My New Best Friend Read Free

wood, but they don't require any hammering. We write his and hers on the front of them.
    Then we lie across my bed, toss Choco-chunks to George, and make up evil mermaid stories while the boxes dry.
    We try them on.
    They are the best costumes ever.
    "Say 'cheese'!" Mom tells us later that day from behind her camera.
    "Cheese!" me and Stacey say, smiling through the half moons in our outhouses.
    Mom clicks a picture. Then she hands us two matching gift bags. We each got Brooke one sock, one glove, and one earring, just to be funny. "Let's go party!" Mom says.
    "Can we stop by the Purdee Good on the way to Brooke's?" Stacey asks. "Kelli's working and she wants to see our costumes."
    Stacey calls her mom Kelli just like the rest of us. The Purdee Good is a café where she's a waitress. It's named after our town, Purdee. Plus, they serve purdee good food there. Get it?
    "Sure," Mom says. "Oh, and there's one more thing...," she adds.
    "What?" I ask.
    The doorbell rings.
    Mom walks over to the door and peeks out the window. Then she looks back at us. "
This,
" she says and opens the door.
    There stands Jenna Drews and her little sister, Rachel.
    "Hi, girls!" Mom says, like she was expecting them.
    "Hi, Mrs. May," Rachel says back. "Thank you for inviting us." Rachel's wearing a white ballet leotard with white netting wrapped around it. A flowery wreath is on her head. She reminds me of
a statue I saw in a park once. Only Rachel doesn't have any bird poop on her.
    Jenna is wearing a green leotard with fake vines stuck to it. Bugs and butterflies are painted on her face. Her hair, which is usually braided, is loose and crimped. It hangs over her shoulders like lasagna noodles. It's dyed the color of cooked peas.
    Mom turns to me and Stacey. "I didn't have a chance to tell you," she says.
    "Tell us what?" I ask.
    "Mr. and Mrs. Drews had something come up at the last minute, so Jenna and Rachel are going to the party with us!"
    My chin practically drops out of my half moon.
    "Great!" Stacey says, all cheerful.
    "Stacey?" Jenna says. "Is that
you?
"
    "Yep," Stacey says back. "I'm an outhouse! It was Ida's idea." She gives me a smile.
    Jenna gives me a look. "Figures," she says.
    "Um.. .what are you supposed to be?" I ask Jenna. "A talking log?"
    Jenna glares at me. "For your information," she says, "I'm
Gala.
"
    "
Who-a?
"
    Jenna rolls her eyes. "
Gai
-a," she replies. "Goddess of the Earth.
Hello?
Mr. Crow just read a myth about her last week."
    "Oh," I say. "Sorry. Wrong number."
    Rachel tugs on Jenna's vine. "
I
want to be an outhouse," she says.
    "No, Rachel," Jenna says back. "You're a
muse.
"
    "But I don't want to be a moose," Rachel says. "Not unless I get to wear antlers."
    Jenna rolls her eyes again. "Not a
moose,
Rachel. A
muse.
You sing and dance and do whatever I tell you."
    "I want to be an outhouse," Rachel grumbles.
    "I'm not taking a stinky old outhouse to Brooke's party," Jenna says. "You're lucky I'm taking you at all," she adds. "It's not like you were invited."
    Rachel swallows hard. Her bottom lip starts to tremble.
    I turn to my mom. "We
do
have an extra box," I say.
    My mom smiles at me and nods.
    "What
extra box?
" Jenna says.
    "This one," Mom says and disappears into the kitchen. A moment later she returns with the too-small outhouse. She fits it over Rachel's head.
    "It's perfect," Stacey says, smiling at Rachel.
    "Wait," I say and bump my way to the kitchen. I grab a black marker out of the junk drawer. I bump my way back and write mine under Rachel's half-moon chin.
    Rachel steps back and smiles at all of us. "How do I look?" she asks.
    "Very a-
muse-
ing," I say.
    Stacey giggles.
    Jenna snorts and shakes back her green hair. "Can we
go
now? My makeup is starting to melt."
    "I'll grab my keys and meet you at the van," Mom says.
    We head out the door. Jenna barges to the front of the pack, practically knocking Rachel right out of her box.
    I grab Rachel's arm to steady her. "Are you okay?" I ask.
    "Yep,"