CHAPTER 1 Emma's Dilemma Emma cuddled in bed with Emmaphant She listened to the raindrops plop outside Today her family was driving to a beach vacation with the Farber family Just like every year Let's go Let's go rang from the hallway Emma giggled Her dad made up silly songs for everything She knew what came next Let's start the show she sang back All the boys gather your toys Dad called keeping the tune going
I don't have toys anymore Dad I'm ten a voice yelled ruining the song It was Emma's older brother who everyone called Big Big used to sing along with Dad He didn't do that anymore Lately he was too old for lots of stuff that Emma still liked Daddy get may toys shouted Emma's younger brother whose nickname was Little Little wanted to play with Emma sometimes but he was too young to understand most of her games He mostly knocked things over That was the thing that bothered Emma Big and Little's nicknames described them perfectly Emma's nickname was different Probably because everyone felt bad calling her Just Medium or Middle Emma knew that was who she was anyway Emma Bemma be a star while your father packs the car Dad rhymed walking into her room He wore his yellow starfish shirt the one he always wore for a beach vacation Emma rolled out of bed She put on the clothing
she picked out the night before- green shorts green socks and a green shirt It was too bad that when she said green it came out like gween no matter how much she practiced Big always made fun of her for it It would have been much easier if blue was her favorite color Next she turned to her Siamese fighting fish Special Star and Silly They lived in three separate tanks Otherwise they would attack each other Emma straightened the instructions she'd written in green crayon to Granny and Grandpa Feed a pinch once a day talk to each fish for five minutes Adios she whispered to her fish That's Spanish for goodbye she added Emma learned a lot of Spanish in the first grade She had to practice if she wanted to remember it for second grade Be extra nice to Special she added to Star and Silly Special's tank was the middle Emma knew that the middle could be an extra hard place to be Then she snapped her fingers open and shut to
