Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog (4 page)

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Authors: Stephanie Greene

BOOK: Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog
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Yesterday they looked so beautiful. Today they looked so small.
The tinfoil was crumpled where Posey had gripped it. One of the roses had a droopy head like it was sleepy.
Looking at them made Posey feel sad.
She put them in her backpack. She zipped it closed.
Now Miss Lee wouldn't know how much Posey liked her.
Now she would like Nikki more than she liked Posey.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND”
A
va and Nikki rushed up to Posey's table.
“Miss Lee loved the story I wrote for her!” Ava said.
“She loved my flowers, too!” said Nikki. “What did you give her, Posey?”
“I don't like you anymore, Nikki,” Posey said with her trembly mouth. “You're not my friend.”
Nikki's eyes got big the way they did when she was going to cry.
Posey turned around in her chair so she couldn't see. Being mean made her feel a little better.
But not for long.
She didn't have anyone to share her cookies with at lunch. She sat by herself on the swings at recess.
When Miss Lee asked for helpers to pass out her birthday cupcakes, Posey didn't raise her hand.
The cupcakes had fluffy white frosting. They were covered with colored sprinkles.
Posey didn't touch hers.
Miss Lee walked around the room. She stopped at every table.
“Aren't you going to eat yours?” she said when she got to Posey.
Posey shook her head.
“You have been quiet all day,” said Miss Lee. “Do you feel all right?”
Posey nodded.
Miss Lee crouched down. “Would you like to talk about it?” she whispered.
Posey shook her head again. This time, she squeezed her eyes shut.
“All right.” Miss Lee stood up. “I'll wrap this so you can take it home.”
Posey watched Miss Lee walk away. She
did
want to talk about it. But not with Miss Lee.
With her mom.
Except, when Posey opened the car door after school and her mom said, “How did Miss Lee like your roses?” Posey didn't talk.
She cried.
CHAPTER EIGHT
AS GOOD AS NEW
“T
here.” Posey's mom put the last rose into the jar of water. She had snipped off the tips of each stem so they could drink.
“They will be as good as new in no time,” she said.
Posey sniffed. She had told her mom what happened. Except not the part where she was mean to Nikki.
“Can Danny have a piece of your cupcake?” her mom said.
“I guess so.”
Her mom put a piece of cupcake on the tray of Danny's high chair. She sat down at the kitchen table next to Posey.
“I'm sorry you were disappointed, Posey,” she said. “But you should have given Miss Lee your flowers.”
“Nikki's not my friend anymore,” Posey said.
“You're being silly.” Her mom tucked a piece of hair behind Posey's ear. “Nikki didn't know you were bringing flowers, did she?”
“No.”
Posey had kept her idea a secret, but Nikki came up with it, too. They came up with the same good idea lots of times. That's why they were best friends.
She had hurt the feelings of one her own best friends.
Posey's mouth got trembly again.
“But she gave Miss Lee about fifty hundred,” she said.
“The number doesn't matter,” her mom said. “Look at Danny! We only have one of him and that's plenty, don't you think?”
When Posey and her mom looked at him, Danny laughed.
He had frosting all over his face. One blue sprinkle sat on the tip of his nose. He was spreading more frosting on the tray of his high chair.
“If we had more than one Danny, the house would be a mess!” Posey said.
“Exactly.” Her mom laughed as she stood up. “You go get changed while I clean him up,” she said. “We'll play outside for a bit.”
“But how will Miss Lee know I like her?” Posey said.
“You'll find a way to show her,” her mom said. “Your very own Posey way.”
CHAPTER NINE
SILLY POSEY!
P
osey put on her pink tutu. She also put on her pink veil. It always made her feel better.
Gramps gave it to her for the first day of first grade. It was covered with stars.
Posey went outside. The sun was warm on her face. She closed her eyes and held out her arms.

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