around her neck right now was stolen property? Carlie wished she could remember the name of the shop where Chelsea had shoplifted, but she’d been too shocked at the time to even notice. She wished she could put the stupid thing in an envelope and return it with an apology. Instead, she tucked it into her top drawer, determined to get rid of it when Mom wasn’t looking.
The next few days passed uneventfully. Chelsea called several times, but Carlie was either babysitting her brothers or she made up an excuse not to see her.
Finally on Thursday, Chelsea sounded totally fed up. “Look, if you don’t want to be my friend anymore, you should just say so.”
Carlie was so tempted to say so, but instead she said, “I’ve just been really busy.”
“Well, Amy hasn’t been busy,” snapped Chelsea. “She’s called me twice this week. And today she called and invited me to come over there and hang with you guys tomorrow.”
“Oh …”
“But I’m not going to come, Carlie. Not if you don’t want me to come.”
“It’s not that …”
“What is it then?”
“I don’t know …”
“Look, I told you I’m sorry for stealing those necklaces. Can’t you get over it?”
“It just makes me feel bad.”
“Do you still have yours?”
“Well, yes, but I —”
“Sure, you feel bad, but you kept it. What’s up with that?”
“I tried to throw it away, but my mom found it. I was going to throw it away when she wasn’t around. I guess I forgot. I wish I knew the name of the shop where you stole them from. I’d send it back.”
“Would that make you feel better?” she asked hopefully. “If I sent them all back?”
“Yes!” Carlie felt hopeful. “It would.”
“Okay, that’s what I’ll do then.”
“You will?”
“Yes. If it will make you forget about it. I will.”
So they agreed, Chelsea would come over on Friday. She would bring the stolen goods and an envelope and they would write an apology letter and send them back. Carlie hoped that would put an end to this thing, once and for all.
As planned, Chelsea came over, and they wrote a letter and took the package to town to mail from the post office. But even when they were all done, Carlie still felt badly.
“What’s wrong with you?” demanded Chelsea as they went back into the trailer park.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you want from me? Would you be happier if I was caught and sentenced to prison or something?”
“No, that’s silly. I don’t know why —”
Just then Amy called out from her front porch, running out to join them. “Morgan and Emily are already at the clubhouse. We were going to head down to the beach for a while. You know there are only three days of summer vacation left. You guys coming?”
Chelsea glanced at Carlie. “Are we?”
“Sure,” said Carlie without much enthusiasm. “Why not?”
Once again, Carlie loaned Chelsea her favorite swimsuit, and the two of them set off to find the others. Soon they were all down on the beach parked out at their favorite spot and just soaking up the sun. Today, Chelsea had brought her iPod in her purse and she turned on the little speaker so they had music. But for some reason the sound of the tunes only made Carlie feel worse. She closed her eyes and told herself to get over this thing — this whatever it was. Nobody wanted to hang with a girl as gloomy as shewas getting to be. What was wrong with her anyway?
She listened to the other girls talking, and it seemed like Chelsea was actually trying to get along with everyone for a change. Oddly enough, it was Carlie who felt like she’d like to jump on someone. Like Amy, who was going on and on about how she was going to try out for cheerleading as soon as school started.
“That’s crazy,” said Carlie, sitting up. “Why would you have a chance at being a cheerleader? And why would you even want to anyway?”
Amy blinked at her. “Why not?”
“Because it’s stupid.”
“Sounds like somebody got up
The next few days passed uneventfully. Chelsea called several times, but Carlie was either babysitting her brothers or she made up an excuse not to see her.
Finally on Thursday, Chelsea sounded totally fed up. “Look, if you don’t want to be my friend anymore, you should just say so.”
Carlie was so tempted to say so, but instead she said, “I’ve just been really busy.”
“Well, Amy hasn’t been busy,” snapped Chelsea. “She’s called me twice this week. And today she called and invited me to come over there and hang with you guys tomorrow.”
“Oh …”
“But I’m not going to come, Carlie. Not if you don’t want me to come.”
“It’s not that …”
“What is it then?”
“I don’t know …”
“Look, I told you I’m sorry for stealing those necklaces. Can’t you get over it?”
“It just makes me feel bad.”
“Do you still have yours?”
“Well, yes, but I —”
“Sure, you feel bad, but you kept it. What’s up with that?”
“I tried to throw it away, but my mom found it. I was going to throw it away when she wasn’t around. I guess I forgot. I wish I knew the name of the shop where you stole them from. I’d send it back.”
“Would that make you feel better?” she asked hopefully. “If I sent them all back?”
“Yes!” Carlie felt hopeful. “It would.”
“Okay, that’s what I’ll do then.”
“You will?”
“Yes. If it will make you forget about it. I will.”
So they agreed, Chelsea would come over on Friday. She would bring the stolen goods and an envelope and they would write an apology letter and send them back. Carlie hoped that would put an end to this thing, once and for all.
As planned, Chelsea came over, and they wrote a letter and took the package to town to mail from the post office. But even when they were all done, Carlie still felt badly.
“What’s wrong with you?” demanded Chelsea as they went back into the trailer park.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you want from me? Would you be happier if I was caught and sentenced to prison or something?”
“No, that’s silly. I don’t know why —”
Just then Amy called out from her front porch, running out to join them. “Morgan and Emily are already at the clubhouse. We were going to head down to the beach for a while. You know there are only three days of summer vacation left. You guys coming?”
Chelsea glanced at Carlie. “Are we?”
“Sure,” said Carlie without much enthusiasm. “Why not?”
Once again, Carlie loaned Chelsea her favorite swimsuit, and the two of them set off to find the others. Soon they were all down on the beach parked out at their favorite spot and just soaking up the sun. Today, Chelsea had brought her iPod in her purse and she turned on the little speaker so they had music. But for some reason the sound of the tunes only made Carlie feel worse. She closed her eyes and told herself to get over this thing — this whatever it was. Nobody wanted to hang with a girl as gloomy as shewas getting to be. What was wrong with her anyway?
She listened to the other girls talking, and it seemed like Chelsea was actually trying to get along with everyone for a change. Oddly enough, it was Carlie who felt like she’d like to jump on someone. Like Amy, who was going on and on about how she was going to try out for cheerleading as soon as school started.
“That’s crazy,” said Carlie, sitting up. “Why would you have a chance at being a cheerleader? And why would you even want to anyway?”
Amy blinked at her. “Why not?”
“Because it’s stupid.”
“Sounds like somebody got up
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