Stories from New York #3 Read Free

questions. In the afternoon, we’re going to watchthem make storyboards, and on Wednesday we’ll check out some of the pictures from the shoot while they’re laying out the article. Other than business and accounting, we’re going to be seeing most of the major departments.”
    “I still don’t see how we’re supposed to come up with questions for the cover person when we have no idea who it is,” Tally stated.
    It was a good point, one I’d been asking myself a bunch of times.
    “We’re just going to have to be ready for anything,” Ivy said. “And remember what my mom told us: Things go wrong just as often as not. So there’s a possibility there won’t be time for us to ask our questions at all. Or even that they’ll switch to a different person for the cover. We’re just going to have to play it by ear.”
    “That’s right. Be ready for anything,” I said, pulling my little video camera from my bag. “Starting now—time to record our first video entry for our web issue.”
    “Oh, great idea!” Ivy said. She turned around and hung over the back of her seat. “Mom, can you film us for a minute?”
    “Sure,” Mrs. Scanlon said, reaching over and taking the camera from me. “Why don’t all four of you squish into the seat facing me.”
    Ivy and I piled on top of Miko and Tally.
    “Ready? I’m recording,” Mrs. Scanlon said.
    Never shy about being on camera, Tally jumped right in.
    “Hey, y’all!
4 Girls
here, heading into New York City to bring you an all-web edition of
4 Girls
from none other than
City Nation
magazine!”
    Tally nudged me.
    “We’re going to spend the next few days seeing how things run at one of the most popular magazines out there,” I said, holding up my copy.
    “We’re going to go behind the scenes in everything from design meetings to a photo shoot,” Miko added. “So if you’ve got any questions, post them to our blog, and we’ll try to answer them for you.”
    “We’re going to post articles, photographs, and videos of everything we can,” Ivy said. “And we’re going to keep you updated on the question that’s been keeping the four of us up at night—who is the mystery celebrity who’ll be featured on the cover?”
    “And what question should each of us ask him or her if we get the chance?” Tally asked. “Stay tuned to find out!”
    “Okay, that was great,” Mrs. Scanlon said. “You’ve created a sense of anticipation to keep your readers checking back.”
    “So…who IS the mystery celebrity?” I asked with a grin.
    Mrs. Scanlon laughed. “For now, you’re going to have to stick to your own advice and stay tuned,” she told me.
    As if we had a choice—the four of us had front-row seats to the show!

• chapter •
2
    When we got off the train in New York, my breath caught in my throat and my heart began to race. I was in awe of the massive expanse of Grand Central Terminal, its vaulted ceilings painted with constellations. The main room looked as big as a football field and was crowded with people moving one way or another and somehow managing not to collide. Mrs. Scanlon led us past a row of shops, including a bookstore, a coffee shop, and a chocolate store packed with customers. A brightly lit display of breads and cakes caught my eye, and a delicious smell stopped me in my tracks. Ivy ran into me with an “Oomph!” She looked at the storefront.
    “Eli’s,” she said, grinning as I stared wide-eyed at an enormous stack of cupcakes. “Best bakery in the world.”
    I could believe that. The smell was intoxicating,and I felt like I could stand there all morning just sniffing.
    Mrs. Scanlon ushered us quickly through the crowds, and before taking us out the door and into the city for real, she gathered us around her.
    “Okay, girls. The hotel is just a few blocks away from Grand Central, so we’ll walk there,” she said. “Everybody stay close to me. We’ll go check in and drop our bags in our suite, then we’ll go over