In the morning, I was the first one up. I smiled as I looked at my friends sleeping side by side. I slid out of our fort as quietly as I could and stretched.
“So you survived your first sleepover,” Daddy said softly. “How do you feel?”
“Hungry.”
He laughed.
“Pancakes?”
I nodded.
“One sleepover special pancake and waffle bar on the way,” he said.
By the time my friends got up, he had everything ready: banana pancakes and sweet potato waffles. Dishes of berries, jars of sprinkles, and a can of whipped cream sat on the table.
“Yum,” we all said together.
We ate at the dining room table and played two truths and a lie some more.
“I’ll start,” Mari said. “I’m going to miss you all when I leave. I’m glad I got to come back. I hope you forget about me.”
“Never, Mari,” I said.
“Yep,” Simone said. “You’re stuck with us.”
Lena smiled. “Best friends forever.”
“Mari, why don’t you show them your pictures?” I said. Mari grabbed her tablet. We smiled at photos of her with her cousins in Sedona and at the Grand Canyon.
We gave her a group hug. “Are you all done with your science supplies?” Mom asked.
Before I could say yes, Simone jumped in.
“Do we have time for one more experiment before we leave?”
“What?”
Mari, Lena, and I looked at one another. Was that really Simone?
“I know I complained, but some of those projects were kinda cool.”
“I think you have time for one more,” Mom said.
After we cleaned our plates and helped clear the table, I spread out another plastic tablecloth and got the liquid laundry detergent and glue.
I passed out bowls and spoons to all my friends and set out one extra. Jax kept inching closer and closer. He thought I didn’t see him. But I motioned with my finger for him to come over.
“Want to make slime with us? There’s a spot for you right next to me.”
“Thank you, Jada!” he said, and hugged me tight. Mom watched to make sure we did everything safely as I gave the instructions.
“First we add a third of a cup of glue to the bowl. Next, we add a tablespoon of laundry soap. If it’s too sticky, add a little more detergent. Then, knead it with your fingers until it’s just like you want.”
“You have glitter glue!” Simone said.
“Of course,” I said. “Got it just for you.”
We mixed the glue and liquid detergent together. Slowly, it started to gel. This time, everyone’s turned out right.
“It’s gross but cool at the same time,” Simone said as she stretched hers. It looked like sparkling taffy. “I can’t stop pulling it.”
Soon, the parents started arriving. I gave everyone tubs to take their slime with them. We hugged and said goodbye. But the best keepsake wouldn’t fit in a container.
We posed for a picture before they left. Jax jumped in right before it was snapped.
“Photobomb!” he screamed.
We laughed. That was the perfect picture to capture our wacky time.
My first sleepover was tough, but I did it with my three best friends. This was a memory that would stick with me forever. I couldn’t wait until we had a sleepover again.