A Case of the Meanies by Courtney Sheinmel

Author:Courtney Sheinmel [Sheinmel, Courtney]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781585361984
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Published: 2012-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

Stamp of Approval

You can’t just not invite someone to a party at their own store. That’s a Ground Rule.

Okay not an official ground rule, like No Disruptive Behavior. But it should be one.

Penny had a play date after school—a makeup play date with Zoey because of what happened on Monday—but I didn’t. My dad was the carpool driver. He said Mom was resting at home. After he dropped off Penny and Zoey, we headed to the store because he still had a bit of work to do.

“Can you do me a favor?” I asked.

“Certainly, darling,” Dad said.

As soon as Dad said those words, “Certainly, darling,” I felt better. Everything was going to be just fine—Dad would make sure of it.

“I need you to cancel Joshua’s party at the store,” I told him.

“But didn’t you and Evie have plans to go to that together?”

“We did,” I said. “But I didn’t get to be invited. He invited everyone in my whole entire class except me!”

“I’m sure he didn’t invite everyone else,” Dad said.

“No, really,” I insisted. “EVERYONE. That’s what he said.”

“Oh, darling, I’m so sorry,” Dad said.

“That’s why you have to cancel,” I continued. “Leaving me out isn’t allowed.”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Stel,” Dad said.

“Why not? It’s OUR store.”

“That’s true, but I promised Joshua’s mom we’d host the party.”

“You made a promise to me too,” I reminded him. “You said ‘certainly’ when I asked for a favor.”

“Let me get this straight,” Dad said. “This is Joshua, the boy in your class that you don’t really like?”

“Yes,” I said. “And I’m not the only one who doesn’t like him. He’s the biggest meanie I’ve ever known.”

“If that’s the case, then why do you want to go to the party?”

I didn’t answer. The truth was, I didn’t really want to go. I just wanted to be invited. I didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. We stopped at a red light and Dad clicked the rearview mirror down so he could see me in the back seat. “What did you think about the fudge pop?” he asked.

That’s one of his Dad tricks—trying to change the subject whenever Penny and I are upset about something, so we stop thinking about it. It works on Penny, but I’m older so he can’t distract me that easily.

“It was okay,” I said glumly, still thinking about Joshua.

“Just okay?”

I shrugged, but Dad didn’t get to see my shrug because the light turned green and his eyes were back on the road.

“Maybe today you can help Stuart make it great,” he said.

When we got to the store, Dad and I took the elevator down to level C, which means cellar—another word for basement. He had a few things to do in his office. I sat at the desk, watching him sort through papers.

“Where are last week’s receipts? Oh here they are,” Dad said. I knew he wasn’t talking to me. He talks to himself when he’s thinking about work stuff. “I think the new samples are upstairs.

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