The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball (18 page)

So I sat back down on the floor and began at the beginning—like I did with Lance—the day we saw mysterious Madame M's poster. Except this time I chose my words very carefully, explaining how we never thought we were doing anything we shouldn't be doing, which was mostly true.

After Eleanor's parents heard the entire story—Madame Magnifique's predictions, my goal of becoming friends with the Outers and going to the Snow Ball, Eleanor's dream of developing her own fashion line with that fancy sewing machine she wanted so badly, the rise and fall of our company, my disastrous day trying to ski (but leaving out the part about Eleanor receiving secret admirer notes), and Lance's offer to host the four of us along with safe transportation in their family limousine to the dance—Mr. and Mrs. B said nothing for a long time.

A
very
long time.

Finally, Eleanor's father spoke.

“Thank you, Ruby.”

“No problem,” I said, and glanced at Eleanor, who sat frozen like a block of ice. “I mean, you're welcome.”

“Eleanor,” asked Mr. B, “did Ruby tell us everything?”

Eleanor nodded.

“Then your mother and I shall go to the kitchen and discuss what we have just heard. Will you both please wait here?”

After they exited the room, I leaned over and whispered, “
Wow
, you were right when you said your house is just like a courtroom. This feels exactly like Judge Jennifer on channel twenty-eight. It's kind of exciting.”

“Thanks for trying, Ruby,” she replied, “but my mother will always be traditional and stubborn, and my father will always let her decide in the end.”

I felt awful about pushing Eleanor to go to the Snow Ball and interfering in her life. I understood now that different families and
cultures have different ways of doing things, but that didn't make one way better than the other.

Her parents soon reappeared. They stood over us as Eleanor and I huddled together on the floor by the coffee table. Our school books, untouched, were piled neatly in front of us. I took a last sip of tea from the little bit in the bottom of my cup, but it was cold.

“As you know, we wish we had been informed of your endeavors,” Mr. B began, “however, we admire your resolve, Eleanor. And we already know that Ruby is a very good and trusted friend.”

“And so is Eleanor!” I blurted.

Her father nodded, but he didn't smile. Her mother studied the wall on the other side of the room, her arms crossed tightly.

I had such a bad feeling about all of this. What if I'd truly made everything a hundred times worse? What if Eleanor would be scheduled even more now, with no free time ever again?

“However, one very important question remains,” added Eleanor's mother.

She turned and faced us, her hands now planted on her hips.

This was it. I felt like I had to say something before Eleanor was sentenced to house confinement for the rest of her life, but I couldn't think of anything.

Eleanor peered up. “What is it, Amma?”

“Exactly what do you two girls plan on wearing to such a glamorous event?”

I
gasped
as if I had just won the entire Showcase Showdown from Bob Barker himself!

“Are you saying I can go?” asked Eleanor.

Her mother grinned.

“Yes, you may go, Eleanor. But we must meet these other friends in your group
and
the driver of the limousine.”

We both jumped up and hugged each other, then I hugged her parents, who looked surprised. I heard Eleanor whisper, “
Sthuthi
. . . thank you, Amma and Thaththa.”

“Guess what!” I said. “My stepmom and I are going shopping next weekend if you want to come with us. They're having a huge winter clearance sale over at the outlets in North Conway.”

“That's very considerate of you, Ruby,” said Mr. B, “but, please, I have a much better idea.”

A minute later, Eleanor's father returned, carrying a gigantic cardboard box that blocked his face and most of his body.

“An early birthday present, Eleanor,” he said.

“But my birthday isn't until May,” she said. “Is it from New York?”

“I have no idea what it is,” said her mother. “This is news to me, too.”

Well, I could not believe my eyes . . . and neither could Eleanor. It was exactly what
she
had been dreaming of: the Deluxe Electronic Pluckarama 1080 Sew-Good & Embroidery Machine!!

It was as if Madame Magnifique herself had waved her wand and made it appear.

Eleanor could barely get her words out.

“
But—
but how did you know, Thaththa?” she asked.

“You mentioned the name of the machine,” said her father, “last weekend, when I learned about the business enterprise you two had developed. I ordered it online that night and it arrived yesterday.”

“Oh, Eleanor,” I said, “you can design and make your very own fabulous dress for the dance.”

“And for you, too, Ruby—the one you wanted in the catalog! I still have the sketch.”

“Oh no, not in such a short time,” I replied. “I can shop with Mim at the mall.”

“You will not get any old factory dress at the mall,” said Mrs. B. “I am happy to help with the sewing while Eleanor is in school during the day.”

Then she squeezed between the two of us and draped her arms around our shoulders.

“You two girls will have the most beautiful dresses at the Snow Ball!”

26

The following two weeks were a blur of preparations, but before we knew it, our big day had arrived!

Somehow, Eleanor and her mother had made the most gorgeous dresses I had ever seen on that fancy sewing machine. Mine was pure white with fake fur around the neck, and tiny clear buttons down the front that “twinkled like stars at night under the lights,” just like the picture in the catalog. And Mim bought me these fancy new silver wedges that matched the gown perfectly. Eleanor's dress was made from a creamy silky material that was simple and plain on the hanger, but looked amazing once she put it on, prettier than anything I'd ever seen. Definitely
haute couture
.

The night before the Snow Ball, I had set my clock to wake me up extra early so I would have all day to get ready. As it turned out, I didn't need an alarm, because the best two words in the entire world woke up the whole house just before sunrise.

“I'M HOME!!”

Within seconds, the four of us were on top of Pop, hugging and kissing him until he could barely breathe. He said he wouldn't have
missed my first dance no matter how much they paid him. At first, Mim couldn't stop crying she was so happy, but then the twins whined that they were hungry, so she calmed down and made banana pancakes.

I spent the day catching up with Pop and getting ready for the Snow Ball. Later in the afternoon, Eleanor and her parents drove to our home so that everyone could meet each other. Everyone got along really well, and Eleanor was amazed when she saw our house.

“How come everything is so neat and organized?” she whispered in my ear as the grown-ups chatted at the kitchen table.

“I told you I've been doing a little at a time, like you said, and somehow it got a lot better.”

Eleanor announced she had a surprise and ran outside to their car. I assumed it was something for me, but it was a gift for Mim.

“For you, Mrs. LaRue . . . a thank-you for donating all of your supplies to E and R Dream Designs. Without your support, our dreams never would have come true.”

Well, I'm telling you, Mim started to cry like a baby all over again, just as she had that morning. This time, she bawled so hard, Pop had to hold her tight and pat her back to get her to catch her breath.

“I apologize,” she cried. “I'm just so darn
happy
that everything's worked out for everyone.”

Inside the perfectly wrapped box was a crocheted pink beach robe dotted in tiny flowers with a long matching belt. It looked exactly like something the real Marilyn Monroe would have worn.

“Oh, Eleanor,” said Mim, “this is the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I'll wear it every single day by the Aqua-Pedic this summer.”

“Or at the new bakery,” said Pop. “That'll really attract the customers!” he added, and laughed.

Everyone fell silent.

“What new bakery?” I asked.

Mim sniffed back a few more happy tears.

“Oh my,” she said. “I didn't want to hog your super-special day, girls, but we do have a very big announcement to make.”

“Good news, I hope?” asked Mr. B.

Pop wrapped his arm around Mim and said, “Excellent news!”

“You see, the reason your dad's been away so long, and that we've both been working extra hard and cutting corners these past months wasn't just to save up for the aboveground pool,” said Mim, now looking directly at me. “Your pop and I are opening our very own family bakery in the village!”

“For real?”
I gasped.

“Yep!” said Pop. “It's about time Mim made her own profits on those famous Monster Chunk cookies of hers.”

I couldn't believe it—even Mim's deepest dream had come true.

“Congratulations to you both!” exclaimed Mrs. B. “Have you leased a location yet?”

“Well, it just so happens,” said Mim, “that the perfect space is available right across the street from the playground at Winterberry Common where the boys like to play. Won't that be convenient?”

Eleanor and I looked at each other and said at the same time, “Dream Central!”

“Dream Central?” repeated Mim. And then her eyes practically popped out of her head. “You know what? That's exactly what we should call it—
Dream Central Bakery!
”

It's funny how things can seem fine one day, then not so good, then really amazing, followed by horrendous, and then back to fantastic. But in the end, I couldn't help wondering if Madame Magnifique had had something to do with the way everything had turned out.

All at once the twins began hollering, “It's here! It's here!
The LIMO is here!!
”

All eight of us instantly turned and ran for the door, clogging up the exit as we tried to squeeze out at the same time. Somehow we managed to gather on the front porch just as the limousine pulled in front and parked. It was long, black, and very shiny!

I felt my arm being squeezed. It was Eleanor, grinning wider than I'd ever seen her smile. We grabbed hands and squealed, “
We're going to the Snow Ball!!
”

The driver, wearing a dark coat and hat, went around and opened the door.

Anton stepped out first, followed closely by Lance. Both boys were dressed in white, which is the color everyone wears to the ball, white like snow. Best of all, they had wrist corsages made of pretty white flowers for us, which I had never even heard of, but Mim said that meant they were true gentlemen.

Anton acted like he was in charge and shook hands with the adults and gave lots of compliments to Eleanor in front of her parents, while Lance hid behind the open limo door, staring down at his feet. But
I didn't mind, because I knew that's where he felt comfortable. Plus, I noticed he'd gotten a haircut, which meant he was trying hard to look extra nice. I was glad I could finally see his whole face.

Mim took about a hundred photos of Eleanor and me, then Anton and Eleanor, then Lance and me by the limo, then the four of us by the limo, then Eleanor with her parents, then Eleanor and me and Marilyn, the old cat, with the twins, and—well, you get the picture.

The sun was starting to set behind the frosty, purply-blue mountains, so it was time to get going.

“Imagine,” Mim said to me as she held my shoulders, “you,
Ruby LaRue
, are going to the Snow Ball with the son of the owners of Sugar Mountain. What a world!”

“I guess anything is possible,” I said, and kissed her cheek, “if you believe it's possible.”

Mim threw her head back and laughed.

“You know, I'm so impressed by the wonderful young woman you're blossoming into, Rosebud,” she said. “Your real mother would be too.”

I leaned in and gave her a hug.

“You're my real mother, Mim,” I whispered, “and you always have been.”

“Oh goodness,” she cried, “now don't get me bawling all over again!”

As we drove away from the house, all four parents waved and waved good-bye to us, like we were never coming back, even though we would be home in a few hours.

I guess there are some things I'll never understand about grown-ups.

27

Crowds of people were lined up all along the road to Sugar Mountain, watching us like we were royalty or something. The limousine slowed down and stopped just before the old Sugar Tree near the entrance.

Eleanor and I locked eyes.

“Do you think JB will be here,” she asked me, “with an Outer?”

“Probably, but who cares?” I said. “We're VIPs! Isn't that right, Lance?”

“Yep,” he mumbled. “We can even sit at the head table if we want.”

Eleanor and I grabbed each other again and shrieked for about the tenth time that day.

“I could get used to this,” said Anton, as he took another sparkling apple cider from the tiny refrigerator.

So many people were arriving at the dance at once that a traffic jam had formed. The line crept slowly forward as guests pulled up one at a time in front of the main lodge. I rolled down the window and stuck my head out to get a better view.

Everything was more beautiful than I'd ever imagined. Every tree glimmered under sparkling lights, and long white carpets ran
up and down the sidewalks, and all the way to the top of the steep flight of stairs.

When our driver finally pulled up to the drop-off area, he rushed around the limo and opened the door for us. He held my hand and then Eleanor's as we stepped out carefully and gracefully—as if we were real-life princesses.