“So, do you wanna or not?” Taylor asked, getting impatient.

Jen switched the phone to her other ear. “Yes, I told you I do, but I don’t know if my mom will let me.”

“Jen, if you don’t want to come, just say so.”

“Are you even hearing me, Taylor? I want to, but I can’t find my mom!”

“Okay, fine.”

Jen held the phone away from her, covering the mouthpiece. “Mom! Mom, where are you?” she shouted.

“In the basement,” Mrs. O’Malley called back.

“Okay, I know where she is. Hold on, I’m going down there.”

Taylor just sighed.

“Mom, Tay wants to know if I can go to a picnic in the park with her.”

“What time? When will you be back?”

Jen answered all of her mother’s questions, finally getting a reluctant, “I guess.”

“I’ll see ya soon!” Taylor chirped happily, then hung up.

Jen replaced the phone, and ran upstairs. “Maddie?” She poked her head into her sister’s bedroom.

Madeline looked from her bed, where she was leafing through a magazine. “Hey, Jen. Come on in.”

Jen closed the door behind her, and went over to Madeline’s bed. She sat on the edge. “So, what movie did you guys see last night?”

Madeline grinned. “I went and saw Varsity Blues,” she said proudly. “I don’t know what Mom and Dad saw; some love story, I guess.”

“Varsity Blues? How’d you pull that off?”

Madeline shrugged. “I just told them I wanted to see it, and they bought the ticket.”

“They had no idea what it was about, did they?”

Madeline giggled. “No.”

“So, was it any good?”

“Yeah! I loved it! It was such an awesome movie, and all the guys were so hot…”

“I can’t believe my little sister is star-struck,” Jen said, laughing.

“I’m not star-struck; I just appreciate good looks.” Madeline crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose up at Jen.

Jen laughed even harder, provoking Madeline to look down at her.

“Are you done?”

“Yeah.” Jen maneuvered so she was lying on her stomach, her legs bent and crossed at the ankles. “So, what are you doing today?”

“I don’t know…probably just end up chilling out here. What about you?”

“I’m going to this picnic thing with Taylor.”

Madeline sighed. “You’re never home anymore.”

Jen heard the tears in her sister’s voice, and she understood. She and Maddie had been best friends growing up. They had always had each other to turn too, always had someone to play with, always had someone to raid the fridge with…a faint smile crossed Jen’s lips at the memories.

But things change. People change. It really sucked sometimes, but it was inevitable. She was 15 years old, almost old enough to drive. She had her own friends now, and she didn’t have as much time for Maddie as she once did.

Jen sighed softly and looked down at the bedspread. “I know, Mad, I’m sorry.”

Madeline broke the brief silence that followed Jen’s apology. “Will you please go?”

Jen looked up, startled. “What?”

“Leave, Jen, please…”

Hurt and a little confused, Jen slowly stood up, wanting to see Madeline’s face, but couldn’t because of the curtain of hair that had fell over it. Without saying anything, she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Jen leaned back against the picnic table, watching Taylor’s 2-year-old cousin, Kate, play in the grass.

“You’re not having fun.” Taylor sat down beside Jen.

“No, I am, it’s just that I got in a fight with Madeline before I left. She kicked me out of her room.”

“Ooh.” Taylor knew how close the two were.

“Why won’t you take off those sunglasses?” Jen asked, deciding to change the subject.

“Oh, I, uh…I didn’t get enough sleep last night, and the light hurts my eyes.”

“Really?” Jen absently stroked the hair that she had pulled over her shoulder, braiding and re-braiding it. “Well, can you take them off for just a sec? You have to give your eyes a little time to adjust.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on. Lemme try them on.”

“I said no, Jen!”

Jen, who had been reaching for the sunglasses, drew back. “Okay, okay, geez, sorry.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stood up. “I think I’m gonna go play with Kate.”

Taylor sighed. “Jen…come back. I’m sorry.”

Jen just ignored her, focusing her attention on the baby. She squatted. “Hey, Kate, whatcha doing?”

Kate looked at her, grinning.

“Jen, look, I’m sorry. I just…Morgan accidentally elbowed me in the eye, and I don’t want anyone to come up to me and ask me what happened. What am I suppose to say? Oh, nothing, just my twin sister, beating me up.”

Jen straightened. “You know what? I don’t believe you. It’s something else. What, I don’t know. But if you won’t tell me, I will find out.” With that, Jen walked away, once more leaving Taylor behind.

As soon as she got home, Jen retreated to her room. She threw herself down on her bed, sighing. Everything seemed to be falling apart. First that stupid fight with Madeline, then Taylor…

Jen rolled over onto her back. Something strange was going on with Taylor and Morgan; she just knew it. What, though, was beyond her. It had never been like Taylor, or even like Morgan, to keep secrets from her. Secrets were something that could make or break a friendship.

She smiled, remembering the line from the pact the three girls had made out a long time ago. Jen sat up. “Hmm, I wonder if I kept that…I think I did.”

Aware that she was talking to herself, but not really caring, Jen hopped off her bed and poked around in her closet. Coming up with nothing, she tried underneath her bed. There, she found a box.

Jen pulled the box out from under the bed, stirring up dirt and dust bunnies. She opened the flaps, and looked inside. She had to smile at what she saw.

The box was filled with drawings, notebooks, and scrawled letters to and from Taylor and Morgan. After looking through half of the contents, Jen found what she was looking for.

Jen slowly lifted the blue notebook out of the box and sat it on her lap. She stared at it, touching the tears and creases in the tattered cover. She opened up to the first page, and right there was the pack. Smiling, Jen read the words.

Rules for our friendship!! By Taylor, Morgan, and Jennifer.

1. No secrets! Secrets can make or break a friendship.

2. Be there for each other.

3. Stick up for each other.

4. No fights last more than one day, and if anyone is left out of the fight, do not them her chose a side.

5. Be friends forever.

Jen felt tears well up in her eyes. With her fingertips, she traced Taylor’s messy handwriting. They had made the pact long, long ago, back when boys didn’t break your heart and bad things didn’t happen.

Lovingly, Jen replaced the notebook. She would find out what was happening to Taylor and Morgan. If she didn’t, she didn’t know how she was supposed to ever call herself their friend again.

Nodding her head in agreement with herself, Jen stood up. She climbed into her bed and underneath the covers. Yes, she would find out. She would save her friends.