On the Back Burner (16 page)

“Shawn, I love that blouse so much!” Amanda said when Shawn took off her coat.

“Thanks,” Shawn replied. “Red is
definitely
a good color for Aries!” Shawn smiled warmly at Amanda.

There were nearly fifty people in the Cheng’s living room already. The house was full of live, blooming plants—pussy willows, plum blossoms, and narcissus, which smelled
wonderful.
Ah-mah and Ah-yeh waved to the girls. They were seated in comfortable chairs, talking to a group of their relatives and friends.

“There’s Peichi,” Natasha said, pointing. Peichi was wandering through the crowd, filming everything from the buffet table to her grandparents.

As the girls approached, Peichi turned the camera on them. “You don’t have to be Chinese to love Chinese New Year,” she said for the benefit of her film.

“That’s for sure,” Shawn said. “This is great!”

“Peichi, that dress is
awesome!”
Natasha exclaimed. Peichi’s dress was also red.

“Thanks!” Peichi said. Smiling, she handed Shawn the camera and twirled around. Speaking into the camera, Peichi said, “Everything I’m wearing tonight is new—even my headband! It’s a tradition that everyone wear new clothes for Chinese New Year.”

“So, when can we eat?” Molly asked. Everyone laughed.

“Go right ahead!” Peichi said, taking back the camera and focusing it on a long buffet table. As the girls helped themselves to the buffet, Peichi explained what each dish was. “These dumplings are called
jaotze,”
she said. “They’re filled with Chinese cabbage and pork. These cakes are
nian gao.
The full name for them is
nian nian gao sun,
which means ‘be prosperous and successful.’ I hope this video report makes me prosperous and successful!” Peichi joked. “Over here we have lobster and l-o-n-g noodles. Then she pointed the camera at an impressive pile of fruit at one end of the table.

“Tangerines and pomegranates are also good omens for the Chinese New Year,” Peichi continued, “and so is lotus root.” She moved to a side table, and the girls followed her. “
This
,” Peichi said proudly, “is the candy tray—officially known as The Tray of Togetherness. All of the candy on it—candied melon, litchi nut, kumquat, coconut, and peanuts—has a special meaning. And they’re all really yummy, too! We also have sesame cookie nuggets, which are sooo good!” She turned off the camera.

“Peichi,” Shawn said, “these dumplings are best I’ve ever had!”

“Thanks!” said Peichi. “Ah-mah was in the kitchen all day cooking! My dad even stayed home from work to help her. I love
jaotze
too.”

All of the girls went back for second helpings. With all of the laughter, delicious food, and fun traditions, the night flew by. All too soon, it was time for the girls to go home.

“I wish it wasn’t a school night,” Natasha grumbled. “Then we could have stayed longer.”

“I wish that, too!” Peichi said as she helped her friends get their coats.

“Will you be up super-late tonight, Peichi?” Amanda asked.

“Oh,
definitely!”
Peichi exclaimed. “Who could sleep when there’s a great party going on right downstairs? Besides, it’s tradition that kids get to stay up late on Chinese New Year! Also, I have to get the last shots for my video. Thanks so much for coming, guys! See you tomorrow!”

“Bye Peichi!” chorused all of the girls. As Peichi waved at them from the doorway, Amanda and Molly both thought that they’d never seen her look happier.

But the next day at school, Amanda noticed that Peichi seemed down. She hoped that Peichi was just tired from the night before, but she didn’t like the red look of her face or the way she seemed unable to smile at anything. Sure enough, just before lunch, Peichi went to the see the school nurse, who quickly called Mrs. Cheng to come pick her up.

“She shouldn’t have snuck up to our room to visit us last Saturday,” Molly said.

“Poor Peichi!” Amanda said. “First she was grounded, now she’s sick.”

On Friday evening Amanda convinced her mother, who was feeling much better, to take her dress shopping down on Seventh Avenue. They went to three shops before they found the perfect crimson dress that had gracefully flowing short sleeves and ended about two inches above her knee.

“It’s perfect—not super fancy but really pretty,” Amanda described the dress to Molly as she carefully hung it in the closet. “I can’t wait for this dance!”

“I can,” Molly grumbled.

Ignoring Molly’s lack of enthusiasm about the dance, Amanda said, “Listen, Molly, do you think we should invite Shawn over to get ready for the dance with us tomorrow afternoon?”

“That’s good idea, Manda,” Molly replied. “Is Natasha going? Cause if she is, we should invite her, too.”

“No, her parents said she’s too young to go to a dance at night.”

Amanda called Shawn and she agreed to come over on Saturday around four o’clock. Molly opened the door for her. “What smells so good?” Shawn asked, putting down the large flowered tote she was carrying.

“Nachos and homemade salsa,” Molly reported.

“Amanda is in the kitchen taking them out of the oven now.

“Yummm-eeee,” Shawn said as she and Molly went down to the kitchen.

“Hi,” Amanda greeted them. “I hope you’re hungry. I made some lemonade, too. And brownies with mint frosting! I’m totally feeling in a party mood. Like this is a pre-dance get-ready party! It’s sort of like a sleepover in the afternoon. But without the sleeping.”

“You’re right,” Shawn said, finding paper cups in the pantry. “Not that we do much sleeping at our sleepovers!” The girls laughed and went up to the twins’ bedroom.

“It’s such a bummer that Natasha and Peichi aren’t here,” Molly commented.

“I know,” Amanda agreed. “Poor Peichi! I still feel bad about giving her the flu.”

“And poor Natasha,” Shawn added. “We need to work on her parents more! Maybe Amanda can make some more mandelbrodt for Mr. Ross!” The girls laughed, remembering how much Mr. Ross had
loved
the mandelbrodt Amanda had brought to the Rosses’ house at Hanukkah. Shawn hung her dress on a hook behind the bedroom door.

“That’s adorable!” Amanda told Shawn when she saw her dress. Shawn’s dress was straight and short with dark purple swirls on a blue background. “It really goes with your purple glasses. And you won’t be dressed in red or pink like everyone else there.” She giggled. “Or like me!”

Shawn held up a small bottle of shimmery blue nail polish. “And the dress goes
exactly
with this. Look, it’s a perfect match!

After they finished the nachos, Shawn painted Amanda’s fingers with sparkly silver polish. Amanda returned the favor, using the shiny blue on Shawn.

Molly sprawled out on her bed, resting her chin on her hands. She ate, chatted, and watched as Shawn helped Amanda set her hair with Mrs. Moore’s curlers. Then Shawn and Amanda shared the mirror as they applied just the lightest amount of blush and tinted lip gloss. Amanda was having such a good time that she let herself hope that everything was back to the way it used it be.
This is like the old days, before Angie came along,
Amanda thought.
Maybe Sonia was right—maybe you really can create your own future.

“Want some?” Amanda offered Molly holding up a tube of pale pink gloss.

“Thanks, I’ll pass,” Molly answered. “That stuff makes my lips feel slimy.”

“Okay,” Amanda said, rolling her eyes. “What are you wearing?”

“My red angora sweater, black jeans, and boots. Is that okay?”

“For you, that’s getting dressed up,” Shawn teased.

Amanda looked at Shawn, and Shawn nodded.
What’s up?
Molly wondered, looking at her twin suspiciously. Shawn shut the door.

“What are you guys doing?” Molly asked as Amanda and Shawn approached her.

“Now, Molly,” Amanda began importantly. “You don’t have to get totally dressed up. But it
is
the Valentine’s Day dance. On
Valentine’s Day.
You
have
to look nicer than you would on any ordinary day. Right, Shawn?”