Here Come The Bridesmaids Read Online Free Page A

Charlotte said.
    "They came to our house," Jake said, "and my mom invited them in for cookies."
    "Can we do that?" James asked.
    "Go caroling?" I replied. "You really want to?"
    "Yeeeeaaaahhh!" It was unanimous.
    Ben and I looked at each other. "When?" he muttered.
    "Closer to Christmas, like next Saturday," I suggested.
    "Yeeeeaaaahhh!"
    The kids were jumping up and down. Nina's hot chocolate mug went flying (fortunately it was empty and plastic).
    "Sounds good to me," Ben said, paging through the book again. "I guess we better keep practicing. Okay, how about 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer7?"
    Well, we got through that one, and "Silent Night," and "Oh, Hanukkah," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and a couple of others.
    Halfway through    "We   Three   Kings,"   I
    caught a glimpse of the stove dock turning to 12:27.
    I was due home at 12:15.
    "Oops, I have to go!" I blurted out.
    Ben looked disappointed. He walked me to the door, while the kids scattered.
    "I don't know about this," Ben said. "What if the kids get too shy again? What if we don't sound good?"
    "Don't worry, it’ll be great," I said. " 'Bye!"
    " 'Bye."
    What’s the worst thing about having seven siblings? Sometimes your parents don't even know you're alive.
    What’s the best thing? Sometimes your parents don't even know you're alive.
    When I got home, Dad was busy chewing out three of my brothers while Mom was doing an art project in the basement with the rest of my sibs.
    I slipped right in the back door, twenty minutes late. No one said a word.
    Quickly I tiptoed to my room. When the phone rang, I called out, "I'll get it!" as if I'd been in the house for hours.
    I picked up the phone in my parents' room. "Hello?"
    "Mallory? Hi, if s Claudia! Guess who just called me?"
    "Who?"
    "Mrs. Barrett."
    Sometimes BSC clients call during non-meeting times. It’s usually an emergency, which means Claudia has to call around frantically.
    "She's, like, hysterical," Claudia continued. "I had to listen to a lecture about bad caterers. Then she tells me every single thing going wrong with the wedding plans. Finally she says she totally forgot about all the kids who are coming to the wedding. What if they make too much noise? What if they get hun—“
    "So she needs a sitter?"
    "Two. I already lined up Shannon, but no one else can do it."
    "I can!" I exclaimed.
    "Great," Claudia replied. "Thanks. We'll talk later. I'm going to call her right now. 'Bye."
    " 'Bye."
    How cool.
    I was going to be part of the wedding. Official Keeper of the Kids. Maybe I could stand in the receiving line with the families.
    I began dancing around the bedroom. I began thinking about a beautiful dress I'd seen at Steven E, a store in the mall. Maybe I'd be allowed to buy it for the wedding. I had a whole week to convince Mom and Dad.
    I froze.
    A week from today. That was the day of the wedding.
    Saturday.
    The same day as the Christmas caroling I'd just planned.
    Uh-oh.
    I picked up the phone and began tapping out Claudia's number.
    "Hey! Quit it!" shouted my brother, Adam, over the phone. "I'm talking!"
    I was about to yell at him, tell him to get off, but I didn't. I just said "Sony" and hung up.
    It was no use. Claudia was already calling Mrs. Barrett. Confirming the appointment.
    One thing you never, ever do as a BSC member is cancel an appointment — unless you have somebody to cover for you. (Even then Kristy chews you out.)
    With a sigh, I slumped onto the bed. I was
    stuck. I was going to have to let down all those kids.
    Well, maybe not. We hadn't said we were definitely doing it. Had we?
    I waited a few minutes and picked up the phone again. Adam was finished, so I called Ben.
    I explained everything to him. I hoped he wouldn't be too mad.
    The first thing he said was, "Cancel it."
    "Cancel my job?" I asked. "I can't do that."
    "Well, you said you'd do this first."
    "Yeah, but this is a job."
    "So? What am I going to tell the kids?"
    "Ben, we said we'd think about