Claudia's Big Party by Ann M. Martin Read Free Book Online

the hall, holding a plate of cookies. "Isn't anybody else coming in?" she asked, looking past me to the door.
     
    "It's kind of late," I said.
     
    "Oh." Janine looked down at the cookies.
     
    "I'll have a couple," I said. They were chocolate chip - I think. The edges were too dark and the shapes were all a little different. I bit into one and it crunched.
     
    "They're a little overdone," Janine said. "I was reading and didn't hear the buzzer. How was your date?" She turned and carried the cookies back into the kitchen.
     
    "Fun," I said, starting upstairs.
     
    'Aren't you going to tell me about it?" "Sure." I joined my sister in the kitchen. Janine was beginning to act like my new best friend. I was just thinking that her bonding attempts probably wouldn't go on much longer when Janine pulled out... the list.
     
    "I brainstormed a selection of activities for next weekend when Mom and Dad are gone. What do you think?" Janine asked.
     
    The list covered the front and half of the back of a piece of paper. I thought that if we did even half of the things she'd written down I'd never have time for Josh, the BSC, my seventh-grade friends, and my homework.
     
    Chapter 6.
     
    "Thanks for the cookies, Janine," Josh called over his shoulder as we headed down the sidewalk. It was the next day, and we still had plenty of Janine's cookies left.
     
    "Anytime. I'm hopeful they'll prove to be a delight to the palate," my sister replied.
     
    We were on our way to eat pizza. I'd just finished my homework, when Josh had called. As soon as I'd said yes to pizza and hung up the phone, Stacey called to talk about Ethan. Like I said - taffy pull time.
     
    As we walked into Pizza Express, a couple of Josh's friends called to us from the video game arcade. Josh waved to them. Then we chose a table for two along the wall.
     
    "I like this place," Josh said after we ordered.
     
    "Me too." Practically everybody I know likes Pizza Express.
     
    "It's kind of ... comfortable here," he continued.
     
    I nodded.
     
    "Not like the Rosebud." Josh arranged and rearranged the napkin holder and the cheese and spice containers sitting on the edge of the table.
     
    "The Rosebud isn't so bad," I said.
     
    "But you have to worry about table manners, and talking with your mouth full, and," he shrugged, "not being immature." "I guess you didn't have much fun last night," I said.
     
    "I don't know if I did or not. I was so nervous. I wore a tie and almost knocked out a waiter with my chair. I didn't have a clue about what to say to anybody." "I knew you were nervous at first, but I didn't realize it was that bad." The waitress set our pizza on the table. Josh transferred a large slice from the pan to his plate. Strings of cheese stretched between the pizza and his slice. He stuck his fingers underneath them and twirled, separating the cheese from the rest of the pie. "I couldn't have done that last night, in front of everybody. How old is Ethan anyway?" "Fifteen," I said.
     
    "He was so ..." Josh took a bite and chewed, thinking. "He didn't make a single mistake all night." "Still, he may have been as nervous as you were but was covering it up. I know I was worried the first time I met him. But he's cool." "Yeah. I wish I could have gotten through it that easily." "You did fine." "I felt better after I ditched the tie," Josh said with a smile. He leaned his head back and let the string of cheese dribble into his mouth.
     
    "You and Logan were talking. I bet Logan felt awkward at first too." "Is Logan part of the BSC?" Josh asked.
     
    "He's an associate member. He takes jobs if the rest of us are busy," I explained.
     
    "He must get a lot of jobs, then," Josh said.
     
    I sighed. One of the things I like about Josh is that he's easy to talk to. "You mean you think I'm too busy?" "Not exactly.