Best Friends (Nancy Pearl's Book Crush Rediscoveries) Read online

  Millicent sobbed, “But that’s just it. I won’t be here. I have to go to California and live with my Aunt Millie.”

  Co Co knelt down and put her arms around Millicent. “My poor little one. You must travel. No wonder you cry.”

  Millicent buried her head on Co Co’s shoulder and sobbed that her stepfather was a salesman and had to travel all the time and she had to go to school so she couldn’t live with her mother and had to live with her aunts. “And Aunt Mabel, that’s the one I live with here, is young and she isn’t married and she works. She takes me to movies all the time and she lets me do what I want to, except I always have to be neat. She sp-poils me, I guess, and I just lo-o-ve her.” Millicent began to cry out loud.

  Suzie patted her and Co Co crooned, “My poor little one—my poor little one.”

  Suzie, whose eyes were wide with imagined whippings and diets of bread and water, asked breathlessly, “Is your California aunt cruel to you?”

  Millicent shook her head. “No, she’s nice but she’s used to children. She makes me go to bed early and won’t let me wear lipstick or call up boys, and I know I’ll just hate it! She has three boys of her own and they tease me and call me ‘sissy’!”

  Co Co winked at Suzie over Millicent’s head. “How fortunate for you. The boys will bring other boys . . .”

  Suzie chimed in. “Yes, and you’ll have more dates and everything.”

  Millicent sat up and began to wipe her eyes. “Why, I never even thought of that.” She stood up and looked in the mirror and wailed, “I can’t go. I look just awful and everybody will know I’ve been crying.”

  Suzie said, “No, they won’t. I’ll get you a wet towel and a comb and you’ll look just lovely. You always look pretty—just like a movie star. No wonder all the boys like you best.”

  To their amazement, Millicent burst into loud sobs again. “They—do—not! My aunt Mabel wants me to look cute and says no wonder all the boys are crazy about me, but they aren’t.” She turned and looked at them with brimming eyes. “Promise you won’t tell a soul if I tell you something? Cross your hearts?” They both promised. “I’ve never had a single date in my life!”

  Co Co and Suzie swallowed and tried not to look too cheerful as they exclaimed together, “You haven’t!”

  “No-o-o-o!” Millicent bawled so loudly that they thought she could probably be heard clear down in the lunchroom.

  Suzie said briskly, “Millicent, you’re chairman of the seating arrangements. Not one soul can sit down until you bring the list.”

  Millicent sobbed louder, “I do-o-o-n’t c-a-a-r-e.”

  Co Co said, “I hope you do not let your tears fall on the beautiful silk frock.”

  Millicent turned her tears off just like a faucet and fluffed up her skirt. “My aunt sent me this dress from California and it’s real silk. I’m the only girl in our room who has a silk dress.” She washed her face and combed her hair and said, in her regular bossy voice, “Well, what are we waiting for? You seem to forget, after all, that I’m chairman of the seating.” With that she switched out of the cloakroom.

  All the way to the lunchroom, she gave them advice on how to behave at the banquet. As she put down the place cards, she whispered in code, waved and giggled at the boys, and ordered the girls around.

  Co Co whispered, “Pouf—she is still a beast!” and Suzie added, “I just hope her California aunt is good and cruel to her.”

  But in spite of Millicent, the banquet was a great success. The parents complimented the children extravagantly when they gave the toasts to the class. Mr. Wagner made a graduating speech, which was full of jokes and teasing personal remarks. Co Co kept murmuring to Suzie, “The banquet—it is indeed neat!” The food was perfectly delicious and everybody had a good time.

  On the way home they talked the whole day over. Suzie said, “Really, May Day was just neat—it was the neatest ever! There is only one thing—I keep thinking about Millicent and wondering if she lived with her mother, maybe she wouldn’t act so sappy.”

  Co Co shrugged. “I am afraid not. It is the boy crazy which makes Millicent appear gauche. Mademoiselle was right. A young girl should be polite and courteous to boys, but she should not call them on the telephone and run after them. You and I like Rich and Ray the best, but we are not boy crazy and we will never, never behave like Millicent.”

  Chapter Nine

  The Lookout

  Saturday morning when Suzie and her mother came down to breakfast, it was raining hard. Gusts of wind whipped the garden and blew the yellow rosebush against the kitchen window until the petals stuck on the panes like little yellow faces begging to come in.

  Suzie’s mother said, “I’m sorry it’s raining. I’d like to think of something amusing to do with you and Co Co, but I promised Mr. Langdon I’d help him get some things for his house.”

  “Think nothing of it,” Suzie said as she served breakfast. She brought the blueberry muffins and sausages and scrambled eggs over to the table. “Co Co and I wouldn’t have been able to go with you anyway because we’re going to play pioneer. We’ve been just waiting for a blustery day, and personally I hope there’s a regular cloudburst.”

  Suzie’s mother smiled. “That sounds like fun. I probably won’t be home until late because we’re going to dinner and the theater.”

  Suzie licked the buttery muffin off her fingers. “That’s good. I’d feel awfully selfish leaving you alone so many Saturdays if it weren’t for Mr. Langdon. It’s a good thing there’s a Langdon for each of us because I’d planned to eat dinner at Co Co’s, but she said she’d rather have dinner here and stay all night and go to Sunday school.”

  Suzie’s mother said, “You may do as you like about it, but don’t forget to take my slicker for Co Co. I doubt if she has one.”

  Suzie giggled. “She’ll call it a ‘sleeker’ and wrinkle her nose and say ‘eet smells fonnee.’”

  While Suzie was talking she was scurrying around, clearing off the table, making a lunch to take to the Lookout, and stacking the breakfast dishes. When she was ready, she kissed her mother good-bye and said, “Have a good time and don’t worry about us. We’ll be coming over the Cascades in a covered wagon.” She whistled to Jet and ran across the orchard, yoo-hooing to Co Co.

  When she climbed up into the Lookout, there was Co Co crouched under an enormous black umbrella.

  Suzie handed Co Co the slicker, whereupon Co Co put it on and said, “You call it a sleeker. Hmmm—it smells fonnee.”

  Suzie giggled and unrolled the canvas hood and pulled it over their heads and fastened it down. Meanwhile Co Co was struggling to fold the enormous umbrella. “This is Mademoiselle’s umbrella. I hate it, but she would be angry in Paris if I allowed the rain to fall on me. There, it did not pinch my finger today. Oh, you have the picnic. Me, I have one also. Excellent! Now, let us begin. It is a dar-r-rk night—we are alone under the tree—we have a bed of leaves. It is cold and we shiver-r-r! We have been gathering sticks. While we are gone, the Indians come and scare our maman and papa, and they must go without us. This man is crawling toward us. Perhaps, he will capture one of us and take her with him on his horse—saddle.”

  Sometimes Suzie felt that Co Co was almost too good at playing pioneer. She shivered and said, “But the pioneers wouldn’t be so careless as to run off and forget their children, would they?”

  “Oh-ho, but they did. We are cold, and hungry, and so frightened! We see his head feather sticking out, and we do not take a breath. Now—he leaps and snatches me from beside you. He puts me on his horse saddle and gallops away. I bite him and kick him and scream and cry—but he laughs and rides through the night—far, far away. Now, Suzie, you are all alone in the dar-r-r-k forest! You cry and cry—but no one hears you but the sighing trees. The wolf is licking his lips! What do you do?”

  Gooseflesh crawled along Suzie’s arms and her heart thudded as she listened to Co Co’s hushed, scary voice. “Gosh, you’d better let me think while you tell me wha
t happened to you when the Indian stole you.”

  As this was exactly what Co Co was waiting for, she settled back and told a hair-raising story of being captured. When she turned into a beautiful Indian princess and began to lead the pioneers through a pass in the mountains, Suzie sat up. “Listen, Co Co—you can’t be Sacajawea. I told you about her and I dibs her.”

  Co Co giggled. “You asked me where I go. I told you. But now, I cannot walk so far without the lunch.” She poured two cups of hot cocoa and handed one to Suzie with a sandwich. “So—you are alone under that tree. You must tell me another pioneer story, or I will leave you there until you are nothing—little dry, white bones—peelings!”

  Suzie shuddered. “I don’t know whether it’s the rain on the leaves or what, but today, playing pioneer gives me the creeps. Let’s play movie star. I choose a pure white dress with diamonds all over the top and dripping down the skirt and diamonds all over the toes of my slippers and . . .”

  It was five o’clock when Suzie stretched and said, “Gosh, I’m stiff. Let’s get your suitcase and go home.”

  Co Co spoke slowly, eyeing Suzie. “I wish to ask you something. Would you allow me to have half of the Lookout?”

  Suzie gulped and didn’t answer for a minute. The Lookout was her own special place, and she’d never thought of sharing it with anyone, but Co Co’s face was so eager and her eyes were shining with excitement, so Suzie said hastily, “Sure. We’ll divide up the cupboards and I’ll ask Grandfather to have another key made, and . . .”

  Co Co threw her arms around Suzie. “Oh, my Suzie, you are the dearest friend in all the world. Now, I will give you half of my swimming pool and the pink bedroom. They are not as delightful as the Lookout, but they are all I have to give to you.”

  The lights were on in Grandfather’s toolshed as they sloshed their way through the orchard. Suzie stopped and called, “Grandfather, let us in. I want you to have another key made for Co Co, for her share of the Lookout. Grandfather?”

  Grandfather opened the door a crack. “Sorry, chickens, I have a surprise in here and nobody can come in.” He closed the door and the electric saw started to buzz again.

  Suzie said, “I’ll bet it’s something for our birthdays.” She peeked in the window. “He’s just sawing boards.”

  Co Co jerked the hem of Suzie’s slicker. “We must not look. I found my Christmas present in Paris and Papa was stern. He said an American child does not hunt for presents.”

  They opened the kitchen door and found Grandmother basting a chicken. The kitchen was warm and smelled deliciously of stuffing and gravy. Co Co took one look at the crisp, brown bird and said, “Chicken! Ummm! It is my favorite!”

  Suzie said, “Me, too!”

  “Now scoot upstairs and take off those wet things and put on your pajamas and bathrobes,” Grandmother said. “We’ll pretend it is the dead of winter and have supper in front of the fire in the living room.”

  They took hot baths and came downstairs in their bathrobes, their faces shining and their cheeks pink and their hair plastered down so it looked like varnished wood. Grandfather built a roaring fire in the fireplace and Grandmother served roast chicken, spoonbread, apple and celery salad, and hot tea. The girls ate as though they had really been lost in the woods, until Grandmother reminded them not to forget dessert. She brought in a chocolate pie with meringue like drifts of golden snow.

  Then Co Co and Suzie popped corn and toasted their toes.

  Grandfather said, “I thought we might take a trip to Eastern Washington this summer and watch them round up some wild horses in horse heaven.”

  “Horse heaven?” Co Co’s eyes were black with excitement. “Is it true? Is this the wild horse of the Indian? Suzie told me, but I thought it was long, long ago.”

  Grandfather said there were still great bands of wild horses and Indians, too, for that matter. He said the Indians were friendly and were the first true Americans, but they were forced to live on reservations. He suggested that as soon as school was over, the girls should sleep out in the orchard in their sleeping bags, to practice for the camping trip.

  The telephone rang and they both rushed to answer it. Suzie almost dropped the receiver when she recognized Ray’s voice and heard him say, “Hey, Suze—this is Ray. Guess what? Bravo’s lost.”

  Suzie blushed crimson and asked questions until Co Co was nearly beside herself with curiosity. “What is it? Who is on the telephone? What is it?”

  Suzie said, “Just a minute—here she is,” and handed the receiver to Co Co. “Rich wants to speak to you.”

  It was Co Co’s turn to blush as she said, “Clothilde Langdon speaking. Who is on the telephone?” She giggled. “Oui, oui, it is also Co Co.” She nodded and frowned and made gestures in the air with her right hand. This time it was Suzie’s turn to hop up and down and ask questions. Co Co shook her head. “You talk to him. I cannot understand. He speaks of the park.”

  Suzie talked some more, giggled and said, “Okay. See you tomorrow.” She turned to Co Co. “Gosh, I almost died. This is the very first time a boy ever called me up. Anyway, they said Bravo’s lost and they’ve looked everywhere for him. They’re coming over after Sunday school to get us so we can help hunt for him. I hope Bravo hasn’t been run over or something.”

  Co Co yawned. “Let us go to bed.”

  Chapter Ten

  A Rainy Date

  Sunday morning, Suzie and Co Co hurried home from Sunday school and began to change into their jeans and sweaters so they would be all ready when Rich and Ray arrived.

  Co Co looked in the mirror and shook her head. “We do not appear chic. I would like to appear attractive with Rich and Ray.”

  Suzie said, “Heavens to Betsy! After all, they’re just boys!”

  The doorbell rang and Suzie almost knocked Co Co down in her rush to answer it.

  Rich and Ray wore dripping yellow slickers and hats and waterproof boots. Rich said, “Better wear your slickers. It’s raining cats and dogs.”

  Suzie’s mother called out and asked them when they thought they would be back.

  Ray said, “We’ve got enough money for lunch and stuff. We might not get back until six o’clock, if that’s all right with you, Mrs. Green.”

  Co Co muttered, “The sleeker—it smells fonnee,” but she put it on, and they started out in the rain, whistling and calling for Bravo.

  When they passed Mrs. Medlin’s hedge, Ray said, “You don’t suppose Old Medler Medlin has Bravo locked up or something, do you?”

  Suzie shook her head. “Uh-uh. If she ever found him she’d have a fit and personally take him to the pound.”

  They exchanged all sorts of stories of Mrs. Medlin and her dangerous qualities, while they hunted around the school and in every alley and street nearby.

  When they got to the park, Rich suggested that he and Co Co take one set of paths and Ray and Suzie the other, in order to cover the park more quickly. Trees dripped down their necks, branches caught at their arms, and vines tripped them. They met over and over again at the crossings, but there wasn’t a sign of Bravo.

  It was two o’clock when they came back to the entrance for the third time. Their faces were streaked with dirt, their jeans were torn, and they were all soaking wet and discouraged.

  “I slid down a bank into a darned old ditch and got mud all over me.” Rich kicked his toe against the curb.

  Co Co patted his arm sympathetically. “But you were brave when you were hurt. Perhaps if we had a hamburger, we would have a new spirit. I am always sad when I am hungry.”

  Rich brightened immediately and they trudged across the street to a restaurant. The bright lights, the music from the jukebox, and the smell of sizzling hamburgers cheered them up so much, they began to laugh at one another’s woeful appearance.

  Co Co said, “If you will excuse us, we will comb our hair and wash our faces, and then we will eat and eat.”

  When they came back, Rich and Ray had also washed their faces a
nd combed their hair, and Rich had ordered four jumbo hamburgers and four chocolate malted milks. He grinned at Co Co. “You sure are an expensive date, Appetite.”

  While they were eating, Co Co suggested such frightening possibilities as to Bravo’s whereabouts, that Rich and Ray were struck dumb with admiration. Suzie, however, was concentrating on what Rich had said to Co Co. “You’re an expensive date!” If Co Co began to have dates with Rich, she wouldn’t want to pretend in the Lookout, or take camping trips, or anything else. Suzie sucked violently on her straw, made a loud gurgling noise, and blushed.

  Ray said, “Take it easy, Gurgles. Gurgles Green—pretty neat!”

  Suzie said, “Don’t you dare call me that at school.”

  Ray changed the subject. “Say, what if the FBI picked Bravo up and are using him for a tail?”

  Co Co looked puzzled. “What is it—the FBI? Why do they wish to use Bravo’s tail?”

  Rich explained that the FBI was sort of a detective agency for the American government and that the word tail meant sort of like being a shadow.

  Co Co laughed and said she had seen the FBI in the cinema and was a dumb, dopey knothead to forget.

  Rich patted her hand. “You’re plenty sharp, chum—plenty! After all, Ray and I wouldn’t ask you and Suzie for our first dates if you were a couple of dummies, would we?”

  Suzie looked so startled that Co Co said, “Is this then—a date?”

  “What else? You are the only girls we could think of who’d want to hunt for good old Bravo. Isn’t that so, Ray?” Ray agreed.

  Rich and Ray got up and went over to pay the check. While they were gone, Co Co leaned over and flicked Suzie’s chin with her fingertip. “You try to hide, but I see the twinkle in the eye. The date is pleasant, n’est-ce pas?”

  Chapter Eleven

  A Moonlight Adventure

  In spite of the beautiful weather, the last week of school was discouraging. All day long they had final examinations; then, after school, they spent most of their time hunting for Bravo. To be sure, Millicent had gone, and Rich and Ray walked as far as Mrs. Medlin’s gate with them every day, which should have been exciting, but they never talked about anything but Bravo, who was still lost.