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are hiding from the hollering in the living room.
    “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?” my dad shouts in the background. “YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW THIS GUY!”
    “I know I love him!” Paris screams back.
    “Well, I hope you’re not expecting us to pay for this baloney!” Dad yells.
    “I’m not ASKING YOU TO!” Paris hollers.
    “We don’t need MONEY because we have LOVE!”
    “Does it have to be this summer?” Mom pleads. “You know your father and I have been planning a research trip to Costa Rica in July.”
    “WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT?” Paris bellows. “YOUR DAUGHTER’S HAPPINESS OR STUPID, STUPID COSTA RICA?”
    “At least stupid, stupid Costa Rica keeps food on the table!” my dad bellows back.
    This is pretty much the same argument they’ve been having since we got home yesterday.
    “You know what’s so great about this idea?”I say, waving my cupcake at Sofia. “The fact that we’re getting fitted for our bridesmaid dresses this afternoon. I can’t think of anything that could prepare us better for that ordeal than eating eight cupcakes in a row.”
    “Eight?” Sofia says admiringly. “I’d like to see you try.”
    “Is that a dare?” I ask. “What’ll you give me if I do it?”
    Sofia taps her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, let’s see…okay, if you really eat eight cupcakes right now, I’ll take charge of planning Paris’s bachelorette party.”
    “Seriously? But what if Mom and Dad win and Paris doesn’t get married?”
    My sister laughs. “Jack, when do Mom and Dad ever win a fight with Paris?”
    Good point. And the last thing I want to do is plan Paris’s bachelorette party. Shudder. I stuff the rest of the cupcake in my mouth and grab four more.
    Half an hour later, Mom wants to know why I don’t want pizza for lunch. Also, whyI’m lying on the floor of the den clutching my stomach.
    “I think she’s full,” Sofia says innocently from the couch. “We had a big breakfast.”
    “Well, I hope so,” Mom says. “Don’t forget we have the dress fittings today. I hope you’re not starving yourself for that, because that would be very unhealthy, and I don’t want you complaining that you’re hungry in the middle of the appointment.”
    “Don’t worry. I won’t,” I mumble into the carpet. Our Irish setter, Dublin, trots over and starts trying to lick off my face, but I don’t have the strength to push him away. I feel like I’ve eaten lead weights instead of cupcakes.
    “Girls?” Mom calls from the kitchen. “What happened to all the cupcakes? Wasn’t there another box of them?”
    Sofia and I dissolve into giggles. Paris flounces into the room and throws herself down on the couch beside Sofia.
    “What’s so funny?” she demands.
    “Nothing,” Sofia says.
    I roll over and smile sweetly up at Paris. “Sofia has volunteered to plan your bachelorette party,” I say. “She’s SO excited about it.”
    “Oh my gosh!” Paris shrieks at top volume.
    “That’s awesome! Sofia, you’re the best!” She throws her arms around Sofia, who gives me a death glare over Paris’s shoulder. “This is going to be the best bachelorette party ever! I’m so glad you guys are supporting me—I’m glad SOMEBODY is,” Paris announces loudly.
    “Maybe later I can tell you some of my ideas for the party, Sofia. There’s only, like, ten people I want to invite, but they’re all REALLY important so we just have to work out our schedules so that EVERY SINGLE ONE of them can be there. Okay? Awesome! I can’t wait!”
    She leaps up again and bounds out of the room. Sofia raises an eyebrow at me.
    I pat my stomach contentedly. “Toooootally worth it.”
     
    Esme, the woman at the bridal shop who is adjusting all our bridesmaid dresses, is NotPleased to hear that one of the bridesmaids has been replaced. Yes, that’s right—Vicky went home and immediately picked another one of her friends to replace Paris. Kelly is pale and quiet, and I have a feeling Vicky chose her only because