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to!”
    “Cool!”
    “So are you going to introduce Chelsea to your other friends?”
    Carlie considered this. “I don’t know … maybe not right away. I guess I should get to know her better first.”
    Earlier today, Carlie had felt worried that Chelsea might offend her friends by saying something rude or mean. But now she wasn’t so sure she wanted her friends to get to know Chelsea for a totally different reason. Carlie knew that Morgan, Emily, and Amy were pretty cool and interesting girls — maybe even more interesting than Carlie. What if Chelsea liked one of her friends better than she liked Carlie? As selfish as that sounded, Carlie wasn’t sure she could handle it.
    “I’m going in to chat with my sister,” said Tia Maria as she pulled into Carlie’s driveway.
    “Cool,” said Carlie, getting out of the car.
    “Hey, Carlie!” called Morgan from the other side of the street.
    “Hey!” Carlie yelled back as she headed over to where her three friends were waving at her. “I’m so glad to see you guys!”
    “How’d it go today?” asked Amy.
    “And what do you think of the new girl?” asked Morgan.
    “She’s pretty nice,” said Carlie. Then she laughed. “Well, to be honest, she was kinda scary to start with. But then we talked and stuff. And I think she’s okay.”
    “Do you think she’ll want to join our club?” asked Morgan.
    Carlie considered this. “Maybe. But I think I should get to know her better first.”
    “And we still need to decide whether or not we’re open to new members,” said Amy. “We need to discuss it and vote on it.”
    “I vote yes,” said Emily.
    “This isn’t an official meeting,” said Amy.
    “We do need to talk it through before we start voting.” Then Morgan carefully removed something from her shorts pocket. “We made this for you, Carlie.” She held up a choker of red and purple beads.
    “Oh, that’s beautiful!” exclaimed Carlie. “Really, you made this for me?”
    “We all helped,” said Amy.
    “Thanks,” said Carlie as Emily helped her to fasten it in back. She smiled at her friends. “You guys are so great. I’m so lucky to have you!”
    “I have to go,” said Amy as she glanced at her watch. “I’m supposed to help at the restaurant tonight.”
    “I better go inside too,” said Carlie. “I’m sure my mom is wondering why I didn’t come in. See ya later!”
    Carlie fingered the beaded necklace as she went into her house. Her friends were the best! Even if Chelsea did live in a big, fancy house with a swimming pool. Carlie would rather have friends like Morgan, Emily, and Amy any day!

chapter four
    Carlie entered her house through the front door just in time to overhear Tia Maria’s and her mom’s loud voices coming from the kitchen. It sounded like they were having an argument. In Spanish. It was funny how her mom seemed to assume that if they argued in Spanish, Carlie and her little brothers wouldn’t understand what they were saying. But Carlie knew enough Spanish to eavesdrop, and it only took a few seconds before she figured out that this hot-headed disagreement was about her.
    “Why are you so stubborn?” Tia Maria’s voice got louder.
    “She’s my only daughter!” said Carlie’s mom. “I want her to dress like a girl! You go and have your own daughter and then you can dress her how you like.”
    “But it makes her look different,” argued Tia Maria.
    “Carlotta
is
different,” said Mom. “She’s my pretty little girl!”
    “She’s going to seventh grade soon. Do you want kids to pick on her because she’s dressed like
your pretty little girl
?”
    “Why should they pick on her for that?”
    “She’s not a baby anymore, Lena!”
    Now Carlie came fully into the room. And Tia Maria just held up her hands and shook her head. “Sorry,
mija
,” she said to Carlie. “I’m not getting through to my big, smart sister.”
    Mom looked at Carlie. “You don’t want to look pretty?”
    Carlie felt bad,