Kayla and her friends sleep with dolls or stuffed animals? Jasmine had a favorite doll. She couldnât sleep without it. What if they donât? Would they think she was a baby?
Jasmine ran straight home as fast she could from the bus stop that afternoon. She burst through the front door, out of breath and jumping up and down excitedly.
âMom! Mom! I got invited to a sleepover! Can I go? Please? Please?â Jasmine yelled.
Jasmineâs mom came out of her office. She was talking on the phone and held her finger up at Jasmine to wait. Jasmine bounced up and down, her braid swinging wildly, until her mom finally said goodbye to the person on the phone.
âWhat is this about a sleepover?â her mother asked. She seemed distracted about work and kept the phone to her ear.
âKayla, a girl in my class, is having a sleepover and she invited ME!â Jasmine squealed. âAnd Annie can go too. And we have always wanted to have a sleepover. And I really want to go. Please?â Jasmineâs words came tumbling out so fast, she sounded like she was on fast-forward.
Her mom laughed and kissed the top of her head.
âI guess you can. Do you think you can stay the whole night? This is a really big deal,â her mom said. âRemember when you tried to sleep at Grandmaâs house? I had to come and get you at ten 10 oâclock at night because you were afraid.â
âI can. I can! Thank you, Mom! I am going to call Annie!â Jasmine said.
Jasmine and Annie chatted happily about what they would wear, what they would bring, and which doll they wouldhide in their pillowcases. They decided they wouldnât tell anyone about needing their dolls to sleep. Jasmine was sure if she had her doll, she would be able to last the whole night.
Chapter Three
Secrets and Decisions
The long wait was almost over. The sleepover was the next night. Jasmine and Annie talked about nothing else since they both got their invitations.
Jasmine wound her hair in a special braid that morning. She couldnât stop smiling. When she got to school, she saw Kayla and her friends standing in a circle, laughing and whispering to one another. When Jasmine walked up to them, they stopped talking.
âHi everyone,â Jasmine said, smiling shyly at the group. âI am really excited about your party tomorrow night, Kayla!â
âMe too,â Kayla said. âWe have lots of surprises planned.â Kaylaâs perfectly smooth ponytail was arranged over her shoulder. Jasmine looked at it wishing her hair would do the same. She was sure her hair was sticking up out of her braid all over the place.
âLike what?â Jasmine asked. All of the girls in the group were covering their mouths and giggling. Jasmine could feel her heart thudding in her chest. She tried to press down her hair. She thought for sure it was escaping from its twists and ties.
âOh, youâll see,â Kayla said in a sing-song voice. She walked away with the other girls, giggling and whispering to one another.
I wonder what that was all about,
Jasmine thought. My hair must look really weird. She felt a familiar flutter of nervousness in her stomach.
Later that day, while Jasmine was in the library, she heard some girls whispering in another row. The voices sounded familiar to Jasmine. âI heard Annie and Jasmine havenât even been on a sleepover. I canât wait to teach them a couple of tricks! It will be so fun. Did you see Jasmineâs hair today?â Thetwo girls giggled as they walked down the row. Jasmine peeked through the shelf. It was Kayla and one of her friends!
Jasmine slowly unwound her braid. Jasmine didnât know what to do. Was Kayla planning on playing tricks on her and Annie? She was so angry. She was really looking forward to having a sleepover. Should she tell Annie? Maybe Kayla really didnât mean it. She walked back to class, thinking about what sheâd
Teresa Medeiros
Isobel Lucas
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S.G. Redling
Ron Rash
Louisa Neil
Subir Banerjee
Diego Rodriguez
Paula Brandon
Isaac Bashevis Singer