Here Come The Bridesmaids Read Online Free

door.
    "Watch it!" Ben shot back. "If you want anything for Christmas."
    James turned and smirked at him. "You can't fool me with that anymore!"
    He had this funny look on his face. I recognized it. It was saying, I know there's no Santa Claus, but I'm not going to say it, because my little brothers might hear. (As you might guess, I see this expression in my family a lot.)
    "Yeah?" Ben said. "Well, don't forget, I buy presents, too, for people who deserve them."
    James's smirk disappeared. "Sorry."
    As he slunk out the door, Ben sighed. "Do you get presents for all your brothers and sisters?" '
    I nodded. "I buy things here and there, all through the year — little things. Last year I got Claire a hole puncher and it was her favorite gift."
    "Yeah?"
    Johnny barged inside, screaming. Behind him was Jamie Newton, another four-year-old
    who lives in the neighborhood. Jamie was making these timid little roaring noises and giggling.
    A moment later, Mathew walked in with Myriah Perkins from next door. They were gabbing about some video game.
    Ben and I tried to move away from the kitchen, but we couldn't. The kids kept asking for juice, snacks, and all sorts of things they couldn't reach.
    Finally Ben suggested, "How about a big pot of hot chocolate?"
    "Yeaaaaaaa!"
    Ding-dong. As we were assembling the ingredients, the front doorbell rang. Mathew, Myriah, Johnny, and Jamie all ran to answer it.
    It was Charlotte Johanssen and Becca Ramsey (Jessi's sister). "Hi, guys!" Becca called out. "Where's James?"
    James ran in from the back, followed by Jake Kuhn. "Hi!" James greeted them. "Me and Jake found a birds' nest!"
    "Let's see!"
    The kids stampeded toward the back door. There they practically collided with Mr. Hobart, who had clomped up from the basement. "Well, well," he exclaimed. "Welcome
    to the circus. Do your parents all know you're here?"
    A chorus of yeses rang out.
    "What about the hot chocolate?" I asked.
    A door slam was my answer. Mr. Hobart shrugged and said, "Leave the window open. Soon as they smell it, they'll come running back."
    He was right. And when they returned, Nina Marshall had joined them (she's four).
    Now I felt at home. Nine kids.
    You should have seen them. You'd think they hadn't eaten or drunk in weeks.
    "Me first!"
    "Give me some!"
    "Quit pushing!"
    Ben finally boomed, "Wait a minute! I'll serve whoever's sitting down!"
    Zoom. Musical chairs. James, Jake, Johnny, Becca, Nina, and Myriah grabbed the six. kitchen chairs. Mathew scrambled into the dining room and dragged in two more chairs, while Charlotte got the piano bench for Jamie.
    Ben thought this was hilarious. As he ladled the hot chocolate, he began singing, "Deck the halls with boughs of holly." (Ben loves to sing.)
    "Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la," Myriah, Johnny, and Charlotte joined in.
    "Come on, everybody!" Ben urged.
    Jake blushed. Becca rolled her eyes. Nina began moving her mouth, but nothing came out.
    "If you want to have hot chocolate, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la," Ben continued in this goofy voice, "you must sing these Christmas carols, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."
    Ben was being unfair. Some of those kids are super-shy. He was tormenting them!
    But you know what? One by one, they all started singing. Even Nina. It was a little like the Whos, in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
    As for me, quiet Mallory Pike? Well, I guess my performance at the Baby-sitters Club meeting had loosened me up. I sang out, horrible voice and all.
    When we finished the verse, Mathew asked, "What comes next?"
    "Wait." Ben ran into the living room and returned with a big book of carols. He flipped through the pages and said, "Um, here it is. 'Fast away the old year passes.' "
    We sang through the whole song, with Ben calling out the words in advance. By the end of it, everyone was smiling. The kids wore
    these little brown hot-chocolate mustaches.
    "This is funl" Jamie exclaimed.
    "Remember last year, when those kids went from door to door, singing carols?"