The first guests arrived promptly at four o’clock: Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph, Topsy’s owners.
“Happy birthday!” they called to Gigi, who sat like a queen on her throne in the wingback chair next to Walter Pidgeon. She wore a tiara and her satin gloves and hadn’t taken her eyes off Walter since she’d come downstairs.
“How’s that mangy Topsy?” demanded Gigi.
“It’s funny you should ask,” said a perplexed Mrs. Rudolph. “I think he got into some kind of catfight. He has quite a scratch on his face.”
“Serves him right,” muttered Gigi.
The law firm arrived next: six lawyers in smart suits. They made a big deal of presenting Gigi with her framed birthday announcement, and she pretended to swoon when the senior partner kissed her on the cheek.
“Don’t be jealous, Walter!” she warned her movie-star boyfriend.
The doorbell rang again. Ali was surprised to see Emily and her father.
Mr. Arai stuck out his hand. “You must be Ali. Emily’s told me all about you! Now where’s the birthday girl? I haven’t seen Gertrude in years.” Ali pointed him toward the living room and he rushed away, leaving her and Emily in awkward silence.
“Can I take your coat?” Ali finally asked.
Emily took off her coat and gave it to Ali. “You look pretty.”
Ali glanced down at the blue velvet dress her mother had found at the Salvation Army thrift store. “Really? Thanks.”
Emily followed her to the den, where the coats were heaped on a couch. “Can we talk?”
Ali placed Emily’s coat on the top of the pile and waited.
“I’m sorry,” Emily said. “I’d like to be friends again.”
“Really?”
“I was stupid. And bossy. I’ve been messed up since my parents told me they’re getting a divorce. But I like hanging out with you. It reminded me of when—”
“You hung out with Cassie.”
“How did you know?”
“You talk about her a lot.”
Emily sagged. “I know. I still miss her. I kind of hoped she and I would be friends again when you and I became friends. Not that that’s the only reason I wanted to hang out with you,” she hurried to add.
“Why aren’t you friends anymore?”
“It’s my fault. My mom put me in a bunch of activities in third grade. I met a lot of new girls and wanted to hang out with them. They were so popular.”
“But you’re popular!”
“I know you think that, but that’s not how it feels to me. Anyway, Cassie’s feelings were hurt, and they didn’t want to hang around with her, so I did the wrong thing.”
Ali knew what that was like.
“The day you went to sit with Cassie at lunch, I was so jealous. Not just because you were friends with her, but because you did the right thing. You didn’t abandon your friend.”
They were interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing. Ali and Emily spun around. Murray and Cassie were in the doorway, looking embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” Cassie whispered. “We didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
Emily started to back away, but Ali grabbed her arm. “No. You guys both want to be friends again, so be friends again!”
“Way to take control, Sloane,” said Murray, pushing Cassie forward.
Neither Cassie nor Emily spoke for a minute, and then, as if they’d choreographed the moment, they stepped forward at the same time and hugged.
“Folks, the war is officially over,” said Murray in a news-anchor voice.
Everyone laughed. Cassie and Emily stepped apart, grinning.
But there was one more thing that had to be done. Ali turned to Emily. “I’m glad we’re friends again, but there’s something you need to know. I can change into other things, like people and animals.”
Emily smiled. “Thank you for telling me, but I already know.”
Ali’s jaw dropped. “How?”
Emily’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “I followed you guys to Tin Can Beach last weekend. I saw you turn into a seal. And I knew you were the cat in the bathroom that day. I’m sorry I talked about you behind your back. I shouldn’t have.”
Ali was pretty sure that Gigi’s birthday was going down in history as the day every single one of her beliefs turned out to be wrong. “You don’t mind?”
“Please. Half the kids at Princess Elizabeth School are trying to be someone else. You’re just a little extra, that’s all.” And then the room exploded into laughter, because everyone knew that being a Copycat was extra extra.
They were interrupted by Ali’s mother bursting into the room carrying a stack of coats. “There you are! I need you at the front door, Ali. The party’s hopping.” She dropped the coats on the couch and rushed out.
“I can help,” Emily said.
“Us too,” said Cassie.
“Actually, I was going to check out the food,” joked Murray.
They arrived at the front door just as the doorbell rang. When Ali opened the door, she stepped back, bumping into Cassie. The porch was filled with the Other Sloanes.