(So, it was a basketball cake. Sophie would have to tell that to Kate.)
The grown-ups went into the kitchen, and Sophie started up the stairs. She knew which room was Mia’s — the first one on the right.
She poked her head in. “Mia?” She waved.
Mia’s room wasn’t super-girly. (Just like her. No big surprise.) The closest thing to a doll was a model skeleton on her dresser, next to a big fish tank.
Mia looked up. She was sitting on her bed with a pile of opened gifts on her right. On her left were neat rolls of ribbon and pieces of wrapping paper all folded up.
“Hi, Sophie! What are you doing here? Hey, I just opened your gift. Thanks a lot!”
She held up the present that Sophie had picked out herself.
“It’s a friendship bracelet kit,” said Sophie.
“I know! I love it!” Mia replied.
Then Mia held up a harmonica. And a big book about the stars. Plus a card game that Sophie liked a lot. And a puzzle that looked very hard.
“Wow …,” Sophie said when she found out all those gifts were from boys.
Mia also showed her a sparkly pink pillow. It was shaped like an M.
“It’s from Mindy,” Mia told her. Sophie could tell she thought it was too much.
Sophie kind of did, too. But she also kind of liked the sparkles (a lot!).
Sophie waited for Mia to tell her, “The only gift I don’t have is Kate’s…” But Mia never did. So finally, Sophie brought it up herself.
“Did you know you had one more gift?” She reached into her bag and pulled out the silver gift. It was a little soggy from her towel.
“Wow, Sophie!” said Mia. “You didn’t have to bring me another one. But thanks! That’s really nice!”
Sophie shook her head and looked down. “No. It’s really not,” she said. “Because it’s really not from me.”
Mia’s forehead crinkled. “Who’s it from?”
Sophie sighed. “It’s from Kate.”
Mia made an I-don’t-get-it face. So Sophie started to explain.
Of course, it wasn’t easy. Explaining was almost as hard as taking the gift in the first place had been. But by the time she was done, she was happy that she did.
It felt good to give Mia her gift back. And something else felt good, too. When Sophie said, “I’m really sorry, Mia,” Mia said, “It’s okay. Besides, it was all Mindy’s idea. Why do you think she’d make up such a mean dare?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie said. She really didn’t have any idea. “It’s like sometimes she just does things to make trouble between friends.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Does Mindy even know what a friend is?” Then she held up Kate’s present. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s open it!”
Sophie watched her untie the bow carefully and roll the ribbon up. Then Mia found where the paper was taped and used her fingernail to pry it off.
Sophie could hardly stand it. How could anyone be so slow?
At last, Mia peeled back the paper. Inside it was a box. And in the box was a small gum ball machine.
“Wow! This is cool!” said Mia.
“Yeah, it is!” Sophie had to agree.
Mia offered her a gum ball, and Sophie picked a red one. But before they could try out one of Mia’s new games, it was time for Sophie to go.
“Sophie, I’m really proud of you,” her dad said as he drove her home.
“You are?” Sophie leaned forward. She was surprised to hear that. “Even after I did Mindy’s dare?” she asked.
“Well, no. I’m not proud of you for doing that,” he said. “But I am proud of you for making it right. And for doing it all on your own.”
Sophie smiled. Yeah. Come to think of it, she felt pretty proud of herself, too.
Chapter 10
Sophie was still feeling proud — and daring — on Monday morning, when she walked into room 10.
That was why she was so happy to see Mindy. She walked up to her at the coatrack.
“Good morning, Mindy,” she said with a grin.
Mindy turned. She was grinning, too — at first. But then her grin started to fade, and Sophie was pretty sure she knew why. It was because Sophie was holding hands with Mia and Kate.
The three of them looked at Mindy. And Mindy looked back.
“I thought …,” Mindy started. But then she stopped. Her lips were pinched.
Sophie nodded. “I know.” She helped Mindy finish: “You thought Mia and Kate would be mad at me for doing that dare. But I just wanted you to know that everything worked out okay. I took the gift to Mia later. And then I went and told Kate the whole story.”
Mindy’s mouth fell open. But nothing at all came out.
That was when Lily ran up, breathless. “Sorry I’m late, Mindy,” she gasped. “Did you have to hang your coat up all by yourself? I just couldn’t find my headband anywhere. Hey, what did I miss?”
Kate and Mia put their arms around Sophie. “Oh, nothing,” they said. Then they all walked away together. Sophie had to say, it was pretty great to have good friends!
“I’m glad you told me everything this weekend, Sophie,” Kate said.
Then Mia reached into her pocket. She pulled out two colorful braids. They were friendship bracelets she’d made that weekend — and there was one for each of them. Mia helped them tie them on. Sophie loved hers. It was purple and green.
Eve ran up. “Hey, Sophie. Are you still doing dares?”
Sophie nodded. “Yeah.” Then she held up a finger. “But now I do have rules.”
Eve giggled. “Okay. Well, guess what. Sydney has one for you.” She waved and called Sydney over. “Hey, Sydney. Tell Sophie your dare!”
Hang on.
Something about the way their eyes shone made Sophie put up her hand. “My rule is I’ll do any dare unless it hurts someone,” she said.
“Oh, this won’t hurt,” Sydney assured her.
“Okay, then.” Sophie took a deep breath. She stood up very straight and tall.
Sydney snickered. Eve did, too.
“I dare you to kiss Toby Myers!” Sydney said.
Kiss? Toby Myers?!
Sophie looked around for a place to throw up.
“Well?” Sydney tried to ask, but she was laughing too hard by then.
Sophie didn’t even have to think. Her answer came out fast. “Forget it. I quit. I’m done. I am not a daredevil anymore,” she announced.
Eve looked disappointed. Kate and Mia laughed, but they looked a little disappointed, too.
But Sydney looked happy. “Hey, I found a dare you couldn’t do!”
Sydney was very happy after that. And Sophie supposed she was, too. She was glad she didn’t have to do things she didn’t want to do anymore. But she missed that tingly feeling she got from the good dares. And she missed being special. Being Sophie the Nothing again was hard.
She was thinking about that later as she walked out to the bus. And that was when Sophie saw Ms. Moffly walking out, too, carrying a big box.
Ms. Moffly’s face looked like the box was heavy. Sophie knew what that was like. Sometimes her mom made Sophie help her carry groceries from the car. And sometimes Sophie got the milk and the orange juice in one bag. Talk about heavy! That could break off an arm.
Sophie ran up to Ms. Moffly. She put her hands under the box. “Can I help you, Ms. Moffly?”
“Oh, thank you, Sophie,” Ms. Moffly panted. “You’re such a sweetheart!”
A sweetheart …