Ella and Skyler have been best friends since kindergarten--so close that people smoosh their names together like they're the same person: EllaandSkyler. SkylerandElla. But Ella notices the little ways she and Skyler have been slowly drifting apart. And she's determined to fix things with a fun project she's sure will bring them closer together--The BFF Bucket List. Skyler is totally on board. The girls must complete each task on the list together: things like facing their fears, hosting a fancy dinner party, and the biggest of them all--speaking actual words to their respective crushes before the end of summer. But as new friends, epic opportunities, and super-cute boys enter the picture, the challenges on the list aren't the only ones they face. And with each girl hiding a big secret that could threaten their entire friendship, will the list--and their BFF status--go bust? Dee Romito lives in her hometown of Buffalo, New York. You're likely to find her on adventures with her family, at the local ice cream shop, or curled up in a comfy chair with her cats. She loves to write, travel, and giggle like a teenager with her friends. The BFF Bucket List • CHAPTER ONE • Ella PISTACHIO ICE CREAM. It’s all that stands between two best friends and flavor number forty-seven on the big board at Three Scoops. We’ve worked our entire eighth grade year for this. One more to go, and then summer can officially begin with our mission accomplished. Rule #1: You cannot choose a flavor that’s been crossed off the list. Rule #2: You must share with your BFF. (Kill two flavors with one spoon!) Rule #3: Totally gross = bring home to unsuspecting little brother Skyler sits across the booth from me, plastic spoon in hand. “You go first, Ella,” she says. Sure, easy for her to say. She had praline crunch. “I can’t do it.” I shift in my chair, scooting away from the green glop in my bowl. “There’s a reason we picked forty-six other flavors before this one. Well, technically forty-five for me.” It drove me crazy to have to skip a flavor, but key lime pie wouldn’t have been worth the allergic reaction. “That was a medical pass. But you’re not getting out of this one,” says Skyler. I wait for us to go back and forth, me giving reasons why I shouldn’t and hearing why I absolutely have to eat it. I wait for her face to scrunch up, and for her to comment about how awful this is. Instead, Skyler reaches across the table and jabs her spoon into the ice cream. “Let’s get this over with,” she says, shoving a bigger-than-required spoonful into her mouth. She swallows quickly and motions toward me. “Your turn.” Wait, what? We’re supposed to find a million reasons to drag this out until we’re one minute away from missing our curfew. Skyler’s phone beeps, and she looks down at the screen. “What’s going on?” I ask. “Well, we might need to leave early,” says Skyler. “Early? Why? Do we have other plans?” I ask, squeezing all three questions into about one point five seconds. Skyler leans forward on the table and motions for me to do the same. We’re almost forehead to forehead in prime whisper position. “What do you think about doing something different tonight?” she asks. “You know, not our usual hanging out at one of our houses.” It’s like we’re in spy mode. “Like what?” I whisper as if she’s going to suggest an international covert operation. “Like a scary movie,” says Skyler. I jolt back and sit upright. “We don’t like scary movies.” Skyler leans her head against the soft cushion of the booth. “You don’t like scary movies, Ella. So I never suggest them. But I’d like to try something new for a change.” “Oh,” I say, my shoulders slumping. “Brooke’s mom said she could have some friends over for a movie night, and we’re invited,” says Skyler. I wait to see if she’s finished because I’m pretty sure she’s not. “And I want to go.” Brooke seems nice enough, although I don’t know her very well since we’ve only been in one class together. But scary movies, with the possibility of spiders and blood and people jumping out from behind trees? No. Thank. You. “And I don’t want to go,” I say. Just like that, instead of undercover spies on a secret mission, we’re Wild West cowboys in a tense standoff. There’s a baby crying, a couple snuggled into a booth in the corner, and a group of older teenagers laughing hysterically. And then there’s me and Skyler, sitting silently. “Maybe I should just go and we can meet up tomorrow?” says Skyler. She turns on her puppy-dog eyes, silently begging me to let her off the hook. But I know she’ll stay if I ask her to. “We were supposed to celebrate,” I say. “We can finally order our favorite flavors again.” Her eyes are pleading, and oh my pistachio, I really don’t want to be a jerk about this. It’s my best friend duty to give her a pass, right? “Have fun,” I finally say. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” “Of course,” says Skyler. “Like I could ever go more than a da