Thank You, Lucky Stars by Beverly Donofrio

Author:Beverly Donofrio
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780375849633
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2008-01-08T05:00:00+00:00

When I asked my mother if kids could come over to rehearse for the talent show in the yard, she said, “Honey, I don’t care. I just hope nobody slips on those leaves.” My father had only raked once all fall, so leaves lay in little hills where the wind had blown them.

Now, as I waited for my friends to arrive, the oak’s thick, strong limbs reminded me of muscleman arms, and the willow’s branches twittered in the wind. Pacing from the oak to the willow and back, I thought about the strange dream I’d had the night before. I was in an old theater inside a golden cage flying in huge arcs over an audience. It wasn’t like I was trapped. I could get out of the cage whenever I wanted, but I had to fly and I was afraid I didn’t know how to.

I heard Sissy’s back door slam at the same moment Tina’s mother roared up with the top down. Tina was in front and Lulu was in back, waving before they even rounded the corner into the driveway.

I ran up to the car. “Hi, Mrs. Tamblin,” I said.

“Mrs. Tamblin’s a fishwife. I’m Mrs. Carpacci,” she said, flipping down the visor and stretching her face toward it.

“Mom.” Tina climbed out. “That’s not your name.”

“I’m getting married in the morning,” she sang, fluffing her hair out.

“You are not.”

“Wait and see.”

Tina slammed the door and took Lulu’s hand. Her mother tooted goodbye as Sissy walked up.

“Your mommy’s getting married?” Lulu asked.

“She’s just kidding,” Tina said.

It seemed like Tina’s mother was odder every time I saw her. I felt sorry for Tina. It would be horrible to have a mother like that.

“This is your house?” Lulu asked me. Her hair was in Princess Leia buns like Tina’s, and she still held Tina’s hand.

Sissy grabbed mine. It was the first time she ever had.

“Yes, this is my house,” I told Lulu. “And this is Sissy, and this is Lulu,” I said, introducing them.

“I’m going to disco,” Sissy announced.

“Me too,” said Lulu, and then they ran their eyes all over each other.

While I opened the garage door and set the boom box on a stool, Tina began teaching the girls the basic disco step. Just then George and Karl rode up on their bikes and laid them on the lawn.

“Come on!” Tina called. “Dance with us.”

“Tina!” I stomped both my feet, which I guess is a jump. “This is supposed to be a rehearsal. You guys,” I said to Lulu and Sissy, “sit over here.” I pointed to the ground next to me, just under the willow branches. “George and Karl, would you please sit down too?”

“We’re the audience,” Sissy said.

“When we’re done, you guys can tell us what you think, okay? Have you ever seen Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers?”

They shook their heads.

“Singin’ in the Rain? Dirty Dancing?”

No again.

“Have you seen MTV?”

“Of course,” Karl said.

“Well, we’re probably not going to look like that. Just tell us if it doesn’t look good.”

“Here.” Karl dragged a line in the leaves with a stick.

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