Wedding Cookies (3 page)

They left Katie Lynn’s room and went to the bathroom.

Katie Lynn rummaged around at the back of a cabinet until she found what she was looking for. “Ash Blonde. Midnight
Brunette. Strawberry Red,” she said. “Mom’s hair has been every one of these colors.”

“Let me try Ash Blonde,” Tina said.

“Tina!” said Katie Lynn. “Are you serious?”

“Yes!” said Tina. “Let’s get started.”

“Okay,” said Katie Lynn. “It’s your hair.”

Katie Lynn read the directions on the back of the box. “This should be easy,” she said.

She put on the pair of rubber gloves from the box. They were so big she could hardly keep them on. She filled the sink with warm water and wet Tina’s hair.

Then Katie Lynn shook the bottle of dye until it was mixed. She poured the contents of the bottle on Tina’s hair. She shampooed it in.

“That feels good,” said Tina.

“Now we have to wait for fifteen minutes,” said Katie Lynn.

“Can we watch TV?” asked Tina.

“No!” said Katie Lynn. “Your hair might drip on the carpet.”

She and Tina sat on the edge of the bathtub and waited. “I think that’s enough,” said Katie Lynn after a while. She rinsed Tina’s hair. Then she handed her a towel.

Tina dried her hair with it. “How does it look?” she asked.

Katie Lynn gasped. She picked up the box and looked at it again. “Oh, no!” she cried. “It’s out-of-date.”

“What difference does that make?” Tina said.

“Your hair is green!” Katie Lynn replied.

Katie Lynn and Tina went back to Katie Lynn’s room to decide what to do.

“I can’t be in a wedding with green hair!” Tina sobbed.

“I know,” Katie Lynn said. “But maybe it will turn back to normal by then.” She was trying to sound concerned. But it was hard to keep from giggling.

Grandma came into the room just as the doorbell rang downstairs.

“I hope that’s not some more relatives,” Katie Lynn said.

Grandma shook her head. “No, they’re all here,” she said. She blinked. “Tina! Your hair is green!”

Katie Lynn explained what had happened.

Just then, Jonathan and Mrs. Cooke came up the stairs.

Tina quickly took the towel she was holding and wrapped it around her head. “What are you doing here, Jonathan?” she asked.

“He’s delivering a package to Grandma,” Mrs. Cooke said.

“It’s from Fricket’s Department Store,” Jonathan added. “Their delivery truck broke down in front of our house.”

“Open it, Grandma!” Katie Lynn said.

Jonathan was staring at Tina. “Why do
you have a towel around your head?” he asked.

Tina felt the top of her head. “Oh, my goodness! Is there a towel around my head? How silly. I guess I forgot to take it off after I washed my hair.”

“Girls are so weird,” Jonathan muttered.

Grandma opened the box. She got a puzzled look on her face. “I don’t remember registering for these,” she said.

Katie Lynn and Tina looked at each other.

“Sometimes you get things you don’t register for,” Mrs. Cooke said.

Grandma held up the CDs for everyone to see.

Suddenly, they heard a bark. Flossie and Fifi were back from their walk. “I’m ready to unveil my masterpieces,” called Flossie.

“Bye, Jonathan!” said Tina. She and Katie Lynn raced toward Grandma’s room. Grandma and Mrs. Cooke were right behind them.

When they got there, Tina took the towel off her head.

Flossie gasped. “Tina, your hair is green!” she said. “You simply cannot wear one of my famous creations with green hair. It won’t match!”

Tina blinked hard. She looked as if she was about to cry.

“Never mind, my dear,” Flossie said. “You can wear one of my wigs. And I have just the color for you, too!”

Tina smiled. “You do?”

“Of course,” said Flossie.

She got out a blond wig and put it on Tina’s green hair. “Perfect!” she said.

Tina ran to look in the mirror. “I love it!” she cried. “This is the real me!”

Suddenly, Katie Lynn looked at the bed. “Are those our wedding dresses?” she asked.

“Yes!” Flossie said. “I finished them just in time!”

Four dresses were laid out side by side. They were made out of tan material and had dark brown spots all over them. Katie Lynn couldn’t believe it. They were horrible.

No one said anything.

“They look like cookies!” Tina finally cried.

“They’re supposed to. It’s the latest thing in wedding fashions,” said Flossie.
“You wear something that has to do with your job.”

“I don’t want to walk down the aisle looking like a cookie!” Tina whispered to Katie Lynn.

“Me neither,” whispered Katie Lynn. She turned to Grandma. “I thought you would wear a white dress,” she said.

“White dresses are usually for first weddings,” said Grandma.

Katie Lynn thought she sounded sad. She probably didn’t want to look like a cookie, either.

“Well, come on, girls, let’s try them on,” said Grandma.

Slowly, the four of them put on the dresses.

Grandma made a couple of turns in her dress. “What do you think, girls?” she asked.

“It’s different,” said Katie Lynn.

Suddenly, Fifi growled.

“Hush, Fifi!” Flossie said.

But Fifi didn’t hush. In fact, her growls got louder and meaner. Then she started barking.

“I’ve never seen her act this way,” said Flossie. “She must be really upset.”

Just then, Fifi lunged at Tina’s dress.

Tina screamed.

“Fifi’s attacking me!” she cried.

“No, she’s not!” shouted Katie Lynn. “She’s attacking your dress!”

“But I’m in it!” Tina said.

“Stop it, Fifi!” cried Flossie.

But Fifi didn’t stop. She tore Tina’s dress. Then she tore Katie Lynn’s dress. Next she tore Mrs. Cooke’s dress. Finally, she tore Grandma’s dress.

Then Fifi jumped up on the bed and lay down. She wagged her tail happily.

“Why did she do that?” Katie Lynn demanded. “She ruined our wedding dresses.”

Flossie gave Fifi a big hug. “Poor baby! She’s mad at me because I ignored her while I was making the wedding dresses.”

“But what will we do?” said Katie Lynn.

Flossie looked thoughtful. She walked over to the big green trunk and pulled out four beautiful dresses. They looked like princess dresses. They were made of pale
yellow satin and had overskirts of tulle. “I do have these,” she said. “I was working on them for a fashion show, but I guess I could take them in to fit the four of you.”

“Oh, Flossie!” Katie Lynn cried. “They’re beautiful!”

“They sure are,” Tina agreed. “I think Fifi is one of my best friends now,” she whispered to Katie Lynn.

“Mine, too,” Katie Lynn whispered back.

The next day was the day before the wedding. Everything was finally on track. The dresses were ready. Grandma and Mr. Wilbarger were doing some last-minute shopping. And Tina’s hair was starting to fade.

She was still wearing Flossie’s wig, though.

One of the relatives had just hung up the telephone when it rang again.

“I’ll get it!” Johnny shouted.

“No!” Katie Lynn cried. She ran between two other relatives and grabbed the receiver. “Hello,” she said.

“This is Betty at Presley’s Floral Shop,” a voice said. “I need to talk to somebody about the wedding flowers.”

“Grandma’s not here. She’s the one getting married,” Katie Lynn said. “Can I help you?”

“I guess,” Betty said. “We have a problem.”

A problem?
thought Katie Lynn. “What is it?” she asked.

“Judy down here mixed up the dates, and we’ve run out of flowers,” Betty said. “We won’t have any for your wedding.”

“Oh, no!” Katie Lynn cried. “Grandma can’t get married without flowers.”

“I’m sorry,” Betty said. “We’ll give you a
discount on the next wedding you have.”

“Thanks,” said Katie Lynn. She hung up the receiver.

“What happened?” Tina asked.

Katie Lynn told her. “You have to have flowers at a wedding,” she said.

Katie Lynn felt horrible. She couldn’t believe Grandma’s wedding was going to be ruined. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

Tina frowned. “I don’t know. I can bake cookies, but I can’t make flowers grow, especially in one day!”