“She’s my friend, for better or worse,” Alfie said, slumping in the chair. “All the girls in my class are my friends, I already told you.”
“Okay, okay,” EllRay said, holding up his hands in pretend surrender. “I give. And I totally believe you. So what’s the problem? Or did you just wanna talk? Because—”
He rattled a few of the papers surrounding him.
“I get it,” Alfie grumbled. “You have lots of homework because you’re an important sixth grader who’s the boss of the world.”
“The boss of Oak Glen Primary School, maybe,” EllRay said, pretending to think about it. “What’s up?” he asked again.
“It’s Tuesday, right?” Alfie said. “And everything was going perfect with the girls in my class until yesterday morning. That’s when Lulu Marino said she’s gonna have a sleepover this Saturday night. The best sleepover ever, in fact. But her mom says she can only invite five other girls, and she has to decide this week who they’re gonna be. And two girls are already her best friends. Suzette and Hanni.”
“So that leaves three empty spaces,” EllRay said, doing the math. “But you should get in easy, right? Because you and Lulu are so tight.”
“Yeah, sure,” Alfie said, making a face. “Last year, maybe. I mean, we didn’t have a fight or anything,” she hurried to explain. “Things just kinda changed over the summer when she went to Maine. I don’t know why. But I still want to go to the sleepover. I just don’t know how to pull it off.”
EllRay twiddled his pencil so fast while he thought that it became a yellow blur. “Wait,” he said, his eyes narrowing, and the pencil blur stopped. “Lulu’s not supposed to be talking about parties at school, is she? Not unless she invites every single girl in your class. So she’s breaking the rules. You should tell her she has to invite all the girls. That’s what.”
“She probably wouldn’t listen, that’s what,” Alfie said, shaking her head. “And nobody’s going to say anything to Mr. Havens about it, either,” she added. “Or Lulu won’t invite them for sure. Besides, Mr. Havens is just a boy, basically,” Alfie said. “And that means he could never understand us girls in a million years. And this is exactly what I was worried about way back last summer, remember? Having a boy teacher? I was right!”
“That was only four weeks ago,” EllRay pointed out. “And how do you think us boys feel? I’ve had a so-called ‘girl teacher’ every single year so far at Oak Glen.”
“But girl teachers understand everybody,” Alfie told him.
“No, they don’t,” EllRay said, snapping out the words. “You could ask Mom what to do, but parents get all mad at each other when their kids’ feelings get hurt. It just ends up making everything worse.”
“Yeah,” Alfie said.
“What about if you remind Lulu you used to be best friends?” EllRay asked.
“That’s too lame,” Alfie said.
“Then do something nice for her,” EllRay suggested.
“But everyone’s already kissing up to Lulu,” Alfie argued. “She’s as happy as a piggy in a puddle. You should see her.”
“Then give her a present so she’ll invite you,” EllRay said, only half paying attention now.
“That’s your great advice?” Alfie asked. “What am I supposted to give her, a bag full of money? Real money?”
“Unless you can get her to take Monopoly money,” EllRay said, laughing.
“That’s lame, too,” Alfie scoffed. “Either kind of money. Anyway,” she added, thinking about it. “I’m not gonna pay somebody to be my friend.”
“I was kidding,” EllRay said. “Even if you did want to pay her, you’re broke. And I’m not lending you anything.”
“Who cares?” Alfie said. “But I’m not getting any closer to going to Lulu’s sleepover, am I?” she asked, scowling.
Alfie could feel hot tears gather at the corners of her eyes. Her family called this “clouding up,” as if Alfie were a day that could turn from sunny to stormy, just like that.
“Wait a minute,” EllRay said, putting his pencil aside. “Maybe I can help. Talk to me, but pretend that you’re talking to Lulu, okay? Because maybe she doesn’t know how much you wanna go to her party.”
“Huh,” Alfie said. But she was listening.
“I’ll be Lulu, and you be you,” EllRay explained.
“Wait,” Alfie protested. “How come I have to be me? I always have to be me. I should get to be somebody else, for a change.”
“Let’s just try it my way first,” EllRay said, sighing.
“Okay. But you start,” she told her brother.
EllRay groaned, but then he spoke. “I’m giving this totally awesome party on Saturday, yo,” he began in a high voice, pretending to be Lulu. “And it’s gonna be pretty chill.”
“But your mom says you can only ask a few girls,” Alfie said, coaching him. “Go on, say it, EllRay. Except Lulu Marino’s mom calls her a special darling, so she never says ‘yo.’”
EllRay gave a dramatic sigh. “But my mom says I can only ask a few girls, yo,” he said, still in Alfie’s face a little as he peeped out the last word.
“Really?” Alfie said in a pretend-casual, too-sweet voice. “Because I just love parties, Lulu! You remember that from when we were best friends last year, right? And I’m not doing anything on Saturday. Especially on Saturday night.”
“That’s interesting,” EllRay-Lulu said.
“Phoebe loves parties too,” Alfie said, as if she’d just been thinking about it. “And so does Bella Babcock, the new girl with three dogs. Amazing dogs,” she added, exaggerating.
But she didn’t know, Alfie told herself. Maybe Bella’s dogs were amazing.
“Oh! You guys should definitely come,” EllRay-Lulu said, pretending to fluff up his invisible hair.
“Lulu would never say it that easy,” Alfie argued, becoming her regular self again. “She’d stretch it out and make me beg.”
“You’re kidding me,” EllRay said, frowning. “Then
