Whoopi Goldberg - Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Sugar Plums to the Rescue!

Jessica, hurry! Were going to be late for class!

Jerzey Mae peeks in through my doorway, her eyebrows knitted together with worry.

I look at my clock. Its okay, Jerzey Mae. We have plenty of time, I say, in my best calm-Jerzey-Mae-down voice. I use it a lot, because she is always worrying. Ever since our little brother, Mason, helped her learn how to dance better, shes been a little more relaxed about things. But a little more relaxed for Jerzey Mae is about the same as pretty freaked out for most people.

Jerzey Mae bounces up and down on her toes for a moment, as if she has to go to the bathroom, then tears down the hall. I hear her trying to rush our sister, JoAnn. Then I hear JoAnn replying, Jerz! Relax! We dont have to leave for ten minutes!

I grimace. Telling Jerzey Mae to relax is about the worst thing you can do. It usually makes her mad, which gets her even more wound up. But instead of howls, I hear the squeaking of floorboards and the creaking of springs as she walks back into her room and plops onto her bed to wait. Wow. She really has gotten better.

Time to feed my animals. I got my first pet, Herman the iguana, for my eighth birthday last year. I slip beet greens and part of a sweet potato into his cage. Walt the box turtle gets grated carrots and spinach. Shakespeare the rat scampers over and starts chomping on the lettuce I give him. I want to be a veterinarian or a poet when I grow up, but with all the food-preparation experience Im getting, I could be a chef.

Bar car far jar! Edgar the mynah bird calls out as I put some banana slices into his food dish. I named him Edgar after Edgar Allan Poe, because Poe wrote a poem about a raven. I know a mynah bird isnt exactly a raven, but Mom and Dad said a raven wouldnt make a suitable pet. (Dad sometimes says Edgar isnt that suitable, either. Once, Mason left Edgars cage open, and Dad woke up in the middle of the night to find Edgar sitting on his chest reciting rhyming words. One of the words was bed, which I thought was very clever; but Dad wasnt impressed. I heard him scream from all the way in my bedroom.)

After everyones been fed and Ive double-checked that all the cages are closed, I look to see if I still have time left to read a little of my bird book. Its really interesting, and Edgar likes to look at the pictures with me. But now it really is time to get ready for class.

I change into my leotard and tights and put on my sneakers. Mom calls, Girls! Time to go! just as I toss my ballet slippers into my bag.

As I step into the hallway, Jerzey Mae bolts out of her room, nearly crashing into me. Just a second, JoAnn drawls as we pass her bedroom door. Shes slumped back in her chair playing a video skateboard game, with her baseball cap on backward, as usual. My parents arent crazy about video games. But when JoAnn broke her leg last November, she was so miserable about not being able to do sports that they gave in and bought her some games so she could at least pretend to skateboard and play baseball.

Its weird how JoAnn, Jerzey Mae, and I are tripletswe dont look alike or act alike at all. Jerzey Mae is always buzzing around, running on nervous energy, and her wardrobe looks like a frilly Pepto-Bismol explosion: nothing but pink, pink, pink. JoAnn is a total tomboy, always wearing jeans and T-shirts. She moves slowly, unless shes on the soccer field or running the bases at a baseball game. And me? Im in the middle. Im not as skinny as Jerzey Mae or as muscle-y as JoAnn. Plus, I move at normal speed.

JoAnn peels herself off her chair and stands up in slow motion. Im coming, Im coming, she says, seeing Jerzey Maes panicked expression.

Mom meets us at the bottom of the stairs. Dad usually takes us to class on Saturdays, but hes out of the country for a month. He teaches African studies at a university, and he and another professor have taken a bunch of students to Botswana, where my grandfather came from. The house seems empty without Dad sitting in his study reading. And today its especially quiet, since Mason is spending the weekend with one of his friends.

All set, girls? Mom asks. She usually dresses in suitsmoms a lawyerbut since its the weekend, shes wearing jeans and a bright red coat. She looks us over: Jerzey Mae in her pink jacket, me in my brown coat, and JoAnn in a flimsy sweatshirt. JoAnn, youre going to freeze. Its cold out there!

JoAnn starts to roll her eyes, but Mom is not fond of eye-rolling, so JoAnn stops herself midroll. Ill be fine.

JoAnn Mom says.

Im going, Im going. JoAnn sighs and heads upstairs.

Careful of that leg! Mom calls after her. JoAnn just got her cast off a few weeks ago, and the doctor told her to take it easy. Youre going to put yourself back in that hospital!

This time I bet JoAnn does roll her eyes.