Books vs. Looks Read online

  Kiki smiled. “Well, first we’re reading Dolphins Don’t Play Shell Wars. But we’re taking turns choosing which book to read.”

  “Oh, that sounds so much better than what Pearl read to us,” Morgan told her just as Shelly and Echo swam into the room.

  “What’s that?” Shelly asked.

  “She read aloud from the fashion section of MerStyle magazine,” Wanda told them.

  Adam put his hands on his hips and grunted. “Then she made us float with style.”

  “How do you float with style?” Kiki asked.

  Rocky jerked his tail back and forth in a silly way. “Don’t I look beautiful?” he said, batting his eyelashes.

  Kiki, Echo, and Shelly burst out laughing. “Maybe Pearl’s club should be called the Parasite Beauty Bunch, not the Bubbling Beauty Bunch,” Echo said. “She’s forcing everyone to do what she wants!”

  Rocky snorted. “Pearl the Parasite! That’s the perfect name for her.”

  Kiki frowned. Even though Pearl could be mean, it wasn’t nice to make fun of her.

  Kiki started to tell Rocky that Pearl was not a parasite. After all, she was giving them great snacks in exchange for their club membership; that was an example of mutualism. But before she could open her mouth, Wanda floated over to Kiki and whispered, “Do you think I could read your club’s book too?”

  “Of course,” Kiki said. “Miss Scylla has several more copies in the library.”

  Wanda smiled. “Mer-velous! Just don’t tell Pearl.”

  “Don’t tell Pearl what?” Pearl said from the doorway.

  “Um, n-nothing,” Wanda said. “I was just asking Kiki about her club, and—”

  “You’re trying to join Kiki’s club instead of mine!” Pearl accused her.

  “No,” Kiki explained. “Wanda just wondered what book we were reading.”

  “Wanda, you traitor!” Pearl snapped.

  Wanda looked up in horror as a red-faced Pearl swam into the classroom.

  “Pearl,” Wanda cried. “I’m so sorry!”

  “Are you my friend or not?” Pearl asked angrily.

  “Of course,” Wanda said.

  “Then why are you deserting me for Kiki’s club?” Pearl demanded.

  “I just want to be a member of both clubs,” Wanda explained with a frown.

  But Pearl refused to even look at Wanda as Mrs. Karp started the day’s lesson.

  Friend Stealer!

  AT LUNCHTIME KIKI, SHELLY, and Echo swam up to Pearl, who was eating at her usual lunch table. Wanda wasn’t sitting with her.

  “Why did you yell at Wanda like that?” Kiki asked Pearl. “You hurt Wanda’s feelings, and now she thinks that you don’t want to be friends with her.”

  “Me?” Pearl sputtered. “I’m not the one who’s stealing friends!”

  Kiki shook her head. “I’m not stealing friends,” she said. “I just wanted to have a book club like my brother has. I didn’t want a club war.”

  “Sweet seaweed, Pearl!” Echo said. “The whole club thing was Kiki’s idea in the first place. You’re the one who stole it from her!”

  Pearl’s face turned pink and then bright red. She looked like she was ready to explode.

  Luckily, Wanda whirled into the cafeteria. She tapped Pearl on the shoulder. “Look at what came in the mail!” she said.

  Wanda showed Pearl two sparkling bracelets. They were a perfect matched set. “I ordered one for each of us a long time ago,” Wanda explained.

  “You did?” Pearl said, clearly surprised.

  “Hey, look,” Rocky said as he swam by to turn in his lunch tray. “It’s barracuda bait.”

  “It is not,” Pearl snapped, although barracudas do like shiny things. “It is a wonderful gift from my best pal.”

  Wanda and Pearl hugged. Kiki was glad the two merfriends were back together. But she still didn’t understand why Pearl was jealous of her. Was it because Wanda had once been Kiki’s roommate?

  After lunch Mrs. Karp’s class had a spelling lesson. Kiki could barely concentrate on how to spell “mutualism.” She was still in shock over the way Pearl had accused her of trying to steal Wanda. She was glad when snack time came and she was able to put Pearl and Wanda out of her mind.

  But Pearl hadn’t forgotten. She floated beside Kiki’s desk and hissed, “You may not have wanted a competition, Kiki Coral, but you’ve got one! Maybe Wanda thought about joining your silly club, but no one else will. Just wait and see!”

  * * *

  That night, as Kiki nestled into the feathers of her bed, she tried to read Dolphins Don’t Play Shell Wars, but she kept losing her place. She couldn’t help wondering what in the ocean Pearl was planning next.

  Pearl’s Prizes

  THURSDAY MORNING, AS SHE entered the school’s front hallway, Kiki found out. Huge kelp banners hung on every wall!

  Win Fin-tastic, One-of-a-Kind Prizes at Pearl’s Bubbling Beauty Bunch!

  Shelly and Echo floated up to Kiki. “Is she really going to give merkids prizes just for showing up?” Shelly asked, shaking her head.

  Kiki shrugged. “It sure looks like it.”

  “What kind of prizes?” Echo wondered.

  “Well, it is Pearl,” Shelly answered. “So, there’s no telling.”

  Pearl lived in the fanciest house in all of Trident City, and she always seemed to get whatever she wanted.

  “I guess we’ll find out next week,” Kiki said with a sigh. “If you guys want to go to her club meeting, I’ll understand.”

  “No wavy way!” Shelly said.

  “Besides, I really like the book you picked,” Echo told Kiki.

  “Me too,” Shelly said. “Did you get to the funny part where they’re in the cafeteria?”

  Kiki held up her hand. “Not yet! Don’t tell me—I want to read it for myself.”

  * * *

  The following Tuesday, Kiki, Echo, and Shelly met at their usual spot in the library for book club. Echo had just told them all about her favorite part in Dolphins Don’t Play Shell Wars when a parade of merkids floated past the door. Each carried a prize. Some had large shells or new merclothes, while others lugged funny-shaped objects that could only be from humans.

  Kiki knew how much Echo loved human objects. “I wish I could hand out prizes too,” Kiki told her merfriends.

  Shelly pushed her long red hair out of her face and frowned. “For shark’s sake! You don’t need to give us prizes. Pearl is just trying to buy club members.”

  Echo smiled. “And anyway,” she said, “merfriends are the best prize!”

  A Sweet Surprise

  AT THE END OF THEIR meeting, Kiki, Echo, and Shelly made a dolphin craft to go along with their book. Shelly stood back to look at her creation. She had molded it from clay that Echo’s sister had donated. “I think I’m going to name my dolphin Penelope.”

  “Why Penelope?” Echo asked, wiping her clay-covered hands on a piece of kelp.

  “I heard that name once and always liked it,” Shelly said. “If I could change my name, it would be Penelope.”

  “I’d be Millicent,” Echo said. “What about you, Kiki?”

  Kiki had never thought about it. “I like my name just the way it is, but I am sorry these treats aren’t as fancy as Pearl’s,” she said putting some snacks on the table. “Still, I think they’re yummy.” Kiki wished her mother had sent her some cuttlefish candy in her most recent package from home.

  “You know I love sea cucumbers,” Shelly said, popping two of the crunchy treats into her mouth. “Plus, I need to eat something healthy before my Shell Wars game.”

  “And the Tail Flippers are performing at the game too,” Echo said, before taking the last sip of her kelp drink. “Thanks for making this a short meeting.”

  “You guys go ahead,” Kiki told her merfriends. “Good luck with the game! I’ll stick around and clean this up.”

  “Are you sure?” Shelly said.

  Kiki nodded. “It’s only a few crumbs, but I don’t wa
nt Miss Scylla to get mad at us. It’s nice of her to let us use the library for our meetings.”

  “Thanks!” Shelly said. “Coach Barnacle gets upset when we’re late.”

  “So does Coach Sarah,” Echo agreed. Sarah SeaLion was Coach Barnacle’s assistant. The two coached both the Tail Flippers and the Shell Wars team.

  After her merfriends left, Kiki hummed a song to herself as she wiped off the marble table. The library was one of her favorite places. There was something satisfying about the neat rows of kelp and stone books. The soft glow of the jellyfish on the chandeliers lit up the beautiful ceiling, giving the room a cozy feeling.

  “No wavy way! You’re still here!” Pearl snapped from the doorway.

  Kiki looked up in surprise. “I was just cleaning up. I think this is such a beautiful library, so I didn’t want to leave it messy.”

  Pearl nodded. “I think it’s lovely too. I was mad when you beat me to it for your book club. But there are so many people in my club that the library is probably too small anyway.”

  “Congratulations,” Kiki told Pearl. “Your club is a big hit. I saw lots of merkids leaving with prizes earlier.”

  “Well, some of the merboys turned over the snack table and made a huge mess!” Pearl huffed. “Then they didn’t even help clean it up! And lots of merkids left after they got their prizes.” She paused, then asked, “How is your little club going?”

  Kiki shrugged. “It’s small, but that’s okay. Sometimes I get lonely here at Trident Academy. I really miss my parents and my brothers. Having the club helps.”

  “Why are you lonely?” Pearl asked. “You have Shelly and Echo for merfriends.”

  “That’s true, and they are great merbuddies,” Kiki agreed. “But it’s not the same as having your family around. Plus, I don’t have a roommate, so the evenings get pretty quiet when everyone goes to their own homes and rooms. That’s why I love books.”

  She didn’t mention the fact that Pearl was the reason Kiki didn’t have a roommate. At the beginning of the school year, Wanda had been Kiki’s roommate. But Wanda told Pearl that Kiki’s killer whale bed was creepy, so Pearl got Kiki kicked out of Wanda’s room!

  “I guess I didn’t think about that,” Pearl said. “So that’s why you started the book club? You were lonely?”

  Kiki nodded. “I wasn’t trying to steal Wanda.”

  Pearl was quiet for a while, which Kiki thought was strange. Then Pearl asked, “Do you want a piece of cuttlefish candy? I only have one left.”

  Kiki smiled. “Thanks! That would be nice.”

  After Pearl left, Kiki crunched on the candy. She couldn’t believe that after declaring a club war, Pearl had given her a treat. Kiki wondered what Pearl would do next.

  Fashion Forward

  THE NEXT MORNING KIKI arrived at school to find Shelly and Echo floating in front of Pearl’s latest poster.

  TRIDENT ACADEMY FASHION SHOW

  Next Friday After School

  Pearl’s Bubbling Beauty Bunch invites

  all interested merkids to participate.

  Cost: One shell to attend.

  Will help a good cause.

  Rehearsal this Friday after school

  in Finn Auditorium.

  “A fashion show? Oh, that sounds fun!” Echo squealed. Then she slapped her hand over her mouth and looked at Kiki. “Sorry.”

  Kiki shrugged. “It actually does sound pretty shelltacular. Maybe we should all take part in it.”

  “You wouldn’t mind being in Pearl’s fashion show?” Echo asked.

  “Of course not,” Kiki said, pointing to the poster. “Both the rehearsal and the show are on Fridays, so they won’t conflict with our book club. Plus, it says right here that all proceeds will help a good cause.”

  “What about you, Shelly?” Echo asked.

  Kiki knew fashion wasn’t exactly Shelly’s favorite thing. “I guess I could give it a try,” Shelly said.

  “Fin-tastic!” Echo said. The three friends swam into Mrs. Karp’s classroom, where the whole class was buzzing about Pearl’s newest poster. Every mergirl and a few merboys wanted to be in the fashion show.

  * * *

  On Friday at the rehearsal, Finn Auditorium was filled with merkids. Pearl put Rocky and a few other third graders in charge of the music and decorations.

  “I-I love the dress I’m wearing,” said Morgan. “Can I w-wear it in the show?”

  “Mmm,” Pearl said, glancing at Morgan and ignoring her stuttering. “It is a pretty dress, but wouldn’t you rather wear one from MerLinda’s Boutique? They are lending us some clothes to wear.” MerLinda’s was the fanciest dress shop in Trident City.

  Morgan squealed. “That sounds mer-velous!”

  “Shelltacular! We can go there tomorrow.” Pearl turned to Wanda. “Do you want to write up a description of every outfit for Headmaster Hermit to read aloud?” Pearl asked.

  “You bet!” Wanda said.

  Kiki couldn’t believe that Pearl had gotten Headmaster Hermit to agree to be the master of ceremonies for the event.

  Kiki tapped Pearl on the shoulder and asked, “What do you think of this outfit for the show?” Kiki twirled around, modeling something her grandmother had given her.

  Pearl twisted her long pearl necklace in her fingers and nodded. “That is perfect!”

  Kiki grinned.

  * * *

  On the night of the show, Finn Auditorium was sparkling with plankton and balloonfish. The merkids gathered backstage, dressed in their elegant clothes. As she peeked through the curtain, Kiki had to admit she was excited. She was also a bit nervous about all the people she saw floating into the auditorium. It was a big crowd, and Kiki didn’t like most big things.

  “All right, merboys and mergirls,” Pearl announced, clapping her hands. “This is it! Remember to smile and act natural.” Pearl’s blond hair was in a fancy updo that looked like it might fall over at any minute.

  Kiki looked at the merkids in line. All the third graders were dressed in beautiful outfits with sparkling plankton bows in their hair.

  “You look splashing good,” Shelly said, admiring Kiki’s outfit. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

  “Thanks! It’s called a kimono,” Kiki explained. “It is an old tradition in the Eastern Oceans. My grandmother made this one. It took her two years!”

  “Sweet seaweed!” Shelly exclaimed. “I can’t imagine working on anything for that long!”

  Kiki tightened her sash, or obi. “All the decorations make it really heavy to wear. I’m afraid I’ll trip over my tail when I go onstage!”

  Wanda looked even more frightened than Kiki felt. Kiki remembered when Wanda had starred in the school’s play of The Little Human. Wanda had had terrible stage fright.

  “I’m so scared that I think I’m going to throw up,” Wanda said. “I can’t go out there!”

  Pearl shook her head. Her updo wiggled back and forth. “No, you’re going to be fine. In fact, you and I will float out together.”

  Wanda looked grateful. “Really?”

  “Of course,” Pearl said. “Now, let’s do this!”

  Pearl stepped out onto the stage, pulling Wanda behind her. Kiki noticed they were both wearing their sparkling bracelets. Music blared as the show began.

  Kiki gulped. Would she really be able to be a fashion model when it was her turn, or would she be the one to throw up onstage?

  Runway Time!

  ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?” ECHO asked Kiki.

  Kiki shook her head. “What if I do a tail flop right into the audience? Everyone will laugh at me!”

  “You’re not going to tumble down,” Shelly said. “And even if you did, it wouldn’t be the end of the ocean.”

  “But you just said I wouldn’t fall!” Kiki cried. She knew she wasn’t making any sense, but she couldn’t help herself. She had never been more jittery.

  “I know! What if we all float out there together?” Echo suggested.

  Shelly nod
ded. “We could go out as a group, and then each of us could swim forward and take a bow when Headmaster Hermit calls our name.”

  That didn’t sound so hard. “O-okay. I can do that,” Kiki agreed.

  “After all, we are the Mutualism Book Club,” Echo said with a giggle. “We have to stick together.”

  Shelly shook her head. “Today we are the Mutualistic Fashion Club! Let’s go!”

  As they floated out onto the stage, Kiki was shocked again by the huge crowd. It looked like the whole school as well as many citizens of Trident City were there.

  Headmaster Hermit introduced Shelly and Echo. Then he said, “And now, we have Kiki Coral. She is wearing a delightful pink kimono from her native waters in the Eastern Oceans. It is embellished with hundreds of colorful crystal beads and lovely shells from the cayenne keyhole limpet in an amazing daisy coral pattern.”

  Kiki smiled as the audience clapped and cheered. She twirled around, grateful that she didn’t trip and fall.

  In fact, no one did. The whole fashion show went off without a hitch.

  After every last merkid had taken their turn on the runway, Headmaster Hermit cleared his throat. “And now,” he said, “Pearl Swamp has an announcement.”

  Pearl wiggled back onto the stage, her tall hairdo still in place. “Thank you so much for coming to our Bubbling Beauty Bunch Fashion Show. Could Miss Scylla please come onstage?”

  There was a murmur in the audience as the librarian came forward. Rocky and Adam helped Pearl drag a large chest in front of Miss Scylla. Kiki couldn’t help giggling when she saw that Rocky wore a shirt that sparkled.

  “This chest holds the shells we raised this afternoon,” Pearl told everyone. “The Bubbling Beauty Bunch would like Miss Scylla to use these shells to buy new books for the Trident Academy library.”

  The entire audience clapped as Miss Scylla thanked Pearl and the rest of the club. “After all, books are our friends, even when we are lonely,” Pearl said, winking at Kiki.

  Kiki couldn’t believe it. Would Pearl ever stop surprising her?