Sisterhood Of Lake Alice Read Online Free
Author: Mari M. Osmon
choir. She loved being part of this group; singing became a wonderful way for her to find a little happiness.
*
Their teacher told them that they needed to decide on a name for their group. After much lively debate, they decided on SOLA, which stood for Sisterhood of Lake Alice. They were called the SOLA by many of their classmates from that day on. Emily, Grace, Lindy, and Rebecca had originally come together as freshman when they were asked to sing as a quartet for their Spring Music Festival at Fergus Falls High School. They instantly became friends.
The quartet was so well received that the music director decided to offer special tutoring to them to develop their talents. By the next fall, they entered the statewide contest and came in second place. When they came home from the competition, which was held in Mankato, the school welcomed them with a special student assembly. The following day, their picture holding the trophy was on the front page of the Daily Journal . From that point on, the girls were inseparable. They ate lunch together each day and shared their most important moments with each other. For the first time in Emily’s life, she had friends.
The girls loved hanging out at Emily’s house because they never had to worry about parents hovering over them. During the winter, they taught Emily how to ice-skate on Lake Alice. Then they ran across the street to her house for Isabel’s special hot chocolate loaded with tiny melted marshmallows. During the spring and fall, they spent hours in Emily’s bedroom, trying on her clothes and gossiping. Many hot summer days were spent sleeping under the cool and graceful weeping willow tree, where they drank ice-cold fresh lemonade.
One summer night, sitting under the tree, Lindy suggested and they all agreed that they would always be SOLA, the Sisterhood of Lake Alice. In many ways, they were closer to each other than their real sisters. They shared secrets that they knew would never be told to anyone else. Their honest and open conversations allowed them to understand the true meaning of acceptance, even at their early age. All of them believed that this was truly a special bond that very few girls ever would know.
They had long discussions about boys and decided who they should date. They talked about their periods, the constant changes in their bodies, and of course, their dreams of the perfect romance. Even their arguments were lively and fun. Emily and Rebecca normally took the logical side, while Lindy and Grace always seemed to take the opposing emotional viewpoint. Their disagreements never lasted long and were normally resolved with a sleepover and root-beer floats.
*
Emily celebrated most of her birthdays and events at her friends’ homes. She loved the warmth of Grace O’Malley’s house. She knew that when she walked in their front door, she would get a big hug from Mrs. O’Malley. Rebecca’s tiny little home was always clean, quiet, and cozy. Her mother’s cookie jar was always filled with the best homemade chocolate chip cookies in the world. Her grandmother loved to crochet doilies, and they were everywhere you looked—on the furniture, dressers, and tables. She made a special one for Emily for one of her birthdays. Lindy’s home was the exact opposite. It was loud and entertaining. It was not unusual to find Lindy and her mother with rollers in their hair, singing along to the latest country-western song. Emily often returned home depressed, realizing how lonely her life was in the big beautiful house overlooking Lake Alice.
*
On her sixteenth birthday, Emily arrived home from school to find a bright red VW convertible parked in their driveway with a huge ribbon tied to the windshield. There was an unsigned happy birthday card lying on the front seat with the keys. Her parents had left two days before to vacation on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Before they left, they had made all the arrangements for a fancy party at the country
*
Their teacher told them that they needed to decide on a name for their group. After much lively debate, they decided on SOLA, which stood for Sisterhood of Lake Alice. They were called the SOLA by many of their classmates from that day on. Emily, Grace, Lindy, and Rebecca had originally come together as freshman when they were asked to sing as a quartet for their Spring Music Festival at Fergus Falls High School. They instantly became friends.
The quartet was so well received that the music director decided to offer special tutoring to them to develop their talents. By the next fall, they entered the statewide contest and came in second place. When they came home from the competition, which was held in Mankato, the school welcomed them with a special student assembly. The following day, their picture holding the trophy was on the front page of the Daily Journal . From that point on, the girls were inseparable. They ate lunch together each day and shared their most important moments with each other. For the first time in Emily’s life, she had friends.
The girls loved hanging out at Emily’s house because they never had to worry about parents hovering over them. During the winter, they taught Emily how to ice-skate on Lake Alice. Then they ran across the street to her house for Isabel’s special hot chocolate loaded with tiny melted marshmallows. During the spring and fall, they spent hours in Emily’s bedroom, trying on her clothes and gossiping. Many hot summer days were spent sleeping under the cool and graceful weeping willow tree, where they drank ice-cold fresh lemonade.
One summer night, sitting under the tree, Lindy suggested and they all agreed that they would always be SOLA, the Sisterhood of Lake Alice. In many ways, they were closer to each other than their real sisters. They shared secrets that they knew would never be told to anyone else. Their honest and open conversations allowed them to understand the true meaning of acceptance, even at their early age. All of them believed that this was truly a special bond that very few girls ever would know.
They had long discussions about boys and decided who they should date. They talked about their periods, the constant changes in their bodies, and of course, their dreams of the perfect romance. Even their arguments were lively and fun. Emily and Rebecca normally took the logical side, while Lindy and Grace always seemed to take the opposing emotional viewpoint. Their disagreements never lasted long and were normally resolved with a sleepover and root-beer floats.
*
Emily celebrated most of her birthdays and events at her friends’ homes. She loved the warmth of Grace O’Malley’s house. She knew that when she walked in their front door, she would get a big hug from Mrs. O’Malley. Rebecca’s tiny little home was always clean, quiet, and cozy. Her mother’s cookie jar was always filled with the best homemade chocolate chip cookies in the world. Her grandmother loved to crochet doilies, and they were everywhere you looked—on the furniture, dressers, and tables. She made a special one for Emily for one of her birthdays. Lindy’s home was the exact opposite. It was loud and entertaining. It was not unusual to find Lindy and her mother with rollers in their hair, singing along to the latest country-western song. Emily often returned home depressed, realizing how lonely her life was in the big beautiful house overlooking Lake Alice.
*
On her sixteenth birthday, Emily arrived home from school to find a bright red VW convertible parked in their driveway with a huge ribbon tied to the windshield. There was an unsigned happy birthday card lying on the front seat with the keys. Her parents had left two days before to vacation on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Before they left, they had made all the arrangements for a fancy party at the country
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