. Brady
- C. Washington
- D. Rex
- A. Duke
- What color dress does Charlotte wear to the dance?
- A. Light green
- B. Lilac purple
- C. Periwinkle blue
- D. Rose pink
- A. Light green
ANSWERS: 1. B.
California
2. D.
Barbecue potato chips
3. A.
Pink boots with sparkly fur
4. C.
Under her dad’s desk
5. A.
A special about the Serengeti
6. C.
Vinegar
7. D.
“My Girl, My Star”
8. C.
Painted heart magnets
9. B.
Brady
10. B.
Lilac purple
