Makeover Magic Read online

  Contents

  Chapter 1 I’m So Grapeful

  Chapter 2 Kiss and Tell

  Chapter 3 Candy Corn on the Cob

  Chapter 4 Apple Crispy

  Chapter 5 Pickle Me

  Chapter 6 Midnight Blues

  Chapter 7 Plum Delicious

  Chapter 8 Very Ice Try

  Chapter 9 Heavy Metal

  Chapter 10 News Prince

  Chapter 11 Good Knight

  How to Give Yourself (or a Friend!) a Caramel-Dipped Pedicure

  About Jill Santopolo

  For my community of friends and family. I’d love to give each and every one of you an On the Ball trophy.

  And extra-special thanks to Karen Nagel, Marianna Baer, Betsy Bird, and Eliot Schrefer, who help Aly and Brooke (and me!) to sparkle.

  one

  I’m So Grapeful

  Aly Tanner glanced at her purple polka-dot watch. Uh-oh. She and her sister, Brooke, had only four minutes to unpack the new polish colors before their first appointments showed up at Sparkle Spa.

  “Brooke,” Aly said, looking to where her sister was carefully reorganizing the bottles at the polish display, “we’ve got to go a little faster. Jenica and Bethany are going to be here for their pedicures soon. And then the rest of the soccer team will be coming in all afternoon.”

  Sparkly, the girls’ tiny dog, who lived in Sparkle Spa during the day and at home with them at night, barked in agreement.

  “I know, I know,” Brooke said. “But I just can’t decide if I’m So Grapeful should go before Plum Delicious or after We the Purple. It’s hard to tell how the color’s going to come out on people’s nails. And I want the display to be absolutely right so that no one thinks they’re getting one color and ends up getting another.”

  Aly smiled. Brooke’s attention to detail was partially what made Sparkle Spa look so beautiful—she’d been in charge of picking the paintings on the walls, the colorful pillows in the nail-drying and bracelet-making area, and the huge rainbow display of polish. Aly quickly opened up a bottle of I’m So Grapeful and brushed it onto her thumbnail. Then she blew on it and added a second coat. “Does this help?” she asked. “Can you tell better now?”

  Brooke’s eyes lit up. “Yes. Now I know exactly where it should go.” She slid the bottle in right next to Purple People Eater and went on to the next color.

  “You know,” Aly said, handing Brooke Cider Donuts, which was a very light orange, and Apple Crispy, which was a bright red, “I think later we should pull out all the colors that have to do with fall stuff. You know, for the Sixth-Grade Fall Ball.”

  “Okay,” said Brooke. “And maybe we can come up with some special Fall Ball combinations.”

  “Maybe tomorrow?” Aly asked. “When Sparkle Spa is closed?”

  Brooke nodded as she put a bright yellowish-gold polish called Candy Corn on the Cob next to Lemon Aid. Sparkle Spa, which was really just the back room of True Colors, Aly and Brooke’s mom’s nail salon, had a lot of rules. One of them was that the girls could be open only two days after school and one day during the weekend. That was so they could still do homework and hang out with their friends.

  “I can’t wait until I’m in sixth grade and can go to the Fall Ball,” Brooke said, reaching for a silvery Very Ice Try. “Only three more years.”

  Aly closed the box and put it in the corner with the rest of the extra polish bottles. “And only two more years until you get to decorate. I can’t believe I get to be a decorator this year.”

  The Sixth-Grade Fall Ball was one of the biggest events of the school year at Auden Elementary. The fifth graders always decorated the gym for the dance. It was tradition. It was also tradition that two sixth graders, one girl and one boy, got trophies for being “On the Ball.” They were chosen by teachers and always had to be kids who were good students and good friends and gave back to the school community. Aly wondered who was going to get the trophies this year.

  “Are you guys open yet?” a voice called from the Sparkle Spa doorway. It was Jenica Posner:

  • sixth-grade captain of the girls’ soccer team

  • the most popular girl at Auden Elementary

  • and Sparkle Spa’s very first customer, back when Aly and Brooke started the salon a little more than a month ago.

  Jenica was also the person Aly would vote for to win one of the On the Ball trophies if winners were chosen by students instead of teachers.

  Jenica was more than just a great soccer player. She had also created an after-school program called Superstar Sports. Two days a week, she and a group of volunteers helped the younger kids at school learn how to play soccer and kickball and practice things like teamwork and good sportsmanship.

  “We’re open!” Brooke said. “And we have lots of new colors. The polish company is really pushing a fall theme this year.”

  “We thought some of these would be perfect for the ball,” Aly added, securing her chin-length hair in a half-up so it wouldn’t fall in her face while she was polishing.

  “Sounds cool—can I see?” Jenica asked.

  “But you’re still going to get the rainbow sparkle pedicure today, right?” Brooke said, handing over a bottle of Cider Donuts.

  “Absolutely,” Jenica answered, slipping off her sneakers and socks. “Otherwise, we might kill our winning streak.” Ever since Jenica and the other soccer players had started getting rainbow sparkle pedicures, they’d won every single soccer game they’d played. The girls said it was because their feet had sparkle power, but Aly was pretty sure it was just because they were really good soccer players.

  Still, she liked having so many regular customers at Sparkle Spa and especially liked hanging out with Jenica Posner. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe that the two of them were friends.

  “But,” Jenica continued, jumping up into a pedicure chair, “I’m thinking I might get something different for the Fall Ball. Because I just bought my shoes—silver sandals with little heels. It’s the first time I’m allowed to wear heels.”

  “Really?” Bethany asked, walking into Sparkle Spa. “My glamma got me my first pair of high heels when I was six. But they were for dress-up only.”

  “Your glamma?” Brooke asked.

  “Yeah, ‘glamorous’ plus ‘grandma’ equals ‘glamma,’ ” Bethany said. She sat down in the chair next to Jenica and unbuckled her sandals, and Aly and Brooke started the sparkle pedicures. “My glamma is super-glamorous. She was even in a television commercial once.”

  Aly thought about her own grandma, who wore jeans and sweatshirts and was not very glamorous at all. She’d never been on TV, either. Aly decided she liked it that way.

  “Which boy do you think is going to get the On the Ball trophy?” Bethany asked.

  “Everyone thinks it’s going to be Lucas,” Jenica answered. Aly had never spoken to Lucas Grant, but she knew who he was. He played basketball and the trumpet, and all the girls called him “Cute Lucas” because, well, he was really handsome. He’d also started a program called Reading Buddies, where sixth graders went into the kindergarten classes to read to the kids. It was a pretty cool program, and Aly hoped it would still be going next year so she could volunteer for it.

  “I think it’s going to be Oliver,” Bethany replied, looking at her toes.

  “That’s just because you like him,” Jenica said, rolling her eyes.

  “Well, he’s very likeable!” Bethany answered. Aly was pretty sure she was blushing. “But still, I think he has a good chance. He was the one who got the cafeteria to donate its extra food to homeless shelters, after all. That does more for the community than reading to little kids.”

  Just as Aly and Brooke were applying the top coat of clear polish to the rainbow sparkle ped
icures, Mia, their next appointment, ran into the spa. Anjuli, the team’s goalie, was right behind her.

  “Guys,” Mia said dramatically, standing in the middle of the doorframe, “I have crazy news.”

  “What?” Brooke asked, whipping around to face Mia.

  Aly twisted her head to look at Mia too.

  From his fenced-in corner, Sparkly even turned to see what was happening.

  “Princess Polish just opened!” Mia said. “Can you believe it?”

  Sparkly whimpered and turned back around.

  Aly and Brooke exchanged a Secret Sister Eye Message that meant: Oh no!

  Princess Polish was a new nail salon across the street that’d had a COMING SOON sign in the window for the last month or so. It had worried Aly and Brooke’s mom for a while, but then it seemed like it might never open. Now it had. This was not good news for Sparkle Spa. Or for Mom’s salon, True Colors.

  “Does it look any good?” Bethany asked. “My cousin told me there’s a Princess Polish in her town and it’s really awesome.”

  “Bethany!” Jenica elbowed her. “It won’t be any better than Sparkle Spa.”

  “Sheesh,” Bethany said, rubbing her arm. “I was just asking.”

  Aly had to bite her cheek not to smile. She loved how loyal a customer Jenica was.

  “But I didn’t even tell you the craziest part yet!” Mia still hadn’t moved from the doorframe, and Anjuli was still behind her. “They’re offering a free Princess Pedicure to anyone under thirteen who goes into the salon! And a manicure, too, if you’re going to Auden’s Fall Ball. How did they even know about our school’s dance?”

  Aly gulped. This was even worse news. It wasn’t like they charged a lot at Sparkle Spa; in fact, that was one of Mom’s rules—there was no set price, just a donation jar for customers to pay whatever they could afford. Then, each time the jar reached $100, Aly and Brooke gave the money to a worthy cause. So far, they’d donated money to Paws for Love, an animal shelter on Taft Street. The jar was getting kind of full again. They’d have to pick another charity soon.

  “Wow,” Bethany said. “That’s a really nice offer.”

  “Right?” Mia said.

  Jenica glared at them. Then she cleared her throat. “Aly, Brooke, I’d like to book my appointment for a manicure and pedicure for the Fall Ball. Here at Sparkle Spa. Can I book it now?”

  Aly smiled at Jenica. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “You definitely can,” she said, pulling out the new appointment book Mom had gotten them just for Sparkle Spa. Mom reviewed it every week to make sure there weren’t too many appointments for the girls to handle. “When would you like to come?”

  “Next Saturday morning at eleven,” Jenica answered, after thinking for a bit. “We have an early soccer game, but I’ll be free after that.”

  “You got it,” Aly said, writing her into the book.

  “Me too,” Anjuli said from where she stood behind Mia. “I’ll come at eleven thirty.”

  “And me,” Mia said after Aly had finished writing. “I’ll come at the same time as Anjuli.”

  Bethany didn’t say anything, though, no matter how hard Jenica glared at her. And if Bethany, one of their regulars, wanted to check out Princess Polish, Aly knew they had a problem brewing. A big one.

  two

  Kiss and Tell

  The problem followed the Tanners home. That night, Mom was not in the very best mood. The minute she and the girls and Sparkly arrived home, she grabbed the cordless phone, went into her bedroom, and called Aly and Brooke’s dad. He was away on a business trip and wouldn’t be back until the weekend.

  Brooke and Aly stayed in the living room, playing fetch with Sparkly. They’d trained him so that when Brooke threw a tiny ball, Sparkly would get it and bring it to Aly. And then when Aly threw it, he’d bring the ball to Brooke. It had taken ages for Sparkly to learn that.

  “You think Mom is talking to Dad about Princess Polish?” Brooke asked as she threw the ball.

  “Probably,” Aly said, taking it from Sparkly’s mouth and throwing it again.

  “Do you think—” Brooke held on to the ball until Sparkly barked, and then she threw it. “Do you think Princess Polish could ever be more popular than True Colors? And if that happened, would True Colors close? And then Sparkle Spa? And then would the soccer team lose all their games because they couldn’t get rainbow sparkle pedicures? And then would everyone be sad and mad, especially us?”

  Aly rubbed Sparkly’s head, thinking about it for a while. “Well,” she said, “True Colors is older than you and it’s older than me. No other salon has put it out of business yet, so I think it’ll be okay.”

  “But Mom’s still worried?” Brooke asked.

  “Yeah,” Aly said. “But Mom’s still worried.”

  After Mom got off the phone, she, Aly, and Brooke made a dinner of macaroni and cheese—the kind that came from a box—and steamed broccoli. Then the three Tanner girls sat down to eat, and Sparkly lay down underneath the table to chew on a bone. Mom was very quiet and didn’t even notice when Brooke took a second helping of macaroni before finishing her broccoli. That worried Aly.

  “Mom,” she said, after swallowing a broccoli stem, “you know True Colors is the best salon, right? And you have so many regulars who come every week and would never go anywhere else. You don’t have to be nervous about Princess Polish or anything.”

  Mom put her fork down and sighed. “Thanks, Al,” she said. “But I don’t know if everyone would agree with you. I think I might start offering deals or special pedicures like Princess Polish.”

  Brooke reached for a third helping of macaroni. But this time, Mom raised an eyebrow at her, so Brooke sat back in her seat and dipped her broccoli in the leftover cheese instead. “What if you offer the same specials they do?” she asked. “Then it would be equal, so no one would have a reason to choose Princess Polish instead of True Colors.”

  Mom shook her head. “I don’t want to start that kind of thing, because then I’m stuck offering whatever Princess Polish does. I want to come up with different promotions. Ideas that will make True Colors stand out.”

  Brooke chewed her cheesy broccoli. “What if you had a special deal for bridesmaids, like when Miss Lulu got married? Remember how many she had?”

  “I do remember, Brookie,” Mom said. “But I don’t think enough people get married in our town each week to make that idea work.”

  Aly had slipped off her flip-flop and was petting Sparkly under the table with her toes. “The Sixth-Grade Fall Ball is a big deal,” she said. “And we have some manicures and pedicures booked already. True Colors could have all Sparkle Spa’s customers for the ball, if you want.”

  “That’s a wonderful offer, sweetie,” Mom answered, “but I think you should keep those customers. You’ve been working hard to build up your business. Just like I’m going to work hard to keep building mine. Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”

  Everyone ate quietly for a little while.

  Finally, Brooke asked, “What was it like at your Sixth-Grade Fall Ball, Mom?”

  Mom took a sip of her water and smiled. “I didn’t have a Sixth-Grade Fall Ball,” she said. “But I did go to a Valentine’s Day dance in sixth grade.”

  Aly tried to imagine what Mom looked like in sixth grade. She wondered if maybe Mom looked kind of like her. They did have the same hair, after all. And the same green eyes.

  “What was it like?” Brooke asked, wiping another tree of broccoli through the last of the cheese on her plate. “Did you wear high heels? And have a sparkly pedicure?”

  Putting her glass down and leaning back in her chair, Mom said, “It was a magical night. The gym was decorated with pink and red streamers, and there were hearts on all the walls. There was music, too, and candy and fruit punch.”

  “And you had high heels?” Brooke asked.

  Mom shook her head. “No high heels. You know how when we visit Grandma and Grandpa in th
e winter, there’s always snow on the ground?”

  Aly nodded. They usually visited their mother’s parents in the summer, but the three times they’d gone in the winter, it was cold and snowy and Aly had to borrow Grandma’s friend’s daughter’s old winter jacket.

  “Well, it was snowing during the dance,” Mom said, “and it was really cold. So we all had on boots. And tights and thick skirts and sweaters. I did have nail polish on, though. It was light pink, kind of like Kiss and Tell.”

  Brooke made a face. “Kiss and Tell is so light, it’s barely even nail polish! And I can’t believe you had to wear boots. I’m glad we live here, where we can wear flip-flops all the time. And no tights.”

  Aly laughed, but she wanted to hear the rest of Mom’s story. “Why was it so magical?” she asked.

  Mom smiled. “Do you know who I met at that sixth-grade dance?”

  Aly shook her head, but Brooke said, “Joan?”

  Joan was Mom’s best friend and Aly and Brooke’s very favorite True Colors manicurist, but Aly was pretty sure that Mom hadn’t met her in sixth grade.

  “Not Joan,” Mom said with a laugh.

  Aly wondered who it could be. “Was it a boy?” she asked.

  Brooke’s eyes popped open behind the bright blue frames of her glasses.

  “I’ll give you a clue,” Mom said, smiling again. “He was tall and had wavy blond hair, and he was the smartest boy I’d ever met.”

  Aly felt like lightning had struck her brain. Their dad was tall and had wavy blond hair and was really, really smart. “Was his name Mark?” she asked excitedly.

  Mom nodded her head, a grin on her face. “How’d you guess?”

  “Wait,” Brooke said. “Dad’s name is Mark.”

  “It is,” Mom said. “And I met him at a sixth-grade dance. He wasn’t my boyfriend until much later, though.”

  Aly thought about the boys in her class. Was it possible that one day she’d marry one of them and have two daughters and her own nail salon? And was it possible that she’d meet him at the Fall Ball next year? So many cool things happened once you were a sixth grader. But first, she had to focus on getting through fifth grade and helping everyone going to this year’s Fall Ball look their best. As long as her customers didn’t decide to go to Princess Polish instead!