I waved at Rashid, the college kid at the counter, ran to my mom’s office, and flung open the door to share the news about making new friends. But she wasn’t there either. Where was everybody when I needed them?

CHAPTER SEVEN I’ M JEALOUS OF MY BFF

Rashid headed off duty as I washed up behind the counter and put on my apron. Sierra had still not arrived. Her chronic tardiness had gotten so bad this year that my mom had asked her to come in fifteen minutes before her shift, just to be sure she was ready. Sierra had gotten a lot better, but since summer had begun, it seemed like she was backsliding. It was five minutes past the hour, which made her twenty minutes late. I was dying to tell her my news, so it made the minutes pass even more slowly.

People started coming in for their after-lunch ice creams, and a small line had formed when Sierra finally bounded in twenty-five minutes late, with a huge smile and her three other band members in tow.

“Ali-li! Sorry I’m late! We just cut an amazing new track!” she cried, but she didn’t seem sorry at all. Her friends all got in line for ice cream, doubling the number of people who needed to be waited on, and Sierra went straight to the music system to attach her phone before even taking care of our customers.

My blood started to boil.

“Sierra!” I hissed. “Forget the music. We need to help the customers, now!”

She looked up and smiled at the people in line. “Just wait till you hear this new song, everyone! We just recorded the final version. It’s called ‘Peppermint Park’ and it will make your ice cream taste even more delicious, I promise!”

The people in line laughed, but I stared daggers at Sierra, then turned back to keep working, which was what we were there for.

“This isn’t America’s Got Talent, you know,” I spat as Sierra finished washing up and joined me at the ice cream counter.

“I love how you kids have created this cool music scene in here!” said one of the customers as he paid me.

I grimaced and nodded my head rigidly. “Thanks,” I said through gritted teeth.

My mom arrived, finally, and I was too busy and honestly too cranky now to go tell her my news.

“Hello, girls! Love the upbeat music!” she trilled as she passed through to her office in the back.

Grrr! Not her, too!

“Hey, Sierra!” called one of Sierra’s friends from a café table in the front. “Turn it up!”

Sierra made a move to turn up the music, but I stopped her. “No!” I said firmly. “This is not a club! We have little kids in here!”

Sierra looked around the store innocently. “Where?”

“Well… not right now. But we will, soon!”