On the drive home from church, Josie’s mom says she needs her to try on the new dress she made for her end-of-the-school-year dance. Her older sisters, the triplets, or “gruesome 3-some” as she sometimes calls them, grumble under their breath as if angry and jealous that Josie’s mom made her a beautiful dress of many colors for the dance.

“Girls, remember, I made you three dresses for your end-of-year seventh grade dance too,” mom reminds them. The three girls mumble their “oh yeahs” and “okays” as they stare at their shifting feet. Josie can tell they are still a little upset, but she focuses her energy on the excitement she feels inside instead of the negativity inside their family minivan.

The following weekend, Josie goes to the mall with her sisters to help them pick out their dresses for the dance. One by one, they try on each dress from the pile they manage to bring into the dressing room. Madison tells Josie to have some fun and try on the dresses with them. Sadie hands her a ravishing blue dress that Brooklyn says really brings out her eyes. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, the triplets tell Josie how stunning she looks.

“I think you should wear this dress to the dance,” says Sadie.

“Absolutely,” replies Madison, “let’s go pick out some shoes!”

“I’ll do your hair and makeup,” Brooklyn adds. “You’re going to win the best dress contest with this one for sure!”

“I just don’t know,” Josie responds. “Mom spent a lot of time making me a beautiful dress for the dance. I’m just here for you guys.”

“Trust us,” the triplets state in unison.

“Keep it at school and change once you get to the dance. Mom will never know.”

At bedtime, the triplets plot in their room how they are going to lure Josie to the bathroom and ruin her new blue dress. Not only will Mom not know she’s going to change dresses, but they will destroy her chance at winning the best dress contest. The “gruesome 3-some” giggle themselves to sleep at the thought of driving a wedge between Josie and their mom while making her look like a fool in front of the whole school.

The night of the dance, Josie changes out of the dress her mom made her and puts the hand-made dress in her locker. Wearing the blue dress her sisters talked her into wearing, she makes her way to sign up for the best dress contest. Sadie stops Josie in the hall and says Madison and Brooklyn need help with their dresses in the bathroom. The three sisters push her into an open stall, throw fruit punch on her dress, and rip the sleeves off of it. “Good luck at the contest,” they say, laughing as they exit the bathroom.

Crying in front of the mirror, Josie fixes her hair and wipes the streaked makeup from under her eyes and cheeks. Just then, her best friend Katie walks into the bathroom. Josie tells her what happened. Katie runs to Josie’s locker and grabs the colorful dress her mom made her. She returns it to the bathroom where Josie changes into what she thinks she should have worn in the first place. “I can’t believe I let them talk me into changing out of the dress my mom worked so hard to make and then they treated me like that,” Josie said through welled-up eyes.

“That’s gotta really hurt coming from your sisters, Josie. Just know, they are totally jealous of this gorgeous dress. It’s one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen, with such soft pastel colors. I can’t believe your mom made this,” Katie encourages. “Now let’s go sign you up for that dress contest. I guarantee you’re going to win! And let’s make sure we turn this night into one we won’t forget!”

“Thank you, Katie! I don’t know what I would have done tonight without your help.”

Weekly Bible Verse: Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. -1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

Note to Nibble: The plans of the noble will always win out in the end.