Karen's in Love Read online

  “Like what?”

  “Like what you’re going to wear. I will be very dressed up. So you should wear a suit.”

  Ricky sighed.

  “And you need to choose two … I forget what they’re called. But I’ve decided to ask Hannie and Nancy to be my bridesmaids, so you need — ”

  “Two ushers,” supplied Ricky. “Okay, I’ll have to think. But I promise to have two ushers by Monday.”

  “Great,” I said. “And they have to wear suits, too.”

  Ricky sighed again. “This is almost as bad as school-picture day.”

  I ignored what Ricky had said.

  “We also need someone to marry us,” I went on.

  Ricky and I talked about that. At last we decided that Audrey would be good for the job.

  “Um,” I began, “there’s another thing. When people get married, they give each other rings. I have a ring for you, but …”

  Ricky laughed. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I have a ring for you, too.”

  Whew!

  “The last thing we need is music,” I told Ricky.

  “Can you take care of that?” he asked me. “I don’t know much about music.”

  “Sure,” I replied. “I’ll figure something out.”

  After Ricky and I got off the phone, I thought and thought. Music. I could bring a radio to school. But maybe we would not be able to find a good station during the ceremony. Maybe we could — I was in the middle of a thought when I got a really great idea. One of my best ideas ever.

  I picked up the phone. “Hello,” I said when someone answered. “Is Natalie there?”

  A few moments later I heard Natalie’s voice say, “Hello?”

  “Hi,” I said. “It’s me, Karen Brewer. I have something to ask you.”

  “What?” said Natalie.

  “Well, you know that Ricky and I are getting married on Monday. And we need music at the wedding. I was wondering if you would play your violin.”

  “Me?” squeaked Natalie. “You want me to play at your wedding?”

  “Yes,” I replied. I was pleased that Natalie sounded happy. I wanted her to feel better.

  “I’ve only taken a few lessons,” Natalie warned me. “All I can play is ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’ ”

  I thought for a moment. Finally I said, “That will be just fine.”

  Then I called Hannie and Nancy. They both said they would be my bridesmaids. They even have matching dresses. They would wear them on Monday so they would look alike.

  The wedding was all set!

  “Nah, Nah, Nah-Nah, Nah!”

  Monday was wedding day.

  I was gigundo nervous. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous. Not even the time when I was in a spelling bee and I got to go on television.

  I peeked out the window. Since the wedding would be held outdoors, I was hoping for nice weather. Yea! The sun was out. And it had not rained over the weekend, so the playground would be dry. (Sometimes it is muddy.) Maybe the air would even warm up a little.

  I have always wanted a spring wedding.

  Oh, well. The nice weather cheered me up. I did not feel so nervous. And I did not care that I was getting married in February.

  * * *

  Just as Hannie and I planned, I put on my flowery dress. Mommy let me wear my good coat. Also my party shoes. But she put my rubber boots in a paper bag. She made me bring the bag to school. “If it begins to rain,” she said, “then you’ll have to wear your boots. I don’t want those shoes to get wet.”

  “Okay,” I promised.

  When I reached school, I saw Ricky first thing. He had remembered to wear his suit. And somehow he had made Hank Reubens and Bobby Gianelli wear suits, too. They were going to be the ushers. Hannie and Nancy were wearing their matching dresses. They looked very wonderful.

  More and more kids came into the room. Most of them were dressed up, too. I was pleased. The wedding was important to them.

  Audrey was wearing a blue dress. “My mother usually only lets me wear this to church,” she told me.

  Natalie was wearing a pink jumper over a lacy white blouse. Her socks were falling down, but who cared?

  The twins were dressed up, too. In fact, so was everybody except for Pamela, Leslie, and Jannie. They were wearing blue jeans and sweat shirts.

  Good, I thought. That means they are not coming to the wedding.

  Wrong.

  Before Ms. Colman started class, Pamela wandered over to my desk.

  “I guess today is the big day,” she said.

  “Yup,” I replied.

  “I got all dressed up for the wedding. So did Leslie and Jannie.”

  “You call that dressed up?” I said.

  “It’s as dressed up as you got for my birthday party,” replied Pamela.

  I did not answer her.

  * * *

  Later that morning, Ms. Colman had to go down the hall to the supply room. She left Nancy in charge of our class. Nancy got to sit at Ms. Colman’s desk.

  As soon as Ms. Colman had gone, Leslie began to sing, “Karen’s getting married. Karen’s getting married.”

  Jannie joined her. Then Pamela did, too.

  “You guys are just jealous,” I whispered, turning around in my seat.

  From Ms. Colman’s desk, Nancy clapped her hands. “Quiet, please!”

  “Oh, you just think you’re so great because you’re in Karen and Ricky’s wedding,” Pamela said to Nancy. “I hope you know you look pretty stupid dressed the same as Hannie. Even Terri and Tammy don’t dress alike.”

  “Sometimes we dress alike,” said Terri haughtily.

  “SHH!” hissed Nancy. “Here comes Ms. Colman.”

  I stuck out my tongue at Pamela. Then I went back to my work.

  “Nah, nah, nah-nah, nah!” sang Pamela just before Ms. Colman walked into the room.

  Kiss! Kiss!

  Finally the morning was over. It was time for lunch, and then time for recess. As I walked onto the playground with Hannie and Nancy, I was not sure I should have eaten such a big lunch. I was even more nervous now than I had been before. Oh, well. It was too late.

  At least it was not raining. I would not have to get married in rubber boots.

  The people in the wedding — Nancy, Hannie, Bobby, Hank, Natalie, and Audrey — gathered around Ricky and me.

  “Where are we going to have the wedding?” asked Audrey.

  I looked all around the playground. At last I said, “Over there.” I pointed to an area that was far away from swings and slides and dodgeball games. Then I turned to Ricky. “Is that all right with you?” I asked.

  “It’s fine,” Ricky replied. He looked a little uncomfortable, though.

  I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but everyone was walking to the place I had pointed to. And we were being followed by a lot of wedding guests.

  When we reached the spot, I turned to Hannie. “Do you have the flowers?” I whispered? (I had given Hannie the paper flowers that morning. She was in charge of them.)

  “Yup,” she replied, and she passed out a flower to everyone who was in the wedding. I had put a piece of rolled-up Scotch tape on the back of each flower so that everyone could stick them to their coats.

  “Okay,” I said. “Now, Audrey, you are going to marry us. So you stand here. Pretend you’re standing at the end of a long aisle. Hannie and Nancy, you stand next to Audrey. Bobby and Hank, you stand next to Audrey, too, but on her other side. Now all you guests, you stand on one side or the other, and leave a path for Ricky and me to walk down. All right?”

  The kids separated into two groups.

  Uh-oh. At the back of one group were Pamela, Jannie, and Leslie. I had been hoping they would decide not to come. Well, if they did anything, I would ignore them. That was all there was to it.

  “Okay, Natalie,” I said.

  Natalie put her violin up to her chin. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star …”

  Ricky and I linked arms. We walked to
ward Audrey. Everybody was very quiet. Except for Natalie. She was not only playing her violin. She was crying — and snorting.

  I turned around to look at her. What was wrong?

  “Don’t worry,” said Natalie, snorting again. “These are tears of happiness.” She went back to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

  So Ricky and I kept on walking. We walked to Audrey and stood in front of her.

  Audrey began a long speech. She said things about loving forever, and not fighting, and cherishing each other. Finally, she said, “Okay, exchange rings.”

  I pulled the ring for Ricky out of the pocket of my coat. But Ricky just stood there. He looked more uncomfortable than ever. Finally, he whispered to me, “I forgot your ring.”

  I thought quickly. Then I slid my plastic spider ring off of my finger. I slipped it to Ricky. “Here,” I said. “Give this to me for now.”

  So Ricky put the spider ring back on my finger, and then I gave him his ring.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” said Audrey. She looked at Ricky. “You may kiss Karen.”

  “Kiss! Kiss!” chanted the crowd of kids.

  Ricky’s face grew red. And while I was waiting for him to kiss me, I guess Bobby Gianelli got sort of carried away by things. He leaned over to Pamela, who was now standing next to him — and he kissed her cheek!

  “Gross!” shrieked Pamela.

  And at that moment, Ricky leaned toward me.

  Karen the Bride

  Did I want to be kissed? I wondered. Pamela had screamed, “Gross!” when Bobby kissed her. However, Pamela does not like Bobby.

  Ricky was coming closer and closer. And then … I could feel his kiss on my cheek.

  Ooh. Suddenly I knew how love really feels. And I was in love for sure. I looked at Ricky, wide-eyed.

  “We’re married,” I whispered.

  “I guess so.” Ricky’s face was still red.

  The bell rang then, so our wedding had to be over. My classmates ran to line up.

  Ricky and I did not run with them. I am not sure how Ricky felt, but I was quite pleased. (Also, I was in love.) We linked arms again and we walked toward the school building.

  I could not believe it. I was married, just like Hannie.

  I was a wife.

  Ricky was my husband.

  Ricky and I were the last kids to enter our class. Everyone stared at us. Most of our friends were smiling.

  Hank called out, “Whoo! Ricky is in lo-ove!”

  Ricky?! What about me? I was in love, too.

  I loved being in love.

  “Okay, class,” said Ms. Colman as we were taking our seats. “Please find your spelling books. Then choose a partner. I would like you to quiz each other on the words on page forty-two.”

  Well, of course, Ricky and I had to be partners.

  We opened our books to page forty-two.

  I looked at my husband. “Spell ‘important,’ ” I said.

  And Ricky replied, “Hey!” But he did not say it too loudly. I guess he didn’t want Ms. Colman to hear him.

  “What?” I asked.

  Ricky held out his hand. In it was a ring. It was gold with a big blue stone. It looked just like the rings the dentist gives me when I don’t have any cavities.

  “Here’s your ring,” Ricky whispered. “I thought I left it at home, but it’s right here in my desk. Should I put it on your finger?”

  I checked to see if Ms. Colman was watching. She wasn’t. She was writing something on the blackboard. (The blackboard is green, by the way.)

  “Yes,” I whispered to Ricky.

  I switched my spider ring to another finger. Then I held out my left hand. Ricky put the ring with the blue stone on my wedding finger.

  Now we were officially married.

  We looked at our spelling books. I started over. “ ‘Important,’ ” I said to Ricky.

  Ricky spelled it almost right. He spelled it I-M-P-O-R-T-E-N-T. Then he gave me a word to spell. After that we kept switching off.

  Even though I spelled all of my words correctly, I was not really thinking about spelling. I was thinking about something else.

  I was thinking about my last name. When Mommy married Daddy, she changed her last name to Brewer. When she married Seth, she changed her last name to Engle.

  Should I change my last name to Torres? Did I want to be Karen Torres? Or maybe I could combine our names. I could be Karen Torres-Brewer. Or Karen Brewer-Torres.

  I thought and thought. Finally I made a decision.

  I was, and always will be, Karen Brewer.

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1991 by Ann M. Martin

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1991

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-05588-7