Mallory's Super Sleepover Read Free

quiet during dinner.”
    I think about this afternoon. Mary Ann and I made a lot of plans for my sleepover.
    We planned a cupcake decorating contest and a water balloon fight. We decided that even though Max said he wouldn’t want to come to the party, I’m going to see if he wants to invite some friends over for the water balloon fight. Something tells me he’ll like that a lot.
    Mary Ann and I decided we would tell scary stories while we roast marshmallows around a fire. We planned what to have for a midnight snack while we watch a movie before we go to sleep and what to eat for breakfast when we wake up. We even planned to ask our moms if we can get special matching pajamas.
    Even though I know what Mom and Dad said about small and simple, everything Mary Ann planned sounds like so much fun. Just thinking about it all makes me happy.
    Dad taps me on the shoulder. “Mallory, are you in there?” He smiles like he would love for me to share whatever I’m thinking about.
    “Sorry,” I smile like I didn’t mean to be rude. “I was just thinking about my sleepover.”
    My parents sit down beside me. “We want to hear all the details,” says Mom.
    I take a deep breath. Mary Ann and I came up with a
how-to-explain-things-to-my-parents
plan. It’s time to put it into action.
    First, I tell them about our plans.
    I tell them about the cupcakes and water balloons and scary stories and even the matching pajamas. Then I show them the invitations we made and tell them how many people I want to invite. I tell them how excited I am for my
Super Sleepover
and that I think this is going to be the best birthday ever. Then I cross my toes and wait. I hope they will be as excited as I am.
    Mom and Dad are quiet for a minute. I can’t tell if that’s a good sign or a bad one.
    “Your party sounds a little more elaborate than what we had in mind,” says Dad.
    I feel like a paper cup of water with a hole in it. I can feel the happiness and excitement draining right out of me.

    Mom looks at Dad, then me, like I should cheer up because she’s about to give me some good news. “However, Dad and I understand how important a tenth birthday is. You can invite everyone on your list, and the plans are fine.”
    Then she gets a serious look on her face. “But six girls and water balloons can get out of hand. I expect you and your friends to behave yourselves. No surprises.”
    I throw my arms around Mom. I can’t believe she said yes to everything. “Thanks so much,” I tell her. “We’ll be good and I promise no surprises.”
    Mom laughs. “One more thing,” she says as I start to walk down the hall to my room.
    I stop and turn around. I should have known it was too good to be true.
    Mom smiles. “New pajamas sound like fun. I will call Mary Ann’s mom and see if she and Mary Ann want to go shopping with us.”
    I blow my parents good night kisses. So far, so super.
    Tuesday afternoon, after school
    “I never thought this day would end,” I say to Mary Ann as we walk out of the gates of Fern Falls Elementary.
    “Now all we have to do is wait,” says Mary Ann. “Hopefully Pamela, April, Emma, and Zoe will be some of the first ones out.”
    But they are not. Mary Ann and I watch as kids start filing through the gates. Some first and second graders. Not who we are waiting for. Some sixth graders. Not who we are waiting for. Arielle and Danielle. Definitely not who we are waiting for. Finally, Pamela walks through the door. Then Zoe. A few more kids leave. Then April and Emma.
    “Go!” whispers Mary Ann. She opens the front of my backpack and grabs the envelopes that we addressed yesterday afternoon and shoves them into my hand. I give my friends their invitations and watch as they open them up and start reading.
    “I’d love to come!” says Pamela.

    “Me too!” says April.
    Emma nods like she’s in too.
    Zoe starts jumping up and down. “Count me in!”
    All my friends start talking at the same time.
    “What