It takes me all morning to write the note.
Telling someone your real name just when they are moving away is hard to do. And it's even harder to imagine being best friends with someone you can't even see. But, in fourth grade, you have to start doing the hard stuff.
Dear Stacey,
I'm really glad you get to move back with your mom. I'm sure she misses you ten times more than you miss her. But I'm really sad, too. Because I don't think there's a times table big enough to figure out how much I'll miss you.
I was wondering if maybe we could be friends?
Not just secret friends but best friends?
If the answer is YES, please check the YES box below. If the answer is NO please check the NO box.
___YES ___NO
Ida May
After my mom and I eat lunch, I convince her that I feel good enough to go back to school for the afternoon. As soon as she drops me off, I run to the playground. I crawl behind Bessie and stick the note in the secret stone.
Only it doesn't seem so secret anymore.
Even though Mr. Crow is glad to see that I'm feeling better, everyone else is too busy hanging around Stacey to notice me. Everyone except Jenna, that is. Stacey must have told her the truth about why she's moving away. Now Jenna knows Stacey lied to her. She's sitting at her desk, steaming.
When it's time to line up for music, I scribble the letter A on a scrap of paper. But I can't toss it on Stacey's desk because Jenna's eyes are glued to me. A moment later she's in my face.
"Did you know about this?" she hisses at me.
I know she means Stacey. I don't want to lie to Jenna, but I don't exactly want to tell her the truth, either. So I just shrug and say, "She told me this morning."
Jenna's jaw tightens and she gives Stacey a hard glare. "Why would she tell you and not me?" she asks.
"Maybe because I asked," I say, and get in line.
For a second I don't think I will be able to get the letter A to Stacey. But then I notice Tom is standing right in front of me, so I give him a nudge and whisper, "Will you give this to Stacey for me? But don't tell her who it's from, okay?" I fold the scrap of paper in half and hold it out to Tom.
On the way to the music room I see him catch up to Stacey and stick the paper in her hand.
When I get home that afternoon, I go straight to my mom's sewing basket. I need some embroidery thread so I can make a friendship bracelet for Stacey. I decide if she answers yes to my note I'll give it to her.
But if she answers no I'll use it to tie my lips shut. That way, I will never be able to ask anyone to be my best friend again. Ever. I dig to the bottom of the basket. I find five spools of thread, eight buttons, and one very sharp needle. Ouch.
But no embroidery thread.
I go to find my mom. I ask her if she has any thread. And a Band-Aid.
She wraps a Band-Aid around my finger and tells me to look in her sewing basket, but to be careful of the needles.
I decide to search the house instead. George comes along as backup.
We look in every drawer. We look under every bed. We look in every closet. We find three socks, one baby tooth, and lots of lint. But no embroidery thread. Not one single strand.
"Oh well," I say to George. "No thread, no bracelet. That's that."
George gives me a very serious look.
"Stacey might say no," I point out. "And I'm pretty sure getting turned down feels a lot worse than giving up."
George just grits his teeth.
I stare at those monkey teeth. They give me an idea.
I hurry to the bathroom and look in the cabinet under the sink. I dig behind shampoo bottles and aftershave lotion.
Then I find it.
Bingo.
Dental floss.
Tons of it. When your dad is an orthodontist there is always a ten-year supply of dental floss in your house.
I sift through the little plastic containers. There is green mint, white waxless, red cinnamon, pink bubble gum, purple grape, and yellow banana. Six colors in six refreshing flavors. Perfect.
I scoop them up and run to my bedroom.
Then I start yanking.
I yank and yank and yank.
I tie the strands together at one end and pull the Band-Aid off my finger. I use it to stick the floss to my bedpost.
Then I start making knots, just like Elizabeth taught me.
Well, sort of like Elizabeth taught me. It had been a long time since she showed me how to make a friendship bracelet, and dental floss was never mentioned. The only thing I do remember her mentioning is to think good thoughts while you make one. She said the good thoughts will stay with the bracelet.
So each time I twist and turn and pull and tug I think of something good. Like Choco-chunks. And drawing a really great picture. Making up stories. And being able to say a proper good-bye to a real friend before it's too late.
When I'm all out of floss and good thoughts, I hold the bracelet up and turn it around and around.
Then I sigh. It looks like something you scrape off the bottom of your shoe. Not like something you give to your best friend.
But it smells good.
That's something.