“Do I really have to go?” Rosie said as she lay back down. Her nose no longer sounded stuffed. “Greta has two other flower girls. I’m sure they can handle everything.”
“Rosie, you made a commitment. Greta needs you. You have to go,” her mother said firmly.
“What if I couldn’t go? I mean, what if aliens landed in our backyard and took me to their planet? Then it would be impossible for me to be at the wedding.”
“I’m sure that once the aliens found out you were a flower girl, they’d make an exception and bring you back.” Rosie’s mom pulled her up again. “Come on. I’m making chocolate-chip pancakes.”
No one in Rosie’s family could resist her mom’s fluffy pancakes. Rosie knew her mother was trying to get her out of bed. And the plan worked.
After eating four pancakes, Rosie returned to her room and faced her closet. Her flower girl dress was still hanging in the plastic bag from the store. Rosie remembered how miserable she’d felt at the fitting. She dove back under her bed sheets.
“Rosie,” Mrs. Anderson said. The young girl hadn’t realized her mother was watching her through the doorway. “I’ll help you put on the dress.”
After zipping the back of the gown and tying the sash, Rosie’s mom looked at her daughter. Her eyes filled up with tears. At first, Rosie thought her mom was angry with her for going back to bed, but then she noticed her mother was smiling too.
“Rosie, you look so pretty,” her mom said. “You have to see yourself.”
When Rosie turned toward the mirror, she was amazed at what she saw. Staring back at her was one of the most beautiful girls she had ever seen. The gown fit her perfectly, not like the uncomfortable sample dress.
“Iris made a good choice,” she said to her mom. “I mean, as far as dresses go.”
“Nice gown, Cinderella, but your hair could use a fairy godmother.”
Rosie turned around to see Max in the doorway. He had chocolate on his upper lip from the pancakes.
“And you need a shave,” Rosie replied, pointing to his sweet moustache.
Their mother cut in. “Rosie, you need to put on your shoes. We have to leave in fifteen minutes. Greta wants everyone in the wedding to be at the hotel early.”
Rosie looked back in the mirror as her mom and Max left the room. She turned from side to side to view herself from every angle. Nervous butterflies still fluttered inside her stomach, but finally, there were some excited butterflies in there, too.
Chapter Six
“Wow!” Rosie blurted out as she and her mom entered the breathtaking hotel lobby. A crystal chandelier sparkled above their heads. All around the room stood tall vases with sweet-smelling white flowers. Rosie wanted to sit on a puffy sofa, but her mom said no. Greta was waiting for them.
When they arrived at the suite, Rosie and her mom opened the door…and got a huge surprise. The place was a mess! Scattered everywhere were hair clips, brushes, bobby pins, hair spray, hangers, shoes, and lots of clothes. Greta and Amber were putting on makeup in one area; Iris and Starr were fixing their hair in another; and Ricky and Randy, dressed in tuxedos, were trying to do karate moves all over the place. Rosie thought everything looked wacky, except for one thing: in the far corner, gently hanging from a curtain rod, was Greta’s wedding gown. It was covered in glistening pearls and delicate lace. Rosie couldn’t wait to see Greta in it.
Everyone was too busy to notice that Rosie and her mom had arrived. “Hi, everyone!” Mrs. Anderson called out.
Greta turned from her mirror. “Hi!” The bride’s voice cracked. “Thanks for dropping Rosie off early. I wanted all my wedding attendants here with me while I got ready for the ceremony. Now I think that was a crazy idea!” Greta laughed nervously before taking in a big gulp of air. “I have to keep reminding myself to breathe.”
At that moment, Amber’s cell phone rang. She stood up to answer it, but Greta cut her off sharply. “Amber, no phone for now!”
“Fine,” Amber replied, rolling her eyes. She went back to her makeup.
“Don’t worry, Greta. Your wedding will be perfect,” Mrs. Anderson said to the nervous bride. Then she turned to Rosie. “I have to go home to get ready. You’re going to be perfect too.” She gave her daughter a kiss before leaving the room.
Rosie didn’t know what she was supposed to do next. She walked over to Starr and Iris and dropped her detective kit on the floor.
“Hi, Rosie,” Iris said. “Greta asked us to wear these flower barrettes in our hair. Do you want me to help you with yours?”
“That would be great,” Rosie replied. She sat down on a chair so Iris could reach the top of her head. “I’m not very good with fixing my hair. Brushing is about all I can do.”
“I wish I didn’t have to do anything to my rat’s nest,” Starr said, patting down her hair. “It takes a lot of work to get me ready for a big performance.”
Rosie laughed out loud. Starr was so funny, and Iris was so nice. She could see why Greta liked them so much.
“Ahem.” Starr cleared her throat. Then she began to sing into a hairbrush as if it were a microphone:
“Before I knew you, who was I? You’re the one who changed my life.”
“Hey, I know that song,” Rosie said.
“Me too,” added Iris. “That’s Gaby Snow. I love her.”
Starr twirled around. “Did you see her on the cover of this month’s Kids Now magazine?”
“I love that picture,” said Iris.
“Me too,” Rosie agreed.
Iris and Rosie picked up brushes and joined Starr. In their gowns, they looked like the best-dressed girl band ever.
“You’re the one who makes things better. I hope that we’re together forever.”
Starr’s twin brothers cheered like fans at a rock concert as the three girls kept singing.
“When times are tough, you’re always there.
I know I don’t have to be scared.
We’ll be together until the end. Why?
YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND!!!
Woo, yeah. YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND.”
The girls were really rocking out. Ricky and Randy started crazy-dancing. They bumped into a table, scattering hair clips all over the floor – things were getting out of control. That’s when Greta swung around in her chair and screamed, “CUT IT OUT!!”
Her roar was as loud as a firecracker. It surprised everyone, so much so that Randy lost his balance and slid into Ricky, and Ricky went flying…right in the direction of Greta’s bridal gown! Everyone gasped, but only Greta could get a word out.
“NOOOOOOOOO!!” she screeched as she flew out of her chair. But she was too late. To break his fall, Ricky grabbed on to Greta’s dress and ripped a big hole in the lace!
The room went silent. After a few seconds, Ricky pointed to Randy and wailed, “It’s his fault!”
“You tore the dress, not me,” Randy squawked, heading toward his brother with both fists clenched.
“Stop it!” Starr was angry. “You’re both to blame. You wrecked Greta’s wedding.” She dragged them away from the dress so she could yell at them some more.
Rosie stood frozen. She didn’t know what to do. The wedding was supposed to start in one hour. But now Greta’s dress was ruined. Greta sobbed while Amber tried to calm her down.
“Those boys are rodents,” Amber said. “And now you’ve messed up your makeup too!”
Amber seemed to be making things worse. Rosie wished she could help Greta feel better, but she didn’t know what to say. How could a kid help a grown-up?
“It doesn’t look too bad.”
Everyone turned in the direction of the voice. It was Iris. She was examining the dress closely.
“I think I can stitch it up and no one will even notice. Let me see if I have ivory thread.”
“Iris?” Greta was able to get some words out between sobs. “Do you really think you can fix it?”
“No problem!” Iris said, holding up a spool from her craft kit.
Iris sat down on the couch with the torn dress and went to work. Rosie was amazed. Iris was saving the day. “I wish I could help Greta too,” Rosie thought.
“All done,” Iris said a short while later. She tried to stand up with the dress, but it was too big and heavy.
“I can’t thank you enough,” said Greta, taking the gown from Iris and giving her a hug.
Amber grabbed Greta’s arm and led her to the dressing area. “You have to hurry. The wedding starts in a half hour!”
Rosie looked at the clock. Amber was right. Soon they would all be walking down the aisle!
Chapter Seven
Rosie, Starr, and Iris couldn’t wait any longer. While Greta finished dressing, they snuck downstairs to peek inside the magnificent grand ballroom.
Through the open door, they could see a long, red carpet aisle that led to a tall arch covered with white roses and lilies. Guests in tuxedos and elegant ball gowns were mingling. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and the wedding hadn’t even started yet.
“I’m nervous,” Iris said as they hurried back upstairs. “There are so many people in there.”
Rosie agreed. “There are probably a million guests.”
“Don’t worry,” said Starr. “If you get scared, do what I always do: picture the audience as pigs. It works every time. And from the looks of that room, we’re going to be staring at some very fancy pigs.”
All three girls were oinking and laughing when they walked back into the bridal room and saw the most beautiful sight: Greta in her wedding gown. She looked like a princess in a royal wedding. Greta’s smile was gleaming, just like the pearls on her dress.
“You’re so pretty,” Rosie said to Greta.
“Yes, she is,” Amber replied, looking at herself in the mirror, not at Greta.
“Thank you,” the bride said to Rosie. “It’s time to get started. Is everyone ready?” Greta took a deep breath. “Ring bearers, do you have your ring pillows?”
“Yes!” Ricky and Randy shouted.
“Flower girls, do you have your baskets?”
“Yes!” Rosie, Iris, and Starr cheered.
“Amber, do you have the groom’s ring?”
“What are you talking about?” Amber replied, turning from the mirror, looking confused.
Greta gave her a confused look back. “What do you mean? I gave you the ring to hold during the ceremony.”
Amber’s cheeks turned the color of her pink dress. She paused and then looked directly at the twins.
“I thought the ring bearers were supposed to hold the bride’s and groom’s rings. I gave Mark’s to one of them. I don’t know which one; I can’t tell them apart.”
“I don’t have the groom’s ring,” Randy piped up.
“Neither do I. We have fake rings on our pillows. See?” Ricky held up his cushion.
“You didn’t give us the real ring. You’re lying!” Randy shrieked at Amber.
“You two sewer rats are such troublemakers. You probably lost the ring when you were scurrying around the room.” Amber turned to Greta. “I’m so sorry they’re causing more problems for your wedding.”
The boys were furious. They yelled at Amber, and she yelled back. Their screaming grew louder and louder. Finally, Greta hollered, “ENOUGH!!!”
Rosie saw Greta take another big breath. “We have to tell the guests there’s a delay,” Greta said, looking at Rosie, Starr, and Iris. “Which one of you can make an announcement?”
Rosie gulped. She didn’t want to disappoint Greta, but she was nervous about speaking in front of such a big crowd. Even if the room was full of pigs!
“I’ll do it,” Starr cried, jumping up and down.
“Rosie and Iris, please go with her. As soon as you’ve made the announcement, come back here. Amber, the twins, and I will start searching the room for Mark’s ring, but we’ll need your help.”
“Should we ask others to help too?” Iris asked.
“No.” Greta shook her head. “Having more people in the room will make it harder to search. Let the guests know everything is okay and that we hope the delay will be short.”
Rosie, Starr, and Iris bounded out the door and down the staircase.
“What will you say?” asked Iris, panting as they ran.
“I don’t know, but I’ll think of something,” answered Starr.
Rosie had no doubt about that.
The girls rushed through the ballroom door and headed toward the front. The guests stopped their conversations, surprised to see the flower girls by themselves.
Starr grabbed the microphone. “Hello, everyone! Welcome to the wedding.” She paused for dramatic effect. “I’m sorry, but we have a little problem.”
Everyone gasped.
“Don’t worry,” Starr added quickly. “We have to start the ceremony a little late, that’s all. It’s no big deal.” She grinned. “We know you want to see us flower girls drop our petals. You’ll just have to wait a little longer.”
The guests laughed and clapped loudly. As the girls hurried back down the aisle, Rosie realized something: “Now I’m the only flower girl who hasn’t helped the bride.” But there was no time to worry about that. The flower girls had to get back to the bridal suite to search for the missing ring!
Racing up the stairs, Starr said, “Are either of you good at finding small objects?”
For the first time since she was asked to be a flower girl, a confident smile spread across Rosie’s face.
Chapter Eight
When the girls returned to the bridal suite, Amber and the twins were still yelling at each other. Greta was crawling around on her hands and knees in her wedding dress, looking for the ring underneath furniture.
“Things don’t look good in here,” Starr said.
“You’re right,” Iris agreed. “Finding that ring is going to be impossible.”
“Maybe not,” Rosie chimed in. “I know what to do.”
Before her new friends could ask what she meant, Rosie started calling out instructions.
“Starr, you focus on your brothers. Find out if they know anything about the ring.”
“Okay,” Starr replied.
“Iris, can you take care of Greta? She shouldn’t be crawling on the floor. She’s going to ruin her dress.”
“Sure,” Iris said. She lowered her voice. “I’ll keep Amber away from her, too.”
“What are you going to do, Rosie?” Starr asked.
“I’m going to find the ring! Luckily, I have all my detective tools with me,” Rosie said, holding up her detective kit.
“Cool!” The other girls were impressed.
“But we have to hurry,” Rosie added. “The wedding guests are waiting!”
Starr yanked her brothers away from Amber. They were like tigers ready to pounce on the maid of honor.
Iris kneeled on the floor next to Greta. She put an arm around the bride and led her over to the couch. “Rosie will find the ring, Greta. Don’t worry.”
Rosie dug through her kit. “Hmmm…” she thought. “What’s the right tool for a situation like this?” It really wasn’t the time for fingerprint powder.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Amber jumped out of her chair to answer it, but Greta stopped her. “Amber, no one enters this room, and no one leaves until the ring is found!” she said fiercely.
“But…But…” Amber said. “I just thought—”
“Please don’t think anymore,” Greta cut her off. “You’ve already caused enough trouble.”
Amber sunk back into her chair.
The knocking finally stopped. By then, Rosie had found the perfect detective tool: binoculars! She would use them to scan the room for anything unusual. But before she could begin her search, Starr came over to report on her conversation with her brothers.
“I think the boys are telling the truth. I know when they’re lying, and this isn’t one of those times. Something fishy is going on.”
“I agree,” R
osie said, raising the binoculars to her eyes and peering all over the room.
Just then Amber’s cell phone started ringing. “Oh great, it’s Nick!” she said, reaching for the red phone.
“Don’t you dare answer that,” Greta snapped.
“Fine,” Amber said in a huff. She dangled the phone by its charm chain. “Then I suppose you should take it away from me.”
Rosie continued scanning the room until her eyes came to rest on Amber.
“Greta!” Rosie burst out a second later. “I found the ring!”
Chapter Nine
Greta leaped to her feet. “What? Where is it?” She wiped tears from her eyes.
Rosie walked over to Amber and took the cell phone out of her hand. Hanging from her charm chain were tiny figures of a shoe, a shopping bag, a nail polish bottle—and the groom’s ring! Rosie gave the ring to Greta.
“Now I remember!” exclaimed Amber. “I was afraid I’d forget where I put the ring. Nick suggested that I attach it to my cell phone. He knows how much I love my cell phone.”
Amber laughed. But realizing that no one else thought it was funny, she stopped.
A text message suddenly beeped on Amber’s phone. Rosie looked down to read what it said.
Knocked. No answer. Ring on cell phone.
Amber grabbed the phone from Rosie.
“It’s from Nick. He must have figured out why the wedding was delayed,” she went on. “The mystery is solved. Now it’s time for all of us to walk down the aisle.”
“I don’t think you’ll be walking down the aisle, Amber,” Greta said, holding the ring tightly.
Amber looked confused.
“A maid of honor is supposed to help the bride, not cause problems for her. You care more about your cell phone and your boyfriend than this wedding. Our moms wanted you to be my maid of honor, but let’s face it: we’ve never been very close.”
Amber’s eyes opened wide. “What? What am I supposed to do?”
“You can join Nick in the audience, if you like.”
Amber’s face turned bright red. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out.” She grabbed her bag and scurried out the door without saying goodbye.
Flower Girl World: Rosie and the Wedding Day Rescue Page 2
