Bad News Nails Read online

  Contents

  Chapter 1 Sprinkle Sprinkle Little Star

  Chapter 2 Grayce Under Pressure

  Chapter 3 It’s Not Easy Being Green

  Chapter 4 Cotton Candyland

  Chapter 5 Not So Grapeful

  Chapter 6 Rainbow Bright

  Chapter 7 Orange You Happy?

  Chapter 8 Yellow Giggles

  Chapter 9 Not Number Blue

  Chapter 10 Celegrape Good Times

  How to Give Yourself (or a Friend!) a Polka-Dot Pedicure

  About Jill Santopolo

  This one’s for you, editrix Karen.

  Special sparkly thanks to Miriam Altshuler, Marianna Baer, Amy Ewing, Anne Heltzel, Marie Rutkoski, and Eliot Schrefer.

  one

  Sprinkle Sprinkle Little Star

  Can you believe we get to go to a fiesta?” Aly Tanner’s younger sister, Brooke, asked as they stood in the Sparkle Spa staring at the nail polish display.

  “It’s a gala,” Aly told her, laughing. “Not a fiesta.”

  Brooke laughed too. “Oh, right. A gala. Don’t you think ‘fiesta’ sounds more fun though?”

  Aly kind of thought it did. But it didn’t sound as fancy as a gala—the Businesswomen Unite Fund-Raising Gala, to be exact. “It does,” Aly said. “But I don’t think people get to wear fancy dresses to a fiesta.”

  Because Brooke and Aly had started their own business, the Sparkle Spa, in the back room of their mother’s nail salon, True Colors, Mom said the girls could come with her to the gala. She’d even let them buy new, sparkly dresses to wear. Joan, the girls’ favorite manicurist, who also helped Mom run True Colors, was coming too.

  “Do you think we should start polishing?” Brooke asked.

  Even though the Sparkle Spa was usually open on Friday afternoons, the girls had closed it today so that they could get ready for the gala. They were going to get dressed at the Sparkle Spa and do each other’s hair and nails.

  “Toes first?” Aly asked.

  Brooke nodded. “I just need to pick out my colors.”

  Aly pulled their dresses out of the closet. Brooke’s was yellow and ruffly, with gold glitter all over the skirt. She had shiny gold sandals to wear too. Aly’s dress was orange, which wasn’t usually her favorite color, but she especially loved this dress. It was silky and came down to her ankles and had a gold glittery belt. Her sandals were the same as Brooke’s, but in a larger size, since she was a fifth grader and her sister was a third grader.

  “How about Lemon Aid?” Aly asked, pulling the bottle of polish from the shelf and holding it up to Brooke’s dress.

  Brooke shook her head. “Too much yellow.”

  Brooke was a very good “color picker.” She helped a lot of the customers at the Sparkle Spa choose their nail polish and sometimes even helped the customers in True Colors. And she was usually the one to decide on the Sparkle Spa’s Color of the Week. This week it was a multicolored glittery shade called Sprinkle Sprinkle Little Star.

  “I think pink looks nice with yellow,” Brooke said, picking up Under Watermelon. “Maybe this color on my toes. And the Color of the Week for my fingernails! I think I’m set now. How about you?”

  Aly looked at her dress. “What color do you think goes best with orange?” she asked.

  Brooke picked up Please Don’t Teal. “This one,” she said. “And you should use Sprinkle Sprinkle Little Star for your nails too. We can match!”

  Aly smiled. “Okay,” she said. “Take off your flip-flops. You can go first.”

  Brooke climbed into the blue-green pedicure chair that was almost the same color as Please Don’t Teal. Aly turned the water on to fill up the basin.

  “Let’s make a list,” she said, “of everything we’re excited for tonight.”

  Aly loved making lists. They helped her organize her thoughts. Brooke’s brain seemed like it was hardly ever organized, but she was actually pretty good at helping Aly make lists.

  “One,” Brooke said, swinging her legs back and forth, “we get to wear the fanciest dresses we’ve ever had.”

  “Two,” Aly added as she squirted soap into the water, “we get to be counted as official businesswomen who started their own company.”

  Brooke looked at Aly. “Do you think we should bring our business cards?”

  “Good idea,” Aly said. “I think we have some in the desk.”

  A little more than a month ago, Brooke had broken her arm. Because of that, Aly had needed help from some of their friends to run the Sparkle Spa, which led to the girls deciding to create official job titles and business cards for themselves and their friends who had helped.

  She and Brooke were now co–chief executive officers. As CEOs, they were in charge of pretty much everything in the spa: the Color of the Week, special occasion manicures, the jewelry-making station, and customer service. Most important was the fund-raising jar, which held the money their customers donated for manicures and pedicures. When the jar filled up, Aly and Brooke would pick a worthy charity or cause and donate the money there.

  “It’s a good thing Mom bought us little purses to match our shoes,” Brooke said. “We can keep the cards in there.”

  Mom really did think of everything. Aly wanted to be just like her when she grew up—smart and organized and successful.

  “Three,” Aly said, “I’m excited for the auction!” As part of the gala, the attendees could “sell” things to help raise money for Businesswomen Unite, and Mom had offered to auction an internship at True Colors to anyone interested in learning how to run a small business. Aly thought that was really nice of her mom, teaching someone else how to be a business owner. She felt pretty lucky that Mom had taught her and Brooke for free.

  “I hope the True Colors intern is as cool as Joan,” Brooke said.

  Aly had filed Brooke’s toenails and now was painting them with a layer of clear polish so Under Watermelon would stick better.

  “Me too,” Aly said. “But that’ll be hard. Joan’s the coolest grown-up we know.”

  Just as Aly painted Brooke’s big toe pink, Jenica Posner poked her head into the spa. Jenica was a sixth grader at their school, captain of the Auden Elementary girls’ soccer team, and the Sparkle Spa’s first—and best—customer.

  “Oh, good!” she said. “You’re here! Charlotte said the Sparkle Spa was closed today, so I didn’t know if you’d be around.”

  “Is your nana getting her nails done at True Colors?” Brooke asked from the pedicure chair.

  Jenica nodded. “Anyway, I came to ask what you guys thought about having a spa party for the soccer team. We only have one more game this season—the state finals—and since it’s such a big deal that we got that far, I thought we should celebrate.”

  “We could totally do that,” Aly said. “What did you have in mind to make it different from your weekly pedicures?”

  Jenica shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’m sure you guys will think of something cool. You did invent the rainbow sparkle pedicure after all.”

  Brooke smiled—she was actually the one who had invented the pedicure, and for some reason, all the players on the team believed it had given them extra luck for their games this season. They’d been coming in every Tuesday afternoon to get their rainbow sparkle power refreshed ever since the salon opened. “We’ll come up with something fantabulous,” she told Jenica.

  “When do you want to have the party?” Aly asked. Part of being in charge of their business meant organizing all of the practical things, like dates and times of special events.

  “Well, the state finals are a week from tomorrow,” Jenica said, leaning against the door frame, “so how about the day after? Next Sunday?”

  Aly got up and looked at the wall calendar Charlotte
had made. She had been named COO—chief operating officer—of the Sparkle Spa to make everything run smoothly on the days they were open, but she had to check her plans with Aly and Brooke first. There was nothing scheduled on the calendar yet for next Sunday.

  “You got it,” Aly said. “What time?”

  Jenica tightened her ponytail. “How about eleven to one? And we’ll order some pizza too.”

  “Sounds great to me,” Aly said. Then she took a sparkle pen and wrote in Soccer Spa Party from the ten o’clock to two o’clock slots so they would have time for setup and cleanup too.

  “Hey.” Jenica looked around. “How come you’re closed today if you guys are here?”

  “We’re going to a fiesta tonight!” Brooke answered. “And we have to make ourselves fancy!”

  “A gala,” Aly told Jenica. “She means a gala. It’s for women who run businesses.”

  “And we get to wear sparkly dresses and stay out past our regular bedtimes because that’s what happens when you run a business,” Brooke said, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

  Jenica looked impressed. “That’s really awesome,” she said.

  Aly smiled. If anyone had told her at the beginning of the school year that the coolest sixth grader at Auden Elementary would think she was doing something awesome right now, she never would have believed it. But because of the Sparkle Spa, tons of people at school she’d never talked to before came up to her all the time, telling her how great her business was and asking if they could come by. Everyone, that is, except for Suzy Davis. Aly shook her head to get Suzy Davis out of her brain.

  “Thanks,” Aly said to Jenica.

  “Yeah, thanks,” Brooke said. “Aly, are you going to finish my pedicure? My big toe is the only one polished, and he feels lonely.”

  Jenica and Aly laughed. “On my way,” Aly said.

  “See you on Tuesday for our rainbow sparkles,” Jenica told the girls. “And have fun tonight.”

  She left the Sparkle Spa, and Aly got back to work on Brooke’s toes.

  “Do you think we will have fun tonight?” Brooke asked.

  Aly thought about it. “With fancy dresses and sparkly nails and staying out late, I think it might be our best night ever.”

  Brooke smiled. “Me too!”

  two

  Grayce Under Pressure

  A few hours later the girls were all ready. Their nails were polished, and they were both wearing their sparkly dresses and gold sandals. Aly had braided beads into Brooke’s hair, and Brooke had made Aly a beaded ribbon that she’d worn as a headband.

  “I think we look beautiful,” Brooke told Aly.

  Aly had to agree.

  “Yes, you do,” Mrs. Tanner said as she and Joan entered the Sparkle Spa. “Beautiful and sparkly.” Mom looked like she was going to cry.

  “And so do you and Joan,” Brooke added.

  Wow! Aly thought. Aly hardly recognized her mother. She was wearing a Midnight Blues dress, and her hair was sleek and smooth around her long, dangly earrings.

  Joan’s shiny dress was the color of Red Hot Pepper nail polish. They each had Grayce Under Pressure on their nails, a new color Mom had ordered that was dark gray with a little bit of a shimmer.

  “Who’s ready to go to a fancy-pants party?” Joan asked.

  “Me!” Brooke raised her hand.

  “Then let’s go!” Mom said. “I heard the food is going to be delicious.”

  Everyone carefully piled into Mom’s car. She drove to Francie’s, the nicest—and biggest—restaurant in their town. It was so big that at least seven True Colors regulars had gotten married there, including Miss Lulu, who had had twelve bridesmaids!

  When they reached the restaurant, a man wearing a tuxedo greeted Mom’s car. He opened the doors for them and helped them out onto a long red carpet that led to the entrance to the restaurant.

  “I feel like a movie star!” Brooke whispered to Aly.

  Aly did too, but she also felt a little bit nervous. She’d never been to a party like this before. Even though she was the big sister, she grabbed Brooke’s hand. Aly always felt better when she and Brooke stuck together like a team.

  The girls walked into the restaurant with Mom and Joan behind them. First, Aly saw a woman in a long silver dress playing the piano. Then, as she gazed around, she saw a sea of women dressed in greens and blues, pinks and purples. Actually, it looked like their rainbow sparkle pedicure. She and Brooke were definitely the youngest people at the gala. And the shortest.

  “Mini hot dogs!” Brooke shouted. “Over there!” She pointed to a table that was close by and then tugged on Aly’s arm. “Let’s go!”

  Aly looked back at their mom, and Mrs. Tanner nodded. Aly let her sister pull her to a table filled with different sorts of treats: hamburgers, grilled cheese, meatballs, carrots—all bite-size versions. Brooke’s eyes lit up at the food.

  Brooke and Aly found little plates and took one of everything to try. As they ate, a woman in a gown the color of Green with Envy polish came over to them.

  “You must be the Tanner sisters,” she said. “When your mother told us about your salon, we were all very impressed.”

  Aly swallowed her mini grilled cheese sandwich and smiled. “Thanks,” she said.

  “Is it true that you have a group of other girls working for you?” the woman asked.

  “We work together,” Brooke said. “We’re a team. Aly, Charlotte, Sophie, Lily, and me . . . and sometimes Caleb. He’s a boy, but he helps out if we need him.”

  “That’s really marvelous,” the woman said, then she handed Aly a business card. “I run a magazine company. Perhaps we could feature your team one day.”

  “Okay,” Aly said, putting the card in her gold purse. She gave the woman one of her business cards in return.

  A very tall woman wearing a dress the color of Thunder and Whitening was listening to the conversation. She took a few steps closer.

  “Let me tell you about my daughter,” she said to the woman in green. “She’s at the top of her class. I’m sure she’ll follow in my footsteps and start a successful business of her own.”

  “Oh,” said the woman in green. “Is she running a company now too?”

  The woman in white paused. “Not yet,” she said. “But she has some wonderful ideas already, and she’s only eleven.”

  “I see,” the woman in green answered, looking over at Aly and Brooke. “Well, if she makes any of them a reality like these girls, I’d be happy to consider a feature. But for now, I have to go speak to the party planner about the auction.”

  The woman in white nodded. “Of course,” she said, and walked away.

  Brooke took a bite of her mini burger. “That lady with the daughter did not seem very happy,” she mumbled.

  “Maybe she didn’t like that we have a business and her daughter doesn’t yet,” Aly said.

  Brooke shrugged. “Her daughter can start one too. I mean, if we can, she can.”

  “You’re totally right, Brooke,” Aly said.

  The girls were sipping cherry juice mixed with club soda when the woman in the green dress walked onto the stage and tapped the microphone. The crowd quieted, and Mom and Joan joined Aly and Brooke.

  “Welcome to the third annual Businesswomen Unite gala,” she announced. “I hope everyone’s been having a good time so far. We have a long list of items to auction off tonight, so let’s get started!”

  “I hope someone bids on the True Colors internship,” Brooke whispered.

  Her mom whispered back, “Me too.”

  “I hope I win the day in the bakery kitchen,” Joan added. “I’ve never used a professional oven to make my cookies before.”

  Joan made the best cookies that Aly and Brooke had ever tasted. Mostly she baked just for fun, but sometimes people hired her to make desserts for parties. Aly secretly thought Joan should start her own bakery, but she’d never told anyone that because she didn’t want Joan to leave the salon.

  “The
first item up for auction is donated by Business Leaders magazine, one of my company’s publications. We will feature your business in both our print version and on our website. Let’s start the bidding at fifty dollars.”

  Throughout the room, women raised their hands. The woman in green kept calling out larger sums of money. When the auction price reached two hundred fifty dollars, the only hand still raised was by a woman wearing a Teeny Tangeriney–colored dress.

  As the auction continued throughout the evening, people bid on lots of items, but Brooke’s and Aly’s favorites were:

  • Pencils inscribed with the winner’s business name

  • A pearl necklace

  • A suitcase on wheels and matching backpack

  • Dinner for four at Francie’s

  Then, finally, the Sweet Treats Kitchen & Bakery item was up.

  “Good luck, Joan!” Aly whispered.

  Brooke crossed her fingers and her legs for luck.

  The bidding started at twenty-five dollars. Joan wasn’t the only person interested, and Aly was a little worried that Joan wouldn’t win. When the bidding got to three hundred dollars, Aly held her breath and closed her eyes.

  But then Aly heard, “Sold to Joan West from True Colors nail salon.”

  Aly, Brooke, and their mom cheered for Joan.

  “And speaking of True Colors,” the woman in green said, “we’re auctioning an internship at the nail salon. Learn how to run a real hands-on business. Let’s start the bidding at seventy-five dollars.”

  The unhappy woman wearing the Thunder and Whitening dress raised her hand. She called out, “May I bid on this for an eleven-year-old?”

  Mom looked at the woman and answered, “If your daughter is eleven, she can intern with my girls at their Sparkle Spa.”

  Wait a minute! Aly thought. She’d been excited when the intern was going to be at True Colors, but she wouldn’t know what to do with an intern at the Sparkle Spa. There were more than enough people working there already.

  “Don’t worry,” Joan whispered to Aly. “If you need us, we’ll help you out.”

  Aly bit her lip. Even with Joan’s offer, she wasn’t sure about this plan.