Summer's Out! Read online

  “Whatever.” Bloom rolled her eyes. “I’m going hang out with my NEW friends.”

  Charlotte knew Bloom didn’t mean it in a mean way. But somehow, it hurt Charlotte really bad. What if someday Bloom replaced her with the twins?

  Meanwhile, Elsie and Wilma were in the recess area. “I say our plan is going pretty well.” Elsie beamed.

  “Yeah,” Wilma sighed, “Bloom really seemed to like us yesterday at the ice-cream parlor.”

  “Now we just have to figure out Bloom’s biggest secret….” Elsie thought out loud.

  “But I came so close to messing up yesterday!” Wilma continued.

  “How?”

  “When I was talking to Charlotte, trying to figure out the secret, I had forgotten to act like the new girl. So I attempted to start over, like I was the new girl. Charlotte, of course, threw a fit, but Bloom seemed to buy it.”

  “Wil,” Elsie groaned, “You have to be more careful. That proves that the oldest twin, which is me, is more responsible.”

  “Older?!” Wilma shrieked, “By two SECONDS!”

  “Whatever.” Elsie laughed.

  “So,” Wilma sighed, “What do we do next?”

  “I say, let’s invite Bloom over for a SLEEPOVER where we can get her to tell us her SECRET!!” Elsie squealed.

  “Awesome,” Wilma smiled, “Bloom is as good as ours.”

  Bloom walked into the recess room. “Elsie?” She called, “Wilma? Are you guys in here?”

  “Over here!” Elsie waved. Bloom walked over to the Smith twins. “I have some amazing news!”

  “What?” Bloom asked.

  “You are invited to our sleepover Saturday night!” Wilma and Elsie squealed at the same time.

  “What?!” Bloom gasped. “That’s awesome! I’m definitely going to be there! You two are the best friends ever! Can Charlotte come, too?”

  “No.” Elsie snorted.

  “No way.” Wilma groaned.

  “But why?” Bloom demanded.

  “Didn't you see how rude she was to Wil? Charlotte’s a total bully and she always has been. You don’t even need to hang out with her. She’s only nice to you because she knows her mom will catch her being mean. ” Elsie lied.

  “Ok, I guess.” Bloom sighed. “See you Saturday!”

  The bell rang and they all proceeded to P.E.

  Chapter 12: The Secret Gets Out

  Ding, Dong! Thursday afternoon, Charlotte's doorbell rang. Charlotte got off the couch and opened the front door. Franny, Celeste, Jenny, and James had just got back. “I’M HOME!!!” Franny excitedly sang and threw her hands up, as if she was in a movie .

  “Nice grand entrance, cuz,” Charlotte snorted as she sat back down.

  “It’s NOT a grand entrance, Charlotte, also known as, cuz #2, it is just me showing my gratitude to be home!”

  “Since when do you have such high vocabulary, Franny?”

  “Since today, Charlotte!” Franny sneered. Charlotte groaned at her overly-dramatic cousin.

  “Since when are you so happy? I thought your friends dumped you!”

  “You’ll see very soon!” Franny smiled and took off upstairs.

  Ding, Dong! It rang AGAIN! “Come in.” Charlotte groaned because she didn’t want to get up off of the sofa again.

  Bloom opened the door. “Charlotte, can we go upstairs?” Bloom asked. Bloom looked scared.

  “Yeah, sure! Why?” She replied and started up the stairs.

  “I’ll tell you when we get upstairs.” Bloom sighed. Bloom wasn’t sure how she was going to tell Charlotte about the sleepover.

  The girls walked upstairs. As Bloom placed her hand on Charlotte’s doorknob to go in,

  Franny stopped them. “Hey Bloom, I’m so glad you’re here!” Franny giggled. “You can play the magic girl game, too!”

  Bloom’s eyes seemed to pop out of her head. Did Charlotte tell Franny? “Um, Bloom?” Charlotte whispered. “I’ll explain everything later,” She mouthed to Bloom.

  As the two girls tried once again to walk into Charlotte’s room, “No! I wanna come!” Franny whined. “I wanna talk to you! It’s so important!”

  “No, Franny.” Charlotte sighed. “Me and Bloom have to have some big-girl talk. We’ll let you in afterwards.” Charlotte and Bloom finally walked into Charlotte’s room. Alone.

  “What was that all about?!” Bloom shouted. “Did you tell her we were Magic Girls?! Wait. Is SHE one TOO?!”

  “No and No!” Charlotte laughed. “She has a magic girl BOOK, which is really good. We can learn more about our powers.

  “Oh thank goodness!” Bloom sighed, “If anyone would know our secret, the last person I would want to know is that frizzy-haired slob of yours.”

  “Franny is NOT a slob! Now let’s let her in before she throws a tantrum!”

  “But I really need to talk to you!” Bloom complained.

  “Is it about the powers?”

  “No.”

  “Then you can say it in front of Franny.”

  Charlotte walked toward the door. “But, Charlotte, I have to talk to you!” Charlotte opened the door to see Franny right in front of both of them.

  “Actually, I have to talk to both of you.” Franny slyly smiled as she pushed the two girls back into the room.

  “What is it, Franny?” Charlotte asked.

  Franny looked around to make sure no one was watching. “I know your biggest secret!” She smiled.

  Charlotte and Bloom knew they couldn’t let this situation slip by! Luckily, Charlotte lied. “Fine, Franny. You caught me! Sometimes, while you’re not here, I sleep with your teddy bear.”

  “Not that secret.” Franny laughed.

  “What do you know?” Bloom snickered.

  “I know that YOU are MAGIC GIRLS.” Franny smirked. “And wait. YOU SLEEP WITH MR. SNUGGLES?!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!”

  Chapter 13 : A new Ally

  Charlotte and Bloom were shocked. How did she find out? And of all the people to find out? Did it have to be FRANNY?!

  “Um, Franny, um, you must be mistaken!” Bloom stammered. “Right, Charlotte?” Bloom was hoping that Charlotte would also say something in defense.

  Charlotte just stood there with her jaw wide open. Finally she said something. “That’s a smart five-year-old.” Bloom groaned.

  “Five and a quarter!” Franny corrected. “And its not about being smart! Its called LOGIC!”

  Bloom nervously laughed, “Franny, what proof do you have?”

  “Um, yeah! What do you know?” Charlotte began to catch on to Bloom.

  “Well, first, early this summer, after you and Bloom had gotten home from canoeing, you rushed to Charlotte’s room to start talking about something called a “Magic Girl.” I assumed that it was for a project or something, so I went with Mom to the store to get a Magic Girl book. Back then I was only four, but now I’m five and much smarter! Then, the next day, I saw Bloom as a fairy when you and her got off the boat.”

  “You have no proof of that!” Charlotte shrieked. “It was a HANG GLIDER!”

  “Whatever. Well, a few mornings later, I saw Charlotte as a mermaid from her window!”

  “That was a costume!” Charlotte cried. “And what were you doing looking through my window anyway?”

  “I don’t know. For the rest of the summer, things went smoothly, but everyday, you two would go off canoeing more than usual. But the other day, when I made Charlotte read my magic girl book to me, she started acting weird. And she acted more weird when we played the Magic Girl game. That’s when I started thinking somethin’ was up. After my mommy got back, Charlotte went swimming. I decided to follow her. And guess what? She turned into a MERMAID!!”

  Bloom’s eyes again nearly popped out off her head. “CHARLOTTE!” She groaned loudly. “Why’d you transform in front of HER?!”

  “So you ARE a Magic Girl?” Franny grinned.

  “No!” Bloom shot back. “I never said that.”

  “But you just said she
could transform.”

  “Uh….” Charlotte interrupted, “Franny? Do you have any other evidence?”

  “Yes, I do. I was listening to the whole conversation you two had a while ago. And Bloom, I am NOT a SLOB.”

  The two girls sighed. They’d been caught. What else could they do now? “Ok, Franny you caught us.” Charlotte sighed.

  “Yep. We’re magic girls!” Bloom smiled.

  Chapter 14: A surprise for Charlotte

  “I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW IT!” Franny happily screamed. “Now show me your ice powers! And your wind powers and the fire and the water and the fairy and the mermaid and the breathing underwater and everything!!!”

  “Wait.” Bloom stopped her. “How do you know that much stuff about Magic Girls?”

  “It’s all in my book! “ Franny smiled and handed the book to Bloom.

  Bloom opened the book and read a few pages. “Charlotte! Look at this! We can EARN more powers!”

  “I know. We need to try to get some.” Charlotte replied. Then Franny picked up the telephone.

  “Guess what? I’m gonna call and tell Mya and Mia and Marco and Mary and Amy and Jenny and Luke and Tommy and Ralph and Marty and everyone in my class that you’re magic girls because they’ll be so excited and we’ll all be famous and it’ll be so fun!!!!” Franny began to dial many numbers.

  “Hey, Franny, let me show you one of my powers now!” Bloom stretched out her hand and froze Franny mid-dial. After a while, the two girls decided to unfreeze Franny. “Franny, listen. This has to be OUR secret. You can’t tell others.”

  “And neither of us can tell anyone else. This was just an accident.” Charlotte added.

  “Ok!” Franny smiled and trotted out the room and down the steps.

  Ding Dong! The doorbell rang. Charlotte was not thrilled to have to go downstairs and answer the door AGAIN, but she did. At the sight of who was at the door, she gasped.

  “MOM?!” She happily shrieked. “You’re home! I thought you were coming home Friday!”

  “I paid extra so I could get an early flight home. I missed you so much!” Mrs. Kelly exclaimed. “Now, where’s Thomas and Aleah?”

  Charlotte spotted her dad walking out of their car. “Dad!” She cried and ran over to hug her father.

  “Char!” He laughed. “Missed you!”

  “Missed you, too, Dad!”

  Bloom felt left out as Franny, Jenny, James, Celeste, Charlotte, Mrs. Kelly, and Mr. Kelly all had fun. What was she even doing there? This was Charlotte’s family reunion. She wasn’t supposed to be there. She tapped Charlotte on the shoulder. “Hey, um, Charlotte? I’m going home.” She sighed as Charlotte nodded and continued to eat ice-cream with Mrs. Kelly.

  Bloom had begun to walk down the street. She didn’t believe Charlotte. Franny didn’t just find out. Charlotte told her. They staged the whole thing so she wouldn't get mad. That was very selfish. What if Charlotte wasn't the girl Bloom thought she was?

  Charlotte had had the perfect day. She got to tell her cousin the secret. Her parents came home. She had a party. Bloom’s day had been horrible. She couldn't invite Charlotte to a sleepover. She couldn't tell anybody the secret, but Charlotte could tell Franny. Charlotte wouldn't even let her talk to her. Charlotte didn't even CARE! Was Elsie right? Was Charlotte a jerk?

  She walked back to her house and sat down on the sofa. “Hey, Bloop!” A voice called.

  “Did you just call me BLOOP, Shark?!” Bloom angrily called back.

  “Yes, I did, Bloop! It’s payback for calling me and Tim Shark and Piranha everyday.” Shark walked into the room.

  “Where did that nickname even start?!” Piranha walked into the room.

  Bloom sighed. “Look at your shirts!” She was right. Terence was wearing a shark shirt and Tim was wearing a shirt with a fish that had sharp, pointy, teeth, “And you’re both really mean!”

  “Good point!” They both said and walked off. Bloom groaned. Her day was going pretty bad.

  Chapter 15: Elsie in Shock

  “Elsie!!!!” Mrs. Ilma called. “YOU FORGOT YOUR NAME ON YOUR PAPER!!!!”

  “Sorry Mrs. Ilma!” Elsie groaned. I wish Wilma was here. Too bad she’s in the other room. Elsie put her name on her spelling test. The bell finally rang.

  “Hey, Bloom!” Elsie called from across the hallway as they both opened their locker to get their gym bags.

  “Hey,” Bloom sighed as she caught up with Elsie, “Are we still having the sleepover this weekend?”

  “Of course!” Elsie laughed. “We are going to have a BLAST!!!”

  The girls walked into the gym. There were about ten boys playing basketball on the court. There were three girls doing ballet upstairs. Sebastian and a few other boys were wrestling in another room. Ally and her two friends were stretching. Wilma and her friend Caroline were playing tennis. Charlotte was by herself, kicking a soccer ball with her knees.

  Bloom saw Charlotte by herself. Bloom couldn’t decide whether to trust Charlotte or not! Should she go play soccer with her?

  “Come on, let’s play tennis with Wilma!” Elsie tugged Bloom away from Charlotte. That answered her question. As Caroline was about to serve, there was an announcement.

  ALL STUDENTS WISHING TO JOIN AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY, PLEASE REPORT TO THE FRONT OFFICE!!

  Bloom dropped her tennis racket and rushed to the office. There was a bulletin board of activities such as: THE GREEN REEF BASKETBALL TEAM, THE DRAMA CLUB, 4-H, BETA, LIBRARY CLUB, STUDENT COUNCIL, ART, MARTIAL ARTS, DANCE and FASHION.

  Bloom read the list and immediately knew which one she wanted. Dance. She could already imagine herself twirling and spinning on stage. Then she read the print on the bottom of the page. First meeting tonight, Friday, August 29th. Provide your own dress of choice.

  My own dress? Bloom thought, What dress would I wear?

  When class was resumed, Bloom met Charlotte in the locker room. “Guess what, Charlotte? I signed up for dance!” Bloom smiled. “Did you sign up for anything?”

  “Yes, I signed up for art. Do you think you could come over for a sleepover tonight?” Charlotte replied. “Mom’s making cookies!”

  “Definitely!” Bloom giggled. “After my dance meeting, of course. They say I have to provide my own dress. What do you think of this?” After looking around the locker room to make sure no one was there, she transformed into a fairy.

  “Bloom!” Charlotte shrieked. “Turn back to human! No one can see you as a magic girl!”

  But someone DID she her. Elsie was getting dressed in the corner, and was stunned to see the girl she had invited to her sleepover as a Magic Girl. After Social Studies the other day, Elsie had done research on Magic Girls, and knew exactly what she had saw.

  “No. Way.” Elsie gasped. “Bloom’s a Magic Girl.”

  The bell rang and the class proceeded to Miss Wally’s. Wilma, Charlotte, Bloom, and Elsie had math together, unlike in English class. Wilma met Elsie in the hallway.

  “Change of plans.” Elsie whispered into Wilma’s ear. “Bloom’s coming over TONIGHT.”

  Chapter 16: The Sleepover

  “What’s the simplified version of 6/8, Tara?” Miss Wally pointed on a brunette in the back of the room.

  “Um, ¾?” Tara replied.

  “Good. Here’s a piece of taffy.” Miss Wally handed Tara a piece of candy. The bell rang.

  “You’re kidding, right?” Wilma asked Elsie after they left class.

  “Nope. I saw it. Bloom’s a Magic Girl.” Elsie replied.

  “That’s crazy. What do we do now?”

  “You’ll see tonight. Now, we’re done with splitting them up. Now, we’re on operation Magic Girl.”

  “What’s that mean?” Wilma replied.

  “We’re going to use Bloom to make ME a MAGIC GIRL!”

  Wilma frowned. “How? We can’t!

  “Yes we can. I’ll tell Bloom to tell us how she became one. And just so you know, it’ll be just me as a magi
c girl, not you. And to make sure I’M the only one, I’ll be taking Bloom’s magic, too!” Elsie smiled. Wilma didn’t exactly like the plan though. That wasn’t fair to her OR Bloom!

  “Hey, Elsie! Hey, Wilma!” Bloom waved at the two girls from across the room.

  “Hey, Bloom.” Elsie slyly smiled. “How would you like to come over tonight instead of tomorrow?”

  “Um, no thanks. I’m going to Charlotte’s tonight.” Bloom smiled.

  “Come tonight or don’t come at all!” Wilma snapped.

  “Ok! Fine!” This was Ok. Charlotte wouldn’t mind one night at Elsie’s. Would she?

  The girls walked to Mrs. Lilly’s. “Alright, niños!” She called. “Time for our test!”

  “Senora Lilly? Can we review the test before we take it?” Ally called.