Best Frenemies Forever by Megan McCafferty

Author:Megan McCafferty
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

My dad is in his office wearing his noise-canceling headphones. Mrs. Ray and my mom are downstairs, supposedly discussing the details of the double birthday trip. They’ve never socialized before so I assumed they’d keep it all business—arrivals and departures and packing lists and whatnot. I hoped they’d keep it quick and to the point and avoid any conversation that might reveal me as the liar I am. But my mom opened a bottle of wine and it’s turning into an embarrassing grown-up gigglefest. I always think it’s weird when adults don’t act their age, but now I’ve got reason to worry too.

Kaytee and I are upstairs. I finished my homework as soon as I got home, but Kaytee is just getting around to it now. Or not really because she’s too busy clutching her stomach and rolling around on my floor to conjugate Spanish verbs.

“I’m staarrrrrrrrving.”

“I’ll get some snacks!”

This gives me an excuse to spy on our moms and make sure they stay on topic.

I slip downstairs to get a bag of sprouted bean crisps, which I’ve tried telling Kaytee taste a lot like potato chips if you’ve forgotten what potato chips taste like. This is easy for me because I haven’t had real potato chips in fourteen months and six days.

My last sleepover at Ella’s house.

I’m about halfway down the stairs when I catch part of the moms’ conversation. Just as I had feared, the discussion has gone way off course.

“I practically forced Sophie to introduce herself to your daughter. I wish she were more social. I worry about her spending so much time by herself.” Ice clinks in the glass. “What I’m trying to say is, Sophie is lucky to be Kaytee’s friend.”

This is all true.

And yet.

The way Mom is saying it …

Almost like she’s apologizing.

Like she’s embarrassed to be my mother.

Like she wishes she had another daughter.

One who is better at being the right kind of girl.

A girl who is pretty but not prissy.

Bubbly and bold in all the right ways.

All about seeing and doing and go go going!

A girl like Kaytee.

I sink to the floor. I don’t want to hear any more, but I can’t stop listening.

“The feeling is mutual,” Mrs. Ray says. “I promise you.”

A warm-and-fuzzy feeling washes over me. I know I’m lucky to be Kaytee’s friend. But it’s comforting to hear she’s lucky to be mine too. The giddy lift lasts for about half a second before I’m flattened yet again.

“I’m surprised to hear you’re worried about Sophie socially,” Mrs. Ray says. “According to Kaytee, Sophie has a great group of girlfriends. They’re in the popular squad? That’s what they call it these days, right? A squad?”

I’m paralyzed in place.

“A squad ?” My mother says the word as if she’s trying out a foreign language. “Sophie hasn’t mentioned anything about a squad.”

“Really? Kaytee says they rule seventh grade,” Mrs. Ray says. “That’s why Kaytee was so surprised Sophie picked her to spend the weekend …”

RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE …

“A squad ?” Mom asks again.

“Kaytee talks about them all the time! Ella and Morgan the superstar singers.

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