A Picture-Perfect Mess Read Free Page A

her eyes like her mom did sometimes when she needed a minute to calm down.
    â€œWe do special promotions for all important activities at Auden Elementary,” Aly said when she opened her eyes again.
    â€œWell, just so you know, I’m starting a business now too,” Suzy said, straight to Aly. “And it’s going to open on Picture Day, and it’s going to be so much better than your spa in the stinky back room of your mom’s dumb salon. I bet all you’re doing for Picture Day is a lame Special Occasion Manicure.”
    â€œSuzy Davis!” Charlotte yelled.
    Charlotte shifted her body to get off the tire swing and face Suzy head-on.
    Aly took a deep breath and put her hand on Charlotte’s arm. “That’s nice, Suzy,” she said. “I hope your business works out.”
    Lily looked at Aly and then nodded. “I hope so too,” she said.
    Charlotte huffed. “Yeah,” she said.
    Before anyone could say anything else, Caleb walked over. He looked from Suzy to his sister and asked, “Is there a problem here?”
    Caleb and Charlotte’s dad was in charge of security for a major company in town, and Caleb wanted to be just like his dad. Sometimes when the Sparkle Spa had special promotion manicures and pedicures he worked “security.”
    â€œNo problem,” Aly said quickly.
    And just as quickly, Suzy snapped, “Tire swings are babyish,” and walked away.
    Charlotte smiled at her brother. “Thank you,” she said. “That’s like the millionth time you’ve gotten rid of Suzy Davis for us in the past three months!”
    â€œOnly the third,” Caleb said, looking down at his sneakers. “Anyway, I was wondering if one of you might want to play basketball. We need another player.”
    â€œAnd by ‘one of you,’ you mean Lily.” Charlotte laughed.
    â€œWell, or you,” her brother said. “You’re really good when we shoot hoops at home.”
    Charlotte shook her head. “Too many elbows at school,” she said.
    Lily was already hopping off the tire swing. “I don’t mind the elbows.”
    â€œCool,” Caleb said and then knocked her with his elbow. She laughed.
    â€œWant to cheer them on?” Charlotte asked Aly.
    Aly and Charlotte hopped off the swing. As they walked over to the basketball court, Aly couldn’t help but think about the Sparkle Spa. What would be the best thing to have written on the mirrors? And what was Suzy Davis’s business going to be? Should they do something even more special at the Sparkle Spa for Picture Day so it was sure to be better than whatever Suzy had planned? And did anyone else think Special Occasion Manicures were lame? Aly certainly hoped not. She’d have to talk to Brooke later.
    Why oh why did Suzy Davis always have to pop up so unexpectedly?

four
Lemon Aid
    A fter school that day Aly and Brooke went to True Colors. Some days Aly had swimming lessons and Brooke had art class, but even when it was a non–Sparkle Spa day, they still tried to help their mom in her busy salon.
    As Aly and Brooke walked through the front door, the bell jingled. Everyone looked up. All the manicurists waved, and some of the customers said hello too. A lot of them had been going to the salon for years—from as far back as Aly could remember—and had known the sisters since they were babies.
    â€œHi, girls,” Mom said from manicure station number one, where she was giving Miss Nina a manicure. In addition to working at the pet store, Miss Nina was a True Colors regular who loved getting rhinestones on her pinkies. Just like the Picture-Perfect Pinkies manicure.
    â€œHi, Mom,” Brooke answered. “I can’t wait to tell you about the sculpture we’re doing in art class. It’s called a storyteller, and it has really long arms, and then there’s people on—”
    â€œBut we know you have a