Sneak Peek: Sweet Thirteen

Maeve's planning a huge birthday party and Sophie is coming from Paris to visit Charlotte! Sweet Thirteen is available now at a bookstore near you.

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"Wow!" Katani exclaimed, taking in the scene at the Museum of Science. Flashing disco lights and blaring music had transformed the museum into party central.

"Unbelievable!" Isabel said with awe as the girls stepped under an enormous rainbow made entirely of black, red, and silver balloons. "Henry totally deserves a nice party, but this—" Isabel ducked as a paper airplane decorated with streamers went sailing past her head. Henry Yurt whistled and waved from a crowded video arcade room. A goofy crown on his head read BAR MITZVAH BOY.

"OMG!" Maeve yelped as she dodged the airplane, and of course Avery caught it.

"Yurtmeister!" Avery was about to throw the airplane back at him, but Katani grabbed her arm.

"Wait, it says look inside on the wings!"

Unfolding it, they discovered a map with all the nights' activities. There were directions to the lightning show, the Omni Theater, the butterfly garden, and the monkey habitat—and those were just the museum's regular activities. Then there was the gaming arcade, the photo booth, and more.

"Everything fits into a science theme—even the food!" Avery pointed to the dinner menu at the bottom of the paper: astro-burgers and space-fries with galaxy smoothies or stardust sodas to drink.

"Hey, Maeve, there's dancing later!" Isabel nudged her friend, who was being unusually quiet for such an exciting occasion. The DJ was mixing in another room, but everyone could hear the hottest dance tunes echoing through the lobby.

"Who knew science could be so romantic?" Maeve gushed absently as she fingered one of the floral bouquets lining the entryway. Her own Bat Mitzvah was only two weeks away, on May 9th, her thirteenth birthday. Maeve pinched her pink glossed lips together and tried to ignore the fact that she was wearing the world's worst dress, an early birthday gift from her great-grandmother. I'll have roses, all in pink. Or maybe white and yellow, too. Those are perfect spring colors ...

Maeve rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe Mom talked me into wearing this."

"You should have called me ahead of time," Katani chided. "I could have done something about those bows. And maybe hemmed it a little." Katani led the pack toward what normally would have been the museum's information desk. A man in a black tuxedo with a red bow tie was standing behind the desk handing out little cards to a line of Henry's friends and family.

"No offense, Katani," Maeve mumbled, "but I don't think even your design genius could ever make this thing fashionable."

The lavender tank dress was a shocker to everyone who knew Maeve. It was covered with boring pale purple flowers and oddly placed white bows, with not even a hint of glitter or pink, her signature shade. Pink is the only color I will ever wear when I'm a famous movie star, setting trends and making my own rules! Maeve decided. Maeve had spilled the entire dress saga to her best friends when they met up outside the party. It was either wear great-grandma's surprise birthday gift tonight or wear it for her own Bat Mitzvah. Wearing it tonight was definitely the lesser of two evils, they all agreed!

Isabel squeezed Maeve's hand as the line moved forward. "It's okay, Maeve. You look maravilloso in everything!"

"And Great-grandma Gigi will be overjoyed when I show her this picture!" Maeve whipped a digital camera out of her purse and held it up to snap a picture of herself in the horrid dress. Giggling, the friends checked out the preview screen. "I'll get a new dress for my own mega Bat Mitzvah bash!" Maeve announced suddenly. "One worthy of a future movie star!"

Katani looked at Maeve sideways. "I thought you were just having a small—owww!"

Katani yelped as Maeve's strappy white sandal landed firmly on top of her gold slip-on. Maeve's dress might have been terrible, but at least her shoes were stunning.

"Oh, I am so sorry." Maeve placed one hand delicately over her mouth, checking to be sure Katani was all right.

"I'm okay." Katani stared inquisitively at Maeve, who obviously didn't want to talk about her family's plans for a small luncheon after her Bat Mitzvah.

"Of course I'm having a big party," Maeve said with a flourish of her hand. "A really humongo-gigantic party." She paused for a brief second, then added, "With a movie star theme."

"Next," called the tuxedo-ed man at the information counter, before Katani could ask, how?

Adapted from the original version.

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