House Party Read Free Page A

it’s just fallen on the ground,” Jen said. “You know, the five-second rule for fallen food.”
    â€œOkay, okay, I get it,” my mother said.
    There was a faint honking of a car horn. My father. He’d already said his good-byes and was waiting, not so patiently, in the car.
    â€œI better get going,” my mother said. She hugged Jen, and then she wrapped her arms around me.
    â€œBe smart, be safe,” she whispered in my ear. She always said that. She had since I was little enough to remember. Usually I listened. This weekend I knew Iwasn’t going to be smart. I just hoped I’d be safe.
    We followed her to the door as my father honked again. I leaned out the door and waved, and my father smiled and waved back as my mother got into the car. We stood there waving and watched as they drove away, turning the corner and disappearing.
    â€œI guess we should get going,” Jen said. “We have no time to waste.”
    â€œI guess you’re right. We better study, and then I’ve got to get to soccer and—”
    â€œThere’s no time for soccer or for studying. We have to get things ready for the party.”
    â€œBut I can’t miss my game.”
    â€œSure you can. It’s only a house-league game. We have too many things to do.”
    â€œWhat sort of things?”
    â€œFor starters, we have to put things out and put things away.”
    I gave her a confused look.
    â€œWe have to put out cups and plates, and we have to put away anything that’sbreakable or valuable. Things like all those figurines your mother has in the living room.”
    â€œI hadn’t even thought of that,” I said.
    â€œAlways thinking,” Jen said, tapping herself on the side of the head. “But before we do that, we have to take care of the most important thing you need for a party…people.”
    â€œBut we already invited people…last night and yesterday at school.”
    â€œWe invited
some
people.”
    â€œWe invited fifteen people and that’s all we’re going to invite,” I said firmly. “That’s what we agreed to, a small gathering.”
    â€œWe agreed to
have
fifteen people,” Jen said. “Do you really think that everybody we invited is going to come?”
    â€œWell…”
    â€œYou’re the one who said we weren’t giving people much notice. For a party to work we need to have fifteen or twenty—”
    â€œWe agreed fifteen,” I said, cutting her off.
    â€œFifteen plus us.”
    â€œOkay, seventeen, but not twenty.”
    â€œSure, seventeen, not fifteen, but not
five
.”
    â€œWe invited fifteen.”
    â€œBut what if only five show up?” Jen asked. “It wouldn’t be a party. It would be a
disaster
.”
    I pictured seven people sitting around in my living room. There would be nobody talking, nobody dancing, just people staring at each other.
    â€œWe would be the laughingstock of the whole school. We’d be the girls who threw a party and nobody came.”
    â€œThat would be awful.”
    â€œThat would be worse than awful. We’d have to change schools!”
    Jen could be a drama queen sometimes.
    â€œI figure we have to invite a few extra people to make sure we have enough people to make it a party.”
    â€œBut what if we invite more people and they all show up?” I questioned.
    â€œFirst off, they won’t. Second, we’ll prepare the house so that nothing will get damaged, and third, what’s the difference between fifteen and twenty-five?”
    â€œTen.”
    â€œFunny. Whether it’s fifteen or twenty-five, it’s a party. If we only have five, it’s a disaster. Isn’t it better to aim high?”
    â€œI guess,” I reluctantly admitted.
    â€œBesides, do you think your parents would see any difference between fifteen and twenty-five?” Jen asked.
    â€œIs that supposed to be