فصل چهل و سوم

chapter 43

Colleen, wearing a new red dress, anxiously waited for her guests to arrive. Except for Lori and Melinda, she hadn’t told anybody that there would be boys at her party.

The doorbell rang.

Her heart jumped. She hoped it would be Jeff and also hoped it wouldn’t be. She composed herself and opened the door.

It was Judy and Betty. They each gave her a present. “Ooh, what is it?” Colleen asked as she took each gift, but of course they didn’t tell her.

“Who else is coming?” asked Judy as the three girls sat and waited in the living room.

Colleen counted on her fingers, naming her guests. “Well, there’s you two, and Lori and Melinda, Karen, Amie and Dena …” She paused, then said the last two names very quickly, “andJeffandBradley.” “Bradley?” questioned Betty. “Bradley Chalkers? Oh, no!” Judy looked like she was about to faint.

“You didn’t say there were going to be boys at your party,” said Betty.

“Didn’t I?” Colleen asked innocently. “I thought I did.” “I don’t think I’m allowed to go to a boy and girl party,” said Judy.

“Okay, but you already gave me my present,” said Colleen.

They decided to stay. When the bell rang again, all three girls screamed, but it was only Amie and Dena.

Amie and Dena were dressed exactly alike, right down to their shoes and socks. They were best friends and their parents often took them shopping together. They always bought the same clothes. Then, before a party, or even just before school sometimes, they’d call each other up and decide what to wear. Today it was a blue dress with white-and-yellow flowery things.

“Colleen invited boys!” Betty told them.

“Bradley Chalkers!” said Judy.

Amie and Dena looked at each other in horror. Colleen took their presents from them, before they could change their minds. Both presents were wrapped in the same purple-and-green paper.

Karen was the next to arrive. “Colleen invited boys!” everyone said to her as she stood in the doorway.

Her mouth dropped open.

“Bradley Chalkers,” said Betty.

“And the new kid,” said Amie. “Jeff Fishfood.” Karen was very shy and quiet. If there were going to be boys at the party, she might not say one word all day.

The doorbell rang. Everyone except Karen screamed. She held a pillow in front of her face.

It was Lori and Melinda.

“Colleen invited boys!” everyone greeted them.

“Jeff Fishnose and Bradley Chalkers,” said Dena.

“So, we already knew that,” Lori said, as if it were no big deal to her.

“Oh, well, nobody else did,” said Judy.

The eight girls waited. They talked and laughed about how much Colleen would like her presents. They asked her what there would be to eat and what games they would play. The one thing they didn’t talk about was boys, though it was the only thing on each of their minds.

When Colleen told Dena there would be a three-legged race, the room turned very quiet. Each girl wondered if she would have to run it with a boy.

Colleen planned to run the three-legged race with Jeff. It didn’t occur to her that if she was partners with Jeff, another girl would have to be partners with Bradley.

It was starting to get late. A new worry slowly crept into each girl’s head. What if the boys didn’t show up? It suddenly seemed that the party wouldn’t be any fun at all without boys. Where were they?

Colleen’s mother walked into the living room and counted heads. “Eight,” she said aloud. “Who’s missing?” Nobody answered.

“Oh, the boys,” said Colleen’s mother. “Well, we can’t wait too much longer.” Colleen looked like she was about to cry.

Where were they?