The Secret Book Club (13 page)

Parties, Olivia thought, were so much more fun and easier to plan when you were little. A birthday party, for instance, involved musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, a scavenger hunt, goody bags all around, a pile of presents to open, and pizza and cake and ice cream. Period, the end. Olivia still thought this was the best kind of party and wished, in fact, that the party she was giving — this very afternoon — could be just that (even though it wasn't her birthday).

But, thought Olivia with a sigh, she was going into seventh grade and parties were different now. Of course, she might have a better idea of just what went on at a seventh-grade party if she had been invited to Tanya's. But she hadn't. She'd been crossed off the list (or so she assumed).

And yet, here she was, getting ready to give a party
to which she'd invited not only Tanya (the list-crosser-offer) but everyone else who'd been at Tanya's party. Olivia thought over the events of the summer — the humiliation of not receiving an invitation even though Nikki and Flora had been invited (and everyone
knew
that the three of them were best friends), her plans for Brave Saturday, dropping her invitations in the mailbox so that there was no going back, and then waiting to see if anyone (other than Nikki, Ruby, and Flora) would RSVP. And now it was the last Saturday of August, which was also the last Saturday of summer vacation — school would start in three days — and Olivia's party was to take place in the afternoon.

She still had not heard from Tanya.

Everyone else was coming, but Tanya was a question mark.

Olivia sat on her bed that morning and looked out onto the familiar sight of Aiken Avenue, a view she had seen nearly every day of her life. There was Mr. Pennington's tidy front yard, there was the rosebush in Min's yard, there was the oak tree, the lamppost, the fire hydrant. Olivia wished she could spend the rest of summer vacation sitting in her safe, familiar room. She didn't want to give a party, not this party, anyway. But everything had been set in motion.

Olivia reached for the phone and dialed Flora.

“Hi!” said Flora. “Are you excited about today?”

“No.”

“Really? You're not? You're just nervous?”

“Yeah. And I want it to be over with. But I also want it to go well.”

“It will. It'll go well.”

“How do you know? This isn't the kind of party Tanya would give. And why didn't Tanya ever reply to the invitation, anyway?”

Flora sighed. “Olivia, I don't know.”

“Everyone else replied. And now Melody and all those friends of Tanya's, the ones who tease me and are jealous of my grades, are going to be there. Oh,
why
did I decide to have a party?”

“Because of Brave Saturday,” Flora replied. “This is a very brave thing you're doing, Olivia. Just like all the brave characters we read about this summer.”

“I guess. But that doesn't mean the party is going to go well. It could be a big, giant disaster, and I —”

“Olivia, back up. Why
did
you want to give the party in the first place?”

“To — I guess to kind of remind the other girls that I'm — that I'm
here
. And I'm a nice person. And to point out that maybe we could all be friends.”

“Okay. Well, I think the party is going to do every one of those things. Besides, you came up with a great idea: Who else do you know who could have a party in her family's own store?”

“You,” said Olivia.

“Okay, that's true. But a party at Sincerely Yours is going to be so cool.”

“Are you sure? It's not the same as a pool party and barbecue. And
I
like my idea, but that doesn't mean anyone else will.”

“Are you kidding? The guests get to put together their own gift baskets. Your mom and dad said they can take anything they want from the store.”

“Within reason. I think there's going to be a limit. They can't choose something that costs a hundred dollars. But most of the stuff's not expensive anyway.”

“See? That's great! They'll love it. It'll be just like the time Maura had her birthday party in that place where you make your own pottery.”

“I guess.”

“Olivia! Quit worrying, or the party really won't go well. Now, come on. What time are Ruby and I supposed to be at the store?”

“Mom and Dad are going to close it at four this afternoon. You guys and Nikki come at four-thirty, okay? Everyone else is coming at five.”

“I'll see you at four-thirty.”

 

“Well?” Olivia said to her friends as they looked around Sincerely Yours that afternoon. “What do you think?”

“It's … it's beautiful!” exclaimed Nikki. “Really wonderful. It's all glittery.”

Olivia and her father had strung tiny white lights on the shelves and the candy counter and around the door and the window. In the front of the store a table had been set out and on it were trays of chocolates and brownies and cookies made by Mrs. Walter.

“We'll order pizzas later,” said Olivia. “So … first we'll just talk and stuff and have snacks, then everyone can make the gift baskets, and after that we'll get pizzas. Is that enough for a party? I mean, enough to do? I know it isn't like Tanya's —”

“Olivia,” said Nikki, “it's plenty, really.” She gave her friend a hug.

“Do you have stage fright, Olivia?” asked Ruby.

“I guess. A little. What do you do when you have stage fright?”

“Yoga.”

“Oh. I guess there isn't time for that.”

“Nope,” said Ruby, “because the first person is here.”

Olivia let out a shriek and looked toward the door.

“It's Melody,” said Nikki in a low voice.

“And Tanya's with her!” exclaimed Olivia. “So. She's just a rude person who doesn't RSVP.”

“Olivia — get over it,” whispered Flora.

Olivia, an awful, heavy feeling in her stomach, opened the door to Sincerely Yours. “Hi,” she said. “Come on in.”

Melody and Tanya, arm in arm, entered the store.
“Hi, Flora! Hi, Nikki!” they chorused as they stepped around Olivia.

Olivia felt like a dead fish on a beach, pairs of bare feet carefully avoiding her.

Her mother stepped forward. “Girls, I'm Mrs. Walter, and this is Mr. Walter. And surely you know Olivia,” she added pointedly.

Olivia was pleased to see Tanya flush slightly. “Hi,” said Tanya.

“Um, well,” Olivia began, “help yourselves.” She indicated the trays of treats. “My mom made all these things.”

“Cool,” said Melody.

The door opened again and in came Claudette Tisch and Mary Louise Detwiler. “Hi, Olivia! Thank you for inviting us!”

The heaviness in Olivia's stomach began to lighten. Sophie Pearson arrived, and then two girls from Mrs. Annich's class. And before Olivia knew it, Sincerely Yours was filled with kids who were laughing and talking and calling to one another. And Olivia was among them. Claudette asked Olivia what she had done over the summer, and Olivia told her about the secret book club.

“Wow,” said Claudette. “You are so lucky.”

Melody pulled Olivia aside and said, “This is your family's store?”

“Yup.”

“I've been in here before, but I didn't know it was yours.”

“We're all going to make our own gift baskets in a few minutes,” Olivia told her proudly, and was gratified to see Melody's eyes widen.

“Really?” said Melody.

“Yup.”

It suddenly occurred to Olivia that someone was going to have to make an announcement about this. “Um, Ruby,” she said, “do you want to stand on a chair and tell everyone that they can start putting their baskets together?”

“Sure!” said Ruby.

But Nikki pulled Olivia aside and said, “You have to do it, Olivia. Not Ruby.”

Olivia compromised. She lifted a stack of baskets down from one of the shelves, passed them around, and told her guests — individually — that they could start taking things from the shelves. “You could put together a basket for yourself, or for one of your friends, or your mom or dad. Or you could make a special-occasion basket, like for a birthday.” She glanced at her father.

“The only rule,” added Mr. Walter, “is that the value of the basket can't be more than twenty-five dollars.”

“Cool!” said Sophie. “Olivia, this is the best party.”

“Really?” replied Olivia. “Thank you.”

Flora, standing nearby with Ruby, saw the relief and pleasure on her friend's face. She also saw the grim set
of Tanya's jaw and was about to say something to Nikki when Ruby tugged on her shirt. Flora leaned over and Ruby whispered in her ear, “That girl” (she tried to indicate Tanya without pointing at her) “is jealous. Who is she?”

“Tanya. That's Tanya.”

“The one who didn't invite Olivia to her party.”

Flora nodded.

“I don't like her,” said Ruby.

“Give her a chance. She was nice to Nikki and me.”

Olivia, having handed the baskets around, now found herself in the middle of a group of girls.

“Do you work here? I mean, do you get to help out at the store?” asked Claudette.

“Sure,” said Olivia. “Anytime I want.”

“And your mom makes all the candy and stuff?”

Olivia nodded. “She has help, but these are her own recipes. And she comes up with the ideas for things like the chocolate numbers to put on birthday cakes, and chocolate candles. You can't light them, but you can eat them.”

The girls laughed.

“Does your mom make candy at home, too?” asked Mary Louise.

“She used to, but now she mostly makes it here. To sell.”

Tanya joined the girls. “Hey, Olivia. What did you do this summer? Did you go away?”

Olivia shook her head. “Flora and Nikki and Ruby and I were really busy, though. And also, I worked on my butterfly collection. I only collect dead butterflies, though. I never kill live ones. I have butterflies from …” Olivia's voice trailed off. She saw Tanya nudge Melody. “Well, anyway, I was busy.”

“Look, you guys,” said Claudette, who was standing before a display of rattles and rubber duckies. “I put together a basket of baby things. I'm going to become an aunt this fall, you know. My big sister is having a baby.”

“My basket,” said Nikki, who had been studying the candy counter, “is for my brother. Tomorrow he leaves for college.”

Tanya turned her attention from Olivia to Nikki. “Your brother is going to college?”

Nikki nodded. “He got in over the summer. And he got a scholarship.”

“Wow. I thought …”

Nikki glared at Tanya.

“Um, well, my basket is going to be for my mother,” said Tanya quickly.

“Come on, then,” said Melody. “I'll show you where the candles are. You should put a candle in her basket.”

The girls fell silent, and finally Olivia said, “So what did you guys do over the summer?”

“I was a CIT at this camp in Maine,” said Sophie. “For a month. It was so cool. Every Saturday night the CITs at the girls' camp got to go to the boys' camp and have a picnic or something with the boy CITs.”

“I helped out with the summer program for the kids at the community pool,” said Mary Louise. “Lots of cute lifeguards there.”

Claudette and Sophie and Mary Louise laughed.

Olivia took a step back, nearly stumbling into Tanya.

“Pizza time!” announced her mother. “Are you girls almost done with your baskets?”

“Yes!” everyone chorused.

“How did you do?”

Claudette held out her baby basket, and Nikki held out her basket for Tobias, and soon the girls were exclaiming and talking and comparing items. Olivia felt Flora nudge her into the group again. She was relieved when the pizzas arrived.

An hour later, the pizzas devoured, Mr. Detwiler peeked through the window of Sincerely Yours. Claudette's parents were behind him, and the next thing Olivia knew, her guests were calling, “Goodbye!” and “Thank you!” and “See you in school!”

Her party was over.

 

Later, in bed, Olivia decided to have another conversation with herself.

“It went okay, don't you think?” asked one of the Olivias.

“The most important thing is that I did it. Tanya didn't invite me to her party, but I went ahead and had a party of my own and invited her to it.”

“That was the adult thing to do.”

“I think so.”

“And everyone had a good time.”

“Including me. It was fun talking to the other girls.”

“What about the butterfly collection?”

“I can't think about that. I shouldn't have mentioned it. I'll have to be very careful about what I say once school starts.”

The Olivias began to swim and float, and in her bed below, Olivia Walter's eyes drooped and she fell asleep to owl calls and Jacques barking and all the nighttime sounds of Aiken Avenue.