A Picture-Perfect Mess (6 page)

Because the entire Sparkle Spa team had less than thirty minutes to attach the charms to the necklaces before the first customers arrived, they didn't stop for one second.

Sparkly whined and kept nudging Brooke's elbow as she clipped away.

“You have to be extra good today,” Brooke told Sparky, picking him up and putting him in his enclosure. “I know it's going to be really busy and you're going to want to play with everyone, but not all our customers like dogs as much as we do, so you have to stay in your corner, okay?”

Just as Jenica walked into the Sparkle Spa, Caleb put the final charm—a butterfly—on the final necklace. Aly couldn't believe they'd gotten it all done. She wanted to give everyone a huge hug, but that would have to wait until the last pinkie was polished.

E
ven though the spa was crowded, the manicures all went perfectly.

Charlotte gave the girls their necklaces and then helped them pick out polish colors to match.

Lily collected the donations for the teal strawberry.

Aly, Sophie, and Brooke polished and rhinestoned as fast as they could.

Aly was so glad they were doing manicures instead of pedicures, because they took much less time.

Everyone couldn't stop talking about the charms.

“Did you get a bunny too?” Tuesday asked a second grader named Annie.

“I did!” Annie said. “Wait. Do you
have
a bunny?”

Tuesday nodded. “Fluffy,” she said.

“
My
bunny's name is Fluffy too!”

It seemed like Tuesday and Annie were making new friends at the Sparkle Spa. That was pretty cool.

Joelle, another one of the Angels, said to Mia, “Why do you have two charms?”

Mia touched the soccer ball and ballet shoes around her neck. “Well, I like soccer and dancing and didn't want to choose just one.”

As Aly glued green rhinestones onto Parker's blue pinkies, she heard a commotion at the door.

“I'm sorry,” Caleb was saying. “But you're not on the schedule. It's too crowded in here to let people in who aren't on the schedule.”

When she finished placing the rhinestones, Aly looked up just in time to see Suzy Davis waving a pile of papers at Caleb. “Aly and Brooke let me leave these here last week. I need to refill the stack. For my business. Suzy's Spectacular Makeup.”

Caleb called to Aly. “Aly? Should I let her in?”

Aly sighed. “It's okay. Suzy can come in.”

Once Suzy squeezed inside, she made an announcement. “Who's signing up for Suzy's Spectacular Makeup? I need to know
right
now.”

“What is that again?” a fifth grader named Aubrey asked. “There were signs in the bathroom at school, right?”

“It's my makeup business,” Suzy explained. “Shimmer lip gloss and fairy dust. Tomorrow during lunch in the second stall in the girls' bathroom near the cafeteria. For Picture Day. It's five dollars. Are you going to sign up?”

Aubrey didn't answer.

“Are you?” Suzy asked.

“To be honest,” a soccer player named Maxie said from across the room, “that seems kind of expensive. I'd maybe do it for a dollar.”

“A dollar!” Suzy exclaimed.

“You know, Suzy,” Lily said, “getting more people to come for one dollar might make more money than fewer people coming for five dollars.”

Suzy turned bright red—like Be My Valentine polish—and stormed out of the door. She didn't leave any makeup sign-up sheets behind.

“Well,” Charlotte said. “That was interesting.”

“Would you really sign up for Picture Day makeup for one dollar?” Brooke asked Maxie.

Maxie shrugged. “Sure,” she said. “I think it would be fun to have fairy dust on my cheeks for my pictures. But you can buy a whole jar of it for three dollars. I know because my cousin has some. It's not worth five dollars to just get some brushed on your face.”

“I agree,” said Valentina, another Angel. “I'd do it for a dollar too.”

For a moment Aly thought about calling Suzy to make sure she understood people liked her makeup idea, but that she was charging too much.

Maybe she'd change her mind about her fees tomorrow. But then again, Suzy Davis was one of the most stubborn people Aly had ever met, so maybe not.

As exhausted as Brooke and Aly were Tuesday night, they still gave each other manicures.

Brooke painted Aly's nails with Starry Nights, a navy-blue shimmer polish that matched Aly's leggings, and topped it off with rhinestones on her pinkies. Even though Aly yawned about fifteen times in a row, she managed to polish Brooke's nails a bright I Dream of Greenie with gold rhinestones.

Forty minutes later the sisters were asleep, and as ready as they'd ever be for tomorrow.

A
ly, is my braid straight? Is there any hair popping out of it?” Brooke asked her sister.

“It's perfect,” Aly answered as she brushed her teeth.

The next morning was a mad dash to get ready for Picture Day. Aly and Brooke woke up earlier than usual, so they could get to school before the first bell.

Aly looked in the mirror one last time and grinned.

The bows on her sleeves were tied perfectly—Brooke had helped. And her hair was shiny—Mom had let her blow-dry it and then had sprayed it with hair spray afterward. She felt especially fancy.

Aly, Lily, and Charlotte had made a plan to meet by the water fountain near the gym before the first bell rang so that they could admire one another's outfits. Aly arrived first, and while she was waiting she read the signs taped on the wall above the water fountain.

One was looking for more volunteers for Helping the Hungry at Lunch—Oliver Shin's community service project.

Another was telling kids when they could audition for the school play—
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
. Aly wondered if Brooke might want to do that. She'd make a great Munchkin.

Then there was Suzy Davis's sign for her Suzy's Spectacular Makeup business—only it had been changed. Instead of “$5,” it said “$1.” And instead of information about how to book appointments, it said:
NO APPOINTMENTS NECESSARY!

Aly wondered how early Suzy had gotten to school to put up all these new signs. She also was impressed and couldn't believe that Suzy had changed her plan.

“What are you looking at?” Lily asked when she walked up next to Aly.

“Suzy Davis's sign,” Aly said. “And you look great!”

Lily's Picture Day outfit was:

• a gray-and-yellow-striped shirt

• a pair of yellow jeans

• black high-top sneakers

• News Prince nail polish with yellow rhinestones

• a necklace with green beads and a basketball charm—and a strawberry charm (that she said stood for her job at the Sparkle Spa)

Lily smiled and tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. Then she blurted out, “She made it cheaper!”

Lily glanced at Aly. “So what do you think, Al, are you going to try it out?”

Aly shrugged. “I'm not sure. Maybe. Probably. I mean, I feel bad. I would be so sad if we had no customers at the Sparkle Spa. You know? And our necklaces and rhinestone manicures were such a hit, I'm not worried about people thinking her business is better than the Sparkle Spa.”

“No business is better than the Sparkle Spa,” Charlotte said. “And I love both your outfits. How does mine look?”

Charlotte's Picture Day outfit was:

• a red dress

• orange leggings

• gold ballet flats and a gold belt

• Go for the Gold nail polish with red rhinestones

• a red headband with a sparkly rose on the side

• an orange bead necklace, with a heart, a moon, and a sun charms

“We were talking about Suzy Davis's makeup Picture Day business and whether I was going to go. I think probably yes. Just to be nice. And you look fantastic!”

Lily sighed. “Then I guess I'll go too.”

Charlotte twirled her hair around her fingers. “I
really
don't like that girl, but if you two are going, I'm in.”

Right after eating lunch, and after they'd pulled out their Sparkle Spa mirrors to make sure they didn't have any pizza sauce in their teeth or around their mouths or in their hair, Aly, Lily, and Charlotte headed over to the girls' bathroom near the cafeteria.

“Let's get this over with,” Charlotte said, adjusting her headband.

“It might be nice,” Aly said. “I mean, fairy dust is actually kind of cool.”

“And worth it now, for a dollar,” Lily added.

“I guess,” Charlotte said.

Lily pushed the door to the bathroom, but it opened only a crack.

“Ouch!”

“Hey, please move over so we can get in,” Lily called through the crack.

“Trying!” the person called back.

Lily pushed the door the rest of the way open. And Aly stopped right where she stood. There were so many people in the bathroom. Maybe more than there were in the Sparkle Spa the day before. Kids could barely move.

Suzy opened the door to the second stall and poked her head out. “More people?” she asked, holding a white triangle that looked like it had glimmering fairy dust on it.

“It's us, Suzy,” Aly said. “But we can leave if you don't have time for us.”

“Actually . . . ,” Suzy said, pushing through the crowd. “I'll be right back, everyone. Just let me through. I need to talk to them.”

Suzy stopped in front of Aly. She whispered into her ear, “Is, um, is there any way you can help? There are so many people and only one of me, and I don't have enough time to do everyone myself. People have been polite so far, but I can tell they're going to get mad soon.”

She continued, “I mean,
I'd
be mad if it was me and I had to stand in a crowded bathroom for so long. So . . . any chance you could help? I'll, um, I'll give you fairy dust and shimmer lip gloss for free.”