Read Ivy in the Shadows for Free Online

could have gotten you boots, too, but then we don’t want to look exactly alike.”
    She looked at me, smiling. I was so confused I just stared.
    She sighed, then said, “Look, Ivy, I know you didn’t get new back-to-school clothes this year. And, hey, that’s okay! But I had money to spend and I spent some on my best friend, too.”
    I took a sip of Coke to keep my throat from closing up. “Thanks,” I croaked.
    â€œBesides, if you don’t take them, you’ll hurt my feelings. I’ll cry and everyone will stare! It would be your six-year-old birthday party all over again.”
    She had me there. She’d given me a stuffed clown, when I hated clowns. I gave it back to her because she loved them, and she cried so hard her mom had to take her home. She always reminded me of it when she wanted to get her way and it always worked.
    â€œWell, thank you. I mean, gosh, it was so cool that you thought of me. But my mom, I don’t think she’ll let me keep them.”
    â€œWell don’t tell her, silly!”
    â€œTrust me, she’ll notice.” I thought of my closet at home. I’d never been one to care about clothes and there sure hadn’t been anything new added in a while.
    Ellen ripped the tags off the sweater and jeans, then pulled off the sticky strip with the size. “Now she won’t know they’re new. Tell her they were mine and they don’t fit me.”
    Then she set a small bag on the table. “And I got this for me. But I’m going to share with you.”
    As I picked up the bag, she seemed so excited she actually shivered.
    I slowly looked inside and my heart flat-out sank. Makeup. But she said it was for her and she liked that kind of stuff so I tried to sound enthusiastic. “Wow! That’s a lot of makeup. You’ll have fun wearing that.”
    Then I scooted the bag ever so slightly so it would be more on her side of the table than on mine.
    â€œI thought maybe we’d wear our new things next week.”
    She dipped her finger into her ketchup and began painting on the table with it.
    â€œAlexa invited us to her party next Friday. We can wear our new clothes then.”
    â€œIf Alexa invited me to a party, how come I don’t know anything about it?”
    She grabbed a napkin and began swiping at the mess she’d made. “Well, she invited me and a guest.” She looked at me and smiled a little too wide. “You’re my guest.”
    I’d been to Alexa’s house before, but not in years. We’d all been in the same grade since we were in Wee Ones preschool. Back then our moms swapped playdates and you thought everyone was your friend. I don’t know when all that stopped, when the fact that someone was in your class at school wasn’t enough to make them your friend, but I definitely didn’t feel any “friend” vibes from Alexa now.
    â€œYou know,” I said, “I really don’t think I want to go.”
    Ellen sat very still but her eyes grew big with shiny tears. Part of me was trying to figure out how to word what I wanted to say without really putting Alexa down, but the other part of me wondered how Ellen was able to make tears that fast. I’d have had to pinch myself hard to do it and I’m not sure even that would work.
    â€œIt’s just that—” I shut up because Ellen reached across the table and grabbed both my arms.
    â€œDon’t do this to me. You have no idea how much this means to me. Go with me and you’ll be giving me my birthday and Christmas gifts all rolled into one.”
    â€œEllen.” I tried to pull away and she held on harder. For a skinny girl, she had an amazing grip. “You’re hurting me.”
    â€œSay you’ll come.”
    â€œLet go!” I yanked my arms away. Then her eyes sprang a leak. Big tears rolled down her face.
    â€œSince when did you and Alexa start hanging out,