Free Claudia's Big Party by Ann M. Martin

had time to do now was choose from what was in the closet. .. and in the dresser ... and on the bed ... plus the few things on the floor.
     
    "Our guests will be arriving in a short while," Janine informed me, looking at her watch.
     
    Our guests? "Janine, did you invite any of your friends to stop by?" I asked, thinking maybe I'd missed something.
     
    "Of course not. This is a party for your friends, so that they may become better acquainted with one another. It will also give me an opportunity to get to know them better," she said. She picked up a red mohair sweater and laid it alongside a pair of black jeans. "Look, I have on red and black too. If you wear this, they could be the official hostess colors." "But I'm the official hostess," I told her.
     
    Janine looked me directly in the eye. 'And I'm the official chaperone." She had me there. I slipped into the black jeans, then pulled a black turtleneck over my head. I had a fleece top with turquoise, hot pink, and lime green stripes and one thin line of red. It was a boxy jacket style and looked festive, I decided.
     
    "That's bright," Janine said as I buttoned the jacket.
     
    I found a pair of earrings I'd made out of curling ribbon and put them on, then stood back and looked at the results. Cool.
     
    "The food is prepared. I have three large cookies for decorating later in the evening and a dozen sacked cookies for each member of the winning team. I've ordered pizza to be delivered at eight, and there's a variety of soda on ice in the cooler, plus the overflow is in the refrigerator. I also have chips and pretzels and even some fruit, should someone want a healthy alternative to the junk food." Janine ticked each item off on her fingers.
     
    "Janine, you are the goddess of food and I thank you." I gave her a quick hug.
     
    "You look terrific," Janine said. "Ready?" "I think so." I pulled a brush through my hair one more time. I'd decided to wear it loose. "Josh and Stacey should be here in a few minutes to help set up." As we ran down the stairs, the doorbell rang. Janine practically knocked me over in her rush to reach the door first.
     
    "Stacey!" she said, throwing the door open. "I'm so delighted you could come. Enter!" "Hi, Janine. Hi, Claud." Stacey stepped inside. "Josh is right behind me." "Joshua, come right in," Janine called out the door. "It's party time." I hugged Stacey. "I'm so excited," I whispered.
     
    "Now, let's see what still needs to be done," Janine said as she closed the door behind Josh. I wiggled my fingers at him in greeting as he stood waiting for his instructions from the "official chaperone." "Wait a minute," I said. "First you have to have a sticker." I peeled off a red heart for Josh (for obvious reasons) and a blue star for Stacey and stuck them on their shirts. For myself, I chose a pink heart. I wanted to be in Josh's group.
     
    "What about me?" Janine asked.
     
    After exchanging a glance with Stacey, I gave Janine a star.
     
    "Stacey, you choose the music. Josh, you set out some of the napkins and plates that we'll need later for refreshments. Claudia, you start filling baskets and bowls with snacks," Janine said.
     
    And, Queen Janine, what will you be doing? I wondered. She joined me in the kitchen. When the doorbell rang, she offered to take over and finish.
     
    I wiped my hands quickly, then ran into the front hall. My first real guest. I opened the door. "Hi!" I said, with a big smile.
     
    "Hi, yourself," Pete Black replied.
     
    Pete Black? Had I invited Pete? He's a good friend of Logan's, but I didn't remember even talking to him during the past week. He must have sensed my confusion, because he added, "Logan mentioned you were having a party and that it would be cool if I stopped by." "Sure, the more the merrier," I said, quickly trying to figure out how many people that now meant. Twelve, maybe? That