Rocky’s Room
Wedding Day
“I don’t know what made me do it!” That’s what Rocky keeps saying. “I saw it there, and it just looked so delicious!”
I bet it was delicious. My sister and Michael have good taste. And the cake they picked out—chocolate cake with vanilla frosting—is the best kind.
Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting is all over the inside of Rocky’s rocket ship to the moon. Also, little white Genovian frosting roses and tiny sparkly frosting snowflakes, which had decorated the top of Mia and Michael’s cake.
At least until someone stole it.
Someone who was not my dog, Snowball, or my cousin Luisa Ferrari.
“Oh, Rocky,” I said, looking at the mess inside his cardboard rocket ship. “How could you?”
“I don’t know. I went down to the kitchen for a midnight snack and no one was there and I saw it and I thought—well, the cake was so big! I didn’t think anyone would notice one little layer. Especially the top. It was so little.”
“The top’s the most important part!” I cried. “That’s where they put the most decorations!”
“They take the top off and save it to eat a year later, for good luck,” Nishi said.
“Well,” he said, shrugging, “I saved them the trouble by eating it.” Then he looked sad. “But I guess it wasn’t very good luck for me. Are … are you going to tell?”
“Everyone thinks it was Olivia’s dog!” Nishi cried. “Well, except for us. We thought it was Luisa Ferrari. We came in here to ask you to throw some of Chrissy’s poo at her.”
Rocky brightened. “I still will, if you want me to.”
“NO!” I didn’t know what to do. I was mad, but more at myself than at Rocky. I couldn’t believe I’d been so quick to blame a girl—my cousin, a fellow classmate who may not be the nicest person, but is technically only a little insecure—for something a nine-year-old boy had done. “And no, we’re not going to tell on you.”
He looked relieved. “Phew! Thanks. I owe you one, Liv.”
“Yes,” I said. “You do. And we’re going to have to throw out your rocket ship now, you know, Rocky. We can’t leave it like this; the cardboard is too messy. It will grow mold, and mice might get into it.” People don’t know this, but even thousand-year-old palaces get mice. Maybe even more than other, newer palaces.
Rocky sighed. “That’s all right. I think … I think I might be ready to give up my rocket ship.”
I looked at him in astonishment. “You are?” I asked. “Since when?”
“Since yesterday,” he said. “I don’t want to go to the moon anymore to visit the dinosaurs. I want to stay here in Genovia and study reptiles. And amphibians.”
Nishi started laughing. “You and everybody else around here!”
I glared at her. I didn’t see what was so funny. “I think the study of reptiles and amphibians is very noble.”
“Ha,” Nishi laughed. “You would!”
I still didn’t see what was so funny, but I didn’t get a chance to ask, because just then the door to Rocky’s room opened, and Francesca peeked in. “Oh, there you are, Your Highness,” she said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. It’s time.”
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