Mallory and Mary Ann Take New York Read Free Page B

please!” she says. “Please say yes that we can all go together to New York.”
    Mary Ann gives me a
make-your-sad-puppy-face
look.
    I make the best sad-puppy face I’ve ever made.

    Our moms start talking quietly to each other. Even though we’re close by, it is hard to tell what they are saying. I hear buzz words like
plane
and
hotel
and
timing
. But it is impossible to tell by their facial expressions if they are going to say “yes” or “no” to what we asked.
    Mary Ann and I aren’t taking any chances.
    We came prepared. While our moms keep talking, Mary Ann and I hold up pictures of places to visit in New York City. We hold up pictures of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and Times Square.
    Our moms look at the pictures, and then they look back at each other. I try to send a message from my brain to their brains to say yes.
    Our moms keep talking quietly for what feels like a very long time.
    Finally, they nod at each other like they agree.
    Mary Ann grabs my hand. I feel like we are in court and the jury is about to read their verdict. I squeeze Mary Ann’s hand.
    I don’t think I can wait another second. And I don’t have to.
    â€œGirls,” says Mom. “Pack your bags. We’re going to New York!”

“So … what should our brilliant plan be for getting both of us on TV?” Mary Ann whispers into my ear for what seems like the three-thousandth time since our plane took off this morning.
    I don’t blame Mary Ann for wanting to get that figured out. I’m nervous about it too. But it’s not what I want to think about right now. We just landed in New York. There are so many cool things to see and do. I shove the tourist brochure that Fran’s assistant sent to me into Mary Ann’s hand and point to a picture of a horse and carriage. “Do you think we should take a ride around Central Park?” I ask, ignoring the question Mary Ann asked me.
    But Mary Ann ignores the brochure. Her suitcase bumps into my leg as we exit the plane, and she asks her question again.
    I know I need to answer her question. But I don’t have a good answer.
    As we walk out of the airport, I repeat the schedule that Mom told me this morning. “We’re going to check into the hotel. Eat lunch. Then we’re going to go to Fran’s studio.”
    Mary Ann smiles when I say that like a visit to Fran’s studio is the answer to our problems. “I’m sure you can work things out when we get there,” she says.
    It feels like the bag of pretzels and can of soda I had on the airplane are stuck in my throat. It doesn’t seem fair that I’m the one in charge of figuring this out, but I feel like I am. “I’ll try,” I tell Mary Ann. Even though designing a winning outfit and getting our moms to bring us both to New York was hard, now that we’re here, I feel like the hard part is just beginning.
    Mary Ann and I follow our moms to a yellow taxi that her mom says will take us to our hotel. She also says that we’re going to be amazed when we get there because New York City has everything.
    â€œDo they have a wish pond?” I ask.
    Both of our moms laugh.
    â€œI don’t think they have that,” says Mary Ann’s mom.
    That’s too bad because that is the one thing I could use right now. As we leave the airport behind, I close my eyes and pretend like I’m at the wish pond on my street. I make a wish.
    I wish I will figure out a way to get Mary Ann on
Fashion Fran
with me.
    I keep my eyes closed for an extra-long time. I really want my wish to come true. I know Mary Ann wants to be on the show. I do too. I want us to both be on the show. Together.

    I open my eyes when I feel someone’s hand on my shoulder. “Mallory, look out the window,” says Mom. She points to row after row of tall buildings.
    Mary Ann and I both lean forward to get a better