Read Online Needle and Thread by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online Page B

Olivia’s front steps.
    â€œHey, you guys. I never told you about the great idea I had,” said Flora. She glanced behind her at Robby, who looked away from her.
    â€œWhat great idea?” asked Nikki.
    â€œMin was telling Ruby and me how every Halloween she dresses like the Wicked Witch of the West from
The Wizard of Oz
and Gigi dresses like Glinda. So I thought maybe the three of us and Ruby could be Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow.” She glanced over her shoulder again. “We need someone to be the Wizard,” she added. “I wonder who that could be.”
    Robby glared off into the distance.
    â€œBut,” said Nikki, “I don’t know if I can dress up. Like I said.”
    â€œIt’s okay. It was just an idea.”
    â€œIf I can, though,” Nikki went on, “Mae will probably have to come trick-or-treating with me. I couldn’t leave her behind.”
    â€œMae could be Toto!” cried Olivia.
    â€œWell …” said Nikki.
    â€œDo you really think you might be able to come?” asked Flora.
    â€œMaybe.”
    â€œWe don’t want you to get in trouble,” added Olivia.
    Nikki let out a huge sigh. “If I’m going to ask about this, I’ll have to do it very carefully. I’ll talk to Mom first.” She sighed again. “The problem is that Mom can’t really stand up to my father.”
    â€œI’m back!” said Lydia. “Robby, your mother’s leaving now. She said your dad will be home in two hours. Guess what. We get to start dinner. What do you want to make?”
    Robby brightened. “Can we have pizza?”
    â€œFrozen pizza? Sure. We’ll make a salad, too, okay?”
    â€œOkay.”
    Lydia sat on the lawn with Olivia and Nikki and Flora. Every so often a maple leaf drifted to the ground. Lydia sniffed the air. “Smells good,” she said. “Isn’t it weird how you can actually smell the seasons? You know — how spring smells different from summer, and autumn has its own smell, and winter smells like snow, even though snow doesn’t have a smell?”
    â€œMmm,” said Flora.
    â€œRobby, come join us.” Lydia patted the ground beside her.
    â€œAll right.” Robby left the steps and plopped onto the grass between Nikki and Lydia.
    Around them, Ruby and Lacey and Henry and Jack and Travis and Mathias and Alyssa ran and shouted and laughed.
    â€œA firefighter needs a hose!”
    â€œI know what we can make your flame hat out of — felt.”
    â€œWho has a wand? I need a wand!”
    â€œMaybe I should be a princess instead. That way, I would get to wear a crown and oh, oh! I could wear my ballet slippers!”
    Robby looked seriously at Lydia for several moments. At last he said, “Lydia, could you please not call me a kid? Or talk about baby-sitting?”
    â€œOkay,” said Lydia. “But, Robby, won’t you tell me what’s wrong? You never minded when I sat for you before.”
    â€œThat was when I went to high school. Now I go to the little kids’ school again. It just … makes me feel like a baby.”
    â€œOh,” said Lydia. “I see.”
    â€œAre
you
going to go trick-or-treating?” Robby asked her.
    â€œWell … no.”
    â€œAre you going to wear a costume?”
    Lydia looked at the ground and flushed. “Um, I don’t know. I got asked to this Halloween party. But I’m probably not going to go.”
    Flora glanced at Nikki and Olivia, and Olivia raised her eyebrows.
    â€œOkay, here’s the thing, Robby,” said Lydia. “Halloween is a fun holiday. You should do whatever you want. If you want to get dressed up, you should. If you want to go trick-or-treating, you should. Don’t worry about what other people think.”
    â€œThat’s easy for you to say,” muttered Robby.
    â€œNot really,” replied