Kids shot around the yard, flinging mud at one another. No one was trying to dodge the mud bombs except the grown-ups, who scrambled to shield themselves.
Olive, though, stayed put in the towel Mrs. Letay had given her. Forest had distracted everyone, but she felt a little like a deflated bounce house. Something was wrong. The party was almost over, but she still had the Worries …
Forest, dripping wet with red-brown, icky, sticky mud goop, plopped down next to Olive on the bench. His butt squished on the wood.
“Olive—Forest sorry.”
Forest’s eyes looked watery, and also kind of muddy. Olive wiggled in her seat. She wanted to be mad at Forest for spilling punch all over her … but she just couldn’t.
He scratched his head like he was thinking really hard or coming up with a plan. “I’m sorry. Is that right?” he asked, leaning forward eagerly. “Olive taught Forest to apple guys—”
Olive smiled. “Apologize.”
“I’m sorry, Olive.” Forest patted her on the back, leaving a big muddy handprint on her shirt. “But … why you no explain anything about bird day parties? Forest spent all day confused, like when Dad try to cook.” He looked down at his mud-covered feet. “Olive did not help.”
“But, Forest … I—I was trying to make sure the party went just right.”
Forest shook his head wildly, flinging specks of muddy water all over the place.
“Forest always need Olive! Forest—I,” he said, correcting himself, “want to be more like Olive always. Olive know rules for everything. And … Forest need help.”
Olive’s stomach tied up like a shoelace. She thought about everything—the Mr. Nibbles incident, the bounce house fiasco, the piñata debacle. Forest had needed her help all day, and Olive was too focused on herself to notice.
“Forest, I’m sorry, too. You’re just so good at making friends. I wanted to be more like you today.”
Forest’s mouth dropped open. “Really, Olive?”
“Really,” Olive said.
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I tell you a secret?”
“Of course,” Olive said, nodding.
“I miss my redwood home sometimes. Olive’s world too big and scary for me.”
Olive leaned her punch-drenched head on his shoulder. “It’s big and scary for me, too. But I know we’ll be okay, especially if we stick together. Can I tell you a secret now?” Olive asked.
“Of horse,” Forest said.
“Olive missed Forest today, too.”
She hugged him, and the Worries disappeared. Forest beamed, his teeth shining white against all the brownish mud. “Forest made one wish on fire sticks,” he said.
“You’re not supposed to tell—” Olive started.
“Forest wish Olive no mad at Forest. Forest wish Olive his best friend. Forest wish Olive have the best bird day party in the whole world!”
Laughing, Olive twisted some punch out of her hair. “That’s three wishes, Forest. And you totally don’t have to wish I’m your best friend—’cause I am your best friend. But just because we are best friends doesn’t mean we’re only friends with each other.”
“Shake on it?” Forest asked, a very serious expression on his face.
Olive held out her hand. But Forest stood up and started shaking his body like a wet dog until Olive started doing it, too.
“Best bird day!” Forest yelled, hopping and twirling around.
“It’s ‘birthday,’ Forest. ‘Birth. Day.’”
Forest’s eyes became as wide as two pieces of cake. “You mean … no bird day party for Josie? Forest need to fix something—”
Behind them, Mrs. Letay shrieked. Olive whipped her head around to see that Josie’s mom was running away from a bunch of squawking birds that were whirling and darting around her head like a feathery storm. They had exploded out of one of Josie’s birthday presents.
“Too late!” Forest said. “Now it also bird day party. Forest was worried worms not enough for Josie.”
Olive had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing. “Forest, I know you can’t always be in the forest. But you’re the best at bringing the forest to you. To us. And you know who else is good at bringing the forest to you?” Olive asked.
“Um…” Forest started looking around. “Herbert?”
“No!” Olive said, scooping up a huge handful of mud. “ME!!”
Olive flung the squishy mud into Forest’s hair.
“MUD PARTY!” Forest and Olive yelled together. Then, with armfuls of mud, they ran into the fighting, muddy crowd of kids.
* * *
Olive couldn’t see Mrs. Letay over the huge pile of rainbow laundry in her arms. Almost every kid was rolled up in a warm towel, exhausted from the mud fight. Forest and Olive and Herbert sat right on the ground, eating cake sprinkled with broken pieces of candy. The sun dried up the mud on their skin.
“So, Forest, the coolest thing is that you had to train fourteen years before becoming a knight!”
Even though Forest was fidgeting, he was doing a great job listening. He had been still for almost a whole minute, which was a new record for him—Olive was counting the seconds when she felt a tap tap tap on her shoulder. She turned around and looked up, squinting in the sun to see … Josie.
“Hi, Olive!” Josie’s normally perfect hair was sopping wet and encrusted with mud. “I just wanted to say thank you for making my party so fun. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”
“Wow, really?” Olive asked. “I mean … your birthday parties are always so perfect. I kind of worried we messed things up for you.”
Josie laughed and pulled some cake out of her hair. “Are you KIDDING? All my other parties were perfect. But all my other parties were also soooooooooo boring.”
Olive blushed and shifted in her seat. “I was worried I was going to embarrass myself again.”
“You totally did! But I’ve decided that embarrassing yourself is fun. See?” Josie said, gesturing to her filthy party dress. “Look how much fun I’m having!”
Olive’s face hurt from smiling. She, Herbert, Forest, and everyone else started grabbing punch, water, and mud, laughing as they poured it onto their heads and one another.
“This best bird day party ever!” Josie yelled.
“This best friend ever!” Forest yelled, squeezing Olive’s shoulders.
Olive happily dumped another cup of punch on her head. She couldn’t agree more.
