Angela ran in. “Are the cookies done yet?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said, “but they taste terrible. I’ll get some good cookies the next time I go to the store. Okay?”
“Okay,” Angela said. “I don’t want to watch the movie. Can I go outside?”
“Sure,” I said. I gave her a drink and a snack plate, and she took Buttons outside to play.
I put veggies on a platter and chips into big bowls. I filled small bowls with dip. It took three trips to carry everything into the living room.
“Can I help you?” Rory asked on my second trip.
“No, thanks,” I said. “I’ve got it.”
When the snack bowls ran out, I hopped up to fill them. The movie ran for two hours. I sat down for twenty minutes. There was lots of room on our big sofa, especially since I didn’t sit down much. Even so, Cameron sat so close to Chloe that their knees touched.
I was 100% positive that he liked her as much as she liked him.
When the credits rolled, I hurried everyone out. I had a lot to do before Grandpa got home. Becca went to Claudia’s house. Brad’s dad gave Adam, Tommy, and Cameron a ride home. I was pretty sure they’d all had fun.
Chloe and I sat on the front steps while we waited for Rory’s mom. Rory was playing keep-away with Angela and Buttons.
“It looked like you and Cameron had a good time,” I said.
“I know I did,” Chloe said. She blushed. “He put his arm around my shoulders.”
“I noticed,” I said.
“Cameron didn’t want to come over until I told him you were going to be here,” I said.
Chloe gasped. “Seriously?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Believe me, Cameron is definitely into you.”
Chloe was still grinning when she got into Mrs. Weber’s car to leave.
Just call me Monica the Matchmaker!
Chapter Eight
Downhill
From There
When Angela and I walked back inside, I gasped. The house was a disaster! Snack bowls, paper cups, popcorn, and crumbs were scattered all over the living room. There was dip spilled on the coffee table.
“What a mess!” Angela exclaimed.
“It’s huge,” I said.
I had to get it cleaned up before Grandpa got home. He would never know I had eight kids in the house — unless Angela tattled.
“Are you going to tell Grandpa I had people over?” I asked.
“Nope,” Angela said. She smiled. “I had fun.”
“You look like it,” I teased. Angela had dip in her hair and dirt on her knees. “You need a bath.”
“After dinner,” Angela said. She climbed onto a stool at the kitchen counter. “Mac and cheese, please.”
I microwaved a frozen dinner for Angela, and then left to do more laundry. I folded the dry clothes, put the washed load in the dryer, and finally put the last load in the washer.
“I’m gonna take a bath now!” Angela hollered. I heard her go into the bathroom.
I grabbed a trash bag and started picking up paper cups and napkins. Then I stacked the dirty dishes in the sink. When Angela shouted for help, I ran into the bathroom.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in a panic.
“My bubble bath is all gone,” Angela cried.
“I can’t buy more now,” I said.
“Mom lets me use dish soap,” Angela said.
“Okay, fine. I’ll be right back,” I said.
I had to keep Angela busy so I could work, so I was ready to do whatever she wanted. I filled the kitchen sink with water and added dish detergent. I left the party dishes to soak and took the bottle of soap to Angela. Then I went back to picking up trash.
Two minutes later, Angela shrieked again. Something was wrong.
I rushed back to the bathroom and stopped dead in the doorway. The bathtub was overflowing with bubbles. Angela was completely covered with white foamy suds.
“How much did you use?” I asked.
Angela held up the bottle. It was almost empty. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed.
I had an even bigger mess to clean up now, but I didn’t get mad. I just turned on the shower so Angela could rinse off.
Cleaning the bathroom took forever! There were bubbles all over the floor. I even saw some bubbles in the toilet. When I finally got the mess mopped up, I had a load of wet towels. I was too tired to do more laundry. I just left the towels in a basket.
It was only 8 o’clock. Angela didn’t want to go to bed, and I didn’t want to waste time fighting. I let her watch TV and got back to work. If I hurried, I could vacuum, do the dishes, and take out the trash before Grandpa got home at 9:30.
He came home at 8:19.
“You’re not supposed to be here yet!” I exclaimed.
“Mr. Fenton’s daughter got off work early,” Grandpa said. He frowned. “Why is Angela still up? It’s past her bedtime.”
“She’s been good, and I wanted to finish cleaning,” I said. “She isn’t watching anything scary.”
“I should hope not,” Grandpa said. He looked at the dirty dishes in the sink. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“The dishes aren’t done because Angela got soap bubbles all over the bathroom, and I had to clean it up,” I explained.
“Time for bed, Angela,” Grandpa said. “Turn off the TV, and I’ll read you a story.”
“Okay!” Angela said. She ran ahead into her room.
I followed Grandpa down the hall. He paused to look into the bathroom. It was sparkling clean, but he didn’t say anything until he looked under Angela’s bed.
“This isn’t where your clothes and toys belong, Angela,” Grandpa said. He lifted the bedspread so I could see. All of Angela’s stuff was crammed underneath.
“I thought she put everything away,” I said. “She told me she had.”
Angela didn’t want to be the only one in trouble. “Monica had a party with boys,” Angela said.
“I know,” Grandpa said.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. “How did you know?” I ask.
“Party dishes in the sink and too many paper cups in the trash bag,” Grandpa said. “You’re grounded until your mom and Logan get home.”
I had disappointed Grandpa again.
But secretly, I felt like it was worth it this time. I had fixed things between Cameron and Chloe.
Chapter Nine
Big
Breaks
The next morning, Grandpa was already gone when I woke up. When he got home, I wanted everything to be perfect!
I got busy right away. Angela helped, too. She put all her stuff away while I cleaned the living room. I was ready to take a break when she wanted breakfast. She was still in her pajamas.
“Wash up and change clothes,” I said. “I’ll make fruit and waffles for brunch.”
“Okay!” Angela said. She raced off.
I put two waffles into the toaster and sat down to think.
Chloe had been so happy the day before. Now she was crushed. Cameron couldn’t be dating Katy. Could he? I had to find out. The truth might hurt, but it would be better for Chloe to know than for her to look like a fool.
Angela started shrieking before the waffles even popped up.
I ran to the bathroom. She was standing in a puddle of water. “What happened?” I asked.
“My socks fell in the toilet,” Angela said.
I didn’t see any socks. “Where are they?” I
asked.
“I didn’t want to stick my hand in so I flushed them and all this water came out.” Angela said. “Are you mad?”
“No,” I said. “Maybe I can fix it.”
I used the plunger to push the socks through the pipes. When I flushed, the toilet overflowed. The socks were still stuck somewhere in there.
I called Becca’s uncle’s company, but he wasn’t there. The guy who answered said it would cost $150 just to come out and look! I didn’t have that much money. Not even close.
“Will Daddy be mad I broke the toilet?” Angela asked.
“It’s not broken,” I said. “It’s just plugged up.”
I didn’t want to ask for help. But the toilet had to be working before Grandpa, Mom, and Logan got home. So I called Becca’s dad.
Mr. McDougal came right over. He had to turn the water off to check the pipes.
I couldn’t finish the laundry, so I finished making breakfast. I let Angela eat outside so she wouldn’t bug me.
While I ate, my thoughts kept zipping back to the Cameron-Chloe-Katy love triangle.
Someone at Rock Creek Middle School probably knew what was going on. But the only Rock Creek kids I knew were the horse snobs from the barn and Rory.
I couldn’t ask Megan or Lydia or Owen. They would make fun of Chloe. Rory wouldn’t tease her. Still, she might be embarrassed if I told him what was going on.
Mr. McDougal came into the kitchen. “I have to get some tape and sealing glue at the hardware store,” he told me. “I can’t turn the water back on until I finish the job.”
“Okay,” I said.
As soon as Becca’s dad left, I went right back to thinking about Chloe. I couldn’t decide what to do. I was thinking so hard I didn’t see Angela come back inside. I noticed her when she jumped in front me.
“The toilet’s all apart!” Angela exclaimed.
“Use the one in Mom and Logan’s room,” I said. As she rushed out, I yelled, “But don’t flush it!”
Rory was the only Rock Creek kid I could call. But first I had to think of a way to ask about Katy without telling him why I wanted to know.
Angela shrieked again.
This time, I walked. I knew I wouldn’t find water all over the place. The water was turned off.
Instead, I found Angela staring at a broken bottle of perfume on the floor.
Elegance was Mom’s favorite.
Chapter Ten
Simple
Solutions
“Now Traci will be mad at me too!” Angela whispered. She burst into tears.
“No, she won’t,” I said. “It was an accident. We’ll buy a new bottle.”
I left the mess and turned on the kitchen computer. Three stores in the mall had Elegance, but it cost $28.00.
“Is this an emergency?” Angela asked.
“Definitely,” I said.
We only had $14.27 left of the $50 Mom had left for us. Angela broke the perfume, but I was in charge. It was my responsibility.
I had to use money from my riding-boot fund.
But I couldn’t go to the mall. I was grounded. So I called Claudia.
“I’d love to go,” Claudia said.
I sighed with relief.
“But I can’t,” Claudia said. “I still have homework.”
I called Becca. She knocked on the door five minutes later.
“Are you grounded because of the party?” Becca asked. “We didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I said. “I don’t have time to go to the mall anyway. There’s too much to do before my parents get home.”
“I’m not grounded,” Angela said.
Becca took the hint. “Can I take Angela?” she asked me.
“That would be great,” I said.
“I have to get my Princess Patsy bag!” Angela yelled. She ran to her room.
I gave Becca the money. Then I asked for advice. “How would you find out if a friend’s boyfriend likes someone else?” I asked.
Becca gasped. “What? Is Tommy —” she started.
I cut her off. “It’s not about you,” I said.
“Claudia?” Becca whispered.
“No!” I said, waving my hands. “Chloe. She got a text from the other girl.”
“Maybe you should ask Cameron,” Becca said.
Chapter Eleven
Priorities
Chloe always felt like riding. It was what we both liked to do most in the world. She was really depressed!
I had to do something.
Grandpa, Mom, and Logan wouldn’t be home for hours. I decided that towels, dirty dishes, and a broken perfume bottle could wait.
Friends in trouble came first.
I couldn’t finish my chores. I had to wait until Mr. McDougal put the toilet back together and turned the water back on. It was only five minutes past noon. I had plenty of time.
And for the first time all weekend, I was Angela free!
I read my e-mail, wasted time online, and watched some silly videos. Then I heard the front door open. I thought it was Becca’s dad.
It was Grandpa.
Chapter Twelve
The Right Thing
to Do
Grandpa was whistling when he walked into the house. He was in a good mood.
I wasn’t. There was a broken toilet in one bathroom and a perfume puddle in the other. The breakfast dishes were still in the sink, and the wet towels were still in a basket.
Laundry was the only thing Grandpa had asked me to do, and I hadn’t even done that.
I was so upset I wanted to cry.
But I didn’t.
“How come you’re home so early?” I asked.
“Doreen didn’t have to work a double shift, and Mr. Fenton is feeling much better,” Grandpa said. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a soda. “Want one?”
I shook my head.
Grandpa sat on a stool and squinted at me. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head again. Then I started talking. “I wanted to get everything done before you and Logan and Mom got here,” I said, “but Angela’s socks got stuck in the toilet.”
“How did that happen?” Grandpa asked.
“They fell in. Then she didn’t want to put her hand in toilet water so she flushed them,” I explained.
“Oh, no,” Grandpa said.
“I couldn’t get them out with a plunger,” I went on, “so I called a plumber but it cost too much. Mr. McDougal came over to fix it but the toilet is all apart because he isn’t back from the hardware store yet.”
“I see,” Grandpa said. He sipped his soda and nodded.
“Then Angela broke a bottle of Mom’s perfume and I let her go to the mall with Becca to get more,” I went on. “I thought I had plenty of time so I played on the computer instead of working.”
“Sounds like you needed a break,” Grandpa said.
“But I wanted the house to be perfect!” I said. I didn’t mean to whine, but I was frustrated. “I had everything all planned out.”
“Did you plan for flushed socks?” Grandpa asked.
“No!” I said. I laughed.
“Of course not,” Grandpa said. “Things happen that we don’t expect. That’s just how life is. What matters is how you handle it.”
“I couldn’t handle it,” I said. I felt so embarrassed. I sighed. “I had to ask Becca’s dad for help.”
“I don’t fix my car when it breaks down,�
� Grandpa said. “I take it to a mechanic. Getting help was exactly the right thing to do.”
Grandpa wasn’t mad. That cheered me up a little, but I had still let him down.
“I’m sorry the house is such a mess,” I said.
Grandpa smiled. “You’ll do better next time,” he said. Then he gave me a hug.
If there is a next time, I thought. Mom had only given me two rules, and I had broken both of them.
Grandpa helped Mr. McDougal put the toilet back together. I washed the wet towels and cleaned Mom’s bathroom.
Then I did the hardest thing I had to do all weekend.
Monica’s SECRET Blog
Sunday, 9:45 p.m.
Mom and Logan got back right before dinnertime. Luckily, Mom and I had been texting all afternoon, so she knew what had happened all weekend. I was shocked when she told me I wasn’t in trouble! She said I did a good job taking care of Angela, and that the most important thing was that no one had gotten hurt. I do have to help with laundry for the rest of the week, but that’s totally worth it for this weekend of drama.
I think maybe it was good for my relationship with Angela to spend so much time with her. It was definitely hard for both of us, but she liked being able to hang out with my friends, and I think I started to understand why she acts the way she does. I mean, she is just a little kid.
Keep Out! Angela, This Means You!
Mom said next time she and Logan go away, she’ll think about leaving me in charge again. And she said if that goes well, maybe the NEXT time, Grandpa could go out of town too, and I could be in charge overnight. That would be amazing . . . but kind of a lot of responsibility! Well, I have plenty of time to get used to the idea.
Monica and the Weekend of Drama Page 3
