Almost Identical #1 Read Free Page A

business hadn’t been great lately, so she closed her shop and sells at craft fairs instead. When we moved into the Sporty Forty, Chip Wadsworth asked her if she’d have time to help organize their events, and she said sure. She loves parties, and besides, working there gives her extra money and plenty of time to make her jewelry and take care of us, too.
    â€œMorning, Sammie,” she said. “I put some sliced cantaloupe for you on the counter.”
    â€œThanks, GoGo, but I’m late.”
    â€œIt’s never too late for fruit.”
    She held the plate out for me with a look that said
You will eat this cantaloupe and enjoy it
. I grabbed a slice and stuffed it in my mouth, reaching down to tie my shoes at the same time. I must not have totally closed my lips because as soon as I bit down, some juice shot out of my mouth onto my shoe.
    â€œOh, great,” I groaned. “Now my shoes are all cantaloupey.”
    GoGo laughed and handed me a napkin.
    â€œWhen will you learn? You’re always late, always rushing. That makes life messy.”
    â€œSquirty cantaloupe makes life messy.”
    â€œYou should have gotten up on time, Doodle. Noodle has been on the court with your father for a half hour already.”
    In case you’re wondering why GoGo was speaking in rhyme, Doodle and Noodle are her special nicknames for us. My real name is Samantha Ellen Diamond, mostly known as Sammie, except that GoGo calls me Doodle. My sister is Charlotte Joy Diamond, mostly known as Charlie, but in GoGo-speak, she’s Noodle or, sometimes, The Noodle. I’m not sure how I got to be Doodle and she got to be Noodle, but I’m guessing it’s because she was always thin like a noodle and I was round like a doodlebug.
    Oh, there it is again. The weight thing. Why is it always on my mind even when it’s not on my mind?
    GoGo reached up to the shelves above the sink, pulled out a whole bunch of platters and trays, and started to wipe them off.
    â€œI think the brownies will look really nice on this silver one,” she said, holding up a beautiful, shiny tray.
    â€œBrownies? Yum. I love brownies!”
    Oh, I forgot. No, Sammie. No brownies for you. Not at one two six and a half.
    â€œIs there a party tonight?” I asked, stuffing another cantaloupe slice into my mouth to drive out the thought of those evil, chocolaty brownies.
    â€œIt’s Lauren Wadsworth’s thirteenth birthday party,” GoGo said. “She’s having about thirty people. Lots of kids from your new school will be there. I’m sure Lauren won’t mind if you and Charlie go.”
    Grown-ups always think that just because you’re the same age as another kid, you’ll want to hang out with them and they’ll want to hang out with you. What even a cool grown-up like GoGo didn’t understand was that Lauren Wadsworth was the most perfect, most popular, most
everything
girl at Beachside Middle School. Charlie and I hadn’t even started school there yet, but we already knew about her. Even at Culver, our old middle school, she was famous for being rich, smart, beautiful, and everything else you’d ever want to be.
    â€œWe can’t go to her party, GoGo. We don’t even know Lauren Wadsworth.”
    â€œI hear she’s a darling girl. And you are darling girls. So it’s a perfect fit.”
    Yeah, right, a perfect fit.
Charlie and I had seen Lauren a few times at the club over the last month, and she didn’t exactly come over and ask to be our new best friend. She just hung out with her group, the other girls from the club, like Brooke Addison, Jillian Kendall, and Lily March. None of those girls seemed like they were dying to get to know the two new, girl, jock tennis players who were living in the caretaker’s bungalow and transferring in from Culver City Middle School.
    I grabbed my racket and headed outside. It was another perfect day: the sun shining,