Piggy Party (Cul-de-sac Kids Book #19): Book 19 (2 page)

“He needs a little sweater,” Dee Dee suggested.

“Whoever heard of a guinea pig wearing a sweater?” Carly said.

“We should make him one this weekend,” Dee Dee said.

“Maybe,” Carly said. She was more concerned about getting Piggy inside her warm house.

The girls lived on Blossom Hill Lane, right across from Blossom Hill School. There were seven houses and nine kids on the cul-de-sac. All nine kids were good friends. They even had a club and a favorite motto. Carly’s big sister, Abby, was the president of the Cul-de-sac Kids.

“Are you gonna bring Piggy to the club meeting tonight?” Dee Dee asked.

Carly really didn’t want to share Piggy with the Cul-de-sac Kids. He was
her
pet for the weekend! “Why should I bring Piggy?” Carly shot back.

“Well, why not?” Dee Dee said. “Pretend
it’s show-and-tell—like at school.”

Carly shook her head. “That’s silly.”

Dee Dee wrinkled her nose.

Carly pulled the sled faster. She looked at the sky. “I wonder if the sun will shine tomorrow.”

“The sun’s
always
shining,” Dee Dee said. “We learned that in science, remember? You just can’t always see the sun.”

“Because of the clouds,” Carly said. She knew all that. “I’m not thinking about sunshine right now. I’m thinking about a famous groundhog.”

Dee Dee clapped her mittened hands. “Because it’s gonna be Groundhog Day soon.”

“Right,” said Carly. “What do you think about that groundhog in Pennsylvania?
He’s
the one who sees his shadow every year,” Carly said.

Dee Dee raised her eyebrows. “It
doesn’t make sense, does it?”

Carly agreed. “An old groundhog crawls out of his hole and sees his shadow. So what! Is it
really
a sign that we’re stuck with six more weeks of winter?”

“It oughta be the other way around,” Dee Dee said. “If the sun’s shining when the groundhog comes out, that means it’s the
end
of winter. Right?”

“Yep. The whole thing is mixed up,” Carly said.

She thought of the cute guinea pig.

Maybe Piggy would know if their long, snowy winter was almost over. Maybe he’d know something about the secret of the groundhog. And the shadow.

Maybe. . . .

THREE

Carly and Dee Dee carried the guinea pig cage inside.

“I have an idea,” Carly told Dee Dee.

“What is it?” Dee Dee asked.

“Wait and see,” said Carly. They hurried down the hallway to Carly’s bedroom.

“Aw, please?” Dee Dee pleaded. “We’re best friends, aren’t we?” She’d used that line to hear secrets before.

Carly didn’t say a word.

“When’s the secret gonna happen?” asked Dee Dee.

“Tomorrow at high noon,” Carly said. There was a ring of mystery in her voice.

Dee Dee sat on the edge of Carly’s bed. “Is this about Groundhog Day?” she asked.

Carly felt like being a little tricky. “I’m going to find out if spring is coming soon.”

Dee Dee’s eyes grew wide again. “How?”

“Just show up here tomorrow. Twelve o’clock sharp.” Carly went to the window and pulled back the curtains. She searched the sky. Heavy snow clouds hung low.

Dee Dee came over and stood by the window. “Carly Hunter, you’re up to something. I just know it!”

Carly knew Dee Dee couldn’t keep a secret. It was almost impossible!

“You can tell me,” Dee Dee said. Her big brown eyes were ready to pop.

“No way,” Carly said, laughing. She went to the cage and saw that Piggy had stopped shaking. “Look, he’s warming up.”

Dee Dee was begging. “C’mon, Carly! Don’t change the subject. Tell me what’s gonna happen tomorrow!”

“I won’t spoil the surprise,” Carly said. “It’s a Groundhog Day secret.” And she made her voice sound extra sneaky.

“Ple-e-ease?” Dee Dee begged.

Carly knelt beside the guinea pig cage. She didn’t want to be mean. Or make Dee Dee mad at her. She wanted to have fun on Groundhog Day. She was tired of all the cold and snow. Carly had to find out if winter was nearly over.

But Dee Dee was still pleading. “I’ll do anything you say, if you just tell me.”

“Okay, okay,” Carly finally gave in.

Dee Dee danced around the room. “Hoo-ray!”

“You
have
to keep it a secret,” Carly said.

“I can do that,” Dee Dee replied.

Carly really hoped so.

FOUR

Carly sat beside Dee Dee on the floor.

Time for the Cul-de-sac Kids club meeting. They usually met at Dunkum’s house. He had the biggest basement. And his parents didn’t mind.

Dunkum’s real name was Edward, but everyone called him Dunkum. He could slam-dunk most any basketball. He was that tall!

The Cul-de-sac Kids always took off
their shoes before a meeting. They lined them up in a row.

Carly stared at the neat row of snow boots. She could hardly wait to wear tennis shoes again. And sandals and shorts. And go swimming with the warm sun shining down. . . .

“The meeting will come to order,” Abby said. She was sitting in the giant beanbag. It was the president’s chair.

“Where’s Piggy?” Dee Dee whispered to Carly.

Carly said, “I left him at home. He’s hiding.”

Dee Dee had a crooked smile. “Did you hide him in the you-know-what place?”

Carly said, “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

Dee Dee twisted her short, wavy hair. “Don’t be so snooty.”

“Listen to the president,” Carly replied.
“Abby’s talking.”

“You better tell me,” Dee Dee whispered.

“I don’t have to,” Carly said back.

Abby was shaking her head. “Excuse me, girls. We’re trying to have a meeting here.”

Dunkum Mifflin wagged his finger at Carly and Dee Dee. “Nobody talks when the president is talking.”

Eric Hagel turned around and stared. His eyes weren’t blinking at all.

“It’s not nice to stare, Eric,” Dee Dee hissed.

Carly poked Dee Dee in the ribs. “Be quiet!”

“I don’t feel like it!” Dee Dee hollered.

Jason Birchall made a face at Carly and Dee Dee. “You two better watch it,” he said.

Stacy Henry put her hands over her ears.

Shawn and Jimmy frowned at Carly and Dee Dee. Then they chattered to each other in Korean.

Dee Dee stood up. She looked down at Carly. Then she twirled a curl with her finger.

Carly wondered what Dee Dee was up to. She felt jittery.

Dee Dee raised her hand to speak.

“Yes, Dee Dee?” Abby said from the front of the room.

“Carly’s hiding a guinea pig in her closet,” Dee Dee blurted. “She doesn’t want anyone to know.”

How could she do this to me?
Carly wondered.

“It’s true, just ask her,” Dee Dee was saying.

“It’s NOT true!” Carly yelled back. She wasn’t lying. She was hiding Piggy
behind
the closet wall.

Abby jumped out of her beanbag. “I think we’d better call this meeting quits,” she said.

Dee Dee sat right down. “We’ll be quiet. We promise.”

Abby nodded her head. “It’s been a long and cold winter. Everyone’s cranky. Maybe we should wait till spring for the next meeting.”

Carly got up and headed for her snow boots. “Abby’s right. We’re fussy, and we can’t help it.”

Dee Dee crossed her arms and pouted. “Blame it on the weather,” she muttered.

“Pout if you want,” Carly said. “I’m leaving.”

All the kids were staring at her now.

But Carly didn’t care. Her stomach did a flitter-flop.

Dee Dee was such a blabbermouth!

FIVE

Carly slid open the skinny door in the closet wall. She flicked on her flashlight.

The guinea pig darted away.

“Sorry about that,” Carly said. She shined the light away from his cage. She wanted to keep Piggy company. She wanted to talk to someone. Even a guinea pig was better than Dee Dee Winters!

“The club meeting was horrible tonight. Capital H!” she told Piggy.

The guinea pig rattled his cage.

“Goody, you understand.” She reached inside to lift him out. “You’re lonely, aren’t you?”

Piggy made cute little clicking sounds.

“I’m sorry I had to leave you here.” She stroked his soft fur coat.

Piggy seemed to enjoy being petted.

“My best friend blabbed to everyone about your hiding place,” she said. “I’ll have to keep a close watch on you all weekend. I must take good care of you. Miss Hartman said so.”

Piggy seemed to listen. He put his tiny face near her neck.

“Do you have a secret?” Carly leaned her ear down. “Do you know when spring is coming?” she asked. “Like that old groundhog in Pennsylvania?”

She thought of all the icky weather they’d had. One blizzard after another.
Everybody was sick of it. Most of all, Carly!

“Will your cousin see his shadow tomorrow?” she whispered.

Piggy began to whistle loudly.

“Is that an answer?” She had to laugh. “Can you whistle a tune?”

He kept up the shrill sound.

“Let’s have a duet.” She tried her best to make up a song.

Then . . .

Bam, bam!

Someone was pounding on the sliding door.

She stopped whistling and held her breath. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Especially not big-mouth Dee Dee!

But Piggy kept whistling. Loudly.

“Shh!” she whispered to the guinea pig.

But he continued his Piggy tune.

“I know you’re in there, Carly,” a voice called through the door.

It was Abby.

Oh no!
thought Carly.
She’s gonna scold me about the meeting!

Carly leaned hard against the door.

“Listen,” Abby said. “You’re not in trouble.”

“Go away!” Carly shouted. She felt Piggy tremble in her hand.

“I need to talk to you,” Abby insisted.

“What about?”

“About your secret,” said Abby.

“What secret?” Carly asked.

“Your idea,” Abby said. “Your weather experiment.”

Carly did a gulp. “Experiment?” she said. But she knew what Abby meant. Someone had let her secret slip. And she knew who that Someone was.

“Dee Dee told everyone about your plan,” Abby said.

I knew it,
Carly thought.