Chapter Five

“Okay, Amber, what’s wrong?” Brandi asks.

She and Kelly have cornered me on the playground, or, as we like to call it, the hang-around-and-talk ground.

“What do you mean?” I try to sound as if I have no idea what she’s talking about.

Kelly gives me a look. “Oh, come on, Amber. Today’s the day Fredrich’s father is coming to talk to us.”

Every other Monday, Mrs. Holt invites a parent to visit and tell us about their lives. Some people have much more interesting lives than other people do.

“What’s Fredrich’s father got to do with anything?”

Brandi rolls her eyes. “Normally you would have made at least three nose-picking jokes by now. You haven’t even made one. Clearly something is bugging you.”

Actually, I had wondered if nose-picking ran in the Allen family. But Kelly and Brandi are right. I haven’t even made that easy joke about noses running. I am too upset about the wedding.

Last night it was easy to say to myself that I, Amber Brown, will save the day. But the truth is I don’t have a clue about what to do.

“Well?” Brandi waits for an answer.

I sigh. Apparently the sighing epidemic lasts for more than twenty-four hours. I don’t want to tell them what’s going on. But I know that’s what friends do . . . . . tell each other when something is wrong.

I take a deep breath . . . . . I try not to sigh. . . . “It’s Mom and Max.”

“They’re not calling the wedding off, are they?” Kelly asks.

“No, no. But they want to make it a lot smaller.”

“Like downsizing?” Brandi sounds worried.

Brandi’s father has been out of work for the last two months because his company let people go to save money. . . . . . They called it downsizing.

None of us had heard that word before. Now we hate it.

“Real small,” I answer, “unless I can figure something out. Mom says a big wedding is too expensive, but I know Max still really, really wants one. I do too. I wish our million-dollar project was real. I need a lot of money fast.”

“You could get a job,” Brandi suggests.

“Like what?”

Kelly giggles. “You could be a glitter consultant.”

“I could open a peanut butter and M&M sandwich shop.” I know we are being silly, but it’s making me feel better.

Before we can think of more ways for me to make money, Mrs. Holt lines us up. “Recess is over. It’s time to meet Fredrich’s father.”

“I wonder if he has a skunk farm,” Brandi says. “Remember when Fredrich’s brother put that skunk in the school at the beginning of the year?”

Now I giggle. “That was the stinkiest school day ever. It was a good day to keep boogers IN your nose . . . so you couldn’t smell anything!”

Kelly grins. “She’s back!!!!”

Fredrich’s dad is tall and kind of good-looking. Instead of a white shirt and tie like some dads have worn, he’s wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. The sweatshirt says CAMP SUKKATUKKET in big blue letters.

Mr. Allen turns out to be more interesting than I expected. He owns and runs a summer camp, which is on Sukkatukket Pond. I’ve never heard of it before, but I’m already thinking of funny camp songs using that name.

Bobby Clifford waves his hand. “Does that mean you only work in the summer?”

Mr. Allen laughs. “Not hardly. Taking care of a place like Camp Sukkatukket is a year-round job. There’s always something that needs repairing or fixing.”

While his dad is talking, Fredrich passes out brochures. I check mine to make sure it is booger-free before I open it.

The place looks pretty nice. It’s on a pond. Well, actually, it isn’t ON the pond because then it would be underwater, or at least heading that way.

I think it is very strange the way people use words sometimes.

“Fredrich and I work on the camp every weekend,” Mr. Allen says. “It’s vacant in the winter, of course, but sometimes during spring and fall we rent it out for special events.”

There are two things I like about Mr. Allen.

Number one: He hasn’t picked his nose even once.

Number two: He’s just given me a great idea. And this one could work!