We were so in phase in our dance hall days

We were cool on craze

When I, you and everyone, we knew

Could believe, do and share in what was true

"You be a good girl," Jennie Callahan said as her youngest daughter rushed down the stairs and out the front door.

Sara stopped and turned to face her mother, her braids whipping around as she did. She ran back and hugged her mother, then said "I'm always good. Has Lizzie's mom ever complained?"

"Let's make sure she never has cause to complain," Jennie said, smoothing back a lock of her daughter's hair. "Now, do you have your pajamas?"

"Yes."

"Toothbrush?"

"Yes."

"Clean clothes for tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"OK, you can go. And make sure you thank Mrs. Tucker for letting you sleep over!"

"I will!" Sara yelled, running out the door with her backpack slung over her shoulder and clutching her pillowcase in one hand. Inside the pillowcase was her pillow and her favorite stuffed toy, a small animal that looked like a bear wearing an orange hood that had belonged to her great-grandmother.

Before she was halfway across the front yard, the door to the house next door opened and Elizabeth appeared on the porch. "Come on," she yelled, waving Sara into the house. "You have to see this."

"What?" Sara asked, slipping out of her shoes at the front door. "What's going on?"

"Trip," Elizabeth said with a giggle. "There's a dance at his school today, and he's all dressed up!"

Sara blinked. "No way," she said, shaking her head. "He hates dressing up!"

"It's because MELISSA is going to be there," Elizabeth said, exaggerating the name and giggling to herself. An angry voice came from the next room.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY ELIZABETH!"

Sara dissolved into giggles. "I think it is," she said quietly, following Elizabeth into the living room. When she looked up, she started laughing hysterically. "A bow tie?"

Trip glared at the giggling six year olds. "You think it's too much?" he asked. "I think bow ties are cool."

"I think bow ties are lame," Elizabeth said, sticking her tongue out at her brother, causing Sara to burst out giggling again.

"What do you think, Sara?"

Sara stopped laughing and quickly studied the 11 year old in front of her. "Well," she said, walking slowly around Trip. "I think it looks good, but I think maybe a regular tie? Mom always says Daddy looks the best when he's wearing a regular tie."

"Who says I'm dressing up especially for anyone?"

Sara just stared at Trip and raised an eyebrow. "I'm six, not stupid," she said.

Trip opened his mouth to respond when there was a flurry of footsteps on the stairs and Phillip, Trip and Elizabeth's oldest brother, came down the stairs and into the living room.

"Hey smidge," Phillip said, ruffling Elizabeth's hair. He grinned at Sara and gently flicked one of her braids. "Nice to see you, Little Red. Staying the night?"

Sara grinned & nodded. Phillip was the same age as her brother JJ, and one of the only people outside of her family allowed to call her "Little Red." She wasn't as shy as she'd been before, but she still didn't feel comfortable around many older kids, especially teenagers. Rather than the nuisance her brother's friends seemed to find her, Phillip treated her like she was another little sister, and Sara was very all right with that.

"Brought my pillow and everything," Sara said. She turned to Elizabeth and grinned. "I also brought that thing I've been telling you about."

"Oh cool!" Elizabeth said, clapping her hands. "I can't wait to see it!"

"And what is this thing?" Phillip asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a toy that belonged to my great-grandmother Bethan," Sara said. "My nain Rosa gave it to me when I was a baby. That's Welsh for grandmother."

"I like your grandma," Elizabeth said. "She tells funny stories. But we have something more important to do right now, and that's make sure my brother doesn't go to the dance looking like a dork."

"I DON'T LOOK LIKE A DORK!" Trip shouted.

"Not completely," Phillip said. "That bow tie, though…"

"I think he should try a regular tie," Sara ventured again.

"You know what, Little Red? I think you're right," Phillip said. He ran upstairs and then returned less than a minute later with a red tie. "Here, this'll make you look more like a man and less like an old man." In moments, the bow tie was exchanged for the regular red tie, and it was generally agreed that the switch was a good idea.

"Trip, it's time to go," his mother yelled from another room. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, mom," he said. He said goodbye to his siblings and Sara and then walked out of the room. Shortly after that, Mrs. Tucker walked into the room.

"Lizzie, your father and I are going out for the night after we drop Trip off. You and Sara be good for Phillip, all right?" The two girls nodded, and Mrs. Tucker smiled at both of them. "You're always good girls. I know you won't give Phillip any trouble. Now, if Phillip gives YOU any trouble…"

"Mom, I'll behave too, I promise."

"Good," Mrs. Tucker responded. "Have a good night kids!"

"We will!" Elizabeth yelled.

"Thanks for letting me sleep over!" Sara yelled, making sure to follow her mother's orders before she forgot.

The door closed and the sound of the car pulling out of the driveway signaled it was time for the fun to begin. "OK kid, let's see that toy," Phillip said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious myself."

Sara reached into her pillowcase and pulled out a small, bearlike object about seven inches long. It had big brown eyes and brown lips, was wearing an orange hood, and was in remarkably good condition for being almost 150 years old. "His name is Wicket," she said, stroking the fur. "My great-grandma got him when she was 2 or 3."

"He's so cute!" Elizabeth said. "What kind of bear is he?"

"He's an Ewok, isn't he?" Phillip asked.

Sara nodded happily. "Yeah, he's an Ewok," she said. "He's from a movie that came out when my great-grandma was little." She held Wicket out to Elizabeth. "You can play with him if you want."

"Be careful, Lizzie," Phillip warned his sister as she gently took the toy from her friend. "He's almost 150 years old, if I've done the math right."

"My great-grandma and my nain and my dad took really good care of him," Sara said proudly. "That's why he still looks brand new like."

Elizabeth cuddled the little plushie. "He's so soft!" she said. With an approving nod from Sara, she handed him to Phillip, who promptly made the toy dance on Sara's head and say "Yub nub," to the amusement of the two girls.

After some quality playtime with Wicket, during which Phillip explained the movie that the toy came from, and a few slices of pizza, the girls were starting to get restless.

"What should we do now?" Sara asked.

"It's too late to go to the playground, or I'd say we go play on the monkey bars," Elizabeth said.

"It's too late to go without supervision," Phillip said. "But luckily, you two ladies have adult supervision right here. Get your coats. While we're there, we can also spy on the dance."

"Ooh, that's right!" Elizabeth said happily. "The playground is right next to the school!"

A short walk later, the girls were playing happily on the monkey bars while Phillip tried to find the best place to watch the dance. After a while, Phillip came over to the bars, where Sara and Elizabeth were both hanging upside down.

"OK little monkeys," he said. "See those benches over there?" The girls nodded upside-down. "If you stand on those benches, you can see inside the school windows, right into the gym where the dance is." The girls immediately dropped down from the bars and ran over to the benches. Phillip helped them climb up, and they stood on tiptoes and looked in the windows.

"I see my sister!" Sara said excitedly. She pointed to a girl with brown braids and a sunny yellow dress, who was talking animatedly to a girl in a red dress.

"She's talking to Melissa!" Elizabeth said with a giggle. "Trip thinks Melissa is cute."

"And there's our dear brother," Phillip said, pointing to a corner of the gym. "Wonder how long he's been standing there."

"Your sister's dress is really pretty, Sara," Elizabeth said, ignoring the implications of Phillip's comment.

"Adelle has the prettiest things," Sara sighed, resting her chin on the window sill. Suddenly, a flurry of movement caused her to raise her head quickly.

"What is it?" Elizabeth said.

"TEACHERS!" Sara shouted. Phillip and Elizabeth looked, and sure enough, two teachers had spotted them and were headed towards the windows. Sara and Elizabeth hopped down from the benches and started running, followed closely by Phillip, and they didn't stop until they were in the Tucker backyard.

"OK kids," Phillip said, leaning against the back porch to catch his breath. "What's the story?"

"We were never there and we will never speak of this to anybody," Sara and Elizabeth said together.

Phillip nodded. "Good kids," he said, pushing the door open. "Let's get inside before Mom and Dad call."

As they walked inside, Sara giggled to Elizabeth "That was fun. We should do it again sometime!"

"There's another dance in the fall," Elizabeth said. "I think we should ask Phillip to babysit us again that night…"