Karen's Secret Valentine

  It was recess time. We were out on the playground. I kicked at some snow with my foot.

  I had asked seven people. No one would switch with me. I was stuck with yucky old Pamela.

  Double boo. Double bullfrogs.

  “Do you want to play hopscotch?” asked Hannie.

  “I guess so,” I said.

  Nancy and Hannie and I did one potato, two potato, to see who would go first. Hannie was first. Then Nancy. Then me.

  While Hannie hopped, I looked for my Secret Valentine on the playground. She was playing four-square with Leslie, Ricky, and Chris Lamar. She hit Chris out.

  “Better luck next time,” said Pamela. She likes hitting people out.

  “What are you going to do for your Secret Valentines?” I asked Hannie and Nancy.

  “I am going to make a nice card in art class,” said Hannie.

  “I will leave a chocolate Kiss in her cubby,” Nancy said as she hopped. “Oops.”

  It was my turn now. To cheer myself up, I thought about the other Valentines I would send. I would make special ones for Hannie and Nancy. Then I would give littler ones to everyone else in class. Plus I needed Valentines for everyone in both my families. Whew! I would have to get busy soon. I would need more red and pink construction paper. And maybe some more tape and glue and glitter.

  “Karen, you missed,” Hannie called.

  I looked down. My foot was on a line. “Oops,” I said. “Your turn, Hannie.” I smiled. I felt much better now.

  Let’s Put on a Show!

  After school that day Nannie fixed Andrew and David Michael and me a snack. We had cheese and crackers and hot chocolate.

  “Thank you, Nannie,” I said when I had finished. “I am going outside to play.”

  “Um … are you going to play with Hannie?” asked David Michael.

  “Yes,” I said. “Why?”

  “No reason,” said my stepbrother. “I will come with you. I am going outside anyway.”

  “Me too,” said Andrew.

  It had started to snow again. Big, fat flakes stuck to everything. Outside, new snow covered the bushes and cars and sidewalks. It looked pretty.

  Andrew and I leaned back and caught flakes on our tongues.

  “Do not eat too much snow,” Hannie said. “You might spoil your dinner.” She and her brother, Linny, were walking toward my house. Linny is nine going on ten.

  I laughed.

  “Hi, Hannie. Hi, Linny,” said David Michael.

  Melody Korman and her brother, Bill, came out of their house across the street. Bill had a snow shovel over one shoulder.

  “Hi,” Melody said. She is seven. She doesn’t go to my school. “I think the snow is letting up. Do you guys want to take our sleds to the playground?”

  “No. Let’s have a snowfight,” said David Michael.

  “Count me out,” said Bill. He is nine. “I am going to shovel our front walk. My mom said she would pay me two dollars.”

  “It has not even stopped snowing yet,” I said.

  Bill looked at the sky and frowned. “I need to earn extra money.”

  “What for?” asked Hannie.

  “I want to buy a new hockey helmet,” Bill said. “I was hoping to get one for Christmas, but I didn’t.”

  “I need extra money too,” I said. “I need to buy special supplies to make Valentines. I have to make about a million.”

  “Make a million what? Dollars?” asked Maria Kilbourne. She had joined us just in time to hear me say that.

  “No, Valentines,” I said. “I have to send tons of Valentines this year.” I felt very important.

  “I want to give my mom a fancy box of chocolates this year,” said Maria. “I was saving my allowance. But then I spent it on souvenirs at the Ice Capades.”

  “You saw the Ice Capades?” said Hannie.

  “I love the Ice Capades,” I said. “I saw it last year, when it was Cinderella. It was so, so beautiful.”

  “I want to be in the Ice Capades,” said Andrew. “I could be a prince.”

  “This gives me an idea,” said Linny.

  “What? What?” I asked, bouncing in my snow boots. I love it when people get ideas. (I love it even more when I get ideas.)

  “We could put on our own ice-skating show,” said Linny. “We all know how to ice skate, right? We could make up a play. Then we could perform it on ice. We could charge admission. We could all earn extra money that way.”

  “That is a great idea,” said Bill.

  “An ice show, starring us!” I said. I could already see myself, wearing a Cinderella costume. I would skate gracefully across the ice….

  “Where would we have it?” I asked. “At the skating rink?”

  “No,” said Linny. “That would be too expensive.”

  “We could spray water on the street with a hose,” said David Michael. “Then it would freeze into ice.”

  “No,” said Maria. “You cannot do that. Cars would skid and have wrecks.”

  “Maria is right,” said Hannie. “Could we flood someone’s yard?”

  “That is a good idea,” said David Michael.

  “Our yard is big,” I said. “I do not know if Daddy would let us flood it, though. I could ask.”

  “Maybe Sam or Charlie could help us,” said David Michael.

  “We also need to sell tickets ahead of time,” I said. “So we will all have our money before Valentine’s Day. And at the show, we can sell refreshments. So we will make even more money.” I jumped up and down. I was getting gigundoly excited.

  “We need a name for our show,” said Maria.

  “And we should ask Scott and Timmy Hsu to be in it,” said David Michael.

  “We could put on Cinderella,” I said quickly. “I could be Cinderella.”

  “Why can’t Hannie be Cinderella?” asked David Michael.

  I looked at him.

  “No. We need a show we can all star in,” said Maria.

  I shrugged. I cannot help it if I like to be the star.

  “How about Snow White?” I said. “I can be Snow White. You can all be dwarves. The dwarves are very important.”

  “Karen!” Hannie laughed. “You cannot be beautiful Snow White and make us the dwarves!”

  I laughed too. “I guess not. Sorry.”

  “Hannie is right,” said David Michael.

  I looked at him again.

  “Listen, everyone,” said Linny. “If we are going to do this, we need to work fast. We need to make tickets and sell them. We need a name and a script for our show. We need to get the rink ready.”

  “We need costumes,” said Maria.

  “We need to advertise,” said David Michael.

  “We need to make food,” said Andrew.

  We agreed to meet two days later. Our homework was to think up names for our show. Then we would vote.

  Linny was taking charge, but I did not mind too much. Our ice show was going to be amazing, no matter whose idea it was.

  David Michael’s Surprising Announcement

  At home I took off my snowsuit, snow boots, hat, and mittens. Then I dried my glasses and ran upstairs.

  Hannie and I had volunteered to make tickets. We were each supposed to make twenty (although we would probably need more).

  I did not have any red or pink construction paper left, but I had plenty of other colors. I sat down at my desk and cut the paper into fat strips.

  David Michael tapped on my door. “Are you busy?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I am very busy.”

  “So who are you going to make Valentines for?” he asked. He came into my room and sat on my bed.

  “Oh, everyone,” I said. I cut the paper strips into smaller pieces. “Tons of people.”

  “What about Hannie?” David Michael asked.

  “What about Hannie?” I asked. I turned to look at him. “First you wanted her to be Cinderella. Then you said she was right about not being a dwarf. Why are you so interested in Hannie today?”
br />   “No reason.” David Michael frowned. “I was just wondering if you were going to send her a Valentine.”

  “Of course I am going to send her a Valentine,” I said. “She is one of my best friends!”

  David Michael was quiet.

  When I had a nice pile of strips, I began to make a swirly design around their edges.

  “I wonder if …” David Michael mumbled.

  “What?” I said. I counted my strips. I had twelve. That was a good start.

  “I wonder if I should send Hannie a Valentine.” David Michael spoke so softly, I could hardly hear him. But I did.

  I put down my marker. “David Michael,” I practically shrieked. “Do you like Hannie?”

  “No!” David Michael crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course not. I just, you know … think she is nice.”

  Well, let me tell you. I almost had a heart attack. My own stepbrother was in love with my best friend!

  “Oh. My. Land,” I said.

  David Michael was blushing. He looked embarrassed. He looked miserable. That is what love can do to you, I thought. I decided to be kind to him.

  I pretended it was no big deal.

  “Hmm,” I said, tapping my pencil against my chair. “I think it would be very nice if you sent Hannie a Valentine.” Inside I was practically bursting with excitement. “I am sure she would be happy to get it.”

  “You think so?” asked David Michael. He looked less miserable.

  “Oh, yes,” I said. I turned around in my chair. I pretended to draw more tickets.

  “Okay,” said David Michael. “I will.” He bounced off my bed and left my room.

  After he was gone, I sat and thought for a moment. Valentine’s Day was a very special holiday. It was all about love. Kind of like Christmas. I was going to send lovely Valentines to everyone I cared about.

  But then there was Pamela. My Secret Valentine. I was stuck with her. I might as well be a good Secret Valentine. If Pamela had picked my name, I would want her to be a good Secret Valentine.

  So what could I do for her?

  I could make a nice card.

  I could do a good deed.

  Finally I decided to hide a small gift in her cubby. Downstairs in the kitchen, I took out a box of fancy cookies. I put some in a Baggie and tied a pink ribbon on it. Then I wrote “From your Secret Valentine” in my best handwriting.

  I thought anyone would be glad to get cookies from a Secret Valentine. I felt happy.

  Pamela’s Good and Bad Surprises House

  “I know a seeeeecret,” I sang to Hannie the next morning.

  We were sharing a seat on our school bus. When I am at the big house, I ride to school with Hannie. When I am at the little house, I ride to school with Nancy.

  “What secret?” Hannie pushed off her earmuffs.

  I smiled. There is nothing better than knowing a secret that is sort of okay to tell.

  “Well,” I said, “it is about you … and a certain boy.”

  “A boy?” Hannie frowned.

  “Yup,” I said. “A certain boy who likes you.” I waited for her to bounce in her seat. I waited for her to beg me to tell her who. I waited for her to say please, please, please.

  “Ew,” said Hannie. “Ick.”

  “Hannie,” I said. “I know a boy who likes you. Don’t you want to know who?”

  Hannie wrinkled her nose. “Not really. It is just a boy.”

  “But Hannie. It is David Michael. David Michael, my very own stepbrother, wants you to be his Valentine.”

  “Yuck,” said Hannie. “I do not want to be anyone’s Valentine. Except yours and Nancy’s and my parents’. Boys are icky. They are gross. This morning Linny spit milk through his nose.”

  “Ew,” I said. “But David Michael is not gross. Well, not too gross.”

  “He is a boy,” said Hannie.

  I sighed. I felt bad for David Michael. He wanted Hannie to be his Valentine. But she did not want to be. At least, not yet. Maybe Hannie would change her mind by Valentine’s Day. Maybe by then she would not think boys are too gross.

  I had a brilliant idea.

  I would send David Michael Secret Valentine cards and gifts. Then, at the last minute on Valentine’s Day, I would tell Hannie what I had done, and she could step in and pretend she had sent them to David Michael. My brother would be so happy..

  Yes, I thought. It was an excellent plan. I just looove Valentine’s Day!

  * * *

  When we got to school, I ran inside. No one was in our classroom. So no one saw me hide the Baggie of cookies in Pamela’s cubby.

  * * *

  “Hank, would you please take attendance for me?” asked Ms. Colman.

  Boo and bullfrogs, I thought. Taking attendance was an important job. I wanted to do it again.

  “Oh!” said Ricky, next to me. He held up a card with a picture of a dog on it. It said, “Doggone it! Will you be my Valentine?” It was signed, “Your Secret Valentine.”

  I had not gotten anything from my Secret Valentine yet. But then, not everyone would get a card or gift every day.

  Pamela smiled and held up her Baggie of cookies. “Look what I found in my cubby!” she said. “I have a good Secret Valentine.”

  I smiled to myself. Even though Pamela had called me a dumbhead (I had not forgotten that), it was fun to see her happy about her Secret Valentine.

  “What is this?” said Pamela, holding up a folded note.

  “What does it say?” asked Leslie.

  “It says, ‘Violets are blue, roses are pink,’ ” Pamela read. “ ‘You do not know it, but your feet sure do stink. From your Secret Valentine.’ ”

  I raised my eyebrows. I had not sent that note.

  “That is mean,” said Leslie.

  “Yes, it is,” said Pamela. “Why would my Secret Valentine send me nice cookies and a mean note?”

  “Maybe he has a split personality,” Bobby suggested.

  “All right, class,” Ms. Colman said. “I know you want to talk about your Secret Valentines, but it is time for science.”

  I took out my science book. I did not know who had left that mean note for Pamela. A lot of kids do not like her very much.

  It was a mystery.

  Karen’s Great Idea

  “Valentine List,” I wrote at the top of the page. I was at my desk before dinner on Tuesday evening.

  I had to be organized. I had a lot of Valentines to make. I could not buy the supplies until we sold tickets to our show. But I could make a list.

  BIG HOUSE

  Daddy, Elizabeth, Andrew, Kristy, David Michael, Nannie, Emily Michelle, Sam, Charlie

  LITTLE HOUSE

  Mommy, Seth

  I would not send Valentines to any of the animals.

  SCHOOL

  Ms. Colman, Nancy, Hannie, Ricky, Addie, Audrey, Tammy and Terri, Sara, Bobby, Hank, Ian, Omar, Chris, Natalie

  Then I added Leslie, Jannie, and Pamela. I guessed I could not leave out those three. But their Valentines would be very small. Did I need to send Pamela one from me and one from her Secret Valentine? I could not decide.

  I had to get started on my plan for David Michael’s Secret Valentine. Since I did not have red or pink construction paper, I took a sheet of blue paper and cut out a heart shape. Then I glued it to a piece of black paper folded in half. At the top I wrote “Be Mine” in glue and sprinkled glitter on it. I used my silver-ink marker for the inside. I wrote, “My heart is black and blue without you. Your Secret Valentine.”

  I would slip it under David Michael’s door before dinner. Oops — I remembered that the Valentine was supposed to be from Hannie. She could not slip it under David Michael’s bedroom door. So I would put the envelope in our mailbox tomorrow. Then Elizabeth would give it to David Michael as if it had been mailed to him.

  I am really, really sneaky sometimes.

  I was just getting started on another Secret Valentine for Pamela when Kristy tapped on my door. “Karen, di
nner!”

  “Coming,” I called. I hid David Michael’s card in my desk and ran downstairs.

  * * *

  There are so many of us at the big house that we eat dinner at a very long table with two benches. I squeezed onto a bench next to my favorite big sister.

  “Were you doing homework?” Kristy asked. She passed me a basket of bread.

  “No,” I said.

  “Tomorrow is the first official meeting for our ice show,” said David Michael.

  Nannie put some lasagna on my plate. Yum! There was a very delicious salad also.

  “What ice show?” asked Daddy.

  David Michael and Andrew and I told him about our plans for the show.

  “I am already making tickets,” I said. “But we need a name.”

  “How about Ice Capades Junior?” said Andrew.

  “No.” David Michael shook his head.

  “Let’s see,” said Kristy. “We can all try to think of a name for you.”

  I beamed. Kristy is so helpful.

  “How about the Cutting Edges?” Nannie suggested.

  “I like that,” said David Michael.

  “What about the Skating Sensations?” said Daddy.

  “How about Fire on Ice?” said Charlie. “You could all skate around with sparklers in your teeth.”

  “Charlie,” said Elizabeth. She gave him a Look.

  “Ooh,” I said. “I know. The Icebreakers.” The Icebreakers sounded very cool.

  “I like it,” said David Michael.

  “Me too,” said Andrew.

  “We can vote on it tomorrow,” I said. “But I really hope everyone likes it.”

  “Now we just need a story for our show,” said David Michael.

  “Well, I thought of the name,” I said. “Someone else can think of the story.”

  The Icebreakers

  On Wednesday afternoon all the neighborhood kids met in front of Daddy’s house.

  “Daddy said we can use our backyard,” I reported. “And Sam told me how to make an ice rink. It is easy, but I will need help.”

  “We can all help after this meeting,” said Linny.

  “I say we should have the show on the Sunday after Valentine’s Day,” said Scott Hsu. “That way we will have plenty of time to get ready.”