ME, RUSHING TO MEET BRANDON AT FUZZY FRIENDS AFTER I’D COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT!
He looked really relieved and opened the door for me.
“Sorry I’m l-late. Are you l-leaving already?” I panted, completely out of breath.
“I was just about to. I’ve been here for two hours,” he said, glancing at his watch.
OOPS ! I apologized profusely and explained how, at the last minute, my voice instructor had rescheduled to an earlier time so the camera crew could film our session, and I didn’t realize there was a conflict until after the fact.
Brandon then explained that the thing he’d wanted to talk to me about was a SUPERimportant project he was working on. He needed me to help him with an entry for a scholarship competition sponsored by the Westchester Herald community newspaper. He says he really needs the scholarship money to help pay the tuition at our school. Boy, THAT problem sounds vaguely familiar !!
He has to submit six photos and an essay about an outstanding local student by Saturday, March 29. Which, BTW, is the same date as our listening party at Swanky Hill Ski Resort.
I was really flattered that Brandon chose ME for his entry!
So he’ll be interviewing me about my life and future goals and taking photos of me working on my music and television projects.
Of course I said YES! Even though my schedule is already pretty crazy and will be getting worse.
We’re going to meet in the library right after school on Monday.
To let him know just how committed I am to helping him on his project, I looked right into his beautiful brown eyes and PROMISED I’d be there for him. And that he could totally depend on me because I’d NEVER forget or be late AGAIN!
Hey! HE would have done the same thing for ME!
Anyway, in spite of the fact that I arrived late, Brandon and I had a blast hanging out with each other. He introduced me to two new playful puppies that had just arrived yesterday. . . .
A TERMINAL CASE OF PUPPY LOVE ?!!
But I had a really hard time trying to decide which was cuter and sweeter . . .
Those ADORABLE puppies . . .
Or BRANDON!!
SQUEEEEE!!
!!
NOTE TO SELF:
IMPORTANT! On, Monday, March 17, at 3:00 p.m. meet Brandon in the library to help him with his scholarship project! And PLEASE don’t MESS this up!!
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
Today is my mom’s birthday ! Happy birthday, Mommy!! I LOVE YOU!
I was surprised when my director called and requested permission to film at our home to capture this special Maxwell family moment. I wanted to say, “Sorry, but my family is NUTZ! VERY bad idea! NO WAY!”
But my mom was SUPERexcited about the idea. She went on and on about how she had always dreamed of having a healthy-food cooking show of her own for busy moms. And this was the closest she was EVER going to get to that dream.
I was like, JUST GREAT !! But since Mom got all sappy and sentimental, I finally gave in and agreed. Of course, I have to admit, it really helped that:
1. Brianna was at a birthday slumber party and wouldn’t be home until the afternoon. Which meant no embarrassing bratty little SISTER! Woo-hoo!
2. Dad was booked until noon with extermination appointments. Which meant no embarrassing DAD! Woo-hoo!
3. Our raggedy van was being driven by Dad. Which meant no embarrassing five-foot-long plastic ROACH! Woo-hoo!
Actually, this morning was the PERFECT time for the TV crew to come to my house and film since Brianna, Dad, and Max the Roach would NOT be home! My birthday present to Mom was breakfast in bed! So after I prepared her meal, I carried the tray up to her bedroom, shouted, “Surprise!” and sang “Happy Birthday.”
“I love you, Mom!” I gushed. “Enjoy breakfast in bed with fresh strawberries on pancakes topped with extra whipped cream, and two scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, milk, and orange juice! Just the way you like it!”
“Nikki, sweetheart! You shouldn’t have!” she exclaimed, getting a little teary-eyed.
ME, SURPRISING MOM WITH BREAKFAST IN BED!
But OMG! She had NO idea how much trouble it was to make that breakfast.
It took me an hour just to learn how to flip pancakes. And another hour to scrape seven of them off the stove, floor, and ceiling. . . .
ME, TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO FLIP MOM’S BIRTHDAY PANCAKES!
After adding up the cost of the batter and other ingredients for all the wasted pancakes, and the two cans of paint to repaint the ceiling and walls, I could have cut my losses and just bought Mom an expensive designer scarf from an exclusive store at the mall.
Hey, you live and learn!
But most important, I helped my mom have a very happy birthday.
And the filming project with the TV crew went pretty smoothly too.
Woo-hoo!
!!