Stirring It Up! Read online

  Amanda and Molly jumped out of bed at the same time. They loved Dad’s blueberry pancakes.

  After breakfast, there was a mad rush as the Moores quickly packed their bathing suits, towels, and clothes, and attached the kids’ bikes to the bike rack on Dad’s SUV They were finally ready for the hour-and-a-half long ride to Surf Point.

  “Oops!” cried Matthew, as Dad was pulling out of the parking spot. “I forgot my comic books.” No one argued about letting Matthew go back in the house to get them. He was a lot quieter in the car with them.

  Poppy was reading the paper on the front porch of his big old white house when they drove up. He waved, and Dad tooted the horn.

  “Hi, Poppy!” shouted the twins and Matthew out the car window.

  “Hi, Dad,” said Mom.

  “Hi, everybody!” said Poppy. He was wearing his sun-bleached baseball cap, as usual. He was deeply tanned and his face was creased, but his eyes were bright blue. “I thought you’d never get here! Are you ready for the beach? I packed us a big lunch.”

  Later, at the beach, after the twins took turns skimming along the shore on a Boogie board, they went under their shady beach umbrella. Matthew and Dad were nearby, showing a little kid how to dig for sand crabs. Mom was hidden under a big hat and dark sunglasses, reading a magazine. Amanda stood behind her chair to read over her shoulder.

  “This is the perfect day,” Molly told Poppy as she dried off.

  Poppy smiled at her. “And what is the perfect day to our Miss Molly Moore?” he asked.

  Molly sat down on a towel and hugged her knees. She looked up at Poppy. “The water’s not too cold, and we had a picnic, and I found some blue beach glass, and now we’re going to get ice-cream sandwiches. But mostly because we’re with you!”

  Poppy laughed. “That’s my girl,” he told her.

  That night, Aunt Kate, Uncle Jim, Jillian, and John came over to Poppy’s for a big fish dinner.

  John and Matthew immediately began to wrestle outside in the yard.

  Jillian gave both girls a big hug. She smelled like soap and shampoo.

  “I like your platform sandals,” said Molly.

  “Thanks ! Mom hates them,” replied Jillian. “She thinks they’re gonna make me fall flat on my face. Jillian was starting to look really grown-up. She was wearing mascara and purple eyeliner around her brown eyes. Her short brown hair was streaked blond by the summer sun. “I heard you guys are taking a cooking class? That’s cool.”

  “Yeah. its fun,” said Amanda. “Hey are we going to the boardwalk?”

  “Definitely!” said Jillian. “Dad will drop us all off over there after dinner.”

  Molly, Amanda, and Matthew loved going to the boardwalk, especially at night. They couldn’t eat their dinner fast enough.

  “Taste your food before you swallow it!” cried Poppy.

  Finally Uncle Jim was ready to take the kids to the boardwalk. “How don’t eat too much junk food,” he ordered as he dropped off the kids at the boardwalk entrance. “I’ll pick you up right here in two hours.” He looked at Jillian. “Keep everyone together. Jillian,” he said. “Don’t let anyone wander off.”

  “I know, Dad!” shouted Jillian over the noise of the carnival music and her cousins slamming the car doors. “Don’t worry Bye!”

  The cousins hurried up the wooden-plank stairs to the boardwalk. It was brightly lit and packed with kids, baby strollers, and sunburned grown-ups. The smell of popcorn was everywhere. Loud pop music was blasting out of a pizza parlor.

  “What do you want to do first?” asked Jillian. “Play Skee-ball? Whack-A-Mole?”

  “Let’s get some cotton candy,” suggested Amanda.

  “Ugh! How can you eat that stuff?” asked Jillian.

  “Yeah! Let’s eat a whole lot of it—” began John.

  “And then we’ll ride the roller coaster and it’ll make you puke!” cried Matthew. “Ha-ha!” He and John thought they were so funny.

  “You just ate, Amanda,” said Molly, rolling her eyes. “Give it a rest! Lets play miniature golf.”

  “Yeah!” shouted Matthew.

  “Yeah!” echoed John.

  “Okay,” said Jillian. “That’s way down at the other end, though.” She led the way through the crowd, waving at people she knew. It seemed as if she knew everyone.

  Something familiar caught Molly’s eye. A certain hairstyle, a backpack she’d seen before. She turned back to look.

  “Oh my gosh,” she cried. “Amanda, look!”

  Amanda turned around. “What?” she asked.

  “Is that who I think it is?” Molly groaned. She pointed to a tall girl with blond hair. “See? Over there, next to the roller coaster?”

  “Is that Natasha? What is this? Is she following us?” Amanda shrieked. Then she remembered something. “You know, I thought I saw her today!” she exclaimed. “I thought I was just imagining things. But it was her. She was walking with some people on the boardwalk. But she wasn’t wearing a bathing suit.”

  “It’s a curse,” said Molly. “The Natasha Curse. We’re in a different state and we still can’t get away from her! Uh-oh, she’s heading over here.” But Molly and Amanda were stuck. The boardwalk was so crowded that the people ahead of them had stopped in their tracks. Once again, there was no avoiding Natasha.

  “She hasn’t seen us.” said Amanda. “Who’s she with?”

  “I can’t tell,” replied Molly.

  Suddenly the crowd split down the middle and Natasha looked right at the twins. She looked as startled to see them as they’d been to see her. Molly’s heart began to pound loudly.

  Amanda remembered what Mom had told them about being nice to Natasha. Here goes nothing, she thought. Big smile.

  Meanwhile, Molly was thinking, how horrible can Natasha be if she’s withother people? She took a deep breath and forced herself to smile. It almost hurt.

  “Hi, Natasha,” said Molly and Amanda. They held their smiles as long as they could. We must look so fake, thought Molly. Like wax dummies of ourselves.

  “Um—are you having fun?” Molly asked Natasha.

  “Hi, Molly, hi, Amanda,” said Natasha. She sounded almost scared. “Uh, how are you? It sure is crowded.” She looked as if maybe, just maybe, she was smiling. Or trying to.

  “We’re visiting Poppy—I mean, our grandpa,” said Amanda. “He lives near here.”

  “Oh,” said Natasha. “I’ve never been to Surf Point.”

  Suddenly, a tall woman with silver hair came over to Natasha. “Come, Natasha,” she said, looking at Molly and Amanda. She had the same cold blue eyes as Natasha had. “We’re leaving this zoo. It’s just too crowded for Daddy and me.”

  Daddy and me!thought Amanda. I thought she was Natasha’s grandmother.

  What a barrel of fun her mom is, thought Molly.

  “But we just got here!” protested Natasha, as her mom pulled her away. “Well, see you later,” said Natasha to the twins.

  “Okay, see you in class,” said Amanda.

  Molly and Amanda looked at each other as if to say, Well, that was weird. Just then, Matthew shouted, “Come on, you guys! We’re waiting for you!”

  As Molly and Amanda caught up to Jillian and the boys, Molly said, “We did it! We were nice to Natasha.”

  “Wait till we tell Mom!” giggled Amanda.

  “Mom was right, I guess,” commented Molly. “She said if we were nice to Natasha, Natasha just might be nice to us. And I guess she was nice...right?”

  “Yeah, she seemed like she was trying to be nice,” said Amanda thoughtfully. “But she didn’t really get a chance. Her mom seems kind of mean.”

  “You know, I think I’m actually feeling sorry for Natasha!” said Molly with a laugh. “Whoa! What’s happening to me?”

  “I feel sorry for her, too.” replied Amanda. “I mean, she doesn’t have any brothers or sisters. And her mom probably does’t let her do anything. She didn’t even let her go swimming today, or stay on the boardwalk to
night for five minutes.”

  “Her mom did let her take the cooking class, though:” said Molly.

  “That’s true, said Amanda.

  “Well, anyway-do you think that’s why Natasha is mean?” asked Molly. “Because she has a sad life?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Amanda.

  The girls fell silent as they walked along. Ahead of them, Jillian, Matthew, and John were laughing together and telling knock-knock jokes.

  Over the next two hours, as the cousins puffed golf balls, rode the roller coaster, and stuffed their faces with popcorn, Molly and Amanda knew that Natasha couldn’t have been having as much fun as they were.

  chapter 9

  The next morning, as the kids helped Mom pack a picnic lunch for the beach, Mom told them, “Kids, Poppy would like you to stay for a few more days. Dad and I still need to go home today, since we have to work tomorrow.”

  “But we’ll come down after work on Thursday night and pick you up. How does that sound? asked Dad.

  “Woo-hoo!” cheered Matthew.

  “Sounds good to me!” exclaimed Molly. “Poppy, can we go crabbing?”

  “And can we go back to the boardwalk?” asked Amanda.

  “Of course,” said Poppy. “And we’ll go out for ice cream every night, and stay up as late as we want, and I’ll tell you ghost stories!”

  And that’s exactly what they did for the next few days. Poppy took them for bike rides on the boardwalk. They spent long days swimming and looking for shells with Jillian and John. They watched sharks at the aquarium. They went back to the boardwalk one night, and at the end of the night, finally persuaded Poppy to ride the roller coaster.

  “That’s the last time I’m ever riding a roller coaster,” he told them afterward. “I’m dizzy Let’s go home!”

  It seemed as if the Moore kids had been down at the shore forever when Mom and Dad came to pick them up.

  “I remember you,” joked Dad when he saw the kids.

  No one wanted to say good-bye to Poppy, but they knew they’d see him in a few weeks. Soon the Moores were back on the highway heading home. Matthew fell asleep right away, so the car was quiet.

  “I almost forgot! We have our cooking class tomorrow,” Amanda said, breaking the silence. “I wonder what we’ll make this time? I can’t wait to see Shawn.”

  “Me too,” Molly whispered. She closed her eyes and slept until they got home.

  The next morning, the twins found a note from Mom in the kitchen.

  Good morning! Iwant each of you to practice the piano for an hour this morning, before you go to cooking class. Remember-Mrs. Thacher is back from vacation next week! I’ll be home early today. Have fun in class. Make sure Mattheuw eats breakfast and takes his vitamin. Love, Mom

  “Yipes,” said Molly, reading the note. “I forgot our piano teacher is coming home soon. I’m rusty!”

  “So am I,” said Amanda. “Well, you can go first. I have to make my bed and figure out what I’m going to wear today.”

  “That’ll probably take the whole hour,” joked Molly.

  She looked out the window. Matthew was in the garden, reading a comic book. Molly could tell that he’d eaten breakfast already. There was a trail of crumbs out of the toaster oven, and a half-finished bowl of cereal on the table.

  “Matthew,” Molly called through the screen door. “Did you take your vitamin?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then get in here and take one.” There, she’d done what Mom had asked her to.

  After eating some cereal, Molly went straight to the piano. Her fingers felt like spaghetti. Like she’d never played the piano before! Uh-oh, she thought. I hope my fingers aren’t like spaghetti in class today. I won’t be able to use a knife!

  By the time Molly and Amanda had practiced the piano and made their beds (and Amanda changed her outfit at least three times), the twins were a little late for class. They walked in behind Carmen and quickly slipped into their work stations.

  “Hello, everyone!” said Carmen when she walked into class. “It’s hot and muggy, so guess what we’re going to make today?”

  “What?” asked the class.

  “Soup!”

  “Soup?” exclaimed some of the kids. Soup didn’t seem very summery.

  “Yes, it’s called gazpacho,” replied Carmen. “Have you ever heard of it? It’s a Spanish dish, and it’s delicious in the summer because it’s served cold.”

  “Cold soup?” Lots of the kids laughed.

  “Yes! Plus another cold soup made of cucumbers and an herb called dill; poached salmon salad; and for dessert, an apple-and-plum crisp. But the best thing were going to do is something called garde-manger. That is the art of carving fruits and vegetables, making them look pretty. We’re going to carve peacocks out of melons! You’ll be able to take them home with you.”

  Peichi spoke up. “Where’s Freddie?” she asked.

  “Freddie’s out of town today, but he’ll be back next week,” replied Carmen. “Okay, count off. The ones will make the gazpacho, the twos will make the poached salmon salad... ”

  Amanda was with Peichi in the gazpacho group. As the group chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, Peichi wouldn’t stop talking about her recent day at a new amusement park.

  “...so then we went on this ride that dropped you! We were falling and falling like, a million feet down! It was so scary but then I wanted to ride it again! But the line was too long, and my dad said, ‘No way, Peichi... ’”

  “Can somebody turn her off?” muttered Omar. Peichi was so busy talking that she didn’t even hear him, or notice David Stern imitating her behind her back.

  “Peichi,” joked Amanda, “if you keep talking, you’re gonna chop up your finger instead of your tomato!”

  Later, the class made their honeydew peacocks.

  “Mine looks more like a ship,” complained Amanda, as the friends left class holding their peacocks.

  “At least yours looks like something,” said Molly. “Mine looks like a blob! Shawn, yours looks the best. It actually looks like a peacock.

  Class had seemed so different that day because Freddie hadn’t been there to joke with them and help them.

  And because Natasha hadn’t been there, either.

  The twins and Shawn walked to the Moore’s house and made some lemonade. They brought it out to the garden, along with a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

  Amanda began to work on a blue beaded bracelet she was making. Molly and Shawn played backgammon. And Kitty pounced on an insect that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. “Kitty’s eating it,” exclaimed Shawn. “Gross.”

  A few minutes later. Shawn looked over at Kitty again. Kitty was now leaning forward, staring very hard at something. It looked like a tiny hand, reaching under the fence.

  “Hey!” Shawn whispered to the twins, pointing at the hand. “Look at that!”

  Molly and Amanda began to giggle.

  “It’s Nathan Brewster,” whispered Molly. “We’ve baby-sat him a couple of times. The Brewsters moved in about a month ago. When he hears us talking, he always wants to visit.”

  “Why doesn’t he just shout to us?” Shawn wondered out loud.

  “Maybe he thinks he’s spying on us,” said Molly, laughing.

  Amanda jumped up to catch Kitty, who was still staring at Nathan’s hand. Her rear end was wiggling. She was ready to pounce!

  “Hi, Nathan,” called Molly.

  “Hi,” answered a little voice on the other side of the fence.

  “What are you doing, Nathan?” asked Amanda.

  “Who that?”

  “It’s Amanda. Do you want to come over?”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll be right back,” said Amanda, going inside. A minute later, she came back with Nathan, holding his hand. He had coffee-colored skin, dark eyes and hair, and long, dark lashes.

  “Hi, Nathan,” said Molly and Shawn.

  “Hi.”

  “Y
ou’re cute, Hathan,” said Shawn. “I like your curly hair. And your overalls.”

  Nathan didn’t say anything. He only smiled, showing his tiny white teeth.

  “I think Mrs. Brewster was glad to have a break,” Amanda told the girls. “She’s going to have another baby soon.” Amanda looked down at Nathan. “So, Nathan, what’s new?”

  Nathan held up two fingers.

  “You’re two?” asked Shawn.

  “Cookie?” asked Nathan, looking up at Molly.

  “Hmmm. Well, I don’t think your mom will mind if you have just one,” said Molly. “Here you go.”

  “Daddy itchy,” announced Hathan. He offered his cookie to Kitty, who ran under the table.

  “What, Nathan?”

  “Daddy has a rash. On him all over. Itchy bad from mosquito.”

  “Oh,” said Molly. “Um, that’s too bad.” The girls looked at each other and giggled.

  “Little kids say the funniest things!” chuckled Shawn.

  Nathan pointed to the fence.

  “Do you want to go home? Already?” asked Amanda. Nathan nodded.

  “Well, okay, I’ll take you. Be right back, guys,” said Amanda. “Come on, Nathan, hold my hand.”

  As Amanda led Nathan out the front door and down the stone steps, she looked down the sloping free-lined street. Someone was running up the street. It looked like Todd Lewitsky. Matthew’s friend. Just then, Amanda heard sirens. A fire truck was on its way somewhere.

  “Hi. Todd,” called Amanda as Todd approached her.

  He looked up at her but didn’t stop running. “There’s a-house on-fire!” he panted. “I’m going to get my brother.”

  “What? Whose is it?”

  “Um. I think it’s the McEvoys. They’re new.” He was passing her now.

  Amanda thought for a moment. The McEvoys? Who are they? Then it hit her.