“Marcia, which outfit should I wear? This black pantsuit or the knit sweater with the green bell-bottoms?” Laurie asked me the next evening.

I didn’t bother looking up from my vanity mirror. “It doesn’t matter. Whichever one you choose, I don’t care either way,” I said snootily.

Laurie frowned. “Okay…Then I guess I’ll wear the pantsuit. It’s my favorite. I bought it in Paris.”

There she goes again! I thought.

“I have a suit that’s much better than that. It’s from Milan,” I lied.

Laurie looked interested. “Really? It’s authentic?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. My dad went down there and bought it for me.”

“Can I see it?”

“I let Katie Lou borrow it,” I lied again.

“Oh.”

“Hey, my mom’s letting me cook dinner today. You guys are going to be surprised,” I bragged.

Laurie frowned. “I didn’t know you could cook,” she said.

I don’t, but you don’t have to know that, I thought.

“I can cook anything. Did I tell you I know how to make a killer biscotti?”

“No. I don’t want biscotti. I can eat biscotti anytime I go back to Italy,” she replied.

I gritted my teeth. “Well, I can make real Italian pasta! Everything’s authentic!”

Laurie licked her lips. “Good, ‘cause I love real authentic-tasting Italian pasta. Can’t wait to taste it, Marcia!” she exclaimed, leaving the room.

I rolled my eyes. Oh, who am I kidding. I can’t cook and I’m trying to impress this snob, I thought.

I sighed and got dressed. After I got dressed, I went downstairs. Everyone was in the living room, talking.

“Oh, there’s our chef!” Dad exclaimed.

“I can’t wait to eat your cooking, Marcia!” Peter replied.

“I’m just gonna go get started. See you later!” I replied. I ran into the kitchen. Once there, I grabbed some pots and pans and put water in them and turned all the pilots on. Then, I grabbed the phone and called Katie Lou.

“Hello?” Katie Lou asked.

“Katie Lou, it’s Marcia. Can you help me?”

 

 

Half an hour later, Katie Lou crept into the family room with the bags of Italian food.

“Thanks, KL. You’re a lifesaver,” I said gratefully.

“What are you doing? I thought you were cooking.”

“I lied about that. You see, I can’t cook, but I’m trying to impress Laurie.”

“I don’t understand,” Katie Lou replied.

I quickly explained the whole thing to her.

“Oh! I see! You need some help?” she asked.

“You can set up the dishes and I’ll keep the others entertained for awhile.”

“Okay,” Katie Lou replied.

I smiled at her and went into the dining room.

“Hey, where’s the food. We’re starving out here!” Jan demanded.

“Jan! Use manners!” Mom scolded.

“Marcia, what’s taking so long? Is everything okay in there?” Laurie asked.

I shook my head. “No, the food’s almost done. Why don’t you sit down and relax. I’ll be back in a few, okay? Alright.”

I ducked back in the kitchen. “Hurry up, Katie Lou! They’re getting restless!” I replied.

“Alright, alright. Here’s the salad and dressing and_”

I felt something wet in the back of my pants.

“Katie Lou, did you spill something?” I asked.

“Um…I spilled the dressing on both you and me. I’m so sorry.”

I sighed. “Okay, well…we’re just going to have to go out there anyway. You come and help me.”

“Why?”

“I can’t have them, especially Laurie, seeing the huge ranch dressing stains on the back of my pants!”

Katie Lou nodded. “You’re right, Marcia. Let’s go,” she said. The both of us grabbed the bowl and walked sideways toward the door.

“Hey! I’m back! And Katie Lou’s helping me to serve the salad! Isn’t that great?” I said.

Katie Lou dug the salad tongs into the bowl and thrust the salad into bowls.

“Here’s some salad for Mr. and Mrs. Brady. Some for Ms. Partridge and Peter and Bobby,” Katie Lou said.

We continued thrusting salad into bowls. “And here’s some for TRACY!” I yelled as some dressing trickled down my legs. Katie Lou and I continued walking sideways. When everyone was served, we turned around sideways and walked towards the door.

“And your salad servers will be coming back soon!” Katie Lou and I sang. “Okay? Bye, bye, bye!” We closed the door.

“Whew, that was close. I’m going to change my clothes and then when I’m done, I’ll let you borrow something of mine to wear, okay?” I told Katie Lou.

“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

 

 

 

“Okay, that was weird,” Peter remarked.

“I’ll say,” Greg agreed.

“Marcia’s never done that before, has she?” Tracy asked.

Laurie got up out of her seat. “I don’t know, but I’m going to check on her,” she replied.

She got up and walked into the kitchen.

Katie Lou was in there, sitting at the counter.

“Um, where’s Marcia?” Laurie asked.

Katie Lou looked startled. “Um, she’s…in the process of….she forgot to buy the pasta, so_”

“Then why is there a bowl of cooked pasta in this bowl?”

“Um, it’s overcooked?”

Laurie frowned. “What’s going on?” she asked.

I came into the kitchen, in a clean outfit. I stopped dead when I saw Laurie in the room.

“Stall her!” I mouthed to Katie Lou. Katie Lou just shrugged. Laurie turned around and looked at me.

“I’d like to know what’s going on,” she demanded.

Mom, Dad, Aunt Shirley, and Greg came in.

“Marcia, you changed clothes?” Mom asked.

Aunt Shirley picked up one of the bowls. “These are resturant containers. I thought you were cooking, Marcia,” she replied.

“We came to see what was taking so long. Marcia. What is going on?” Dad demanded.

“That’s exactly what I’d like to know,” Laurie replied.

I groaned. “This is all a joke, okay? Just like this dinner. I wanted to impress Laurie and instead, this was all a joke. And I’m sick of it. I’m sick of lying and sneaking behind people’s back. I’m sick of trying to impress people. Hey, Greg,” I replied, grabbing his hand and interlocking it with Laurie’s. “You want her? Take her. Laurie’s more happy with you anyway. I gotta go.”

I ran out of the room and ran upstairs to the bedroom.

“Marcia, wait! I_” Greg began to go after me, but Laurie stopped him.

“No. That’s my cousin up there. I think I should talk to her.”

 

 

I grabbed a magazine off the shelf and flipped through it, not really reading it.

When Laurie came in, I got up and walked into my closet.

“I think we need to have a talk,” she replied.

“Like what?  Are you going to tell me about your ex-boyfriend in Stockholm? Or your prep school? I don’t want to hear any of it,” I snapped, glaring evil daggers at her, trying to hide my tears.

Laurie sighed. “Look, Marcia, I know we got off on the wrong foot and_”

“You won, okay? I lied about everything. I don’t own an outfit from Milan. I don’t have a voice teacher in Switerzland and I can’t cook. I was only trying to impress you because you have everything,” I said, leaving to go to the connecting bathroom my sisters and brothers and I share.

“Whoa, who said I have everything? You’re the one with everything,” Laurie argued. She followed me to the bathroom.

“But I don’t shop in Europe, I don’t live in a mansion, I don’t have fans, and I don’t have a lot of money like you do!” I replied.

Laurie shook her head. “Marcia, I’d trade all that for this! Sometimes, I envy you. You get to go to school everyday, you have a best friend, you have a mother who’s not busy almost all the time, a stepfather who loves you, and you get to stay in the same place and same neighborhood. I don’t have any of that and I wish I did. I barely have any friends because we move a lot.  In fact, I lied about the prep school and the voice lessons in Italy. I was trying to impress you because you have the better life. So, you win. Not me.”

“Wait a minute. All of that stuff you told me, were all lies?”

“Yup. Marcia, I’m sorry, but I was trying to impress you because I wanted you to like me. I don’t even have an ex- boyfriend in Stockholm. In fact, I don’t have one at all. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“You mean, we wasted all our teenage years trying to impress each other when we could have been friends?” I asked.

Laurie nodded. “What do you say? We start all over?”

I nodded, tears rolling down my face. Laurie opened her arms for a hug and I gladly reached for them.

“I take that as a yes?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” I replied, smiling.

 

 

Back downstairs, Laurie and I were both sharing a huge gallon of ice cream together.

“Hey, you remember when I told you about the German car I bought?” Laurie asked me.

“What about it?” I asked.

“Made it up!” Laurie exclaimed.

We laughed.

Katie Lou came into the kitchen with Greg. “Hey, Marcia? I have to go now. My mom wants me home.”

I smiled. “No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Katie Lou grinned. “Great! Good night!” she replied, closing the door behind her.

Greg grabbed a spoon and dug out some ice cream and put it into a bowl. He looked grumpy.

“Why so grumpy, Greg?” Laurie asked.

Greg didn’t answer.

I whispered in Laurie’s ear. “I think he wants you to kiss him!”

Laurie grinned. “Should I?” she asked.

“You know you want to!”

She nodded. Then sauntered over to him and planted a long, loving, kiss on his lips. Then she walked away, giggling. I ran after her.

We took a peek. Greg had his hand placed gently on his lips. “I’m never washing these lips again!” he declared, walking away dreamily.

Laurie and I highfived each other.

“Hey, you want to look at those pictures?” I asked.

Laurie grinned. “The pictures our moms took of us? Oh, man!” she said, covering her face in her hands.

“I want to see them, too!” Jan piped up.

“Us, too!” Tracy and Cindy shouted shrilly.

Laurie and I giggled. “We all can. C’mon., they’re up in my room,” I replied.

All of us walked upstairs into the room. I took the pictures out and spread them out in front of everyone.

“Oh, my God! Look at little Tracy, all dressed up for Easter!” Laurie teased.

Tracy snatched the picture from her sister. “I think I look pretty!” she replied.

“Yeah, she does,” Jan said, jumping to her defense.

“Hey, look at Jan at the dance recital! Remember the apple juice?” I asked.

In the picture, Jan was four years old and had a apple juice stain all over her white leotard.

Jan giggled. “Hey, it was an accident!” she replied.

Everyone burst out laughing. “I like this one, the one where Mom and Aunt Shirley had all of us sitting on this park bench in the same Easter outfits,” Cindy said.

I giggled. “The outfits do look cute, though,” I remarked.

“Very cute, indeed,” Jan agreed.

Laurie looked around. “You know, I’m glad we’re all here, because I want to say something.”

“What?” I asked, curiously.

“Well…I think we all should get together like this sometime soon. My mom wants us to move here close to you guys. She’s sick of moving around. She wants to have a place to settle down in, so we have a house being built near you guys here in L.A!”

“Wow! That’s great! I’m happy for you guys!” I exclaimed.

Laurie grinned. “I knew you would. You know, our moms’ maiden names was Edwards. Tracy and I may be Partridges and you guys may be McCoy-Bradys, but I think we’re Edwardses at heart.”

“I agree,” I said.

“Me, too,” Jan piped up.

Cindy and Tracy nodded.

“We’re cousins and friends! We gotta stick together!” Jan replied.

We pulled one another in a group hug, laughing and giggling together.

 

The End