"Okay, okay." Maeve went downstairs and came back with her favorite parka.

"How about walking shoes?" Charlotte asked, looking at the mountain of shoes on the bed.

Maeve wrinkled her nose and pointed at her closet. "Walking shoes? Ew. Very uncool."

"Very important," Charlotte said as she picked up a pair of comfortable-looking pink sneakers and handed them to Maeve. "You know everyone in New York walks everywhere. Besides, you'll be standing on your feet at the show. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

"You sound like my mom!" Maeve wailed as she flung herself on the bed.

"Awesome," Charlotte said. "After a whole day of helping models with their clothes and hanging up stuff and running errands, you'll want to kiss these shoes." She tossed them in Maeve's suitcase.

"Please, Charlotte! I would never kiss shoes that have touched pavement. Gross."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and looked nervously at the three suitcases. "Okay." She sighed. "It's time to be ruthless."

They reached several compromises. Charlotte agreed to let Maeve take a pair of rhinestone-studded shoes to match the blue dress ICOF (Maeve's acronym for "in case of formal"). In return, Maeve agreed to leave the majority of her pink shoe collection at home. Instead of the dramatic floor-length nightgown, Maeve packed an oversize T-shirt for pj's. Charlotte, in exchange, allowed Maeve to take one hat (it was better than nothing) and a pair of long silk gloves. Maeve packed several sets of underwear and socks and reduced the toiletries to a toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss, shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Charlotte approved the final load, except for one thing: "What did I tell you about the big curlers, missy of the already curly hair? They stay!"

Maeve insisted that she couldn't cut down on her clothes unless she brought more accessories to "dress them up." She sorted out earrings, rings, bracelets, scarves, and two handbags, and also packed six pairs of pants, two pairs of jeans, eight shirts, and three sweatshirts. The results were now sloppily stuffed into two of the wheeled suitcases. Charlotte knew she'd open them up again to wrinkles galore, but she didn't bother mentioning it, or Maeve would probably pack an ironing board and iron as well!

Two hours later they'd significantly lightened Maeve's travel wardrobe. Maeve, frustrated, was near tears because she thought she should be taking much more. Charlotte, exasperated, couldn't get Maeve to understand that she could actually survive on even less.

"Really, Char! I don't know how you managed to travel all over the world," Maeve complained. "You might not know this, but I have a really hard time throwing fashion out the window. This is terrible! I'm going to be a disaster in front of all those models and designers in New York-I just know it!"

"I promise, they won't even notice your clothes," Charlotte a.s.sured. "They'll be way too wrapped up in the show and how they look. When you're lugging this stuff up and down the streets of Manhattan, you'll be thanking me. If you had let me do the packing, I bet I could have gotten everything into one bag!"

Maeve looked horrified. "No girl with any fashion sense could get it all in one bag!" she insisted. "Do you hear me? I have two words for you, Char-NOT POSSIBLE!"

A Gift from Kelley Another Beacon Street Girl with more fashion sense than she knew what to do with had managed to get it all into one bag. Katani carefully checked off the last item on her list and inspected her neatly folded wardrobe. She was just about to close her black carry-on suitcase, confident that she had plenty of clothes for the weekend, but she counted off her list one more time: Two pairs of pants, her favorite jeans, and some vintage striped trousers (in case Mich.e.l.le had the energy to take them out for dinner). Everything had been neatly ironed and folded. Katani packed three shirts that matched both pants and four scarves she'd hand-painted herself to dress them up. She'd rolled the scarves in fresh tissue paper, so they'd stay wrinkle-free in her suitcase.

She decided on two pairs of comfortable shoes, ankle socks, pajamas, and underwear, plus some jewelry and scarves for accessorizing. She could wear her heavy duffle coat in the car. Katani also had plenty of toiletries and they were all practical, travel-size bottles. She'd also remembered a travel alarm clock.

"More than enough," she said out loud. She zipped the bag shut, wiped her hands together, and breathed a sigh of relief. She was finally finished packing.

"Hi, Katani!" Kelley shouted, bouncing into their room.

Ever since their parents had agreed to let Katani go to New York, Kelley had barely left Katani's side. She always seemed to be there, asking if Katani would play checkers with her, watch TV with her, or read to her before bed. Katani knew Kelley was getting more and more worried about her going away. She had tried to be soothing, saying she'd be home very soon, but Kelley wouldn't have it. She didn't want Katani leaving, period!

Also, because Kelley was so anxious about Katani's trip, she tended to be louder and more boisterous than usual. But Katani refused to get upset with her. The mere idea of being mad at Kelley made Katani feel terrible. Though Kelley could be annoying, she loved Katani unconditionally, and Katani loved Kelley just as much.

"Hi, Kelley," Katani replied to the enthusiastic greeting. She hoped Kelley wouldn't ask about her suitcase.

But Kelley noticed it right away. "What's in that, Katani? Is it something very beautiful and luscious?" Kelley loved to repeat the words she heard in TV commercials.

"Not luscious," Katani answered. "They're just some of my clothes. You know. Jeans and stuff."

"Why did you put them in the case?" Kelley asked, crossing her arms and giving Katani her I'm smarter than you think look. "They're supposed to go in your drawers."

Katani hesitated. "Well...I put them in the case so I could carry them. For when I go to New York City." She hoped if she kept her answer low-key, it wouldn't upset Kelley.

Kelley looked at her for a long moment, and then her dark eyes started to fill up.

"Oh, Kelley!" Katani said, coming close to hug her. To her relief, Kelley let her. "It's okay! I'm going to find some luscious things to bring home to you, and we can play with them together, all right? It'll be so much fun!"

Kelley still stood a little stiffly. Her eyes were wet, but she managed to sniffle and ask, "What kind of luscious?"

"Well-uh-" Katani thought for a minute. "I don't know yet. What would you like?"

Solemnly, Kelley said, "Do they have luscious horses in New York City?"

That wasn't exactly the question that Katani expected. She remembered one of Maeve's favorite movies set in New York in which people rode in a horse-drawn carriage around Central Park. "Yes, I think so...," Katani answered slowly. She knew what would be coming next.

"Then I want you to bring home a beautiful, luscious horse," Kelley said seriously. "I want it to be purple."

Katani cracked up. "I will!" she agreed, laughing. "I'll bring you the most luscious horse in New York City, okay? It isn't going to be a real horse, but I promise it'll be beautiful all the same. I'm not going to tell you what color though. It'll be a surprise."

Kelley wasn't laughing. She studied Katani for a moment, and then she straightened up and announced proudly, "I have a surprise for you, Miss Bossy!"

Kelley bolted over to her bed and started rummaging around. The s.p.a.ce at the head of Kelley's bed was filled with her treasures-stuffed animals, favorite books, and lots of pictures and special projects she'd made in her art therapy cla.s.ses. It was crammed with so much junk that Katani wondered how Kelley could find anything.

Once Kelley finally spotted what she was looking for, she bent way over the headboard and made a mighty snort to retrieve something. Then she turned around and skipped back to Katani.

"Here's the beautiful luscious horse that I made, Katani," she said with an outstretched hand. "It's for you."

It was a crude-looking ceramic pin in a garish gold color. It had taken Kelley almost a week to mold into a horse, and then she'd painted it bright gold. The horse had black eyes and a white mane, but it was mostly the strange shade of gold that made it stand out a mile. Kelley had chattered about it for hours when she first brought it home. She was extremely proud of it.

"Take him to New York, Katani," she said. "If I can't go with you, my horse can. Take care of him and wear him every day, okay?"

Katani gulped. For such a fashion-consious girl, she cringed at the thought of wearing a homemade clay pin-especially in the high-fashion world of New York! But it was Kelley's gift to her, she reminded herself. This was Kelley's way of showing her love, and it meant a lot to Katani. Some things were just more important than fashion.

Katani tenderly cupped the pin in her hand. "Oh Kelley," she said. "He's beautiful. I promise I will wear him every day."

"I know," Kelley replied. "Because he's a beautiful, luscious horse."

CHAPTER.

7.

On the Road

Isn't this just a beautiful drive, girls?" Mr. Taylor asked happily. Actually, Maeve thought, it was a lovely way to travel to New York. A crisp breeze and blue sunny sky made for a perfect Thursday afternoon. The majestic maple trees gracefully arched over the Merritt Parkway. Their autumn leaves, brilliant in bold shades of red and gold, rustled gently in the wind.

Everything outside the car is so pretty, Katani thought. "Katani...listen to this," Maeve said as she tugged on her arm. Maeve was in the middle of telling another story of a movie she'd seen at the Movie House, in between Sam spouting off World War II facts. Katani looked down at her sketchbook, hoping that Maeve would get the clue that she needed a little quiet time. No such luck. They were only an hour out of Brookline. One or all of the Kaplan-Taylors was always talking. The constant chatter was giving her a headache.

"Isn't this route fantastic, girls? Just look at this scenery!" Mr. Taylor marveled, interrupting his daughter in midsentence as she described in detail the final dance sequence in some Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie (she couldn't remember which one). Finally, Katani, who had been doodling fashion designs in her sketchbook, began keeping a chart on the bottom of the page. She made a checkmark for every movie Maeve discussed, an X-mark for each of Sam's war facts, and a little star for every time Mr. Taylor said how wonderful the drive was. Mr. Taylor was way in the lead with twelve.

He continued, "The Merritt Parkway is famous. Did you know that the Merritt has sixty-eight bridges? Each one is different, but they were all designed by the same person, George Dunkelberger. The Merritt Parkway is such a refreshing change from the new multilane interstates. Those roads have no character at all. Just big white concrete ribbons with ugly barriers. And they're crowded, too. Full of people anxious to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. Not like this old road, no-siree! Now, this is driving! By the time you get where you're going, you feel truly alive! Why, I feel a song coming on! Come on! Everybody! Ohhhh what a beautiful morning..."

Katani glanced at Maeve who, stifling a giggle, mouthed back, "He's not usually this bad."

"Sing with me, guys. Maeve, I know you know this one."

Maeve shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes at Katani, and said, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" Katani was aghast. Maeve's voice grew louder and was soon followed by Sam's squeaky off-key squawk. Katani was beginning to feel carsick. She had never seen Maeve's father act like this before! But boy was it clear from where Maeve inherited all her dramatic qualities.

Something about this wide open s.p.a.ce obviously brought out the kid in Mr. Taylor. Not only had he been extolling the joys of the Merritt all day, singing as though he were the leader of a band, he also mentioned wanting to stop and have dinner with a college friend in Westport, Connecticut. Katani normally wouldn't mind, but she knew this addition to their itinerary would delay their arrival in New York by several hours, and she was eager to get to Mich.e.l.le's apartment in Greenwich Village and chill out. Maybe she could lock herself in the bathroom and take a ten-minute hot shower.

Katani remembered from math cla.s.s that the shortest distance between two points was a straight line. The old Merritt was far from straight, and it was narrow. The direct route was the interstate, which Mr. Taylor had already deemed abominable. So they were winding, looping, and zigzagging above, around, and under the direct route instead. They had been puttering in this manner for more than four hours, and if Katani was reading the road signs correctly, it was at least another fifty miles to Westport. Katani thought Connecticut was as small as Ma.s.sachusetts, but this drive was taking forever!

When Mr. Taylor ended his song, Maeve resumed another movie commentary, completely unfazed. "So then the little boy-I think his name is Sam-no, wait, that's Tom Hanks' name in the movie-the son's name is Josh-no, Jonah! That's it, Jonah. Anyhow, Jonah writes a letter to Meg Ryan pretending to be the dad and says he'd really like to meet her at the top of the Empire State Building, just like in An Affair to Remember!" Maeve sighed and clutched her heart. "It's all dreadfully romantic."

Katani wasn't nearly as interested in romantic movies as she was in getting to Greenwich Village. She really wanted to get there at a decent hour because she and Maeve had to wake up super early in the morning to start working with Mich.e.l.le. Oh well. There was nothing she could do about it now. She would just have to zen out. It was pretty obvious that Maeve and her dad were not going to stop talking any time soon, and Sam, who was only eight, was too excited to sit still. Katani had to admit Sam was pretty smart for his age. He piped in with the funniest things sometimes.

Just then Sam popped around his seat and turned to look at the girls in the back. "You know," he said gravely, "we could be going at light speed on a real highway! I think this curvy road is MALARKY." Katani couldn't help but giggle. Where did that boy come up with these things? "They're so much more fun to drive. Pleeeeease! It's not too late, Dad," he begged.

"What's the rush, Sam?" his father asked, smiling. "I'm sure Katani and Maeve would like to get to Greenwich Village, and I want to have that dinner with my friend in Westport. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. We're just going to stay on the good old Merritt, and we'll get to New York in plenty of time!"

Take a deep breath, Katani told herself, then added silently, Okay, I'm not going to stress out any more. I am just going to think about New York. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"Hey!" Maeve nudged her and held up a plastic bag full of apple slices. Yuri, the man who ran the market not too far from school, had given them to her that morning. Maeve announced that free apples were definitely a good omen for the trip. When she wasn't talking, she was crunching. "Try one, they're really delicious...get it...delicious apple!" Maeve handed Katani a slice, then laughed at her play on words.

Katani tried to smile as she took a bite. "Mmm! They are good." It not only tasted sweet, juicy, and crisp, but it made her feel a little better.

This wasn't so bad. Surely she could put up with a little extra chatter. After all, if it hadn't been for Maeve, she never would have been on this trip in the first place. If I can handle a fashion show, I can certainly handle this, Katani thought. Maybe it was just being in such tight quarters. Yes, that must be it, reasoned Katani. Kelley was a chatter-box too. She would just have to relax. And she really didn't want to seem ungrateful.

Just then the car hit a pothole and lurched to the side. "Uh-oh!" Mr. Taylor exclaimed.

"Uh-oh? What's 'Uh-oh?'" Maeve asked.

Katani could feel her heart pounding. Relaxing would just have to wait.

Mr. Taylor pulled hard on the steering wheel and frowned. "This is not good."

"What's wrong?" Katani gulped. Mr. Taylor was slowing down and pulling over to an upcoming exit. He stopped alongside a two-lane country road that made the Merritt look like an eight-lane superhighway. Now I know what they mean by the middle of nowhere, thought Katani.

Mr. Taylor got out of the station wagon and inspected the car on all sides. Suddenly his face appeared tap-tap-tapping at Maeve's window. Maeve cranked it open and her father announced, "Just as I thought, girls. We have a flat."

Katani couldn't believe it. Would they ever get to Greenwich Village?

"It's like the Wicked Witch of the West is following us all the way to Oz," Maeve commented in a low voice. Katani couldn't help laughing. It did feel like there was some force out there making sure they would be late.

Mr. Taylor popped open the trunk. "What's he doing?" Katani asked.

Maeve shrugged. "Changing the tire, I guess." She sighed. "Too bad he doesn't have the other car. This is our old car. The tools are kind of old-fashioned. My mom got the nice car so she could drive to Vermont to visit her old roommate-my father didn't want her to worry about anything happening..." Her voice trailed off.

Katani wasn't sure what to say, so she touched Maeve's shoulder. She knew Maeve still felt terrible about her parents' separation and she wished she could do something to make her feel better.

Sam got out of the car to watch his father work on the tire and Katani and Maeve followed suit. Mr. Taylor reached into the trunk, shuffled some things around, and wrapped his arms around the tire. But as he started to lift it, he staggered a little and grabbed his back. The big round tire thudded back into the trunk, as Mr. Taylor sank to ground moaning.

Sam ran over and knelt beside him. "Dad? Hey, Dad, are you okay?!"

With a moan, Mr. Taylor pointed to his lower back.

"Oh, no!" Maeve cried. "He must have pulled a muscle! He has trouble with his back."

"Oh brother!" Sam squeaked worriedly.

"Is he going to be okay?" Katani asked. She wanted to bury her head in her arms and cry, but she knew that it certainly wouldn't help the situation.

Mr. Taylor was lying on the ground. He had one hand pressed into his back, and his face was contorted in a pained grimace. "Okay, Dad, don't move," Maeve said quickly. She looked helplessly at Katani, who always seemed to know what to do in a crisis.

Katani, however, just shook her head. "I don't know how to change a tire!" she said.

Maeve looked petrified. "Well, I don't know how either!"

Katani stared at her friend. Be cool, Kgirl, she reminded herself. She knelt down by Maeve's dad. "Mr. Taylor, are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "My back. You bend the wrong way-and it's all over!" He tried to laugh but it was just too painful.

Katani tried to stay calm. She didn't have any special CPR or emergency training, but she knew in an emergency you had to stay calm. She continued, "What do you usually do for it?"

"A little aspirin usually does the trick...and some ice."

"Do you know where the aspirin is?" Katani asked, preparing to break open suitcases to find it.

"I'll look in the glove compartment," volunteered Maeve.

He shook his head. "I don't think I have any with me."

Katani rolled her eyes. "Umm," she said, wracking her brain. "Let's call somebody! Yes, that's it, we can call somebody! Where's your cell phone?"

Sam looked at Maeve. Maeve looked at her father. Her father looked even more uncomfortable. "In my jacket, I think," he told her.

Katani retrieved his jacket from the front seat. She checked the pockets and the inside flaps. Nothing.