One Place for Opaline Chapters One+Two

One Place for Opaline
By Ellie Patterson

March 14th, Opaline Harrison

"Sally, come on, we're going to be late to Emoticon Festival!" I said while pulling Sally along. Sally is my stepmom. She got married to my dad three years ago. We've gotten along pretty well since then.
I pulled her to the car, jerking her this way and that along our newly paved driveway, when suddenly she stopped.
"Okay, is this still about me and your father?" she steamed. "I'm starting to get really tired of your scheming." I looked at her quietly and nicely. The truth was that I really hated Sally. I just didn't let it show. She thought I was nice, I thought she was the devil. But now, woo boy. Let the volcano erupt in silence.
"Opal, I'm sorry you don't like me. But this is enough." She pointed to the car. It was covered in eggs and spray paint, saying "Suck it, Sally," and "Stupid Sally." My insults. The insults I call her every time she argues with me. I jumped into the volcano.
"Sally, it wasn't me," I pleaded honestly. "Please don't blame me. I was asleep from nine p.m. to eight thirty in the morning! That was when the vandal probably struck. You were sitting on our screened in front porch, which you INSISTED on getting because you didn't want the mosquito bites to 'ruin your complexion.' Another 500$ down the drain because of you. You could've seen them right in front of your own eyes!" She scowled at me and turned to the car. Then Sally sighed, ran inside, and grabbed the huge magic eraser I got for her as a present last year (just like she need cleaning stuff, it was mainly for me because I'm, like, the maid) and she never, ever uses it.
"Here," Sally pushed the eraser to me. "Clean." Like I'm a baby? Really. I can understand over ten word sentences. But no, all you say to me is almost thirty words and under every time we speak!
"W-we should really be going," I said in a quiet voice. Sally pushed the eraser towards me and I grabbed it. I started to clean.
Whoever did this is going to pay, I thought.

March 13th, Cierra Jacobs

I motioned to my gang mates as we tiptoed to Opal's car, a Mustang convertible. I whistled through my teeth. Woah baby, this was a nice car. I'm Opal's best friend. She's also my biggest rival. I want to win Emoticon Festival like she does. I need to steal her design because it's way better than mine. My plan was supposed to take action two weeks ago so her stepmom wouldn't allow her to go, but it was too late now.
Kylie Peterman took spray paint out of her retro backpack and handed it to me. I knew all of Opal's insults she used against Sally, so I spray painted "Suck it, Sally" and "Stupid Sally" on the sides. Then I grabbed honey out of my backpack and squirted it on the seats. The seats were also honey colored, so they wouldn't notice until the last moment. I hid ketchup under the brake and gas pedals. I also hid some sharp rocks I found on their driveway under the four tires.
My other gang mates threw eggs at the sides of the car.
Kylie, Deirdre Marks, and Delia Hooper crept back behind the bushes when they heard a screen door slam open and shut. I knew it was just Sally going to sleep, so I hustled down the driveway back to my house next door. Kylie, Deirdre, and Delia followed. We got back just in time for our sleepover to commence.
Mom greeted us as we went into the kitchen.
"Hey, girls," she said. "What were you doing? I was worried." Mom lied out ice cream sundaes for the four of us. I swung my backpack onto the floor carefully, and Kylie did the same, only not so carefully. I could hear the metallic CLANG of the spray paint bottle as it hit the hardwood floor. If only we had carpet.
"Ya know, Mom," I said, "I think we would like to eat our sundaes up in my room." Mom nodded as I held out my sundae to Kylie and grabbed both of our backpacks. We all hurried upstairs. As soon as we got into my room, I slammed the door shut. Then I told Kylie my worries.
"Kylie, what if Mom wondered what that was?" I asked her. "Be careful." Kylie nodded as she handed me my slightly melted sunda