Free Annie's Adventures by Lauren Baratz-Logsted Page A

It made Annie try all the harder to be our parent.
    Cake time was better, because everyone else had to eat with a fork also. We silently thanked the universe that it was a sheet cake. If it had been cupcakes, Annie probably would have made us use utensils for those too.
    "I must say," Rebecca muttered to Annie as she ate the frosting, "you're not making this fun. We might as well be at home cleaning toilets."
    It was unfortunate she said that, because Annie had yet to assign any of us to toilet-cleaning detail, and even the cats had started to complain.
    But then it was present-opening time. If you can't have your own presents it is almost as much fun watching someone else open up his.
    Moving from smallest to largest, Will opened Mandy Stenko's first.
    "Wow," he said flatly, trying to muster enthusiasm, "a soccer ball."
    "Will hates soccer," Rebecca said.
    "No, he doesn't," Mandy hissed. "Didn't you all see how enthusiastic he was when Mrs. McGillicuddy gave him those trading cards? And you, " she accused Jackie, "you said it was the wave of the future."
    "Did I?" Jackie said. "I meant to say it's a silly game. The only reason anyone ever plays it is if they have no imagination."
    "Why do you all always have to be so mean?" Mandy asked.
    "We're not," Jackie said. "We just don't see why you can never pay attention to people. If you paid attention to Will—outside of us, he is your only classmate—you'd know he hates soccer. Everyone knows, except for you and the McG." She turned to Mrs. Simms. "Isn't that right?"
    We didn't think Mrs. Simms liked to hurt any child's feelings, but: "He hates it," she said at last, "even worse than taking medicine."
    "We're sorry, Mandy," Jackie said, "we wish it weren't true, but it is."
    Mandy scowled.
    To break the mood, Will opened our present.
    "Oh. My. " It was all Mrs. Simms could say at the grandiosity of it.
    "I've always wanted one of these!" Will practically shouted. "Well, I didn't actually know they even made anything like this. But I always dreamed that someday someone might invent it and I knew I'd want one." He turned to his mother. "Can we set it up right here?"
    "Oh, Will," that nice lady said sadly, "I don't think the Kids' Castle people would like that. Besides"—she consulted her watch—"it's just about time for the party to end. Mandy's mother is already here"—of course Mandy Stenko's mother was there; it seemed like everyone in the whole world's parents were already there—"so we just need to wait for the girls' parents to arrive and then it'll be time for us to go too."
    The girls' parents. Hmm ... where were they?

CHAPTER NINE
    We waited, the clock ticking more loudly minute by minute.
    "Hmm," Jackie said, "I wonder what's keeping Daddy?"
    "You know," Marcia said to Mrs. Simms, "you really can go now. We can wait for Daddy by ourselves. I'm sure he'll be along any moment."
    "Don't be ridiculous," Mrs. Simms said. "What kind of hostess would I be? Besides, it's probably against the law."
    "Excuse me," Annie said abruptly. "I need to go to the bathroom."
    Then Rebecca created a diversion by asking if she could have some more frosting—"please!"—so Mrs. Simms didn't notice that rather than head for the bathroom, Annie raced straight for the back door.
    Five minutes later, enough time for Rebecca to get frosting all over her frock, we heard the sound of a horn honking. Loudly.
    It was the Hummer.
    "Ooh, that must be Daddy!" Jackie said as we all put on our coats, not even bothering to peek in the goody bags Mrs. Simms handed us.
    "Well, goodbye!" Zinnia piped up. "Happy birthday again!"
    Mrs. Simms squinted out the back door. "Has your father grown a mustache since I last saw him?"
    "Oh, yes," Jackie said. "You know ... France ."
    "I should at least say hello to him." Mrs. Simms started for the door.
    "Oh, no!" Jackie said. "I mean, didn't Will say his family party is tonight? I suspect you'd want to hurry. And you still have packages to bring out to your car, you