Thomas walked into his living room. “Oh, Barbara!” He gasped and ran to Barbara. He threw his arms around her. “ You need to lay down! The ambulance is on the way!”
“NO!” Barbara pushed him away. “Let me go! I’m not sick! Just go away!”
Thomas, surprised, backed away. “Barbara, are you ok?”
“Yes!” Barbara cried angrily, but then she had second thoughts. “No-No I’m not! I mean, I’m ok...but not-” She lowered her voice.
Her anger suddenly disappeared. It was quickly replaced with sadness. She looked down at the floor. Tears stung her eyes and throat. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. She started crying the world out.
“Not okay?” Thomas finished her sentence.
Barbara sadly nodded. Her dad understood. “Come see,” Thomas sighed. Barbara ran over to her father and hugged him. She cried on his shoulder. Thomas hugged her back.
It seemed to last forever.
Chapter 26:
“Why don’t you tell me everything that happened?” Tommy asked.
Barbara wasn’t mad at anyone anymore. She wasn’t mad at Bella, her parents, or anyone else. She was mad at herself. Why she hadn’t seen it before, that Bella was her real friend, and those other girls weren’t. She was mad at herself for lying to her parents, mad at herself for having the party, mad at herself for being bad in school.
And she was positive her dad would be mad at her too. But he still loved her. He still cared.
Of course, her mom wasn’t that happy. But she didn’t understand. She would never understand what was going on. But Thomas told her it was okay. Since Barbara was okay, he told the ambulance not to come. The doctors weren’t happy either, but still. They’d never understand.
Thomas and Barbara had went into Barbara’s room to talk after she stopped crying. Barbara started telling Thomas about everything that happened. Starting with the diary, finishing with the snow.
“Oh, Barbara, why didn’t you tell me any of this?” Thomas whispered, shaking his head.
Barbara stared down at her feet. “I-I-I don’t know,” She sighed shamefully.
Barbara decided to tell him the truth. “I just find it hard to trust you, Dad. You never tell me anything. You never tell me or mom anything about the curse! I had to figure out why you wouldn’t let me over the fence on my own! If you would have just told me, I wouldn’t have had to go there and figure it out the hard way.”
Thomas raised his eyebrow. “You know, you didn’t have to go over there,” He snorted.
Barbara, annoyed, looked up from her feet. “Yes, I did. I had to get my kickball!” Then, Barbara remembered something. “Oh no! The kickball tournament!”
“Don’t worry,” Thomas placed his hand on her shoulder, “Mr. Marcantel called and said it’s rescheduled for next Tuesday.”
Barbara smiled and leaned her head on her dad’s shoulder. “Good. I’m glad it’s not on a Thursday anymore.”
A faint smile appeared on Thomas’s face. Then it disappeared as Thomas’s face hardened and became serious again. “Barbara, I’m sorry I don’t tell you much about the curse and the fence. I just think you’re a little too young to understand. It’s really…. complicated.”
Barbara’s smile disappeared, too. “Oh,” She sighed, “Okay. Will you at least tell me one day?”
“One day,” Thomas echoed.
There was a long silence. “I love you, Dad.” Barbara finally exclaimed. Barbara hopefully grinned at Thomas, hoping he would reply.
“I love you too, Barbie,” He warmly smiled. Barbara’s heart lifted.
Barbara climbed into his lap. Thomas picked her up, and threw her to the other side of the bed, just for fun. Barbara giggled playfully. She jumped onto Thomas’s back and wrapped her arms around Thomas’s neck. Thomas reached under her armpits and tickled her. Barbara laughed and jumped backwards, landing on her back on the bed.
Thomas laughed.
Barbara laughed, too. She was happy. She had never heard her dad laugh before. She had heard him snicker, or laugh sarcastically, but this was a real laugh. A happy, fun, joyful laugh. Barbara hoped that moment would never end as Barbara and Thomas tumbled and rolled around on the bed.
It seemed like forever, but it was only for about fifteen seconds. Then, someone knocked on the door. “Thomas?” It was Layla. She opened the door. “We have a problem.”
Thomas put Barbara, who was on his shoulders, down onto the bed. She landed with a plop and giggled again. “What’s up?” He asked happily, since he was still in a great mood.
Layla sighed and leaned against the doorway. “We got kids at the door begging for a party,” She glared at Thomas, waiting for an answer.
Thomas didn’t look impressed at first. He glanced skeptically at Barbara. Then, after a few seconds of thinking, he smiled. “Tell them to come on in!” He laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
Barbara gasped in happiness and sat up on the bed. “Really?!”
Thomas nodded. “After the week you’ve been through, you deserve it! And I did promise Bella...”
Layla’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “How does she DESERVE it?! She ran away, got in trouble in class, and-”
Thomas and Barbara began walking out of the room. When they past Layla up in the doorway. She scoffed angrily. “You can NOT let her do this! I am her MOTHER and-”
“You may be her mother,” Thomas laughed, “But I’m the Man of the House!”
Barbara giggled at her father’s joke and skipped gleefully to the door. She opened it.
“Hey guys!” She grinned at the kids waiting at the door. “Welcome to my party!”
Chapter 27:
Bella stood idly outside, out on Barbara’s back porch, wondering what to think.
She couldn’t take it all in as it happened. It took her a second to realize what was going on. It took her more than a second, actually. She wondered why she hadn’t realized this before.
Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces of her life fit together. She didn’t know what to think, now that she knew.
She’d had it all along, just she never noticed it. Sparkles are funny like that sometimes. You’ll have an ability your whole life, but it would just be a normal talent. But when your Sparkle comes along, it just transforms into a power.
Bella had always been good at games. She had never lost a single one. She had always wondered if playing games was her Sparkle. But it was actually just one of the benefits of it.
The day after her birthday, her dad found the puppy she had always wanted. After she had said hit the lottery, they did. And they would be going to Hawaii, too.
She always got what she wanted. What luck.
Luck.
After Barbara miraculously got better, Bella realized it could only be one thing. Luck. It had to be. When Thomas and Bella had brought Barbara into the house, she was cold, her skin was pale blue, and she was unconscious. Her body temperature was so low, she shouldn’t have been okay.
Thomas had nervously implied, “She’ll be okay. Only if we’re REALLY lucky.”
Bella had started to cover her up with blankets. She had plopped down next to Barbara and started crying as Thomas went off to call 911. Then she whispered, “Please be okay!” and grabbed Barbara’s arm. She silently cried her name.
It shocked Bella when only moments later, Barbara began to revive. That shouldn’t have happened. Barbara was too sick to wake up. There was only one thing that could have possibly woken her up.
Luck.
But where did that luck come from? It came from Bella. Then and only then, Bella realized that she did have her Sparkle. She had had it all along. Her Sparkle was the opposite of her mom’s. She had good luck.
How else would have good things happen right after she said for them to? How else would she win EVERY game she played no matter what? How else would Barbara be in such critical condition, and just wake up?
Bella had to have done it. There could be no other way.
Bella stood
barefoot on the freezing concrete porch. She stared out into the pale grey sky, watching the snowflakes fall, feeling the cold, piercing wind on her face.
She hated it.
This morning, she was glad about the snow. It would have delayed the moving. But now, she wished more than ever that the sun would come out and warm the Earth. It ruined Barbara’s party. Now that Barbara was okay, it would crush her to find out that she still couldn’t have the party.
There had to be something she could do.
Bella thought about it. She was good luck. If she said anything about something lucky happening, it would happen.
“Boy, it sure is cold today,” Bella’s own words surprised her, how fast they came out, and how fast she thought of them.
“All this snow really is depressing,” She called out, wondering who she was even talking to. Was she talking to her Sparkle, or the snow?
“I sure wish it would stop snowing,” Bella looked all around to see if any changes in the weather patterns had happened. Nothing.
“It sure is such bad luck that it had to snow today,” Bella’s voice echoed as it bounced off the houses and abundant trees in their small little neighborhood. Still nothing changed.
Bella was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t really have a Sparkle. Maybe everything was just a coincidence. The idea took a second to sink in. Bella’s shoulders slumped. Tears stung her eyes and throat, and she used all her strength not to cry again.
She was supposed to be happy. She was moving to Hawaii. She got the puppy she always wanted. Barbara was okay. She should have been happy. But she wasn’t.
She had just about everything she could have ever wanted. Except for the thing she really wanted.
Maybe I do have it, Bella thought, trying to stay on the bright side, It’s just, um, glitching.
One more time.
“It sure would be lucky if it would stop snowing for Barbara’s party,” Bella croaked and looked hopefully at the sky. A snowflake fell into her eye.
Bella sat down on the cold porch, her eyes watering. She put her head between her knees. Tears slid down her cheek and landed on the concrete. This is what she got for getting her hopes up. Every time she got her hopes up, something bad happened.
But then, everything went still.
The wind stopped. It was quiet. The only thing that Bella could hear was the echo of her own breathing off the porch. Bella looked up at the sky, expecting to see snowflakes.
But the sky was empty. Bella held her breath and watched as the grey clouds parted and gave way to the sun.
Bella stood up in wonder. Did I just-
The snow on the ground suddenly got wet and shiny, and Bella knew it was starting to melt. Bella felt the warm sun on her shoulders. She felt the temperature rapidly increasing.
It worked. Bella gasped as joy overtook her. IT WORKED!
She started laughing in happiness. She was about to start running around doing the Snoopy Happy Dance, but then, the door creaked open.
Thomas’s smiling face peered out from the back door. “Bella, what are you doing out here?” He asked. “We’re having a party inside! Why don’t you come back inside?” He motioned for her to come back indoors.
Bella happily agreed and skipped inside.
A Sparkle and a party. How could this day get any better?
Chapter 28:
Barbara couldn’t believe her party had worked out.
After everything that happened, her dad still let her have the party. She was expected him to ground her and fuss at her. But he didn’t. He still let her have her party!
She hadn’t been this happy in weeks.
There were so many people that came! Some people were in her class, some were in the other third grade class, some were in second grade, and even a few fourth graders came!
Wow! Barbara thought. Does this mean I’m popular now?
Barbara and Thomas decided to do a piñata, pin the tail on the donkey, and other party games instead of the summer activities. Although it had miraculously stopped snowing, it was still way too cold to play on waterslides.
The Smashers played on their back porch. The kids could go outside and play in the half melted snow and on Barbara’s swing set in the backyard whenever they wanted. All in all, the party was a blast!
While Barbara was munching down on some chips at the snack bar, she suddenly heard a crash coming from her room. Uh, oh, She thought, That can’t be good! She ran to her room to find a little girl standing by her dresser, surrounded by a pile of broken glass.
“I’m so sorry!” The girl cried. “I didn’t mean to! I was just looking at the picture, and I dropped it!”
Barbara stared at the girl. She didn’t recognize her. She had long, wavy, blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and loads of freckles. “It’s okay. We can replace it,” Barbara replied and the girl sighed in relief. “Which picture frame did you break?” She asked as she slowly approached the girl.
“This one,” She replied and held up the bent picture.
Barbara examined the photo. It was old and faded. There was four girls sitting on a bed, wearing goofy clothes from the 80’s.They were smiling and looked like they were having a great time together. “That’s my mom and her best friends.” Barbara sighed and put the picture down. “I wish I had as many friends as she did.”
The girl cautiously stepped over the glass. “I can be your friend,” She smiled. “I’m Penny.”
“Thanks,” She told Penny happily, “I’m Barbara. Thanks for coming to my party,” Then she added, “Where are you from? I’ve never seen you before!”
Penny giggled. “I live down the road. I’m homeschooled. I found out about the party from my cousin, Natalie.”
Barbara flinched. Natalie? Was this girl going to be mean like her?
Penny looked down. “She’s not very nice though. She’s always picking on me.”
Barbara smiled. “She’s not that nice to me either. Hey, want to go play in the snow?”
Penny nodded in reply. Barbara went to tell Thomas about the broken frame, who responded, I knew this would happen, and Penny and Barbara went out to play in the snow with the other kids.
Later, after lunch, Barbara and Penny went into Barbara’s room to play. They heard a snuffling cry from her closet. Barbara opened her closet door.
There was a young girl, she looked about a year or two younger than Barbara, crouched between Barbara’s plastic bin and her suitcase. She had long brown hair, pulled up into a braid that dangled down her left shoulder, purple glasses, and big brown eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Penny asked as her and Barbara crouched down next to her. Barbara noticed that she was wet and sticky. Barbara couldn’t help thinking, She smells like tomatoes. Barbara pushed the thought away. That sounded mean.
“These girls,” She sniffed, “While I was eating chips, they picked up the tray of salsa and dumped it on my pants because they said they were ugly.”
The girl was wearing neon orange tights. They were a bit bright, but Barbara decided not to say anything. The girl continued. “I tried rubbing it all off, but I just smeared it everywhere and it got all over me.”
“Do you know who these girls were?” Barbara asked, but she had a feeling she knew the answer.
The girl sniffed again and rubbed a tear off her cheek. “I think their names were Macy, Gracie, and Natie?”
“Close enough,” Barbara sighed, “I know who you’re talking about. What’s your name?” She asked.
“I’m Raelynn,” The girl replied.
“Okay,” Barbara smiled, “I’m going give those girls a piece of my mind.”
Raelynn smiled sheepishly. “Thanks.”
Chapter 29:
Bella was so excited. She had never seen this many people in one house her whole life! She was already overwhelmed over getting her Sparkle, and now she was at the party of a lifetime!
She had met many kids her age. They were all so nice. A little time af
ter lunch, three girls sat down next to her outside. “Hi, I’m Bella!” She immediately blurted out.
The one with curly red hair snickered and rolled her eyes. “Hey, Bella. I don’t know you. You’re not from here, are you?”
“Um, I live in the house right behind us,” Bella blushed.
“Yeah, you don’t go to our school. And by the way, your skirt is totally lame,” The girl with blonde hair scoffed and looked at Bella like she was stupid.
Bella looked down at her blue skirt. She thought it went well with her yellow shirt. These girls weren’t very nice.
Bella nervously picked up a ball of snow. “Do you wanna build a snowman?” She squeaked, hoping the girls would catch along and stop being rude to her. She just hoped they liked Frozen as much as she did.
The African girl with the black curly hair looked at the other girls. She looked back at Bella and her lip curled in disgust. “Ew,” She snarled. “You like Frozen? That’s, like, for two year olds!”
Bella was about to protest, but then, Barbara and two other girls marched up. Barbara’s face was red with rage. Bella suddenly realized why these girls were being mean. They were those girls that Barbara didn’t like.
“What are you doing here?!” Barbara shrieked.
“It’s OUR party, Barbara. ” The girl with red hair smiled evilly.
“No, it’s not, Macy!” Barbara cried and stomped her foot.
“Yeah,” Said one of the girls standing next to Barbara, “It said that it was Barbara’s party on the invitation!”
The girl that was supposedly Macy leaned over to the African girl. “See? I told you not to put that, Grace!”
The girl that was Grace whipped around and scowled at the blonde haired girl. “Natalie! You told me to put that!”
Natalie looked back at Grace. “What?! That was your idea!”
“GUYS!”
Everyone including Barbara spun around to see where the voice was coming from. Behind Barbara, there was a tall girl with long black hair and freckles. Macy scoffed. “What do you want, Laura? We’re kind of in the middle of something!”
Laura folded her arms across her chest. “I want to know why you did this!” She grunted.
Barbara seemed shocked that Laura had even spoke.
“Did what?” Grace snorted.
Laura scowled. “Everything! You told me you were just going to have a summer party at Barbara’s house! You never told me you were doing THIS!”
Natalie scoffed. “Again, what is ‘this’?”