Part 3 (1/2)
Katani gulped when she heard the word ”test.”
Patrice, meanwhile, managed to get her hands on the egg foo yong first and helped herself to the lion's share. ”Hey!” It was Katani's turn to protest.
”Listen, shorty,” Patrice said loftily when she saw Katani's expression. ”Not a word...unless you want me to fight you for the chicken lo mein.”
Katani giggled in spite of herself. Patrice had a point. Chicken lo mein smothered in hot mustard sauce was Katani's absolute, all-time favorite. Even Kelley didn't try to make off with that-the whole family knew better!
While they were digging into the delicious takeout food, Katani tried to begin telling her parents about Mich.e.l.le's call. ”Okay, Mom and Dad, you know that fas.h.i.+on is my one true pa.s.sion-” But before she even finished her sentence, Kelley broke in.
”Fas.h.i.+on, fas.h.i.+on, that's my pa.s.sion!” sang Kelley. It was pretty funny. Everyone laughed and clapped, and Kelley beamed proudly. She sang it again. And again. The trouble was, Kelley wouldn't stop singing.
After several rounds, Katani began to feel increasingly frazzled. Her parents were so focused on Kelley that they had forgotten that she wanted to talk to them. Would Kelley ever stop?
When Kelley launched into another of her favorite songs, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Katani shouted at the top of her lungs: ”I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!”
”Katani,” her mom admonished.
Kelley's lip trembled as she stared at Katani. ”You,” she pointed at her sister, ”are interrupting.”
Don't cry, Kelley, please don't cry, Katani pleaded with her silently . You know I love you...you know I love you...
”Katani, what is the matter?” her mother asked quietly as she patted Kelley's arm.
”I know. I'm sorry, Mom. Kelley, I've just been...” Katani reached over and gave Kelley's hand a rea.s.suring squeeze. Kelley still looked upset but squeezed Katani's hand in return. Katani breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't meant to explode like that, and hurting Kelley's feelings was the last thing she would ever want to do.
”I'm sorry,” Katani repeated to her family. ”But I have something really important that I need to talk to you guys about. I've been trying to bring it up all day.”
Kelley blurted suddenly, ”It's a secret. Katani's going to New York.”
”Kelley!” Katani gave her an exasperated look. There was no chance of keeping a secret with Kelley around.
”What?” Her parents gasped in tandem.
”Oh boy...” Katani took a deep breath and finally explained all about Mich.e.l.le's phone call and the opportunity to go to New York. ”So what do you think?” she asked hopefully when she had finished.
Her dad clapped loudly and boomed, ”Well, that's fantastic news, Katani! I don't see why not!”
”Hold on one second, Llewellyn,” her mom cautioned. ”Katani, isn't that the weekend of the apt.i.tude tests? I just read about it in the PTA notice that came today.”
”Is this true, Katani?” Her father frowned.
”Um...well...sorta...” Katani stammered. ”But wait! I have something!” Katani reached into the back pocket of her jeans and produced a neatly folded piece of paper. Katani cleared her throat and began to read out loud, ”Why I NEED to go to the show and skip the test...”
”You can't skip a standardized test to go have fun,” protested Patrice.
Her mother put up her hand for Patrice to be quiet. Everyone in the Summers house had the right to speak, particularly when they had something important to say.
Katani continued. ”Reasons I must take this once-in-a-lifetime trip: -Early start to my career as a fas.h.i.+on designer...
-Learn all about the secret world of fas.h.i.+on...
-Meet important people and make connections...
-Get to bring a friend with me so they can learn things too...
-Really lucky to have this opportunity...and -In ten years I'll never remember a silly apt.i.tude test, but I will ALWAYS remember this trip.”
When Katani had finished she looked up from her list, her eyes large.
There was total silence in the room. Her parents glanced at each other.
”Guess it's my night to clear the table,” Candice said quickly. ”Help me, Patrice?”
Normally, Patrice would have been halfway up the stairs by now. Not tonight. ”Sure thing!” Patrice said gratefully.
When the girls had left the dining room, their arms full of paper plates, Katani's father cleared his throat. ”Katani, believe me, I realize that this is a great opportunity for you.”
”It is, Daddy!” Katani cried. ”Oh, it really is!”
”However-” her mother took over, ”There's the matter of this apt.i.tude test.”
Katani's heart sank. ”Can't I just skip it?” she begged. ”What if I was sick that day? I'd have to stay home from school anyway, right?”
”No, Katani, you can't do that,” her mother said. ”I'm sure that every single seventh grader in America would rather do anything other than take a standardized test.”
”But this is major for me!” Katani argued. ”Come on, Mom! I have to do this. I mean, what if...what if Mich.e.l.le gets a different job. What if she decides to be a dentist or something? I might never get another chance like this-ever!”
”I don't like dentists, not one bit.” Kelley shook her head.
”Katani, you are being a tad dramatic here,” her mother said as she tried to suppress a smile. Katani could feel her temper rising.
Her father spoke up quietly. ”Katani, I know you want to start thinking about a career in fas.h.i.+on, but for the time being you're only a middle school student. That's your job right now.”
Katani felt completely defeated. How could they not understand how much this meant to her? ”I can't believe this!” she cried. ”I wish I wasn't a student. I wish I could just go to New York RIGHT NOW!”
Kelley, who had been listening quietly, perked up. ”If Katani is going to New York-I am going with her,” Kelley p.r.o.nounced. ”I am going to pack my bag.”
”No, no, sweetie,” her mother said.
”Katani's leaving me!” Kelley wailed and suddenly she burst into tears and threw up her hands. ”No, no, Katani, please don't leave me!”
She looked so tragic that everyone had to keep from laughing out loud-even Katani.