A Picture-Perfect Mess (2 page)

O
n Tuesday afternoon the Sparkle Spa was open for business as usual. Because of Mom's Three Days a Week rule, Aly and Brooke usually chose Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays as their salon days, unless something special was happening another day of the week.

Most Tuesdays were pretty busy. The soccer team usually came in for their good-luck rainbow sparkle pedicures. But their outdoor soccer season was over, and indoor soccer wasn't starting for another couple of weeks, so this Tuesday wasn't nearly as booked as usual.

That was good news for the Sparkle Spa crew. At lunch, Aly and Brooke had told their friends they had Sparkle Spa business to discuss after school.

Charlotte was in the bracelet-making area petting Sparkly, Aly and Brooke's puppy.

“What's so important?” Sophie asked. Sophie was Brooke's best friend and the Sparkle Spa's third manicurist.

“It's mirrors versus combs,” Brooke answered.

“Mirrors versus combs? What is that, a new team?” a voice asked from the Sparkle Spa door.

It was Jenica Posner, the Angels' soccer captain and the most loyal customer the Sparkle Spa had. She was also the coolest girl in the whole sixth grade. Sometimes Aly still couldn't believe that she and Jenica were friends, and it was all because of the Sparkle Spa. Mia Vasquez walked in after her.

“Nope,” Brooke said, shaking her head. “It's our latest idea for Picture Day. But what are you and Mia doing here? There's no more soccer for a while.”

“We like being at the Sparkle Spa, even if we don't have a game,” Jenica answered. She and Mia climbed into the pedicure chairs and kicked off their flip-flops.

“Are you getting rainbow sparkles?” Jenica turned to Mia.

Mia shook her head. “I figured this is my chance to do something different. I think I'm going with blue toes and silver polka dots. Like the ones Aly and Brooke did for us at the soccer party.”

“You know,” Brooke said, “I wonder if for your new soccer season, the rainbow sparkle pedicure will still work, or if you'll need new power on your toes. Maybe even polka dots.”

Jenica looked at Mia. Mia looked at Jenica. “I'd be afraid to change!” they both said. The entire team had gotten rainbow sparkle pedicures every single week of the outdoor soccer season. They made it to the state championship and won!

The Angels were convinced it was because of their pedicures, but Aly was convinced it was because they were all really good soccer players. Still, no one wanted to risk not having rainbow sparkle power.

“I think polka dots are good for the weeks we don't play,” Jenica said.

“Absolutely,” Mia agreed, sticking her feet in the warm soapy water.

As Sophie and Brooke started on Jenica's and Mia's toes, Aly and Lily joined Charlotte and Sparkly to discuss Picture Day.

“I think we're stuck,” Aly said. “Brooke likes both ideas, I like both ideas, and we have the same number of pros and cons for both ideas. Can you think of anything else we can do?”

Lily took Aly's latest list and looked at it.

Mirrors:

Pros:
Useful, easy to fit in a pocket or backpack, can order with rhinestones.

Cons:
69¢ each to make (expensive!). Will they crack?

Combs:

Pros:
Useful, come in cool colors, 49¢ each to make.

Cons:
Too big for pockets. Do more people use brushes?

“Well,” Lily said, “I think the combs might be a better idea. They're less expensive to order. And that will leave us more money to donate to a charity.” Since Lily was the Sparkle Spa's chief financial officer, she thought about money a lot.

Aly nodded. “That's true,” she said. “But we also have to think about what our customers would like better.”

Charlotte looked over at Mia and Jenica. “Wait,” she said. “Maybe we should ask them.”

“You're the best chief operating officer ever,” Aly said. “Why didn't I think of that?” As COO, Charlotte's job was to keep everything organized and make sure all their plans were as perfect as possible.

Charlotte laughed. “You and Brooke thought of the Sparkle Spa. I think in an idea contest, you guys still win.”

Aly and Lily both laughed at that, and then Aly walked over to Mia and Jenica. She explained the situation and asked their opinions.

“Well,” Jenica said, “I think they're both good ideas. Could you make both?”

Lily shook her head. “Not enough money,” she said, walking over to the soccer girls.

Mia ran her fingers through her hair. It was curly. The kind of curls that you could pull down and they'd bounce back up like springs. “I think you should go with mirrors,” she said. “Because whenever I use a comb after my hair is dry, it makes my curls less bouncy.”

Aly's hair was straight. Maybe a little bit wavy. She didn't know about this “curly comb” problem. But the Sparkle Spa did have many curly-haired clients who might feel the same way about combs as Mia did. And there were a lot of people at school with curly hair too. “What do you think, Brooke?” she said.

“Mirrors. I liked mirrors a little bit better anyway, because we can get them with rhinestones and that matches the Picture-Perfect Pinkies manicure.”

“Mirrors it is!” Aly said. Now she and Brooke would just have to design them. And figure out what they should say on the back.

Just then the girls' mom popped her head through the door. “Hi, there. Everything going well in here?” she asked.

The girls nodded. Sparkly barked. And Brooke said, “Everything is going absolutely perfectly and also we want to make mirrors for Picture Day just like you made nail files. Except ours will have rhinestones.”

Mom smiled. “Do you girls have enough money in the strawberry?”

“I think so,” Aly said.

“Pretty sure, Mrs. Tanner,” Lily added. “I counted before. We just need to double-check the cost of the mirrors.”

“Sounds good to me,” Mom said. “I actually came back here to grab a handful of True Colors nail files from the supply closet. Miss Lulu said she'd give them out for me at the dancing school.”

“Can I have one too, Mrs. Tanner?” Jenica asked.

“And me, please?” Mia said.

“You never know when you might need one,” Mom replied.

“And you never know when you might need a mirror, too,” Brooke said. “If you ate pizza and there was sauce on your teeth and you didn't know, for example. You'd need a mirror for that.”

Mom laughed. “You absolutely would, Brooke. Speaking of which, be ready to leave at six today. We're picking up eggplant parm for dinner on the way home.”

Mia's and Jenica's toes were drying when Anjuli, the soccer team's goalie, came in for an I Dream of Greenie with silver polka dots pedicure.

“So, Mia, what size photo package did you order for Picture Day?” Jenica asked her.

“I asked my mom to get the extra-big one,” Mia said. “After I traded with the soccer team last year, I barely had any photos left.”

“The big package is the best one,” Anjuli added. “I send pictures to my aunts and uncles and my grandparents, too, and that takes up almost eleven.”

“Eleven?” Aly asked from where she was polka-dotting Anjuli's toes.

“Four grandparents, seven aunts and uncles,” Anjuli said. “Well, actually, fourteen aunts and uncles, but I only send one picture to each pair.”

“Wow,” Brooke said. “Aly and I only have three grandparents and one aunt and one uncle. Our family is teeny tiny compared to yours.”

“If you count me and my two sisters, there are seventeen cousins in my family,” Anjuli said.

Aly and Brooke looked at each other, their eyes wide.

“We only have one cousin,” Brooke said. “We always wanted more, though. Seventeen sounds like it's the best.”

Anjuli smiled. “It's fun, but sometimes it can get crazy.”

Aly thought that fun but crazy sounded like a great kind of family to have. And actually, it sounded a little like what running the Sparkle Spa was like. She just hoped that the mirror plan would be one of those things that was more fun than it was crazy.

Handing out photos to family was a nice way to be remembered. And if the mirror helped her friends not have pizza sauce on their teeth, or something coming out of their nose, or not curly enough hair, then it would do the trick.

A
few days later Aly, Lily, and Charlotte were sitting together on a tire swing reviewing the Sparkle Spa's plans for Picture Day.

“Brooke and I finally designed the mirror. Brooke chose where to add the rhinestones,” Aly said. She took a piece of paper out of her pocket, unfolded it, and spread it out on her lap. “And we thought the words could be printed in a color like Purple People Eater.”

“So where do the rhinestones go?” Lily asked.

Aly pointed to the dots in the centers of the two stars.

“Hmm,” Lily said.

All of a sudden, Aly was a little worried. “Do you think it's bad?” she asked. “Brooke and I liked it, but maybe . . . maybe we should think a little more before we order it.”

Charlotte scratched her head. “Well,” she said, “I just think maybe there are too many words.”

Aly looked at the mirror. Charlotte had a point.

“How about . . . ‘Sparkle at the Sparkle Spa!' on top?” Lily suggested.

“And then ‘Call for your appointment' with the phone number on the bottom?” Charlotte added. “If you leave off the information about school pictures, then you can use these mirrors for a long time.”

“I wonder—” Aly started to say, but before she had a chance, someone pulled on the chain between Aly and Charlotte—the one that attached that side of the tire to the playground equipment.

“
Whoa!
” Aly said, quickly grabbing it.