Mallory's Super Sleepover (4 page)

The minute my alarm goes off, I pop out of bed.

Not because it’s Monday morning and I can’t wait to get to school. Not because I did a great job on my science project and I can’t wait to turn it in to my teacher. And not because I have an adorable, new outfit that I can’t wait to wear and show my friends.

I can’t wait to go to school, because the sooner school begins, the sooner it will end, and the sooner Mary Ann can come over and we can start planning my sleepover party.

Monday afternoon, in my bedroom

Mary Ann plops down on my bed. “I officially call our first
Super Sleepover
meeting to order.”

Max sticks his head in my room. “Whatever you two are doing in here, I don’t think I like it.”

Mary Ann rolls her eyes. “For your information, we’re planning Mallory’s sleepover party, and you are N.I., which is short for
Not Invited
.”

Max laughs. “I wouldn’t want to come anyway.”

He closes the door, and Mary Ann opens up a notebook. “The first thing on the agenda is who to invite.” She starts reading names from the list she made. “The two of us, April, Pamela, Arielle, Danielle, Hannah, Grace, Zoe, Emma . . .”

I look over Mary Ann’s shoulder and start counting names. I stop counting halfway down. I think she’s written down every name of every girl we’ve ever known. Now is definitely the time to have the
my-parents-said-I-have-to-keep-this-party-small
talk with Mary Ann.

When I’m done explaining, Mary Ann frowns. “Haven’t you heard the expression
the more the merrier
?” she asks.

I nod. “I have. I’m just not sure my parents have. Why don’t we have the two of us plus Pamela and April.”

Mary Ann wrinkles her nose like something stinks and it isn’t the scent of Max’s baseball cleats in the bathroom. “Mallory, there’s a difference between a sleepover and a super sleepover. You can’t call your party
Mallory’s Super Sleepover
with just four people. We should at least include Emma and Zoe.”

She gives me a look like she’s an authority on sleepovers and parents. “You need to talk to your parents. I’m sure they’ll understand when you explain it to them.”

Even though I want to do things the way Mom and Dad asked me to, Mary Ann makes a good point. There is a difference between a sleepover and a super sleepover. “I sure hope so.”

Mary Ann smiles. “Of course they will. It’s your birthday.”

Mary Ann makes a check in her notebook. “On to invitations,” she says like we’re done talking about who to invite and now it’s time to figure out how to invite them.

We spend the rest of the afternoon making invitations and party favors and snack lists and activity lists. We plan out our
to-do
schedule for the rest of the week. Everything sounds like fun, fun, fun, except for the
talking-to-Mom-and-Dad
part. When Mary Ann leaves, I look at our schedule. Unfortunately, the one un-fun part takes place tonight.

Monday night, in the kitchen

“Mallory is everything OK?” asks Mom. “You were awfully quiet during dinner.”

I think about this afternoon. Mary Ann and I made a lot of plans for my sleepover.

We planned a cupcake decorating contest and a water balloon fight. We decided that even though Max said he wouldn’t want to come to the party, I’m going to see if he wants to invite some friends over for the water balloon fight. Something tells me he’ll like that a lot.

Mary Ann and I decided we would tell scary stories while we roast marshmallows around a fire. We planned what to have for a midnight snack while we watch a movie before we go to sleep and what to eat for breakfast when we wake up. We even planned to ask our moms if we can get special matching pajamas.

Even though I know what Mom and Dad said about small and simple, everything Mary Ann planned sounds like so much fun. Just thinking about it all makes me happy.

Dad taps me on the shoulder. “Mallory, are you in there?” He smiles like he would love for me to share whatever I’m thinking about.

“Sorry,” I smile like I didn’t mean to be rude. “I was just thinking about my sleepover.”

My parents sit down beside me. “We want to hear all the details,” says Mom.

I take a deep breath. Mary Ann and I came up with a
how-to-explain-things-to-my-parents
plan. It’s time to put it into action.

First, I tell them about our plans.

I tell them about the cupcakes and water balloons and scary stories and even the matching pajamas. Then I show them the invitations we made and tell them how many people I want to invite. I tell them how excited I am for my
Super Sleepover
and that I think this is going to be the best birthday ever. Then I cross my toes and wait. I hope they will be as excited as I am.

Mom and Dad are quiet for a minute. I can’t tell if that’s a good sign or a bad one.

“Your party sounds a little more elaborate than what we had in mind,” says Dad.

I feel like a paper cup of water with a hole in it. I can feel the happiness and excitement draining right out of me.

Mom looks at Dad, then me, like I should cheer up because she’s about to give me some good news. “However, Dad and I understand how important a tenth birthday is. You can invite everyone on your list, and the plans are fine.”

Then she gets a serious look on her face. “But six girls and water balloons can get out of hand. I expect you and your friends to behave yourselves. No surprises.”

I throw my arms around Mom. I can’t believe she said yes to everything. “Thanks so much,” I tell her. “We’ll be good and I promise no surprises.”

Mom laughs. “One more thing,” she says as I start to walk down the hall to my room.

I stop and turn around. I should have known it was too good to be true.

Mom smiles. “New pajamas sound like fun. I will call Mary Ann’s mom and see if she and Mary Ann want to go shopping with us.”

I blow my parents good night kisses. So far, so super.

Tuesday afternoon, after school

“I never thought this day would end,” I say to Mary Ann as we walk out of the gates of Fern Falls Elementary.

“Now all we have to do is wait,” says Mary Ann. “Hopefully Pamela, April, Emma, and Zoe will be some of the first ones out.”

But they are not. Mary Ann and I watch as kids start filing through the gates. Some first and second graders. Not who we are waiting for. Some sixth graders. Not who we are waiting for. Arielle and Danielle. Definitely not who we are waiting for. Finally, Pamela walks through the door. Then Zoe. A few more kids leave. Then April and Emma.

“Go!” whispers Mary Ann. She opens the front of my backpack and grabs the envelopes that we addressed yesterday afternoon and shoves them into my hand. I give my friends their invitations and watch as they open them up and start reading.

“I’d love to come!” says Pamela.

“Me too!” says April.

Emma nods like she’s in too.

Zoe starts jumping up and down. “Count me in!”

All my friends start talking at the same time.

“What kinds of cupcakes are you going to have?” asks Pamela.

“Can we bring more than one stuffed animal?” asks Emma.

“I love water balloon fights,” says Dawn.

“We’re going to have so much fun!” squeals April.

That was exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for. I high-five Mary Ann. My sleepover is going to be so super.

Wednesday afternoon, at the mall

“Girls pajamas are up the escalator to your right,” a salesclerk tells Mom.

Mary Ann and I follow our moms up the moving stairs.

“I hope they have birthday pajamas,” I say to Mary Ann.

We both cross our fingers as we ride up the escalator. “Maybe they will have them with cute little cupcakes all over them,” says Mary Ann.

“That would be so cute!” I add.

When we get to the pajama department, Mom and Colleen start looking at one rack, and Mary Ann and I start on another.

“Over here,” Colleen says a few minutes later. Her voice sounds excited. When I look, I see why. She’s holding up two pairs of pajamas with cupcakes on the front.

Mary Ann and I hug each other.

Our shopping trip is turning out to be just as super as I know my sleepover will be.

Thursday night, on the phone with Mary Ann

“Mallory, it’s for you,” Max calls from the kitchen.

I run to get the phone.

“It’s Birdbrain,” he says as he hands me the receiver. “Tell her I’ve got a very big water balloon waiting for her.”

You would think the day before my birthday, he’d try a little harder to be nice to me and to my best friend, but I ignore him and take the phone.

Me: Hey! Hey! Hey!

Mary Ann: Hey! Hey! Hey! I can’t believe tomorrow is the big day. Is everything ready?

Me (pulling checklist I made out of my pajama pocket): I think so.

Mary Ann: Snacks and supplies?

Me: Check.

Mary Ann: Marshmallows and movie?

Me: Check.

Mary Ann: Party favors?

Me: Check.

Mary Ann: Did you talk to Max?

Me: He talked to his friends, and they’re coming over for the water balloon fight. Everything is a big check.