Snaggle Doodles (5 page)

Emily looked around the room.

Everyone looked different today.

“That's a nice blue suit,” Emily told Beast.

Beast raised one shoulder. “My mother made me wear it. I wanted to wear black pants.”

“We're going to leave in two minutes,” Ms. Rooney said. “I hope everyone is ready.”

“I'm ready,” Matthew said. He was wearing his same old T-shirt. But today he had on a tie. It was green with little red dots.

‘Til be ready in one minute,” Beast said.

He was bent over his desk. He was drawing a picture of a bride and groom.

The bride looked like Ms. Vincent.

Dawn leaned over. “How do you like my dress? It's brand new.”

“It's the best in the class,” Sherri Dent said.

Emily nodded a little.

She didn't care.

She was wearing her pink party dress.

There was a little ice cream stain on the skirt.

But her mother said you could hardly see it.

The main thing was they were going to the wedding.

Ms. Vincent's wedding.

Emily pulled the package out of her desk.

It was wrapped in white paper.

It had a pink ribbon on top.

Emily was going to give it to Ms. Vincent after the wedding.

Emily smiled at Linda Lorca.

She waved the package around a little.

She and Linda had worked for an hour after school.

They had worked on the S-A-L-E place mat.

It didn't say S-A-L-E anymore.

It said S-N-A-G-G-L-E.

Underneath, instead of a flower, was a big
D.

D
for doodles.

Ms. Rooney told them to line up.

Emily walked around the science table.

She smiled at the robot.

He looked as if he were smiling back.

Ms. Rooney's class marched down the hall.

Mr. Mancina, the principal, waved at them. “Tell Ms. Vincent good luck,” he called.

They went out the door and down the street.

The sun was shining.

Emily took Uni out of her pocket.

Even Uni was going to see this wedding.

They crossed Linden Avenue.

They turned in at the church.

Ms. Rooney put her finger on her lips. “Don't make too much noise,” she said.

They marched into the church.

Emily blinked a little at the darkness.

She let Beast and Matthew get ahead of her.

She had a seat right on the end.

Linda Lorca had a seat on the end too.

She was one row in front of Emily.

She turned around. “I like the music, don't you?”

Emily nodded. “I wanted to tell you,” she said. “You were a great leader.”

“Thanks,” Linda said. “You were great too.”

Just then the music stopped for a minute.

Then it started up again.

“Here comes the bride,” the organ played.

Emily turned around.

Ms. Vincent was coming down the aisle.

Her dress was white. It had a bunch of lace on the bottom.

She was wearing a tiny white hat.

It had a puffy veil.

She was carrying white flowers.

Emily had never seen anyone more beautiful.

She couldn't wait until she was a bride too. Emily leaned out of the aisle a little. She wanted to make sure Ms. Vincent would see her pink party dress.

Ms. Vincent did. She smiled. She stopped for a minute. She looked at Emily. “Snaggle doodles,” she said.