FOR DINNER, MOM COOKS UP scrambled eggs on account of the baked mac and cheese being all slobbered on. Dad’s in charge of the toast.
“Aw, scrambled eggs?” Jack says.
“Jack, that’s one,” Mom says with a bell inside her voice. On three we have to go to our rooms and that’s a fact. We all take a helping of eggs.
“Take some vegetables and pass them on, Lola,” Mom says.
I dig into the bag of baby carrots and pass them on to Jack.
“Since when does a bag of baby carrots count as vegetables?” Jack asks.
“That’s two,” Dad says.
“Not that I care. I don’t even like vegetables.”
I stare at Jack. Is he trying to get in trouble?
“Okay,” I say, “Can I go first?” Every night we play a game where you say two things about your day. Everyone has to guess which one is true and which one is the lie.
“You went first yesterday, but fine,” Jack says.
“Okay. Well . . . today I told Savannah Travers she could have my Cupcake Queen Halloween costume but I wish I hadn’t said that—”
“Lola, I thought you wanted to be a zero!” Mom and Dad say at the same time.
“Because zero starts with Z and nobody appreciates zero,” Mom adds.
“Well, I didn’t think you had time to make me a costume this year,” I say.
“Or me,” Jack says.
“So how did it come about that you would be wearing a Cupcake Queen costume?” Mom asks.
“Well, Jessie’s mom had three deluxe Cupcake Queen costumes that she got from the World’s Deluxe Costumes catalog,” I explain.
“And what about your mother who has been working hard to do her job and make you a wonderful zero costume?” Dad asks.
“You have?” I ask.
“How about me?” Jack asks in a voice that is eight sizes smaller than his regular voice. “Are you making me a Squad Frog costume for the sixth grade Monster Mash like you said you would?”
Mom puts down her forkful of eggs. She stands up and wraps Jack in a big ol’ hug. “You know I am,” Mom says.
And guess what, and you’ll never guess so I’ll just tell you.
Jack’s eyes wet up. Then he smiles a big smile, so I might have imagined that.
“Both Zuckerman costumes are in progress,” Mom says. “And will be better than anything you can buy in a catalog! Come see.”
We follow Mom into the guest bedroom/sewing room, and wow—there’s a Squad Frog green cape on the bed and green webbed feet. There’s also a giant black-and-white striped zero.
“How did you make a perfect zero, Mom?”
“I sewed black and white cloth around a hula hoop!” she says.
“Now, who could that be?” Mom asks.
I follow her to the door and even from the window I can see Savannah dressed as a Purple Pony.
And she doesn’t look happy.
Not one single bit.
When Mom opens the door, Savannah Travers is standing next to somebody who looks just like Savannah Travers, only older. Purple Pony Savannah is holding a deluxe Cupcake Queen costume in her hand.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you during the dinner hour,” the lady says. “I’m Paige Travers, Savannah’s mom.”
“I’m Julie Zuckerman,” Mom says. “Lola’s mom.”
“And mine!” Jack hollers from the kitchen.
“Well, you see, Savannah’s dad and I just learned how Savannah came to have this Halloween costume . . .”
“Why don’t you come in?” Mom says. Mom ushers Mrs. Travers into our living room. Ushering is pushing with no hands. And our living room is where we go to have snacks before Thanksgiving. There’s a chair in there that only Great-Aunt Sophie gets to sit on.
Mrs. Travers sits down on the fancy couch and says, “So Savannah has something she would like to say to Lola.” Mom sits next to her. I sit next to Mom and Savannah sits next to me. It seems like we’re on one of those talk shows Granny Coogan likes to watch when it’s too rainy to garden.
Savannah says, “Lola, I’m sorry I made you feel bad so you decided not to be a Cupcake Queen. And then you couldn’t be one ’cause I said I would tell on you about your lie. Here’s your Cupcake Queen costume back.” Savannah puts the costume in my lap. It’s itchy like Grandma’s evening gowns.
“That’s okay,” I say really fast. “I don’t even want to be a Cupcake Queen. Here,” and I put it back on her lap.
Savannah’s face perks up. Then she looks at her mom. Droop.
“That’s very generous of you, Lola,” Mrs. Travers says. “But Savannah can’t accept this costume. Savannah, would you like to explain why?”
“Well . . .” Savannah says. “I used to watch Purple Pony Pals and I really liked Priscilla Pony and my Aunt Kathy bought me a Priscilla Pony costume as a surprise even though she’s a starving actress and doesn’t have any money to waste.”
“Well, I can’t accept the costume either,” I say. I know why I said that. But then I forget. So I swim around inside my head until I remember. Not lines I have to say in Once Upon a Pumpkin that are hard to remember. But what I’m feeling, ’cause that’s easy to remember, ’cause I just felt it.
“I said I wanted to be a Zero because zero is last. But it could be the beginning. Like nobody knows how big a number might get when you add zeroes to the end. Also, my mom already started my costume.”
I smile at Mom and she smiles at me. Then Mrs. Travers smiles at Mom and Mom smiles at her. It’s like getting the giggles in class. Even if Mrs. D. told us to stop smiling, we’d have to keep on doing it.
My heart warms up like one of Grampy Coogan’s s’mores. “I wish that we could all live in my backyard. Patches and Amanda’s dog, Barkley, and your cat, Arthur, and Jessie’s designer dog. I wish nobody ever had to leave and go home.”
“I bet when Patches does see Barkley, they’re really happy!” Savannah says. “Happier than just Barkley playing all the time with Jessie’s dog that he probably gets tired of.”
I think about that.
Then I give myself a big surprise. ’Cause I say, “But maybe sometimes Barkley likes playing with Jessie’s dog. What’s that dog’s name, anyway?”
“Maizy.”
“Oh. Maybe Maizy and Barkley and Patches could all have a dog playdate and play games you can’t play with just two dogs. And maybe Arthur could come over and play, too.”
Savannah smiles really, really big so that some of her freckles take a trip right across her cheek. “I would love that. But Arthur’s kind of feisty, like Dwight White. Can I come over anyway?”
“Sure you can.”
Ours moms say goodbye, and I give Savannah a big surprise hug. A super-deluxe one that you can’t get in a catalog.
