Heidi Heckelbeck Pool Party! Read online

  Melanie humphed. Then she said, “FINE. Because believe me, Heidi Heckelbeck, the last person I want to be around is YOU.”

  Heidi felt her cheeks flush. “OKAY, then I’ll tell you!” she said through gritted teeth.

  Melanie leaned in closer. Lucy and Bruce leaned in closer too.

  “The secret…,” Heidi began, “is that I’m bringing a giant unicorn float that will take kids on rides around the pool.”

  Everyone gasped—even Melanie.

  “Wow!” Lucy exclaimed. “That really IS super-cool!”

  Bruce nodded. “I’d ride a unicorn.”

  Melanie just sniffed. “Well, your secret’s safe with me,” she said, which Heidi didn’t believe for one second. “And, PS, you’ll still see me in class, HEIDI.” Then Melanie walked away.

  Heidi turned to Lucy and Bruce. “That girl is absolutely, POSITIVELY merg-o-listic!”

  And that was all Heidi had to say about that.

  PUMP IT UP!

  On the morning of the pool party, Heidi dressed in her pink swimsuit with polka dots and matching shorts.

  Before leaving, she stuffed her unicorn float into a large bag. She also tossed in the pink glitter, her medallion, and a bottle of water—everything she would need to perform her spell. She packed the party cups and plates in a separate shopping bag.

  Aunt Trudy drove Heidi to the pool. Mom and Dad had gone earlier to set up. Henry had spent the night with his best friend, Dudley, and was coming to the pool later.

  Flip! Flop! Flip! Flop! Heidi’s sandals slapped the tiles as she walked into the pool area. The grown-ups had set tables filled with platters of food and drinks. Heidi dropped off her cups and plates. Then she hid the float in the storage room.

  Just as Heidi stepped out of the storage room, Mia leaped out with the rest of the team and cried out, “Hi, hi, Heidi!”

  Heidi was so surprised she nearly jumped out of her flip-flops.

  “Oh, hey!” Heidi said as the girls crowded around her. She took a step back.

  “When were you going to tell us about your big secret—your float ride?” Mia said. “We can’t wait to see it in action! Is it ready yet?”

  Now Heidi knew that Melanie had told everyone about the float. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly party time.

  Heidi shrugged. “Um, it’ll be ready pretty soon! I promise!”

  The girls cheered and headed off to prepare for the crowd.

  “Well, let me know if you need any help!” Mia said with a wink.

  “Thanks, but I can handle this,” said Heidi.

  Once she was sure nobody was looking, Heidi quickly snuck back into the storage room. She pulled out the unicorn float along with the glitter, the water, and her Witches of Westwick medallion. At least, I HOPE I can handle this, she thought.

  Heidi unfolded the directions and carefully followed each step.

  Instantly the unicorn began to sparkle and inflate. Heidi watched it grow to full size. Then the unicorn blinked its eyes and spoke.

  “Hello! My name is Uni, and I am a magical unicorn float! What can I do for you?”

  Heidi put her finger to her lips. “Shhh. You can start by keeping it down! Nobody around here has ever heard of a talking unicorn float.”

  Uni whinnied softly. “Then it’ll be our little secret.”

  “Okay,” Heidi agreed with a smile. Then she explained that she wanted the float to give kids rides around the pool.

  “The pool party is on the other side of this door,” she explained. “I’ll clap once to begin the ride. Then give each kid two laps around the pool. And in case of an emergency, two claps will mean stop. Is that okay with you?”

  Uni bobbed his colorful horn. “That sounds delightful!”

  Heidi hugged the float around the neck. “Then let the pool party BEGIN!”

  WILD RIDE!

  Heidi placed her unicorn float by the edge of the pool. She was ready for the crowd. The food tables were ready too. Coach Poole sat down at the entrance to collect entry fees, and the lifeguards stood poolside. Party time had finally come!

  Families swarmed into the pool area. Soon Heidi had a long line for her ride. She clapped her hands, and Uni motored the kids around the pool. The float swerved around swimmers like they were traffic cones.

  “My turn!” said Henry, who was next in line. He straddled the unicorn and grabbed hold of the handles. Heidi clapped, and Henry whizzed around the pool. The unicorn left a wake in the water.

  “Whoa, I don’t remember this unicorn being so much FUN!” Henry said when the ride was over. Then he whispered in Heidi’s ear. “It’s almost as if it were MAGIC.”

  Heidi laughed and patted her brother hard on the back.

  “Glad you liked it,” she said, carefully ignoring Henry’s magic comment. Heidi didn’t want anyone to get suspicious. “Now, who’s next?”

  Standing at the front of the line was Miss Frizzy Monster herself, Melanie. “I’m next, Heckelbeck. And all I can say is your SECRET ride better be worth it.”

  “I guess you’ll have to see for yourself,” Heidi said.

  With a snort, Melanie jumped onto the float, and Uni almost tipped over.

  “Be GENTLE!” Heidi cried.

  Melanie ignored her and waited for the ride to begin.

  Heidi had a bad feeling about this, but she still clapped her hands. Whoosh!

  Uni took off around the pool, but Melanie looked unimpressed.

  “Heidi’s ride is for boring babies!” she announced. “I’ll make it exciting!”

  Then Melanie tugged hard on the unicorn’s neck.

  “PLEASE STOP!” Heidi shouted as Uni began to rear and buck like a wild horse.

  “Whee!” Melanie hollered as she held on tight.

  Everyone watched the wild float. It was impossible not to!

  Heidi clapped her hands twice to stop the ride, but Uni could not hear her over Melanie’s squeals.

  “Oh no!” Heidi gasped.

  Had her magic spell just thrown the Little Mermaids’ pool party into the deep end?

  POOL PARTY HERO

  Clap! Clap!

  Ker-splash!

  Heidi jumped into the pool with a noodle and flutter kicked fast to the unicorn float. A lifeguard blew her whistle and jumped into the water too.

  Heidi had to act quickly if she wanted to keep this party from going down the drain. When she reached the float, she whispered into Uni’s ear, “Thank you for everything, but the magical rides are over.”

  Uni winked at Heidi, and—ZAP!—the float became instantly still as Melanie lost her grip and flopped into the pool.

  When Melanie bobbed back to the surface, Heidi handed her a noodle. “Here, take this.”

  Melanie grabbed the noodle and took a deep breath. Then she touched her head and screamed, “My HAIR! It got all WET!”

  Her shriek echoed off all the walls.

  Heidi nodded, then swam her classmate to the edge of the pool. Coach Poole helped Melanie out of the water and wrapped a blue towel around her. Then Heidi climbed out of the pool by herself.

  “Heidi saved the day!” Mia shouted.

  Everyone clapped and cheered. And just like that, Heidi became a pool party hero.

  CHOW TIME!

  Being a hero made Heidi hungry. She fixed a plate that was loaded with a sandwich, potato salad, a fruit kabob, and a cupcake… and Heidi ate every bite.

  Hmm, if I’m this hungry, then Melanie must be starving! she thought.

  Heidi prepared another plate and found Melanie at the far end of the pool. She was hiding in the corner by the fin bin all by herself. Her wet hair curled wildly over the top of her head, and her towel hung over her shoulders like a cape.

  Heidi held out the plate of food and a cup of lemonade.

  “This is for you,” she said.

  Melanie smiled. She took the plate and set the lemonade on the floor beside her.

  “You know, your float ride was pretty awesome,” Mela
nie admitted.

  Heidi felt a warm feeling wash over her. “Thanks,” she said. “I’m sorry your hair got wet, but it looks really cool this way, like a rock star.”

  Melanie shrugged. “You think? I kind of like it too. Maybe I should thank you for giving me a new hot-weather hairstyle.”

  Heidi laughed and said, “Anytime.”

  As Heidi turned to go, Melanie called out to her. “Hey, Heidi? Can you tell whoever brought the cups and plates to the party that they did a really good job? It’s the PERFECT pool party design.”

  Heidi blushed because Melanie knew exactly who had brought the dishware.

  “Okay,” Heidi said, playing along. “I’ll let her know.”

  Suddenly Mia rushed to Heidi’s side. She was practically floating like a ball in the water.

  “Come with me!” Mia said, tugging her friend by the arm. “Coach Poole is about to make an announcement!”

  Heidi waved good-bye to Melanie and joined her other teammates and their coach.

  “Thank you to everyone who came out today!” Coach Poole called into her megaphone. “I am thrilled to announce that the Little Mermaids’ pool party raised enough money to buy new equipment for the team. To show our appreciation for your help, here’s a team cheer!”

  The guests hooted, hollered, and clapped loudly.

  Then, on the count of three, the Little Mermaids stood up and sang:

  “We’re the Little Mermaids!

  We raised a lot of CASH!

  Now the Little Mermaids

  will make a BIGGER SPLASH!

  GO-O-O-O-O, Mermaids!!!”

  The team waved to the crowd and then hugged and playfully ruffled one another’s hair.

  Heidi squealed with laughter, and when her teammates were done, she had a whole new hairdo… that looked just like a bird’s nest.

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  Keep reading for a preview of

  Heidi Heckelbeck For Class President

  by

  Wanda Coven

  Heidi Heckelbeck and Bruce Bickerson talked about narwhals the whole way to school.

  “Narwhals are the unicorns of the sea!” Heidi said as the two friends hopped off the bus. “And they grant wishes with their magical horns!”

  Heidi loved these mysterious whales with the single spiral tusk.

  Bruce looked at Heidi as if she had a horn. He was a scientist, and scientists love facts.

  “There are so many things wrong with that statement,” Bruce declared. “First of all, it’s not a horn, it’s a tooth that grows out of the narwhal’s lip. Second, the tooth cannot grant wishes, because the tooth is not magical. Third, and most important, there is no such thing as magic.”

  Heidi giggled, because of course there was such a thing as magic. She practiced magic all the time! But she couldn’t exactly tell Bruce she was a witch.

  “Okay,” she challenged, “if you’re such a great scientist, how can you say magic doesn’t exist until you prove it doesn’t exist?”

  Bruce laughed loudly, and Heidi was so busy watching him, she forgot to look where she was going.

  Sploosh!

  She stepped right into a deep puddle. Cold water filled one of her sneakers.

  Continue Reading…

  Heidi Heckelbeck For Class President

  Wanda Coven

  About the Author and Illustrator

  WANDA COVEN has always loved magic. When she was little, she used to make secret potions from smooshed shells and acorns. Then she would pretend to transport herself and her friends to enchanted places. Now she’s able to visit other worlds through writing. Wanda lives in San Jose, California, with her husband and son. They have three cats: Hilda, Agnes, and Claw-dia.

  PRISCILLA BURRIS has illustrated numerous books and materials for children, parents, and teachers. She enjoys painting cakes and creating art for products, which include murals, greeting cards, and rubber stamps! Priscilla lives with her family in Southern California.

  Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids

  www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Wanda-Coven

  www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Priscilla-Burris

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster, New York

  HeidiHeckelbeckBooks.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

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  First Little Simon paperback edition May 2020

  Copyright © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Also available in a Little Simon hardcover edition.

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  Designed by Ciara Gay

  Jacket design by Ciara Gay

  Jacket illustrations by Priscilla Burris

  Jacket illustrations copyright © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  This book has been cataloged with the Library of Congress.

  ISBN 978-1-5344-6128-4 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-5344-6127-7 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-5344-6129-1 (eBook)