Wow Really Her mother looked impressed Want to show me On the door to Beatrice’s room there was a small square sign with neat purple letters perfectly mess free zone grubby people go away Ah here’s your room said her mother smiling at the sign She looked down at her grubby hands and rubbed them on her jeans Now if I let you in you can’t touch anything warned Beatrice Nothing 6
You can’t wrinkle the bed or rumple the carpet or touch anything at all Got it I won’t even breathe Beatrice opened the door The purple quilt on the bed was perfectly smooth Not one wrinkle or ripple The pillow was perfectly plumped A square purple-and-white rug sat exactly in the center of the room The small white desk was perfectly clean All of Beatrice’s lists were stacked neatly in the top drawer Each book in the bookcase had a special place tallest to shortest The stuffed animals on the bed were lined up alphabetically from Annabelle a duck to Zeke a horse Well you’re right Bee sighed her mother It’s perfect But don’t you want it to look a little lived-in Maybe a little less perfect 7
Ta daaaah
Beatrice wasn’t listening Check out my closet Beatrice said She swung open the door Ta-daaaah Beatrice’s closet was if possible even neater than the rest of the room Note the matching purple hangers she said and the way I’ve hung all the clothes by color blue red white yellow and of course my favorite color purple Her mother leaned against the door jamb How on earth do you live in the rest of our house she asked softly shaking her head Beatrice didn’t hear her She was carefully shutting her closet door Well kiddo your room looks great Perfect in fact her mom said I guess I better start on the rest of this house 9
