The next day, lunch had started and the girls were already seated, eating and chatting as usual.
"Aw, man!" uttered Lizzie, looking down at herself.
"What is it, Liz'?" asked Madeline.
"I'm wearing a navy top."
"So?" questioned Andrea.
"So I thought my top was black. But now seeing it in this light, it's navy and that's terrible because I'm wearing orange shoes."
"Maybe that's good," said Skye. "I heard blue is the opposite of orange."
"Where'd you hear that?" asked Andrea. "Nickelodeon?"
Skye glared. "No, my color wheel."
"What channel is that?"
"It's a chart of colors!"
"Whatever you're trying to say, Skye, is making me feel better," said Lizzie. "So thank you."
"What's in your salad?" asked Debra, pointing at Lizzie's lunch in a clear container.
"Uh, leaves?"
"Yeah, I know that... in a way. But what's in it? Are those croutons?"
"No, they're crushed potato chips."
"Ew," uttered Madeline. "Why would you put chips in your salad?"
"I saw it in a magazine."
"It actually sounds good," said Skye.
"Oh, it is. Too bad I'm ruining the history of salads since they're supposed to be healthy for you. But because of the potato chips, I'm just going to get fatter."
"A bad day to wear a crop top," said Andrea.
"Yeah, but I don't care. I love potato chips too much."
"Enough to let fat stick out of your crop top?" asked Madeline.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Hey, Lizzie," greeted Giselle, who had just started walking up to the girls.
Lizzie turned her head. "Oh, hey, Giselle."
"Giselle?" Andrea uttered quietly to herself.
"Have a seat."
Giselle laid her tray of food on the table next to Debra and sat down on space of the bench beside her.
"Girls, meet Giselle. Giselle, these are my friends Madeline, Debra, Andrea and Skye."
"Wow, long names," said Giselle.
"That's okay; they have nicknames."
"Yeah, I don't feel comfortable letting some people call me by my nickname," said Andrea.
"Is it because your nickname is Andy, a boy's name?"
Andrea paused. "Now it is."
"That's okay," said Giselle. "I have a strong memory."
"Yeah, unlike others," mumbled Andrea.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Lizzie asked.
"Who forgot my birthday last year?"
"Listen, I was close."
"Yeah, by three months."
"Which is very close. Six months or more is a long time."
"I'd have rather you remember it the next day than three months later."
"At least I gave you a gift."
"You gave me underwear."
"What's wrong with that?"
"You wore them."
"Well, I guess you win."
"Sorry, we don't argue this much all the time," said Madeline to Giselle.
"It's okay," said Giselle. "When you argue, it means you care."
"And I care a lot about you, Andrea," said Lizzie.
"I care a lot about you, too," Andrea responded. "It's good to get a gift than to not get a gift at all. Even though I didn't want used underwear for my belated birthday."
"You're welcome."
"So it's nice to meet everyone," Giselle continued. "I met Lizzie at the school library yesterday if you want to know why I'm here."
"Lizzie, you were at the library?" asked Madeline.
"You go to a library?" asked Debra.
"You know what a library is?" asked Skye.
"I'm shocked as you are, honestly," Lizzie responded to all of their questions. "But I went to find a book for English class. And my new friend, Giselle, helped me find a book that I enjoy reading by the way."
"You enjoy reading a book?" asked Madeline.
"You're reading a book?" asked Debra.
"You know what a book is?" asked Skye.
"Guys, I'm not stupid," said Lizzie.
"Yeah, we know," responded Madeline. "But it is our jobs to ask questions."
"Yeah, you're right."
"What is the book called?" asked Andrea.
"'Mrs. Princess'."
"'Mrs. Princess'? That sounds like a kids' book."
"It's actually not. It won awards."
"What kind of awards?"
"You know, awards like Corretta Stone."
"Scott," corrected Madeline.
"Scott," Lizzie repeated. "And since I am so far into the book, I might be finished writing my report by tomorrow. And it is all thanks to Giselle, who looks a lot like Gisele Bundchen."
"You're welcome, Lizzie," said Giselle, "who looks a lot like Ashley Judd."
"In what country?" asked Andrea.
"Who's Ashley Judd?" inquired Debra.
"It's a compliment," said Lizzie. "Deal with it."
"Oh, Madeline, I love your shirt," complimented Giselle.
"Oh, thanks," said Madeline. "I got it at a sale at TJ Maxx."
"Really?"
"No. I just like saying that."
"Her shirt may be cute," said Lizzie, "but Giselle, your top is bumping!"
"Thank you," Giselle smiled.
Skye snickered. "Bumping."
"I love your top as well," said Giselle. "Especially with those orange heels."
"Thanks, girl," said Lizzie. "I did that on purpose."
Madeline shook her head.
"We should go to the mall later."
"Oh, my gosh. Let's do it!"
"Anybody onboard?"
The girls hesitated and mumbled to a point where all of their answers were bunched and jumbled up like a big speech knot.
"You girls don't want to go to the mall?"
"See, the way that my bank account is set up..." said Andrea in a soft voice.
"No, way! You girls love going to the mall."
"And we still do," said Debra.
"We'll think about it," Madeline made a compromise.
"Oh, Giselle, we're going to have so much fun," squealed Lizzie.
"Totally," Giselle agreed. "I could really make some new friends."
"Don't worry; my gal pals are your new friends. Right, girls?"
The girls mumbled again as a response.
"Um, I'll just take that as a yes. Welcome to the club, Giselle!"
"Oh, my first best friend," said Giselle softly. "I can't believe it."
"Hang on a second," Madeline muttered.
"We're going to be such good friends, Lizzie."
"Totes McGotes!" Lizzie smiled.
The two girls held hands straight across Debra and squealed in excitement. Debra leaned back so their hands would not touch her.
"We got to give you a nickname."
"No, no," mumbled Andrea.
"What about Gissy or Elly? Ooh, maybe Elle like the magazine."
"Or People like the magazine," Skye joked.
"Good idea!"
Skye crinkled her forehead.
"I like Gissy, actually," insisted Giselle.
"Then that's settled," said Lizzie. "We'll call you Gissy."
"Best friend?" Madeline exclaimed, still thinking about Giselle's past comment.
"Oh, do you want to go some snacks from the vending machine?" asked Giselle, ignoring Madeline.
"Cheez-Its?" inquired Lizzie.
"It's like you're reading my mind."
The girls let go of each other's hands and got out of their seats to walk together through the cafeteria for the vending machines.
"Am I the only one who doesn't agree with what's going on right now?" asked Andrea.
"No, you are not the only one," agreed Skye.
"Yes, same here," Debra jumped in.
"How can they become best friends?" Madeline exploded, still thinking about that comment. "They knew each other for a day. I've know Lizzie for twelve years! She's my best friend."
"Excuse me," said Andrea, "but we're all best friends."
"I know; it's just that Lizzie was my first best friend. I found her first!"
"Yeah, we all know," said Skye.
"Relax, Maddie," said Debra. "Maybe this is only temporary. Besides, Lizzie can be friends with whoever she wants."
"Yeah," responded Madeline, "but she can't just go and become best friends with whoever she wants. We're best friends."
"You mean we're all best friends," mentioned Andrea.
"Yeah, I know. I don't want to hold back Lizzie from other friendships and at the same time, I feel bad because we weren't our nicest to Giselle. The last thing I want to be is selfish."
"But you are selfish," said Skye after a short pause.
"Either way, I think we should tell Lizzie how we feel."
"I do want to hang out with Giselle," admitted Andrea, "but not like this."
"Yeah, now I'm starting to feel bad," said Skye.
"How about this?" started Madeline. "We go to the mall with Giselle later and see if we feel comfortable hanging out with her. If we do, then we'll just start hanging out with Giselle more often. If we don't, we tell Lizzie A.S.A.P."
"On that day?" questioned Andrea.
"No, the next day."
"But if I don't want to hang out with Giselle that day, then I'm going to stop hanging out with Giselle that day."
"But we shouldn't be rude."
"So if we're not feeling it, we should lie?" asked Skye.
"No, guys. You're making this hard."
"You're making this hard," said Debra.
"Look, let's just go to the freakin' mall after school."
"Whatever doesn't kill us," Skye agreed.
"I should've told them to buy me some Cheez-Its," Andrea acknowledged.
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