Karen's Secret Valentine

  “We have a lot to do,” said Linny. “Let’s make a list of who will do what.”

  “Hannie and I will sell the tickets,” I said.

  Linny wrote that down. “I think we should make our own costumes,” he said.

  We all agreed.

  “Timmy and I will sell the refreshments,” said Scott. “We will make hot chocolate, popcorn balls, and bags of peanuts.”

  “Yum!” I said.

  “I will choose music for the show,” said Melody.

  That’s when David Michael and Andrew and I told everyone about an idea I had had.

  “The Icebreakers are like policemen on ice,” said David Michael. (He had thought up a cops-and-robbers story.)

  Linny frowned. “I was thinking about being space rangers.”

  “I wanted to put on a fairy-tale,” said Melody.

  “I like the Icebreakers,” said Timmy.

  “I like it too,” added Maria.

  We voted. I crossed my fingers on both hands and tried to cross my toes inside my snow boots. The Icebreakers won.

  David Michael would write a script. Linny and Maria were going to work on some skating routines.

  Hannie and I had to finish making our tickets and then sell them. It was practically the most important job of the whole show.

  But first we had to make our ice rink.

  In Daddy’s backyard, we marked off a very large rectangle. Then we built snow walls about six inches high all around the rectangle. Then we all stomped around inside the rectangle. We packed the snow down very hard and flat.

  Later in our rink I would run the hose for several hours. The water would freeze into ice. I would add more water every night until the show. Then we would have a great ice rink!

  Another Secret Valentine Plan

  Hannie and I ran inside the big house to finish our tickets. (Hannie had brought hers over.)

  We settled down at the kitchen table. Nannie was starting to make dinner.

  “How much should we charge for each ticket?” Hannie asked.

  Nannie helped us figure out the math. We decided three dollars was fair.

  “Whoa!” said David Michael, coming into the kitchen. “It’s cold out there.” He smiled at Hannie. She kept writing “The Icebreakers” on her tickets.

  “Oh, here, David Michael,” Nannie said. She handed him an envelope. “This was in the mail today for you.”

  It was the Secret Valentine card I had made for him! I pretended to pay no attention.

  David Michael ran upstairs with it. Hannie did not even look up. I sighed to myself. This Secret Valentine plan had better work.

  * * *

  The next day at school I found a heart-shaped cherry lollipop hidden in my desk. I had put a card in Pamela’s coat pocket when she was at the water fountain. Yesterday she had gotten another mean note and a wilted flower. But not from me.

  Having Secret Valentines was so, so fun. Omar’s Secret Valentine had gone overboard. He got something every day, and sometimes twice a day. So far everyone had received at least one thing from his or her Secret Valentine. Everyone, that is, except Nancy.

  “What is wrong with her Secret Valentine?” I whispered to Hannie at lunch on Thursday. Hannie had gotten a heart-shaped eraser one day, and some caramels another day.

  “I do not know,” said Hannie. We watched Nancy in the lunch line, buying her milk. Hannie took a bite of macaroni and cheese. “I wonder who her Secret Valentine is. He is being very lazy.”

  “Or she,” I said. “Maybe it is Pamela.”

  “Maybe. I feel bad that Nancy is not getting any Valentine surprises,” said Hannie.

  “We have to do something,” I said. “We have to be her Secret Valentines.”

  “That is a great idea,” Hannie said with a smile. “We will take turns.”

  “I will go first,” I said. “I have a brand-new pencil with a swirly pattern on it. Nancy has not even seen it. I will sneak it into her desk during recess.”

  “Good. I will bring something tomorrow,” said Hannie.

  “What will you bring tomorrow?” Nancy asked as she sat down next to us.

  “Oh, nothing,” Hannie said. When Nancy was not looking, Hannie smiled at me.

  I smiled back. I was so full of Valentine secrets, I felt as if I would burst.

  Get Your Tickets Right Here

  “Would you like to buy a ticket to the amazing Icebreakers show?”

  Hannie and I smiled at Daddy and Elizabeth and showed them one of our tickets. It was Saturday, eight days before our show. Hannie and I had finished the tickets. They looked beautiful.

  “We would love to buy some tickets,” said Elizabeth. She reached for her purse. “Let’s see. We need … seven.”

  “You do not have to buy one for Emily Michelle,” Hannie said. “Children under three are free.”

  “Okay,” said Elizabeth. “We need six tickets then.”

  We gave her the tickets and she gave us eighteen dollars. We wrote down the ticket sale on a piece of paper. So far it looked like this:

  Mrs. Papadakis: 2 tickets — $6.00

  Mrs. Brewer: 6 tickets — $18.00

  (Mrs. Brewer is Elizabeth.)

  “Thank you very much,” I said. “We have to go sell more tickets now.”

  “Karen, please remember the rules,” Daddy said. “You may only sell tickets to families we know. You may not go off our street. You must do all your selling while it is light outside. And no pouting if someone says no.”

  “I remember, Daddy,” I said. “Come on, Hannie.”

  * * *

  We sold tickets to the parents of everyone in the show. We had a lot more tickets to sell, but it was time for lunch. We were eating at the big house.

  “After lunch we can ask the rest of the people in the neighborhood,” said Hannie.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “And I will call Mommy and Seth.”

  “You are doing a very good job of selling tickets,” said David Michael. He smiled at Hannie. She took a sip of milk. She did not know it yet, but she had already sent him two cards and a small box of red-hots.

  “I cannot wait to see your show,” said Kristy.

  “It is going to be wonderful,” I said. “Will you be able to help me with my costume?”

  Kristy smiled. “Of course.”

  * * *

  By Sunday afternoon Hannie and I were a little tired of ringing doorbells and counting money and writing things down. But guess what. We had sold almost every ticket!

  “Keep the rest of the tickets,” said Linny. “We can sell them at the show, in case anyone who’s walking by wants to see it.”

  David Michael read us the script for our show. It was about a boy who is poor. He robs a bank. A rich girl meets him and feels sorry for him. She helps the poor boy get a job. Then an evil girl tries to ruin the two friends. Then two good police officers save them. The end.

  We all liked it a lot. I wanted to be the rich girl. But we wrote our names on slips of paper and picked them out of Scott Hsu’s pom-pom hat.

  This was our cast list:

  Director: David Michael Thomas

  Rich Girl: Maria Kilbourne (Boo and bullfrogs.)

  Poor Boy: Bill Korman

  Evil Girl: Karen Brewer (I cheered up. It would be fun to be evil.)

  Girl Police Officer: Hannie Papadakis

  Boy Police Officer: Scott Hsu

  Butler: Andrew Brewer

  Narrator: Linny Papadakis

  Music: Melody Korman

  Refreshments: Timmy Hsu

  Now I was gigundoly excited. The role of the Evil Girl was important. I could make it very dramatic.

  After we decided on the cast, we split up the money we had collected. Then we each gave Scott and Timmy three dollars to buy refreshments and plastic cups and paper napkins. After that we each had eight dollars and twenty-five cents left over.

  Now I could go buy Valentine card supplies, and a small present for Pamela, and a small present for
David Michael from Hannie. Not only that, but I was going to be Evil Girl. Yea!

  Secret Valentine Gifts

  On Monday I found two chocolate Kisses and a note in my cubby. The note said “Sweets to the sweet.”

  Nancy still had not gotten a single thing from her own Secret Valentine. So Hannie put a card in Nancy’s desk. It said, “Valentines once, Valentines twice, As my Valentine, You’re so nice.” Hannie had written it herself.

  I decided to give Nancy my chocolate Kisses after lunch.

  We also had show-and-share on Monday morning.

  I raised my hand high and waved it around. Finally Ms. Colman called on me.

  I stood in the front of the room and held one of our Icebreakers tickets above my head.

  “My friends and I are putting on an ice-skating show,” I said. “Hannie will be a police girl on ice.” Hannie smiled in the back of the room. “I will be an evil villain. Our show will be next Sunday at ten o’clock in my backyard. If any of you are in the neighborhood, you may come. Tickets are three dollars. Thank you.” I sat down. I turned around to look at Hannie, and she gave me the thumbs-up sign. Nancy wasn’t smiling. Uh-oh, I thought. What is wrong with Nancy?

  * * *

  At lunchtime Nancy told me what was wrong.

  “You and Hannie have been talking about the Icebreakers for days now,” Nancy said. “It is like you are the Two Musketeers together, and I am the One Musketeer alone.”

  “You are right,” I told Nancy. “But it is only because you live in the little-house neighborhood.”

  Nancy looked very sad.

  “I have an idea,” said Hannie. “There is no rule about who may be in the Icebreakers. Maybe Nancy can help too.”

  “Really?” said Nancy. “What can I do?”

  “Um,” I said. “The thing is, we have already divided up the money.”

  “I do not care about money,” said Nancy. “I just want to be with you guys. I do not even have to skate in the show.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Well, I am sure Timmy Hsu will need help with the refreshments.”

  “And you could sell tickets on the day of the show,” said Hannie.

  Nancy smiled happily. So did Hannie. So did I. When you are the Three Musketeers, you have to stick together.

  * * *

  I felt excited as I ran up the walk to the big house after school. I had many things to do that afternoon.

  “Hello!” I called from the front hall.

  “Hello, dear,” said Nannie. “Come into the kitchen and have a snack.”

  David Michael and Andrew were already there. So were Kristy and Emily Michelle.

  “Hello, hello, hello, hello,” I sang. Nannie had fixed a snack of rice cakes and peanut butter.

  “I have to go to the grocery store this afternoon,” said Nannie. “You kids may either stay here with Kristy or come with me.”

  “I will stay here,” said David Michael.

  Andrew looked at Kristy. “Will you play Candyland and Cootie with me?”

  Kristy nodded. “Sure.”

  “I will stay here too,” said Andrew.

  “I would like to go,” I said, bouncing in my seat. This was perfect! I could buy my Secret Valentine presents.

  “Fine,” said Nannie. “It will be you and me and Emily Michelle, then.”

  * * *

  While Nannie pushed Emily Michelle in the grocery cart, I set off to find good presents.

  And I did. In the beauty aisle I found a very lovely hair barrette for Pamela. It had ribbons wrapped around it and little beads on the ribbons. It was very fancy, and Pamela could wear it with almost anything. I hoped she would like it.

  For David Michael I went to the toy section. One of his favorite action figures is Galaxy Man. I bought him Galaxy Man’s floating power surfboard. I was very pleased with these two presents.

  In the stationery aisle I found construction paper, glitter, and glue. In the baking aisle I found lacy paper doilies. Now I had everything I needed for Valentine’s Day. Which was good, because I had spent every penny of my ice-show money.

  Places, Everyone!

  On Wednesday afternoon Nancy rode home with Hannie and me on our school bus. It was fun having the Three Musketeers together on the bus.

  We went to my house. “Hi, girls,” said Nannie.

  “Hi, Hannie. Hi, Nancy,” said David Michael. He was already eating his snack. He gave Hannie a special smile.

  “Hi,” said Hannie. She did not smile back at him.

  Uh-oh. It looked as if Hannie still did not like boys very much. I hoped she would change her mind today or tomorrow. She had been sending David Michael Secret Valentine cards and gifts all week. And she did not even know it.

  After Nannie gave us a snack, we ran outside. The other members of the Icebreakers were already there.

  Hannie and I explained that Nancy wanted to help. Everyone thought that was fine.

  We tested the ice in our ice rink. It was smooth and thick. Perfect!

  David Michael clapped his hands. “We need to rehearse our show,” he said. “Does everyone know their parts?”

  “Yes!” we cried.

  Linny narrated while we skated around each other and tried to be graceful. We practiced our lines. Bill acted sad when he was poor, and happy when he was rich. You may not believe this, but I was good at acting evil.

  By the time Nancy’s mother came to pick her up, we could tell the Icebreakers show was going to be a big success. We planned to meet again on Friday for another rehearsal.

  Secret Valentine Meanie-Mo

  “Today we will make decorations for our Valentine’s Day party tomorrow,” Ms. Colman said on Thursday.

  “Yea!” I cried.

  “The party will be at lunchtime,” she continued. “Instead of going to the lunchroom, we will eat in our classroom. Then we will have special Valentine’s Day refreshments. And we will find out who our Secret Valentines are.”

  I wiggled in my seat. I could not wait to find out who my Secret Valentine was. This morning I had found a heart-shaped sugar cookie in my desk.

  What would Pamela think when she found out I had been her Secret Valentine? I had been a good Secret Valentine. But would she blame me for the mean things she had gotten? Someone was still sending Pamela mean notes almost every day. And once this week she had found a dried-up bug on her desk. It had been very gross. But it had not been put there by me.

  Every night that week I had made valentines. I would finish the last ones that night. The ones I had made for Nancy and Hannie were very beautiful and very special.

  I still had not told Hannie that I had been pretending she was David Michael’s Secret Valentine. By now I was sure that she could not still think he was icky. She would be so glad that I had helped her. And wait until she found out that she had bought David Michael a Galaxy Man floating power surfboard!

  I decided to tell her that afternoon on the bus ride home from school.

  * * *

  “You did what?” said Hannie, her eyes wide.

  “I took care of everything for you,” I repeated. We were sharing our usual bus seat.

  “I cannot believe you did that,” Hannie said. “Did you tell him they were from me?”

  “Not exactly,” I said with a smile. “I just signed them ‘From your Secret Valentine.’ But tomorrow you will say they were all from you.”

  “No, I will not!” said Hannie. She looked angry. “I told you I did not want to be David Michael’s Valentine. How could you do this to me?”

  “How can you be so mean to David Michael?” I asked. I was starting to feel angry too. “It is selfish of you not to be his Valentine. And after all the work I did for you.”

  “I did not ask you to do it. In fact, I wish you had not.” Hannie crossed her arms over her chest. She frowned and looked out the window.

  “What will happen tomorrow?” I asked. “David Michael will want to know who his Secret Valentine is.”

  “That is not
my problem,” said Hannie.

  “I spent some of my ice-show money on David Michael’s Galaxy Man floating power surfboard,” I said.

  Hannie just looked at me.

  “You need a Valentine!” I cried.

  “No, I do not,” said Hannie. “I have Nancy and my parents. I thought you would be my Valentine too. But now I am not sure.”

  My mouth dropped open.

  “Guess what,” I said angrily. “I made you a Valentine, but now I will throw it away!”

  “Good,” said Hannie. Her lower lip stuck out.

  “Fine,” I said. I was so mad I was about to cry. Old meanie-mo Hannie.

  Then I had a bad thought: Hannie and I still had to be in the Icebreakers together.

  Boo and bullfrogs. Bull and boofrogs.

  I thought about David Michael, waiting to find out who his Secret Valentine was. It would be nobody.

  Red and White

  On Friday morning when I woke up, my first thought was: I am sooo happy, because it is Valentine’s Day. We would have the class party and find out who our Secret Valentines were. I would hand out all my special Valentines.

  Then I remembered my fight with Hannie. She and I would not celebrate together. She would not give me a Valentine. I would not give her one. (I had said that I would throw hers away. But I had not.) And I would have to tell David Michael that I was his Secret Valentine.

  Ugh. I decided to wait until after school.

  Even though I was sad, I still dressed up. I wore a red turtleneck, a red-and-white plaid kilt, a white sweater vest, and white tights with little hearts on them that Mommy had given me. I put a red ribbon in my hair. I looked very Valentinesy.

  * * *

  Downstairs, the people in my big-house family were hugging and kissing and wishing each other Happy Valentine’s Day.

  At each of our places were Valentines from everyone else in our family.

  Plus, Daddy and Elizabeth gave each other presents. Elizabeth gave Daddy a red tie with white hearts on it. Daddy gave Elizabeth a heart-shaped charm for her bracelet.

  I felt a little better because everyone around me was so happy.