My Last Best Friend (8 page)

Then I wish my real wish. That I weren't afraid to tell Stacey who I really am.

But I don't pour that wish out. Not yet.

I keep my magic cup next to my bed. Even though it doesn't jiggle or glow or do any of the usual magical stuff, I like seeing it there. And I like remembering who gave it to me.

I also like going to school because Stacey uses my purple gel pen to write me more notes. I write notes to her, too. Plus, I draw more pictures. By the time two weeks have gone by, I've drawn her three magical cows, two ballet dancers, and one smiling monkey. I don't know how she has time to keep checking the secret stone with Jenna always around, but I'm glad she does.

Then, before school one Friday morning, I check the secret stone and find this note from her.

Dear Cordelia,

I couldn't wait to tell you! My mom called last night and she's coming to see this weekend. We're going to a movie and out to eat and everything. I'm going to show her all the, pictures you gave me. I know she'll like them. I told her about the story we wrote together. She said it made her sad that the girls were lost in the forest. But she was glad they had each other.

What are you doing this weekend?

Anastasia

I pull a piece of paper out of my backpack and write my reply.

Dear Anastasia,

I'm glad you get to see your mom. Is your dad busy traveling? My dad will be traveling this weekend, too, so me and my mom will probably cook stuff he doesn't Like to eat and watch movies that make him yawn.

I bet you miss your parents when they're away. I know I do. I miss Elizabeth, too, even though I'm starting to get used to her being gone.

Cordelia

Later that morning, during silent reading, I overhear Jenna whispering to Stacey.

"But why can't you go to a movie this weekend?"

Stacey fidgets behind her book. "Um ... because my aunt and I have something planned."

"So?" Jenna says. "Skip it."

Stacey turns a page in her book and whispers, "I can't."

Jenna huffs and snaps her book shut.

Later that afternoon, I find another note in the secret stone.

Dear Cordelia,

Actually, my dad doesn't travel very much. Neither does my mom. I miss them a lot, even though I like living with my grandma. She tries to make me laugh every day.

I miss my old friends, too. Especially Kate. She was funny, like you. One time, at lunch, she told a joke and I laughed so hard milk came out of my nose! I don't recommend trying this.

Write to me next week!

Anastasia

I think about the note from Anastasia while I help my mom get supper ready that night. As I chop up a green pepper for tacos, I say, "Mom? I need a good joke. One that will make someone really laugh."

My mom thinks for a minute while she drains a can of black olives. Then she says, "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

"Why?" I ask.

"To get to the other side," she replies.

I roll my eyes. "That's the oldest joke in the world, Mom."

My mom just shrugs. "Better ask your dad when he calls tonight. He's the joke expert."

Later, when the phone rings, I answer it. It's my dad calling from his hotel.

"So what have you and Mom been up to?" he asks.

"We made tacos with green peppers and black olives," I say.

"Sorry I asked," he says back. "What else?"

"We watched a movie about this lady who goes to the grocery store to buy pork chops and ends up falling in love with her butcher."

My dad yawns.

When he's done yawning, I say, "Dad? I need a joke."

"What kind of joke?" he asks.

"Any kind," I say. "For someone who needs a laugh."

My dad is quiet. Then he asks, "Is this someone a friend from school?"

I think for a moment. "Sort of," I say.

My dad is quiet again. Then he clears his throat and says, "Why did the taco cross the road?"

I sigh. "Don't you mean
chicken?
"

"Nope," he says. "Taco."

"Okay," I say. "Why did the
taco
cross the road?"

I can practically see my dad's goofy grin as he replies, "It was taped to the chicken."

I roll my eyes. "Sorry I asked," I say.

My dad laughs.

Just before I go to bed, I write my note to Anastasia.

Dear Anastasia,

Here's a joke for you. (I hope you aren't drinking milk.)

Why did the taco cross the road?
Answer: It was taped to the chicken.

So it isn't the best joke. I hope it makes you Laugh anyway.

Cordelia

P.S. Your grandma sounds nice.

P.P.S. I think it's better to have a nice grandma than a rich aunt.

On Monday morning, I hide the note in the secret stone. When I get inside the school, Jenna, Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene are giggling in the hallway. They don't even notice when I walk past them.

I go into the classroom. Randi and some of the boys are playing a game on the computer. Mr. Crow is writing the week's schedule on the board. He's already written
Math quiz
and
Book reports due
under
Tuesday
and
Thursday.
Under
Friday
he writes
Paint pageant windows.

Stacey isn't around, so I hurry and find a scrap of paper in my desk. I write the letter
A
on it. I think about the chicken joke I wrote for her. And draw a dancing chicken under the
A.

I toss the paper onto her desk just as the bell
rings. Jenna, Brooke, Meeka, and Jolene pile into the classroom. Stacey piles in, too.

"So that's my plan," Jenna says to the others. "You spend the night at my house on Friday and we all go to the Potato Parade together on Saturday."

"I'll have to ask if it's okay," Meeka says.

"Me, too," Jolene adds.

Jenna narrows her eyes. "Just
tell
your parents you have to spend the night. Say we're getting ready for the window-painting contest."

Meeka and Jolene nod obediently. Brooke nods, too. Stacey is about to nod, but then she glances at me. I pull my math book out of my desk and pretend to be very interested in long division.

"What about Ida?" I hear Stacey whisper to Jenna.

"What about her?" Jenna asks.

"Aren't you going to invite her, too? And Randi?"

"This party is for my
best
friends," Jenna says.

"But—," Stacey starts to say.

"Besides," Jenna interrupts, glancing over her shoulder at me, "you're busy this weekend, aren't you, I-
duh.
"

I glance up from my book. "Yes, Jenna," I say. "If you're planning a sleepover, I'm busy."

"See?" Jenna says, as she herds the others to her cluster. "She can't come."

Stacey is about to say something back to Jenna, but then she sees the dancing chicken on her desk.

"What's that?" Jenna asks.

"Oh, it's nothing," Stacey says, crumpling up the paper. "Just a ... a note."

I gulp.

"A
note?
" Jenna says. "Who from?"

"A boy, I bet," Jolene says. Meeka giggles and nods.

"No, it's not from a boy," Stacey says. "It's from ... um ... my aunt."

"Your
aunt?
" Jenna says, grabbing the note from Stacey and uncrumpling it.

Stacey nods. "See?" she says, pointing to the note. "The
A
stands for
Aunt.
"

Jenna gives Stacey a look. "Then what does the dancing chicken stand for?" she asks.

"Um ... it's a secret code for ... for..."

"For what?" Jenna persists.

"For
it's none of your business
," I hear myself mumble.

Jenna whips around so fast her braids fly off her shoulders. Meanwhile, Stacey snatches the
note from her hand and hurries with it to the wastebasket.

Brooke, Jolene, and Meeka slip quietly away. But Jenna just stands there, glaring at me. "From her
aunt,
huh?" she finally says. "I bet."

I see the letter
C
on Stacey's desk right after our second recess. Jenna didn't let Stacey out of her sight all day, so I don't know how she managed to get my note and hide one for me. But right after school I run to the secret stone and find one.

Dear Cordelia,

Thanks for the joke! It did make me laugh. Here's a poem for you:

There once was a girl named Cordelia,
Who had a delicious i-dee-lia.
She cooked up a pot,
Of beans, spicy hot,
Then put them inside a tor-tee-lia!
Ha-ha.

Anastasia

P.S. My grandma is the best!

P.P.S. I think it's better to have a secret friend than a mean friend.

As I read Anastasia's poem, I notice there are little stars around
Cordelia,
just like the stars I painted on the whale rock I left at Jenna's house. I wonder what happened to that rock. Jenna probably uses it for target practice on Rachel.

I also notice that Stacey calls me her secret
friend.

I wonder if secret friends can be best friends, too.

I stuff Anastasia's note into my backpack and hurry to the bus. I climb on and scan the crowd for an empty seat. I see one about halfway back.
My lucky day
, I say to myself.

I start pushing toward it, but then I feel a tug on my sleeve.

I look down.

Rachel Drews is smiling up at me. "Hi, Queen Cordelia," she says.

"Hi, Princess Penelope," I say back.

"Sit here," Rachel says, scooting over.

Even though Jenna will probably call me a baby for sitting up front, I sit down next to Rachel. "Seen any monsters lately?" I ask.

Rachel giggles. "Yep," she says. "Lots."

"Me, too," I say.

"Guess what?" Rachel says.

"What?" I say back.

"Jenna's having another sleepover."

"So I've heard."

"Are you coming?" Rachel asks. "Um, no," I say. "I have other plans."

"Like what?"

"Like staying home and cleaning my room,"

I say.

Rachel gives me a puzzled look. Then she says, "Didn't Jenna invite you?"

I glance away. "Not exactly," I say.

Rachel gives me a nod. "She didn't exactly invite me, either," she says.

While we wait for the last few kids to get on the bus, Rachel introduces me to the zippers on her backpack. "I named this one Joyce and this one Joyce Junior," she explains, pointing to a long zipper on top of her bag and a shorter one down the side.

"What about that one?" I ask, pointing to a chunky green zipper on one of the bag's many pockets.

"That's Max," she says. Then she leans in and
whispers, "He gets jealous if I zip Joyce more than him." She demonstrates by giving Joyce a tug. Then she gives Max two.

We sit there, contemplating zippers for a moment. Then Rachel says, "Guess what, Ida? I get to ride on a float in the Potato Parade."

"Wow," I say. "You must be famous."

"Yep. So is my mom. She's the Potato Pageant chairperson. We get to throw candy and everything!"

"I'm glad you won't be throwing potatoes,"

I say.

Rachel giggles. "I'll throw candy to you, Ida," she says. "Lots."

"Thanks," I say. "I can use it."

Just as the bus driver is about to close the door, Jenna scrambles on. When she sees me sitting with Rachel, she pauses to give me a disgusted look. "A kindergartener?" she says. "That's the best you can do for a friend?"

I look up at Jenna. "I thought I'd start small," I say.

Rachel smiles at me. Then she looks at her sister. "Maybe you should start small, too, Jenna."

Jenna shoots a look at Rachel. "I don't need to start anywhere," she snaps. "I already have
tons
of friends."

"Then how come you never get invited to their houses?" Rachel asks.

For a second Jenna looks like someone socked her in the stomach. Then she pulls herself together and says, "I
do.
But they would rather come to
my
house." She quickly pushes past us. And lands in the empty seat halfway back.

"No, they wouldn't," Rachel says to me. "They only come to our house because they're afraid of getting slugged if they don't show up."

"How do you know?" I ask.

Rachel shrugs. "I just do," she says.

I nod. "I just do, too," I say.

When we get off at our bus stop, Rachel waves good-bye to me. "See you at the parade, Ida!" she calls, as Jenna grabs her arm and drags her away.

When I get home, I go to my room, get out my sketchbook, and draw a picture of Princess Penelope. I give her a sparkly crown. And a pile of ammunition.

George suggests I give the picture to Rachel the next time I see her.

"Smart monkey," I say, and tear it out of my sketchbook. I fold it up and put it in my backpack.

Then I get out my note from Anastasia. I read the poem again. I pull a piece of paper out of my desk drawer and write a note back.

Dear Anastasia,

Thanks for the poem. Now I'm craving tacos. Too bad we aren't getting ready to celebrate the Purdee Taco Pageant together. They'd print your poem in the newspaper for sure. Plus, a Taco Tossing contest sounds much more exciting than a 'Tater Tossing contest. And then the pageant queen could be crowned The Big Enchilada.

Cordelia

P.S. I hope you have fun at the parade this weekend. Watch out for flying potatoes.

After supper I do my homework while my mom reads the newspaper. When she's done, I find scissors and a glue stick. I cut out the letters
H, I,
and
A
from the headlines. Then I glue them to a piece of notebook paper so they say
HI A.

I tuck the message inside my backpack, along with Rachel's picture.

The next morning when I get to the bus stop, Jenna is already there, talking Quinn's ear off. Rachel and Tess are standing together comparing shoelaces. I walk over to Rachel and hand her the folded up picture of Princess Penelope. "Better save it for later," I whisper, glancing at Jenna.