said Maryellen, rolling her eyes.
“You,” said Joan. “You’re sloppy.”
Maryellen could see that her sweaty hair and grimy hands were a sharp contrast to Joan’s crisp, clean appearance. “Well, maybe I’m a little messy right now,” she said honestly. She smoothed her rumpled T-shirt, which was a faded and stained hand-me-down from Carolyn. “I was playing outdoors.”
“I know,” said Joan. “You were goofing around with Davy like a wild tomboy, as usual. That’ll have to stop soon anyway, because you can’t be friends with a boy in fourth grade.”
Maryellen frowned. “Why not?”
“It just doesn’t work. You wait and see,” Joan went on. “But it’s not only your appearance that’s grubby. Your bed, your drawers, your closet—all your things are messy. Last night, you flooded the bathroom, and before that, you stepped in the popcorn bowl and overturned it. Face it, Ellie—you create a disaster area wherever you go.”
“Hey!” said Carolyn, sticking up for Maryellen. “Just because Ellie’s not persnickety like you doesn’t mean she’s a hopeless mess.”
“Right!” said Maryellen indignantly. “And I don’t create disasters. Do I, Mom?”
“Well,” said Mrs. Larkin, “I think what Joan means is that you’re not very tidy or organized, honey.”
“See?” said Joan. “I don’t think it’s fair that I should have to share a room with such a messy little kid.”
“A messy little kid?” Maryellen repeated, horrified. Granted, she was not a finicky fussbudget like Joan. But a messy little kid? One who was childish, wild, untidy, tomboyish, disorganized, and grubby? A messy little kid who created disasters wherever she went? Was that how Joan and—Maryellen gulped—Mom thought of her?
“Let’s say this,” said Mrs. Larkin. “We’ll give the All Girls Room a try tonight. Sharing a room with your big sisters will be a test for you, Ellie. If you show that you can be tidy and responsible, we’ll consider making the All Girls Room permanent. Do we have a deal, ladies?”
“I suppose so,” said Joan with a shrug.
“It’s fine with me,” said Carolyn.
“Yes,” said Maryellen. She understood that if she failed this test, she’d lose her chance for the All Girls Room. But there was something even more important than that at stake. If she failed the test, she’d lose her chance to improve Mom’s opinion of her.
“That’s settled, then,” said Mom. “Joan and Carolyn, come with me and I’ll give you fresh bedsheets. And you’d better move your pajamas and whatever else you’ll need for tonight into Ellie’s room. Ellie, if I were you, I’d start a Cleanup Campaign right away.”
“I will, Mom,” said Maryellen.
While the others headed to the linen closet, Maryellen dashed outside to speak to Davy.
“Looks like I’ll be inside for a while,” she said. “I’ve got to clean up my room.”
“How come?” asked Davy. He was sitting on the swing, spinning to make himself dizzy.
Maryellen explained about the room switcheroo. “Joan didn’t want to do it,” she said, “because she thinks I’m messy. Mom said that she had to, but that it’ll be a test for me.”
“A test of what?” asked Davy.
“Neatness, mostly,” Maryellen said, “and being careful of what I do.”
Davy grinned. “Or what you don’t do,” he said. “Just don’t make a mess.”
“Right!” said Maryellen, cheered up by Davy as usual. “That’ll be easy!”
Another Great Idea
“Look, Mom,” she said. “Ta-da! I made everything tidy and beautiful.”
Mrs. Larkin gave Maryellen’s work a quick glance. “Good,” she said. She sounded a little out of breath because she was standing on the lower bunk bed tucking a sheet under the mattress of the upper bunk.
Mom didn’t seem overly impressed by her efforts, so Maryellen looked around to see what else she could do. She collected Tom’s trucks and Mikey’s blocks in a box and slid the box under the bed. Then she took some shirts off two hooks on the closet door so that Joan and Carolyn could hang their pajamas on the hooks.
As Maryellen was hanging the shirts on hangers in the closet, Joan and Carolyn appeared, their arms full. Maryellen was delighted to see that in addition to her pajamas, Joan was bringing her tennis dress, bobby pins, cold cream, and several books and magazines. Carolyn was bringing some clothes, some rock ’n’ roll records, and her portable record player.
Now that’s more like it! thought Maryellen. Instead of babyish toy trucks and blocks, the All Girls Room will be full of grown-up things like books, rock ’n’ roll records, and movie-star magazines.
“You need all that for one night?” asked Mom, shaking her head at Joan and Carolyn.
“Not all of it is for me,” said Carolyn. “I thought while I was at it, I might as well move these dresses I’ve outgrown into Ellie’s closet.” Carolyn showed Maryellen a plaid dress. “I wore this dress to the first day of fourth grade,” she said, “so I thought you’d like to, too.”
“Uh, thanks,” said Maryellen, polite but not thrilled.
“Hey,” said Joan, “I remember that dress. I wore it in fourth grade, too. I used to think it was so cute.”
When Joan and Carolyn left, Maryellen held the plaid dress up in front of herself as she looked in the mirror. She sighed. “Mom,” she said, “don’t you think this hand-me-down dress is sort of old and worn-out?”
“Umph,” said Mom. She was holding a pillow under her chin as she slipped a fresh pillowcase onto it.
“I sure would love a brand-new outfit to wear for the first day of fourth grade,” said Maryellen. She got carried away, imagining herself in a chic, fashionable, grown-up-looking outfit like the ones girls wore on TV shows. Oh boy! Everyone would be impressed!
