Free Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn by Ann M. Martin

down to Mal and Jessi on the floor. “I used to make gum chains,” she said. “I had a whole ensemble — a necklace, three bracelets, an ankle bracelet, even earrings.”
    What kind of answer was that?
    I turned to Kristy. “What’s Karen going to do?”
    More silence.
    â€œHow’s Myriah coming?” I asked Mary Anne.
    (Mary Anne got very busy examining the tip of a pen.)
    â€œWhat is this, you guys?” I finally exploded.
    â€œCharlotte’s talent is a secret,” Claudia replied haughtily.
    â€œSo’s Karen’s,” said Kristy.
    â€œAnd Myriah’s,” added Mary Anne.
    â€œI thought Myriah was singing and tapping to ‘The Good Ship Lollipop ,’” I said.
    â€œMaybe and maybe not. She has so many talents. She could act or tumble or do a ballet routine, too.”
    â€œYou mean you haven’t decided yet?” said Kristy, looking both smug and hopeful.
    â€œOh, we’ve decided,” Mary Anne replied. “I just don’t want to say anything.”
    â€œNo fair!” I cried. “You all know what Claire and Margo are doing.”
    The other girls shrugged as if to say, Tough luck.
    The phone rang three times in a row then, and we lined up jobs for Jessi, Claudia, and me. When our business was finished, and Mary Anne had recorded everything safely in the record book, I ventured another question.
    â€œDid Karen and Myriah and Charlotte receive the pageant information?” (A fat envelope hadarrived in the Pikes’ mail a few days earlier. It had contained everything we’d need in order for the girls to be official contestants. There were forms to fill out and several pages describing the pageant, what would go on, and exactly what the girls would need to prepare for.)
    â€œYup,” said the others, and Kristy added, “I’ve already sent Karen’s forms back.” She looked pleased with herself and quite proud.
    But Claud, Mary Anne, and I all said, “So did I.”
    â€œOh,” said Kristy.
    â€œThe questions look hard,” spoke up Mary Anne.
    â€œWhich questions?” asked Claudia.
    â€œThe ones the girls have to answer at the end of the pageant. You know, the last category they receive scores in.”
    â€œOh, yeah,” I said. “All those questions like, What is your greatest hope? and, If your house were burning down and you could rescue three things, what would they be?”
    â€œNow that sounds interesting,” said Mallory, looking up from her gum chain.
    â€œYeah,” agreed Jessi. “Something their brains will actually be involved in.”
    â€œThat’s right,” said Mary Anne. “I’m preparing Myriah very carefully.”
    â€œPreparing her?” I repeated. “What do you mean? How can you prepare her? We don’t know what the questions will be. That’s one area where the girls’ll just have to wing it.”
    â€œNo way,” Kristy jumped in. “You have to get the girls thinking of peace and goodwill and humanity. Mushy stuff like that. You don’t want Margo saying she’d rescue money and toys and her Cabbage Patch doll from a burning house. You have to get her thinking along different lines. She better say she’d rescue any family members she could find, her dog or cat —”
    Kristy suddenly stopped talking, as if she realized she’d given away state secrets or something.
    â€œOh, brother.” Mallory clapped her hand to her forehead. “They’re even ruining this part of the pageant,” she said to Jessi. Then she looked at the rest of us. “Wouldn’t you rather see the kids use their heads? Be creative? I’d like to see one say she’d rescue the photo album so she’d still have memories.”
    â€œOr rescue a lucky penny so she could wish for everything back,” added Jessi.
    I hardly heard them. I was lost in thought. I hadn’t