Free Birthday Blues by Karen English

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    Illustrated by Laura Freeman
    Sandpiper
    Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston * New York

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    To all the Nikkis and Dejas everywhere
—K.E.

    To my sister, Roberta
—L.F.
    Text copyright © 2009 by Karen English
Illustrations copyright © 2009 by Laura Freeman
    The illustrations were executed digitally.
The text of this book is set in 14-point Warnock Pro Caption.
    All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Sandpiper,
an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Clarion,
an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2009.
    SANDPIPER and the SANDPIPER logo are trademarks of
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
    For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book,
write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company,
215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.
    www.hmhbooks.com
    The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

English, Karen.
    Nikki and Deja : birthday blues / by Karen English ; illustrated by Laura Freeman.
p. cm.
    Summary: As her eighth birthday approaches, Deja's biggest concern is whether
her father will attend her party, until her aunt is called away on business and
a classmate schedules a "just because party" on the same afternoon.
ISBN: 978-0-618-97787-1
ISBN: 978-0-547-24893-6 pb
[1. Birthdays—Fiction. 2. Parties—Fiction. 3. Schools—Fiction. 4. Best friends—
Fiction. 5. Friendship—Fiction. 6. Aunts—Fiction.] I. Freeman-Hines, Laura, ill.
II. Title.
PZ7.E7232Nik 2009
[Fic]—dc22 2007050189
    Manufactured in the United States of America
    TK 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Contents
    1. The Way to Clean a Bedroom 1

    2. Mapping the Neighborhood 11
    3. Presentations 19
    4. The Map of Many Clever Features 26
    5. Staying at Miss Ida's 33
    6. A Party, Just Because 44
    7. Nemesissis 51
    8. All This Party Talk 58
    9. Miss Ida Explains the World 66
    10. Life Back to Normal—Kind of 75
    11. A Turn of Events 84

1. The Way to Clean a Bedroom

    "It's my birthday, it's my birthday, it's my birth-day..." Deja makes a chant out of "It's my birthday" and dances to the beat of it around Nikki's backyard. It is a bright and shining Saturday morning, the best day of the week.
    "It's not your birthday," Nikki reminds her.
    "But it will be in seven more days, and I'm going to be eight way before you." Deja stops her made-up dance so she can think about the next thing more clearly. She doesn't want to say it out loud, so she says it in her head.
And this time my daddy might come for my birthday.
She looks up at the sky in search of a sign, then recites a little prayer. She glances over at Nikki sitting on the back porch, wondering if she can read her thoughts.
    "I'm getting heelies, boots, and a bright pink T-shirt with my name in rhinestones. I already saw it at Twizzles' Fashions for Tweens." Deja stops again to imagine herself wearing it.

    "With 'Deja' on it?" Nikki asks.
    "I can get it put on," Deja says with confidence, even though she doesn't know where or how. Maybe her daddy will come, and maybe he'll give her a hundred dollars to buy whatever she wants. "Write this down, Nikki."
    Nikki takes out her pad, removes the kitty cap from her special pen, and waits.
    "We're having games first, then the playoffs with the winners. Auntie Dee's getting a huge stuffed panda bear as a prize. Then we'll have a dance contest—with me as the judge—then pizza and punch, and then ice cream and cake..." Deja takes a breath. "Then everyone will watch me open my presents. Then we'll watch
Mouse Queen Takes Hollywood,
which I know I'm getting for my birthday, too."
    "How do you know?" Nikki asks.
    "I kinda really think I am," Deja says, as if that is that.
    Deja looks down at the citrine ring that she got on her last birthday. Auntie Dee had promised