Goldie Blox and the Best Friend Fail Read online

  Angela Rodgers’s mouth hung open. “I didn’t even ask a question yet.”

  Suddenly, Li’s voice came through on the hologram machine. “I call the second meeting of the Future Astronauts Club to order,” he said. “We’ll start by taking attendance.”

  “I’m here. I’m here!” Goldie raised her right arm and bounced up and down.

  “What’s going on?” Angela Rodgers asked.

  “Nothing,” Goldie said. “Quick. Ask me your questions. And try the waffles.” The kitchen clock already said it was two minutes after one.

  “Who inspired you to cook?” Angela Rodgers asked.

  At the same time, Li asked, “Who should be the first to orbit Mars?”

  “My dad,” Goldie said, answering Angela Rodgers’s question.

  “Your dad?” Li asked. “He wants to orbit Mars?”

  “No, I wasn’t talking to—”

  “What’s your secret ingredient?” Angela Rodgers asked. She took a bite of the waffles.

  But Val asked a question, too. “What fuel do we need to get to Mars?”

  “Jet fuel,” Goldie said.

  Angela Rodgers spit out her mouthful of waffles. “Disgusting!”

  The cameraman was catching every minute of this disaster.

  “Uggghhh,” Goldie moaned.

  Goldie’s mom stepped forward from the doorway. “I don’t think your plan is working, Goldie. Everyone is getting confused.”

  Goldie looked at Angela Rodgers. “My secret ingredient is ginger. My dad inspired me to be creative in the kitchen.” Then she turned to the hologram machine. “We should all go to Mars together. And we’ll need jet fuel. A lot of jet fuel.”

  Her watch buzzed. It was five minutes after one. Time to go.

  “Thanks for a great interview.” She shook Angela Rodgers’s hand again. Then she saluted the hologram recorder. “Meeting adjourned.”

  “But wait, we didn’t—” Li said.

  “I wasn’t—” Angela Rodgers said.

  “So sorry,” Goldie said, and raced out the door. She had placed her souped-up skateboard on the front steps. Nacho was waiting in his sidecar. They strapped on helmets and off they went.

  When Goldie and Nacho arrived at the park, Goldie’s heart sank. All the other builders were nearly done with their twenty-foot towers. Goldie and Nacho had nine feet to go. She took a deep breath.

  “Come on, Nacho!”

  Nacho fetched recycled materials from a pile. Goldie started throwing them on top of their structure.

  “I could really use some rope to secure this,” Goldie said. But she was in a hurry. She heaved boxes on top of planters on top of plastic milk jugs on top of wooden crates.

  In no time, Goldie’s tower was tall enough. And in no time, it began to sway.

  “Watch out!” a man yelled. He was building right next to Goldie.

  “That’s not stable,” someone else said.

  Goldie’s watch beeped again.

  “We gotta go!” she said to Nacho. But they couldn’t just leave their tower wobbling. It needed to be fixed. They would have to ride extra fast to HackerCon—like light-speed fast.

  Goldie adjusted a few paint cans. Nacho found some old cords, and they secured them to the structure. Goldie used pieces from a broken swing set to brace the corners.

  “Not perfect, but it works. Let’s go.”

  As they ran to the skateboard, a strong wind blew. Goldie hoped her tower wouldn’t fall down, but she didn’t have time to check on it. She got on her board, and Nacho jumped into his sidecar.

  She kicked her skateboard into the highest gear. She hoped to be with Ruby in three minutes.

  Goldie and Nacho flew down the sidewalk. Goldie grabbed a street sign and took a hard right. They jumped over potholes and sailed through obstacles. Things were looking good until a cat ran out in front of them.

  Nacho barked.

  Goldie used her foot to brake.

  They stopped and somehow managed not to hit the cat. But a wheel on her skateboard popped off.

  “Oh no.” Goldie looked at her watch. She’d thought she’d be at the convention center by now.

  “Come on, Nacho. We have to run.”

  Running was not Nacho’s favorite activity. When he had to move, he walked slowly or used a jetpack.

  Goldie sprinted up River Street and down Clark Road. Nacho tried to keep up. His tongue dragged on the sidewalk.

  “Poor dog.” Goldie picked him up and kept running, but just a little slower. She was out of breath and had a blister on her foot when she finally reached HackerCon.

  It was one-forty-three p.m.

  Goldie dashed up the stairs to the front door of the convention center. She had her palm on the handle when she heard crying. And, unfortunately, she recognized it.

  Nacho and Goldie walked around the building. They found Ruby sitting on the ground. Her legs were pulled to her chest, and her head rested on her knees. Ruby’s minicomputer lay next to her. It was turned off.

  Goldie sank to the ground. “Ruby.”

  Ruby lifted her head. She wiped her tears.

  “I’m sorry I’m late.” Goldie put a hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “But I’m here now. Let’s go present!” She forced a smile. She had a feeling she knew what was coming next.

  “We can’t. We missed our shot.” Ruby’s shoulders shook.

  “Maybe I can explain to the organizers.” Goldie was back on her feet. “See, I had an interview and a meeting. There was a tower-building event. And then my skateboard broke down. I had to carry my dog three blocks, and he’s not—”

  “No, Goldie,” Ruby interrupted. “You can’t explain to anyone. You weren’t here like you promised. It’s over. It’s done.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have been here.” A knot formed again in her stomach.

  Ruby nodded.

  “Are you mad at me?” Goldie asked.

  “Not mad,” Ruby said. “Just…” She stopped talking.

  Goldie had failed her best friend. She felt awful. But she put on a big phony smile to cover it. “Hey, why don’t we have a sleepover? We can start planning for next year’s HackerCon. We’ll do something great!”

  “No thanks.” Ruby stood and gathered her minicomputer and bag. “I want to be alone. Bye, Goldie.”

  Ruby walked away without looking back.

  Goldie invited Li and Val over to the BloxShop. She had disappointed Ruby and needed to fix the situation.

  “I can’t believe I missed HackerCon,” Goldie said. She flopped down on the couch. Nacho licked her cheek. It didn’t make her feel any better.

  “Seriously?” Val asked. “You had to know you couldn’t be in four places at once.”

  “I tried,” Goldie said.

  “Yeah, you did.” Li pointed to the hole in the wall from their time machine.

  “We should patch that.” Goldie got up and pulled out her hammer. Nacho dragged over some scrap wood, and Val picked up a can of nails. They got to work.

  “Do you think Ruby will ever talk to me again?” Goldie asked as she hammered.

  “Definitely,” Li said.

  “Of course,” Val agreed. “Maybe you could make it up to her somehow.”

  Goldie sighed and kicked the now-broken washing machine. “If only my time machine worked. I’d go back and make it right. Should we try again?”

  “Goldie.” Val grabbed her by the shoulders. “Just write her a note. Say you’re sorry and that it won’t happen again. It’s that simple.”

  “A note is a good idea, Val.” Goldie ran over to her whiteboard. “A note written in the sky.”

  Val slapped her forehead. “I meant a note on paper.”

  “We’re going to think of something great. Come on, Gearheads.” Saying Gearheads but not having Ruby there made Goldie’s stomach hurt. Their group was incomplete.

  “You okay?” Li asked.

  “I will be,” Goldie said. She turned to the whiteboard and wrote skywriting. They brain
stormed other big ideas, like performing a rap song in Ruby’s honor during a school assembly.

  “That doesn’t sound embarrassing at all,” Val said, rolling her eyes. “But I’d love a chance to write a new song.” Val was the musical one of the group.

  They also added parade and a Ruby-shaped blimp to the list.

  “Can you get a blimp made to look like a person?” Val asked.

  “We could engineer it,” Goldie said. All these ideas were making her feel better.

  “Hey, I just remembered something.” Li jumped up as Goldie was writing carve Ruby’s face into Mount Rushmore.

  “What?” Val asked.

  “Isn’t Ruby’s birthday next week?” Li said.

  “You’re right!” Goldie couldn’t believe she had almost forgotten.

  “We could have a party,” Val suggested. “I can make a cake.”

  “No,” Goldie said. “Not a party. A bash! A huge, surprise bash.” Goldie erased all the other ideas from the board and wrote BASH!!!

  “Ruby doesn’t love surprises,” Val pointed out. “Remember when you jumped out of her locker dressed as a polar bear? She almost fainted.”

  Goldie had only been trying to celebrate Earth Day in the most epic way.

  “Yeah, G,” Li agreed. “Ruby likes to plan and have everything in its place. She puts her socks in alphabetical order.”

  “Huh?” Goldie didn’t understand.

  “B for black socks comes before D for diagonally striped socks,” Val explained. “She showed me her system one afternoon.”

  “Well, she’s going to love this surprise bash.” Goldie was certain. “Because we’ll plan everything perfectly. We’ll have it at Frothy Formulas Smoothie Shop, but it’ll be fancy.”

  “I can do the decorations,” Li volunteered. “It’s for Ruby. So something high-tech. Laser lights, hidden speakers, disco balls, and large HD screens with Ruby’s picture.”

  “Perfect!” Goldie declared.

  “Over-the-top,” Val mumbled.

  “What about food?” Goldie asked. “Val, you’re making the cake, right?”

  “Yes, but it’ll just be a cake. Don’t expect it to fly or light up.”

  “Great, as long as it’s yummy. But maybe the candles could shoot—”

  “No!” Val interrupted. “The candles will just be candles. I’m not going to risk you sending my cake to the moon or blowing it up.”

  “Fine,” Goldie agreed. “Now we need a guest list. We need to invite her favorite people.”

  “Like the girls on the cheerleading team and in her Cool Coders Club?” Val asked.

  “Of course, but also her favorite, favorite people,” Goldie said with a big smile.

  “Who?” Li asked.

  “Sarah Kumar and Zada!” Goldie had heard Ruby talk about these two women many times. They were her idols. Sarah Kumar was the world’s most sought-after computer programmer, and Zada was an iconic fashion designer.

  “Ruby would love to meet them,” Val said. “But do you really think they’ll come?”

  “Yes.” Goldie couldn’t imagine why not.

  “This is going to be epic,” Li said.

  “Now I just need to think of the perfect gift, and this will be the best birthday Ruby has ever had!” Goldie couldn’t wait.

  Students filled the halls of Higgs Bozon Prep. The first bell had not rung yet. Goldie and Li walked past the aluminum cube statue that was HiBo’s mascot.

  “Morning, Block Head,” Goldie said. She’d made up the nickname for the cube. She knew the reason behind the mascot: Because like a student, an aluminum cube is full of potential. Still, Goldie thought a tiger or a wrench would be a better choice. She hoped to convince the school to make a change. Someday. But right now, she had a different mission.

  “There she is.” Goldie grabbed Li’s arm and dragged him toward Val.

  “Hey, guys,” Val said as she put some books in her locker.

  “We have a problem,” Goldie said.

  “What?” Val’s eyes grew wide, and she started chewing on her nails. “Do I need to put on safety goggles?”

  “No. Well, maybe.” Goldie scratched her head. “I sent invitations to the special guests for the you-know-what.” She looked around in case Ruby was nearby.

  “And?” Val said.

  “They haven’t replied! If Sarah Kumar and Zada aren’t there, this will be a disaster.” Goldie wouldn’t let Ruby’s surprise birthday bash be a disaster.

  “G, when did you send the invitations?” Li asked.

  “Last night!”

  “Maybe they haven’t even seen it yet,” Val pointed out. “Maybe we should wait a whole day before panicking.”

  “No. I’m not taking any chances. After school, I’m going to drop by Sarah Kumar’s office and deliver another invitation.” Goldie pulled an envelope from her hair. “Who’s with me?”

  “By ‘drop by,’ do you mean parachute into?” Val asked.

  “No,” Goldie shook her head. “Well, maybe.”

  “I’m in,” Li said.

  “Val?” Goldie asked.

  “I guess,” she answered. “But no parachutes for me.”

  “Awesome. Meet me by Block Head after school.” Goldie smiled. She knew that when her friends worked together, they could do anything.

  Goldie was about to head to class when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around. It was Ruby.

  “Hi, Goldie,” Ruby said.

  “Hey,” Goldie said nervously. She hoped Ruby hadn’t overheard her plans.

  “Um, I missed you this weekend,” Ruby continued. “Can we put this whole HackerCon thing behind us? I know you didn’t miss it on purpose. And—”

  “I didn’t miss it on purpose. And I’m so, so sorry. It’ll never happen again.” Goldie crossed her heart with her finger.

  Ruby smiled. “Let’s just not talk about it anymore.”

  “I missed you, too.” Goldie hugged Ruby.

  “Cool. The gang’s all back together,” Li said happily.

  “So, do you Gearheads want to come watch me cheer after school today?” Ruby asked. “We’ve been working on a new halftime routine. Goldie, we’re using the magnetic shoes you invented to create a record-breaking pyramid.”

  “That’s awesome! I’ll be there.” Goldie high-fived Ruby.

  “Goldie…,” Val mumbled. “Remember?”

  “Right. Sorry. We can’t.” Goldie shrugged.

  “What are you guys up to?” Ruby asked. She couldn’t keep the disappointment from her face.

  “Nothing. Nothing,” Goldie said as the first bell rang. “Good luck with cheerleading.” They all headed into their classrooms.

  After school, Li and Val waited by the aluminum cube. Goldie joined them, carrying what appeared to be a mini-helicopter.

  “What’s that?” Val asked. “You don’t expect us to fly in it, do you?”

  Goldie thought for a second. Then shook her head. “It can’t hold us. This is to send a message to Ruby.” She unrolled a banner that read GOOD LUCK, RUBY!! CHEER! CHEER! CHEER!

  “I want Ruby to know we’re thinking about her.” Goldie tied the banner to her Do-It-All drone and set it off toward the school’s gym. The drone could drop confetti, play music, fly a banner, and take pictures. Goldie had painted it blue like the sky and white like clouds. She thought of it as camouflage for when she used it outside.

  “Let’s go!” Li said. “We have invitations to deliver.”

  Sarah Kumar had an office in the center of town. She had moved her company, Bit & Byte, to Bloxtown from Portland two years earlier. But Goldie had never met her. More importantly, Ruby had never met her, and Ruby idolized her.

  Goldie knew a lot about Sarah Kumar, thanks to the report Ruby had done in school last month. Sarah wrote her first code when she was eight. (Ruby wrote her first at five.) Sarah had hacked into the computers at the Coaster Town amusement park when she was in middle school. She’d set the ticket prices to ninety-nin
e cents for one day.

  At first, the owners of Coaster Town were mad and wanted Sarah to be punished. But the day was a big success. And now they lowered their twenty-dollar ticket prices to ninety-nine cents one day every year for students. They actually called it Sarah Kumar Day.

  Sarah had won every coding contest there was. She’d created apps that she sold for millions of dollars. She’d even met the president. He had needed help with the security on his personal computer. Sarah was an expert on that, too.

  Sarah Kumar was one of the best coders in the world. But Goldie thought Ruby was, too. They needed to meet.

  Val rode her bike, while Goldie and Li rode their boards. They kept their speed reasonable and obeyed all the traffic laws. Val preferred it that way. When they arrived at the high-rise building, they parked and went in the front door.

  “This might be easy,” Val said.

  But she spoke too soon. The security guard at the desk wouldn’t let them go to the thirteenth floor to meet Sarah Kumar.

  “You need an appointment,” he said.

  “How do we get an appointment?” Val asked.

  “Call her assistant.” The guard pulled out a phone, pressed a few numbers, and handed it to Goldie.

  “Sarah Kumar’s office,” a man answered on the other end.

  “Hi, I’d like to make an appointment. Do you have something available in, say, two minutes? This is very important,” Goldie explained. Then she added, “Please.”

  “Ms. Kumar doesn’t have any openings until April.”

  “April? That’s two months away!” Goldie couldn’t wait that long.

  “No, sorry for the confusion. I meant next April. In fourteen months.”

  Goldie said no thanks and hung up the phone.

  “Sorry, G,” Li said as they headed to the door.

  “I’m not giving up!” Goldie declared. “There are other ways to see Sarah Kumar on the thirteenth floor.”

  “Wait!” Val grabbed Goldie’s shoulder. “Before you suggest using suction cups to climb the outside of the building like a spider, maybe we can just borrow this.” Val ran over to a life-size cardboard cutout of Sarah Kumar holding a laptop.