My Forever Friends by Julie Bowe Page A

Quinn replies.
    â€œWe’ll begin with a basic running stitch.” Mrs. Eddy demonstrates, pushing a needle up and down through a piece of cloth, leaving a little path of thread behind. “After you catch on, I’ll show you how to do a blanket stitch. It’s trickier, but I’m sure you can handle it.”
    We get busy sewing.
    â€œThink of the stitches as little footprints,” Mrs. Eddy says while we work. “Try to make each stitch the same size and distance apart.”
    I concentrate, making my needle walk up and down along a straight path without stepping off into the wilderness.
    Mr. Crow and the parents wander around, offering suggestions and undoing knots. But so far, no one is having too much trouble.
    Except for Jenna.
    â€œCan I help you, sweetie?” Mrs. Morgan hovers over Jenna as she untangles her thread.
    Jenna freezes. “I don’t need your help,” she mumbles.
    â€œExcuse me?” Mrs. Morgan leans in.
    Brooke glances over.
    Jenna looks up and glues on a smile. “No thank you, Mrs. Morgan. I can do it by myself.”
    Mrs. Morgan’s eyes sparkle, just like the diamonds on her rings. “So independent!” she says, tugging one of Jenna’s braids. Her smile stiffens. “More like your mother all the time.”
    She clicks away.
    Brooke leans across the aisle. “Pass me a scissors, will you, sweetie ?” She flutters her hand at Jenna.
    Jenna picks at her knot, ignoring Brooke.
    â€œMaybe you should start over,” I say to Jenna as Stacey practically skips across the aisle with a pair of scissors for Brooke.
    â€œNo way,” Jenna grumbles, her face simmering. She glances over at Brooke. “Not unless she apologizes first.”
    â€œGood plan,” Dominic says, looking up from his stitches. “Never be the first to back down from a fight.”
    I do a frown at Jenna. “I was talking about starting over with your sewing, not Brooke.” Then I look at Dominic. “What if the other kid is bigger and stronger than you? If you don’t back down, you might get creamed.”
    Dominic shrugs. “If he’s bigger and stronger, he’s gonna cream you either way.” He licks his thread and pokes it through the eye of his needle. “No guts, no glory. No apologies.”
    â€œBut apologizing takes guts,” I say. “More guts than fighting sometimes.” I think about how skimpy my guts are. Do I have enough to apologize to Stacey for fighting, even though she chose Brooke over me?
    Stacey leaves the scissors with Brooke and scoots back into her chair. “What did I miss?” she asks.
    â€œGuts,” Dominic replies.
    â€œEw,” Stacey says.
    â€œAnd how you need them,” I add, “to tell a friend you’re sorry.”
    â€œOh,” Stacey says. She bites her lip and glances away.
    I set down my sewing and take a big breath. Then I look at Stacey. “I’m sorry about the other day,” I say. “The pigpen incident. I didn’t want to choose sides. I wish we were friends again. You and me. And everyone else.”
    Stacey studies her sewing for a minute. Then she looks up and nods. “Ditto for me,” she says. “I’m sorry I’ve been so mean lately.”
    I do a smile. “Double ditto.”
    Stacey giggles. “Make mine a triple!”
    I giggle back. “With marshmallows and chocolate sauce on top.”
    Dominic rubs his stomach. “Easy on the sugar, you two. I’m getting a gut- ache.”
    I roll my eyes at Dominic. And glance at Jenna.
    She looks away, pretending to be very busy untangling another knot.
    After Mrs. Eddy teaches us how to do a blanket stitch, she hands out more practice cloth and thread. “I want you to do three rows of running stitches and one row of blanket stitches at home each day this week,” she announces. “Then you’ll be ready to stitch around your handprints for