Chapter Six:

FORMULA FOR FUN

“Look, let’s start over,” I said.

My friends frowned like it was too late.

“Can we play a game? Two truths and a lie?” I asked. “I will forget about science for the rest of the night. I will be happy if you leave. I don’t care what we do as long as we’re together.”

Simone was the first to smile.

“Okay, Jada,” she said. “But if we’re going to play, let’s play for real. My turn. I’m going to be a famous TV reporter one day. I’m going to win a double Dutch tournament. I’m going to be mad if we don’t do some more science.”

“Very funny,” I said. “Lena, you’re up.”

We kept going back and forth, making up sillier and sillier lies until we were cracking up on the floor.

“Okay, ladies,” Mom said, smiling as she saw us having fun together. “It’s midnight. Time for bed.”

Mari looked at me and whispered in my ear. I grinned and whispered to Simone, who shared with Lena.

“Uh-oh, looks like a plan is in motion,” Mom said. “What’s up?”

“Can we please make a fort, Ms. Keisha?” Mari said.

“Hmmm,” Mom said, thinking it over. “I guess every sleepover needs one.”

She winked and left.

“Yes!” we shouted, and got busy putting it together. Lena laid a fuzzy blanket on the floor. Simone suggested using kitchen chairs for the frame. Mari draped them with a patterned comforter. I ran upstairs to get more sheets and pillows.

We put pillows inside and a few stuffed animals. We stood back and admired what we had built.

“It’s wondermazing!” Mari said. I nodded my head. That sounded just right. It was the best fort I ever saw. We made the perfect team.

I crawled inside with my three best friends and knew there was no place I’d rather be.

“Mom said, ‘Time for bed,’ but she didn’t say we had to go to sleep.”

We giggled and whispered until one by one my friends’ voices were replaced with steady breathing. As I closed my eyes, I knew I would have good dreams that night.