Ghost Town (3 page)

“You're not sure if . . .” Charlotte prompted, trying to help Isabel finish her thought.

“I'm not sure if my family can afford it,” Isabel murmured softly, looking down.

“The two hundred dollars?” Charlotte asked.

“Two hundred dollars is a lot of money for us,” Isabel reacted defensively. “Besides,” she added in a low voice, “sometimes I worry about my mom when I'm away.”

Charlotte nodded, biting her lip. “I understand.” Having lost her own mother at a young age, Charlotte could readily empathize with Isabel's concern about her mom, who was ill with multiple sclerosis. She reached over and gave her friend a hug. “Don't worry too much, Izzy. Your sister and your aunt will be with her. I'm sure she'll be okay.”

“Oh, Char, you're right. But even if my mom is okay, the money thing is still a big deal for me. There's just not enough for extras right now. And two hundred dollars to go to a resort seems like a really big extra. I think—no, I KNOW—that it's just not possible.” Isabel brushed a tear from her cheek.

“Hey, you two! What are you doing in there?” Maeve called from the other room. “Get out here!”

“What's going on?” Charlotte asked, hurrying back to the dining room. Isabel followed, discreetly wiping tears from her eyes.

“It's time to concentrate on OUR plans,” Maeve announced. “The Beacon Street Girls are going to a real dude ranch!”

“I can't believe it! We're all going to Montana! To a dude ranch! YEEEE HAAAW!” Avery shouted. “Your dad said something about free lift tickets, right?” she asked. “That means skiing and snowboarding! I'll be able to practice my boarding so next time I visit Dad in Colorado, I'll be in top form!”

“Oh, I almost forgot. We sent away for brochures so you can read about everything.” Charlotte raced for the stash of brochures stacked on her father's desk and passed one to each girl. Charlotte's heart sank as Isabel placed hers on the table without even looking at it.

The rest of the girls pored over the glossy pictures, gushing over every detail about the ranch and its amenities.

“Look at the rooms! They're so elegant and totally posh. Cowboy posh. I feel like a princess just looking at them!” Maeve swooned.

“Whoa, check out the game room. Pool tables and video games and air hockey. I rock at air hockey!” Avery pumped her fist in the air.

“It says here they offer horseback riding and have dozens of riding trails.” Katani looked ecstatic. “I can't wait to try western-style riding! And the resort has sleigh rides with complimentary hot chocolate!”

“YEEEE HAWWW!” Avery shouted out again.

“
Ouch
,” Katani said as she rubbed her ears. “Take it down a notch, Ave.”

“Come on, guys, this calls for a group hug.” Maeve pulled the BSG toward her, and the five melded together into one big BSG hug.

Isabel was to Charlotte's right, and Charlotte could
sense how tense she was. She gave Isabel an extra reassuring squeeze with her right arm. Somehow they had to make this work out. Their dream trip wouldn't be perfect unless Isabel was part of it.

As Maeve's brother played with Marcia and Jan (the names du jour of her adorable guinea pigs), Maeve hopped up and raced to the computer. She logged online and hoped that some of the BSG would be there to talk about their trip. Maeve clicked away at the keyboard.

“Maeve! MAEVE!” she heard her mother calling from the kitchen.

Maeve signed off, took a deep breath, and forced a bright smile. She'd heard that smiling could actually put you in a better mood.

“Maeve, Mom's calling,” Sam told her.

“I know, I know. Take care of Marcia and Jan for me, okay?” she instructed as she opened the door.

Maeve was a little surprised to see her father still sitting in the kitchen. She hadn't known he was coming by today.

“Maeve,” her dad began with a small smile, then stopped when he saw her downcast expression.

“What's the matter, sweetheart?” asked Ms. Kaplan, her face filled with concern.

“Isabel has no money for the trip and we just can't leave her behind. It would be so tragic for her,” Maeve explained with a dramatic flourish. She slumped down in the kitchen chair and sighed.

“I think we might possibly have a solution,” Mr. Taylor said with a wide grin. “Your mother and I were a little concerned about the money as well, but we will contribute half the money for your trip . . .”

“And you will have to earn the other half yourself,” Ms. Kaplan added firmly.

Maeve looked at her parents and gulped. “I have to earn one hundred dollars?”

“If you want to go on the trip . . . yes,” her dad confirmed with a nod.

“Before the trip or after the trip?”

“Before the trip, of course,” Ms. Kaplan emphasized. “You can't spend money that you don't have.”

“But it's only ten days away!” Maeve exclaimed. “How can I earn a hundred dollars in ten days? And how does that help Isabel?” she asked, searching her parents' faces for answers.

Ms. Kaplan's mouth curled into a smile. “Actually, your father and I have an idea.”

Maeve looked over at her father.

“I was thinking of hosting a Western Movie Festival at the Movie House next weekend. Just because everyone seems to be in a western type of mood. What if you set up a little stand with refreshments for all the moviegoers? It would be a good experience for you to organize a menu, buy food within a budget, and serve the guests,” Mr. Taylor said.

“Menu? Budget?” Maeve asked. She was an idea person, not an organizer!

“Well, you have to figure out the food costs and make a budget before you can sell anything,” Ms. Kaplan pointed out.

“We have some money from season ticket sales that I'll lend you for purchasing the food and beverages. So, whatever profit you make after you subtract your expenses, you can keep,” Mr. Taylor said with a smile.

“But, what about Isabel?” an anxious Maeve insisted. She just couldn't let her friend down. Her father stood up and gave Maeve a hug.

“Honey, I am so proud of you for thinking about your friend too. Why don't you girls do it together?”

Maeve smiled up at her dad as her head began spinning with visions of one hundred dollar bills. This might just work. “Thank you! THANK YOU!” she exclaimed, giving them both a hug and a kiss on the cheek before racing for her room.

“Don't go overboard and bite off more than you can chew,” her mother called after her.

Maeve didn't have time to respond to or even think about her mother's comment. She
had
to call Isabel immediately and let her know that now maybe they could both earn the money for the trip. If they worked together, it would be a piece of cake. Hah,
literally
! Maeve thought with a giggle.

As she popped a Swedish Fish in her mouth, Maeve thought of her friend Ethel Weiss. Owner of Irving's Toy and Card Shop, where Maeve constantly restocked her supply of Swedish Fish, Ethel was a great businesswoman.
She'd be so proud of me
, Maeve thought happily.

They were
all
going to Big Sky Resort after all. It was just a matter of time and hard work and planning and good food. Maeve couldn't help letting out a squeal as she grabbed the phone.

Sunday night was Family Night at the Summers' house, and Family Night dinners were always scrumptious. Tonight it was roasted chicken, a huge, fresh chopped salad—Katani's personal favorite—with Patrice's balsamic vinaigrette, mashed potatoes and gravy, and spinach au gratin, topped off with Mrs. Fields' homemade sweet potato pudding.

“I have an announcement,” Mr. Summers proclaimed as soon as they started passing dishes. “Katani has been offered the chance to visit a dude ranch in Montana.”

“A dude ranch in Montana? The Wild Wild West?” Mrs. Fields marveled. “Sounds like a wonderful educational opportunity!” In addition to being Katani's grandmother, Mrs. Fields was also the principal of Abigail Adams Junior High School.

“Dude ranch? Dude ranch? Is that a place for cool dudes?” Kelley asked, drizzling dressing onto her salad. Katani's fifteen-year-old sister Kelley was autistic, which
meant that she had trouble communicating and interacting with other people and often seemed much younger than her age.

“We have brochures for you to look at after supper,” Katani told Kelley.

“Montana . . . Fontana. That sounds far away. How are you going to get to Montana?” Kelley asked.

“She'll fly in an airplane,” Mrs. Summers said.

“NO WAY!” Patrice complained. “I can't believe that Katani is going to get to fly before I do! That's unfair.”

“Mr. Ramsey is a travel writer and he's writing an article for a magazine about kids' experiences at this resort. He worked it out with the magazine so that Charlotte and her friends could go on this trip with him and be part of his research. The magazine is picking up expenses,” Mrs. Summers explained.

“How long is she going to be gone?” Patrice asked as she furiously buttered a potato roll. Katani couldn't help but feel a tiny bit bad that her big sister seemed so envious.

“A week,” Katani told her. Patrice and Katani often competed with each other, but this time Katani sympathized with Patrice. Missing out on a trip to a resort was huge.

“A week!” Patrice exclaimed, dropping her knife to her plate with a clunk. “My little sister gets to spend a week at a dude ranch while I'm stuck here? You know what that means! I'll be babysitting Kelley every single day!”

Kelley dropped her roll onto her plate and glared at Patrice. “Babysit! You do NOT babysit, Patrice! You
Kelley
-sit,” she said, sticking out her lower lip and crossing her arms in front of her.

“Sorry, Kelley,” Patrice mumbled. “You're right, I Kelley-sit. And we have a lot of fun, right?” Sometimes it was hard to be patient with Kelley, but all of the Summers sisters tried their best to help Kelley out and be cheerful about it.

As Mr. and Mrs. Summers went on about the plans for the upcoming trip, Kelley pushed away from the table and returned with Mr. Bear, her favorite stuffed animal.

“Here, Katani,” Kelley said, shoving Mr. Bear into Katani's lap. “Mr. Bear can stay with you so you're not sad.” Suddenly, her voice changed and her lip quivered. “You don't have to go away. I don't want you to go away!”

“Katani's not sad.” Mrs. Summers looked over at her daughter. “Are you?”

“You have been surprisingly quiet through all this,” Mrs. Fields noted. “What's going on, Katani?” she asked her granddaughter.

“Well, I was excited about the trip, but . . .” Katani trailed off.

“You
do
want to go on this trip, don't you? Montana is a beautiful part of the country, and you'll get to experience life in the West with all your friends. It's really quite a wonderful opportunity,” Mrs. Summers said.

“It's not that I don't want to go. It sounds amazing. It's just that . . .”

“Are you afraid to fly?” Patrice asked.

“No! Not at all. It's just . . .”

“Mr. Bear can go with you if you are afraid to be away from home,” Kelley comforted her.

“Thanks, Kelley, but it's not about being homesick or anything. It's the whole two hundred dollars thing,” Katani finally admitted.

“But I thought the magazine was paying for everything,” Patrice said.

“Mr. Ramsey said that the girls should bring two hundred dollars for spending money,” Mr. Summers said. “Katani, you have more than enough in your savings account to cover that.”

“I know. I know. But I'm not sure that I want to dig into my savings for this trip,” Katani explained.

There was complete silence around the table. The family was too dumbfounded to respond.

Patrice folded her arms and started to smirk. “Are you serious, Katani?”

Katani rolled her eyes. “What? I've worked hard to earn that money! I've been selling my scarves for a couple of months now and I've been saving that money for the future . . . here, let me show you.” Katani got up from the table and came back with her business notebook. There were the figures, in black and white. “See, if I put money into my savings account every month and then the money gathers interest, I'll have just enough money to launch my design business by the time I turn twenty-one.” Katani was determined to be a big-time international designer with her own Kgirl Fashion Empire someday. Taking out two hundred dollars now would only set her back from her goals.

“An international design business? When you're twenty-one?” Patrice scoffed.

Katani said nothing in response. She felt her cheeks grow warm and crossed her arms in front of her to keep her hands from shaking. Patrice could make her so mad sometimes.