by Cari Simmons
“Because I know it’s been a struggle for you to figure out how to balance your school responsibilities and be a good friend, and it seems like you have,” she said. “I’m more proud of you for finding a balance than if you had a million friends or got a million straight A’s.”
“Well, good, because I don’t know if it’s possible for me to get a million straight A’s,” said Alice.
“You’re a good kid, even if you are a sass mouth,” her mom said. “Have fun on the walk.”
Alice had skipped down the back steps to join her friends when she heard her mom call to her one more time.
“Girls, wait!” she said. They turned around, and Mrs. Kinney stood with her digital camera in her hand. “You all look so happy and it’s such a nice day—let me take a picture.”
“Will you send me a copy, Mrs. Kinney?” said Cassidy. “My mom will want to see this.”
“Me too!” said Nikki.
“Sure!” said Mrs. Kinney. “Now get together.”
Alice felt Cassidy’s and Nikki’s arms around her waist, and she thought of the first day of school, feeling grateful that she wasn’t as nervous anymore, either about classes or her friendship with Cassidy.
“Ready?” said Mrs. Kinney. “One, two—”
“Wait!” said Nikki. “Bagel has to be in the picture too!” Before Alice could suggest an appropriate pose that would incorporate the four of them, Nikki yelled “Here!” and thrust Bagel into her arms. Bagel, thrilled that for once Alice was giving him some attention, nuzzled her neck and licked her face. Alice laughed, even though it was kind of gross.
“Are you sure you’re allergic?” Cassidy asked for the millionth time. As if on cue, Alice felt a giant sneeze welling up inside her sinuses. She tried to say, “Mom, wait!” before the camera went off, but before she could, Nikki tickled her in the ribs, so she knew a big messy laugh-sneeze was coming any second and there was nothing she could do about it. Oh, great.
Aah—aah—choo!
SNAP!
READ ON FOR A SNEAK PEEK OF PICTURE PERFECT #4: BETWEEN US!
EXCERPT FROM PICTURE PERFECT #4: BETWEEN US
READ ON FOR A SNEAK PEEK OF PICTURE PERFECT #4: BETWEEN US!
CHAPTER 1
HOW TO HAVE AN EPIC FIRST WEEK OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
Prep
1. Go to mall with Olivia and check out what seventh and eighth graders are wearing. Then shop!
2. Start getting up at time you need to get up for school. No oversleeping. (Walking in late—yikes.)
3. Practice on combination lock.
4. Study map of school.
5. Organize school supplies.
6. Buy mints for locker.
When School Starts
1. Eat breakfast so stomach won’t grumble.
2. Meet one person you didn’t go to elementary school with.
3. Smile at people (but not like an insane clown girl).
4. Write down assignments.
5. Find out about clubs.
6. Remind Oh to use a straw so she won’t spill!
7. Relax!!!!!
“I’m not sure you get to check off number seven,” Olivia told her best friend.
“Why?” Bailey protested. Her fingers were itching to check off the last item on her Epic First Week list.
“How relaxed can you be if you have to have a list that tells you to be relaxed?” Olivia asked.
“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” Bailey exclaimed, her voice rising. “Lists make me more relaxed than anything.”
Olivia shook her head, setting her dark brown curls bouncing. “I just wanted to see how unrelaxed you’d get if you thought you’d have to leave something unchecked. You should have heard yourself squeak. It was like a mouse on helium.”
“You’re bad,” Bailey told her, trying not to laugh. “A bad, bad friend.” Bailey made an extrabig check next to number seven.
“Just trying to help you impulsify a little. You might miss something good if you’re always looking at a list,” Olivia told her.
Bailey and Olivia were so different. Oh didn’t like to plan. She didn’t even like basic rules, such as using words that were actually in the dictionary.
“I can impulsify!” Bailey looked around, trying to think of a way to prove it. “Look! I’m . . . I’m sing-ing in pub-lic.” She warbled the last few words, and didn’t care that a couple people turned around and stared at her.
Olivia gave a laugh that turned into a snort. “I can’t believe you did that. I was horrifyingly close to spraying blueberry soda out of my nose.”
“It would have been your own fault,” Bailey teased. She took a sip of her raspberry drink. She and Olivia always went to Emmy’s for Italian sodas when they had something to celebrate, and completing their first week of middle school was definitely what Olivia would call whoop-whoop worthy.
As different as they were, the two of them had been friends since the second grade. Somehow Bailey’s love of planning and Olivia’s willingness to try anything were a perfect combination. No matter how much time they spent together, they always wanted to be together more.
Bailey could probably fill a whole notebook with all the ways Olivia was an awesome friend. Her birthday was coming up in about a month. Maybe Bailey would make that list as part of her present. Olivia couldn’t have a problem with a list like that!
“So next week at school, we should—” Bailey was interrupted by her cell clucking. She’d let Olivia set the ringtones. She checked it.
need you home. big news!
Bailey showed the text to Olivia. “I wonder what’s up,” Olivia said.
“Could be anything,” Bailey answered. “Remember that text that said I had to get home ASAP, and it was because the first rosebud of the year was opening on one of her bushes?”
“That was cool. I love your mom,” Olivia told her.
“Do you want to come with me?” Bailey asked. “Oh, wait. You can’t. You’ve got karate.” Olivia kept trying new sports to see if there was one where her klutziness wasn’t a problem. Last year she’d taken dance. Kind of a disaster.
Olivia jumped up so fast she almost tipped over her chair. “I’ve got karate! I forgot!”
Bailey checked the time on her phone. “You’re good. You have twenty-four minutes.”
“Text me and tell me what the big news is,” Olivia said as Bailey slid her notebook into her backpack.
“I will,” Bailey promised.
BACK AD
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
CARI SIMMONS once wished on her birthday candles that she would write a book—and it came true! She lives and writes in Portland, Oregon, and this is her first series.
CLAIRE ZULKEY, author of An Off Year, is still close with a lot of her best friends from middle school. They have a lot of embarrassing stories about her! She lives and writes in Chicago.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
BOOKS IN THE PICTURE PERFECT SERIES
More titles in the Picture Perfect series:
Book #1: Bending Over Backwards
Book #2: You First
CREDITS
Cover art © 2015 by Cathi Mingus
Cover design by Steve Scott
COPYRIGHT
PICTURE PERFECT #3: BEST FRENEMIES. Copyright © 2015 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014952520
EPub Edition �
� March 2015 ISBN 9780062318466
ISBN 978-0-06-231845-9
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FIRST EDITION
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