• Claire and Mackenzie sat in their favorite booth-the corner one by the window- just digging into their Italian Ices.
    "So what's the 'big news?'" Claire asked, digging her mint green plastic spoon into her Watermelon Italian Ice.
    Mackenzie held up one finger and swallowed a spoonful of her Lemon Italian ICe. She grimaced as it slid down her throat.
    "Brain freeze," she muttered.
    Claire giggled.
    "Okay. Well you know Tess O'Malley?" Mackenzie asked.
    Claire nodded and sighed. Tess O'Malley was the living Barbie doll of Crystal Lake Middle School-maybe all of Crystal Lake. But she was also the resident airhead.
    "Well she came up to me when I was on my way over here and said that we have invites to her summer party on the 1st!" Mackenzie squealed with excitement.
    "Of July?"
    "No. Of December. Yes in July! It's not called a summer party for nothing!" Mackenzie said.
    "And that's your major news?" Claire asked doubtfully.
    Mackenzie nodded eagerly.
    Claire sighed and smiled. Mackenzie was her best friend ever and she loved her, but it still took time getting used to the fact that the littlest things excited Mackenzie like crazy (like the fact that they got invited to Tess's party every year).
    Mackenzie stuffed another spoonful of bright yellow into her mouth; this time with more precaution of brain freezes.
    "Ok. Now I have a little secret," Claire whispered, leaning into the Formica table. Mackenzie leaned in too. Claire could smell her lemoney breath.
    "I'm pretty sure The Girl wasin the alley when I walked in here," Claire whispered.
    They were talking about the girl who always walked through town in the same clothes and no one knew where she was from or who or where her family was. But no one in Crystal Lake really made an effort to find out. Not even the Crystal Lake Police Department questioned her! She was a mystery that Claire secretley wanted to solve. And she would tell Mackenzie that when they were back in Claire's room.
    "OMG you seriously think she was there?" Mackenzie asked in awe.
    "Yeah! I heard rustling from back there!" Claire said.
    "It could have been a squirrell," Mackenzie pointed out, pointing at Claire with her banana yellow spoon.
    "Yeah. Just a coincidence that I heard rustling coming from the alleyway where The Girl 'lives.' But yeah. It was probably just a squirrell," Claire said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
    Mackenzie sighed and pushed her now-melting lemon-flavored soup around in her cup with her spoon.
    They threw their empty ice cream cups in the trash can, said thanks and good-bye to Sarah, and left the store and headed down the street to Claire's house.
    heart Thx for reading! I hoped you liked it! Plz plz plz comment on how I did! Thx again! heart