Emma Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice by Coco Simon Page A

really nice, and they gave Jake a cute gown to wear with fire trucks all over it. (In a pinch, fire trucks are almost as good as police cars to Jake.) Then we had some downtime, and that was the hardest part.
    My mom gave Jake the presents from Matt and Sam to kill some time, and then she gave him the one from “me.” Naturally, Jake adored the boys’ presents, and he wanted to play catch in the waiting area, but my parents wouldn’t let him. So Jake and I drew and played hangman and tic-tac-toe until finally I was so hungry, I couldn’t stand it, and I toldJake I had to go to the bathroom, so I could hide down the hall and eat my cereal bar.
    At this point, it was eight fifteen, and Jake would be called in at any minute. As I walked down the hall, a door to a doctor’s office opened, and I heard a man’s voice saying “See you in two weeks!” and out walked Diego Diaz and a man who must’ve been his dad!
    â€œDiego!” I said, so surprised to see him that I blurted out his name before I even had a chance to feel shy.
    â€œHi, Emma,” he said. He was not his usual happy self, though. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œMy little brother is getting his tonsils out, so I’m here for moral support,” I said, shrugging. “Hi,” I said to his dad. Diego introduced us.
    â€œOh! You’re the model who’s scared of the dentist!” said his dad, smiling genially.
    â€œDad!” said Diego, blushing. He rolled his eyes at me.
    I felt bad for Diego, because obviously he’d told his parents about me, and now he was mortified. But I felt great for me, because Diego had found our dentist visit worth mentioning! Quickly, I said, “I know. It’s crazy that I’m even here, because the last time I came as a visitor, I fainted! I can’t believethey even let me back in here!” I laughed.
    Diego and his dad laughed too. “Well, I have to come back and get an operation on my ankle,” said Diego, his smile fading as he thought of it. “I hurt it playing lacrosse, and it just keeps getting worse.”
    â€œThat’s a bummer,” I said. “But maybe you’ll be, like, bionic after!” I was trying to make him feel better.
    He smiled. “I hadn’t thought of it that way,” he said. “Mostly I’m just dreading it.”
    â€œWell, you’re much braver than I am. You were a rock star at the dentist’s, anyway, where I would normally faint, so I think you’ll handle this just fine.”
    â€œThanks,” said Diego.
    We smiled awkwardly at each other for a minute, and then his dad cleared his throat and said, “I think we’d better head out, so you’re not too late for school, son. It was nice to meet you, Emma. Good luck with your brother’s tonsils!”
    â€œThanks!” I said, waving as they walked away.
    â€œBye,” Diego called over his shoulder.
    I couldn’t believe Diego of all people was nervous about an operation. At Dr. Brown’s, he was so cool. I guess everyone has something they’re scared of (okay, maybe a few things). I was smiling happilyto myself as I started walking again, lost in a daydream of Diego and me on a date at the movies. I wasn’t paying much attention to my surroundings, and, suddenly, I turned a corner and found myself back at that dreaded lab room again, where I’d fainted the other day.
    I gasped and ducked back around the corner I’d just turned, flattening myself against the wall. That room was like kryptonite for me! A passing nurse gave me a funny look and said, “Everything okay?”
    I nodded and decided to eat my cereal bar right there. I was almost all the way through it when suddenly Jake and my parents appeared, with Jake riding in a wheelchair!
    â€œEmmy! There you are!” he cried. “Look at me! I’m just like you were in the wheelchair! Woohoo!”
    At least he