Lara Bergen: Sophie the Daredevil

“I kind of wish I’d tried the high dive… Hey, did you ever do it, Sophie?” Mia asked.

What?

“Yes! Didn’t you see me? You’re the one who dared me!” Sophie said.

Mia shrugged. “Sorry. I started to watch. But you took so long, I gave up, I guess.”

No!

“Yeah,” said Sophie A. (She was the other Sophie in Sophie’s class.) “I thought you changed your mind. I thought you were going to climb down.”

Sophie frowned. How could she say that? (And how could she tell that climbing down was exactly what had been in Sophie’s mind?)

“But you dared me,” Sophie argued. “And there’s never been a dare I wouldn’t do.”

“Sorry,” Mia told her. “That’s right. I almost forgot.”

Almost forgot?

Sophie looked around. “Didn’t anybody see me jump?”

Kate waved. “I did.”

“So did I,” Sydney said.

Phew.

Then Sydney went on. “But I thought you fell in. Did it hurt?”

“Uh … yes. A little.” Sophie nodded. “That was the extra-daring part.”

Then Eve spoke up. “I did see Toby jump!”

“Yeah, me too,” said Sophie A.

“He was so funny.” Mia laughed.

Sophie couldn’t help it. Grrrrr! Her hands balled into fists again.

“You know he only did it because I dared to do it first,” she said.

“Totally.” Kate nodded.

“Yeah.” A few other girls did, too.

“You’re probably right,” Mia said. “Hey, I’m starving. Let’s go to the party room!”

All the girls followed her, even Sophie. But Sophie was slow. She was mad at Toby for spoiling her dare. But she was worried, too. She hoped her friends weren’t starting to think that she wasn’t much of a daredevil after all. At the same time, deep inside, she was starting to think it might be true.

She might have climbed down from the high dive if she hadn’t fallen in.

But Sophie the Daredevil was such a perfect name … or it had been.

By the time Sophie got to the party room, she knew what she needed to do. She had to prove that she was a real daredevil. That she was brave enough to do any dare, no matter what. And that was why — for the first time ever — Sophie was happy when Mindy walked up.

“Remember when you asked me for a dare, Sophie?” Mindy smiled. “Well, if you really think you’re so daring, I have one for you.”

Mindy had a dare? This was perfect!

“Bring it on!” Sophie said.

“Shhh,” Mindy told her. “Not so loud.” She looked around.

Sophie’s shoulders sank. “Hang on. The dare isn’t that I have to go into the boys’ locker room, is it?” she asked.

Mindy slowly grinned. “Oh, don’t worry. It’s nothing like that.”

“Good,” Sophie said. Then she noticed something odd. “Hey, where’s Lily?”

“I left my mermaid towel by the pool. So she went back to get it.” Mindy shrugged.

Sophie rolled her eyes. How did Mindy get Lily to do things like that?

She leaned in toward Mindy. “So what is your dare?”

Mindy wrapped some hair around her finger. Her eyes cut away. Sophie turned to see what Mindy was looking at. The present table?

“I dare you to take one of Mia’s gifts from there,” Mindy said in a low voice.

Sophie didn’t get it. “Why?”

“Because I dare you.” Mindy’s eyes narrowed. “Or are you afraid?”

Afraid? Sophie the Daredevil? Of course she was not! She just thought taking other people’s presents was kind of … stealing. And that it was kind of … wrong.

But what if Sophie took her own gift? It wasn’t really Mia’s yet, after all. Then Sophie could give it to Mia later, like she’d meant to do that all along.

“Well?” Mindy said. She let go of her hair and it bounced up.

Sophie crossed her arms and nodded. “Okay. Consider it done.” Then she turned toward the other table, where everyone was sitting down for lunch.

“Hang on,” said Mindy quickly. “I didn’t tell you which one.”

Oh. Sophie turned back. So Mindy had a special present in mind…

Mindy nodded to one with shiny silver paper. “I dare you to take that one, with the purple bow.”

That purple-bow gift was Kate’s. Sophie had seen her carry it in.

“Okay?” Mindy’s grin looked just a little mean. “Is it still a deal?”

“I said I’d do your dare,” Sophie told her. “And I will.”

She didn’t want to — at all. But what else could a daredevil do? Besides, Sophie only had to take the present. She didn’t have to keep it. Right?

She’d take it and show Mindy. And right away, she’d put it back.

But first it was time to eat. Mia’s parents were passing out the pizza. And Kate was waving to Sophie and calling, “Over here! I saved you a place.”

Sophie waved back and hurried over. She slipped into a seat between Sydney and Kate.

“So what was Mindy talking to you about?” Kate asked.

“Uh …,” Sophie mumbled. She really didn’t want to say.

She wasn’t surprised that Kate had asked. Mindy hardly ever talked to them. And Sophie always told Kate everything. After all, Kate was her best friend. Still, there was something about Mindy’s dare that made her want to keep it in.

“Hmmm?” Kate was waiting for Sophie’s answer.

Sophie looked at her pizza instead.

“Hey, look!” she said finally. “The plates all look like different kinds of balls.” She pointed to Kate’s soccer ball plate. “Want to trade?”

“No, thanks.” Kate grinned and shook her head. “You can keep your football plate. You know I like soccer more! Hey, did you know Mia was going to have a sports theme?”

“I didn’t,” said Sydney. “As if inviting boys wasn’t bad enough!”

They laughed, and Sophie sighed. The subject had been changed! She picked up her pizza and took a bite.

“So … what about Mindy?” Kate asked again. Ugh.

Sophie chewed as slowly as she could. Then she spotted Mia’s mom with the birthday cake. She pointed. “Look!”

Kate turned to see a bright orange mound on a silver tray.

Sydney leaned over. “Is that supposed to be a ball cake?”

“Well, I guess it could be a basketball,” Sophie said with a shrug.

Kate nodded. “Or maybe Mia’s having a space theme, too, and it’s the sun.”

They watched Mia’s mom light the candles. After that, Mia’s dad cut the lights. Then the birthday song started. Sophie quietly moved her mouth, as usual, so no funny sounds came out. If only she could have stopped the sounds from Toby’s and Archie’s mouths, too. They squawked like chickens this time. Sophie couldn’t wait for the song to be done.

Mia blew out the candles, and her mom cut the cake. This was usually when people called out for a special piece — like a corner, or a flower, or a piece with the name on it. But it was pretty quiet, since this cake didn’t have those things.

Sophie looked down at the piece she got. It was on a baseball plate. But before she took a bite, her eyes and Mindy’s met.

“So what are you waiting for?” Mindy’s eyes asked.

“Good question,” Sophie’s said back.

She took a lick of icing. Mmm. Butterscotch. Then she pushed her chair back, took a deep breath, and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Kate asked.