Iris and the Aloha Wedding Adventure Read online

  “Our hula is about love,” added Leilani. “Hana will dance, and I’ll explain what each step means.”

  Hana opened her arms to the sky.

  “It comes from the heavens.”

  Hana leaned over and swept her arms to the ground.

  “It’s as deep as the ocean.”

  Hana crossed her hands on her chest.

  “Love is in your heart.”

  Hana opened her arms wide in front of her.

  “Spread it around the world.”

  “That’s it,” said Hana. “We repeat it until the music ends.”

  Iris clapped her hands. “It’s so pretty! And it looks easy!”

  “Now we’ll teach you how to turn and move your hips at the same time,” said Leilani.

  Iris’s smile dropped to the ground.

  “Try it with me,” said Hana.

  The girls practiced together. Iris learned the arm movements quickly, but the other parts weren’t so simple. Sometimes she would move her hips to the right, but she’d forget to turn to the left. At one point, she became so tangled up, she tripped over her feet and fell.

  “Are you hurt?” asked Leilani.

  “No,” said Iris. “Just embarrassed.”

  Hana reached down to help Iris stand. As she pulled her up, both girls yawned.

  “It’s getting late. We should go to bed,” Leilani suggested. “Tomorrow is a big day.”

  “All you need is sleep, Iris,” Hana said “Then your dancing will be perfect.”

  Iris wanted to practice some more, but she could barely keep her eyes open.

  “Okay,” she said uneasily.

  I need more than sleep, she thought. I need a big miracle!

  Chapter Twelve

  BAM! BAM! BAM!

  Loud smacking noises jolted Iris and Hana from their sleep.

  “Oh, no!” exclaimed Iris.

  “Not again!” cried Hana.

  The girls threw off their sheets and ran downstairs to the kitchen. There, they found Tutu knocking a jar against the counter, trying to loosen a tight lid.

  “Good morning!” Tutu sang. “No problems today! Everything is set up and ready for the wedding.” Then she winked. “I guess those apology cookies worked.”

  “Yay!” The girls launched into a happy dance. For a second, they did not realize there was another person in the room.

  “Good morning,” someone said.

  Hana and Iris froze. Standing before them was a beautiful bride. Malia wore a wreath of white orchids in her hair. The fabric of her elegant white gown was printed with faint Hawaiian flowers.

  “Wow…” said Iris. “What a beautiful dress!”

  “You look so pretty!” Hana said.

  “Mahalo!” replied Malia. “I can’t wait to see you two wearing your flower girl dresses!”

  With all the activity over the past few days, Iris had almost forgotten the best part of her Hawaiian trip – being a flower girl!

  “What are we waiting for?” Iris asked Hana. “Let’s get dressed!” She darted up the stairs past her friend.

  “Wait for me!” yelled Hana.

  A few hours later, Iris and Hana stood on the beach in pink, breezy sundresses, waiting to walk down the aisle. Pink plumeria petals were spread all over the sand before them, leading to the beautiful hibiscus wedding arch that the girls’ mothers had repaired.

  Iris and Hana were bubbling with excitement. Instead of dropping more petals on the aisle, the flower girls had been given a different task: Iris was carrying the lei that Jay would give to Malia, and Hana carried the one Malia would give to Jay.

  “It’s a Hawaiian custom,” Hana had explained earlier. “It’s like exchanging rings.”

  “Wow,” Iris said. “We have a really important job.”

  Jay and the ceremony judge stood at the other end of the aisle under the arch. Leilani was there too, leaning on crutches decorated with lush tropical flowers. As a light ocean wind blew, the first sounds of the wedding music began.

  “That’s our cue,” said Hana.

  Iris’s heart leaped as she took her first step with Hana. I love being a flower girl, she thought.

  Reaching the end of the aisle, the girls turned to watch the bride walk behind them. Malia looked like a Hawaiian princess as she glided past the guests.

  The girls held on to the leis until it was time to give them to the bride and groom. Jay winked at Iris when she passed him the white orchid lei. She could tell he was filled with joy as he placed it around his bride’s neck. And Malia looked the same when she gave the green leaf lei to her groom.

  As the ceremony continued, Iris eagerly awaited the most special wedding custom of all – the kiss! When the couple’s lips met, everyone cheered.

  What an awesome wedding! Iris thought as she walked back down the aisle with Hana. But when everyone headed to the reception area for the party, her happy feelings faded fast.

  Uh-oh! she thought. It’s time for the hula!

  Chapter 13

  “Aloha! May I have your attention, please?” Leilani requested.

  Balancing on her crutches, Leilani spoke to all the guests in the reception area. A hush spread across the crowd.

  “Congratulations, Malia and Jay! As our gift to you, your flower girls, Hana and Iris, will perform a special hula dance.”

  Iris gulped when she heard her name. She wanted to duck under a table and hide!

  Hana grabbed Iris’s hand and led her out to the dancing area. “You’ll be great, Iris,” she whispered. “Don’t forget to have fun.”

  At the first beat of the Hawaiian love song, Iris managed to take a step to the right. Another beat, and she shyly moved her hips to the left. Then, when the tempo of the music picked up, Iris finally had no choice. She had to dance!

  It comes from the heavens.

  It’s as deep as the ocean.

  Love is in your heart.

  Spread it around the world.

  Phew! Iris finally let out her breath. She had performed the first round of the hula perfectly. But there was no time to congratulate herself. She had to do it again!

  The music for the next verse started to play. Through all her jumpy jitters, Iris suddenly realized something – she was having fun. And the more she danced, the more fun she had. With their hips shaking and arms flowing, Iris and Hana repeated the dance again and again. Soon, all the guests were on their feet, dancing the hula with them.

  When the music stopped, there was an explosion of clapping. Iris beamed.

  I did it! she thought. And without any help from the Menehune!

  Hana turned to Iris. “You were great! I’m so lucky you’re my friend, Iris. Thank you so much!”

  “I’m so lucky you’re my friend, Hana. Mahalo so much!”

  The girls giggled and hugged. They knew that they’d be friends forever through the special bond of Flower Girl World. Suddenly, their amusement was interrupted by a familiar booming voice.

  “WHAT’S SO FUNNY?”

  The sound made Iris jump, even though she knew it was Tutu.

  “Why are you two standing around? It’s dessert time!” Tutu barked. “After your wonderful performance, you deserve a piece of my famous pineapple upside-down cake!”

  “I get the biggest piece!” cried Hana.

  “Not if I get there first!” Iris joked.

  The flower girls dashed for the dessert table.

  “Mmm…” Iris said as she took her first bite.

  “Smile!” The girls looked up to find Mrs. Campbell pointing a camera at them. “Let’s take a picture for your Flower Girl World scrapbook. You can send a copy to Rosie and Starr too.”

  “Wait!” Iris said. Then she put a little of the cake’s sugar topping on the tips of their noses. “Now we’re ready.”

  “Say Aloha,” said Iris’s mom.

  “ALOHA!” cheered the two flower girls.

  Iris flashed her biggest smile. From the luau to the hula and everything in between, she lov
ed her incredible Hawaiian wedding adventure.

  GLOSSARY AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

  Hawaiian Terms

  ALOHA (ah-loh-hah) – Hello or farewell

  LEI (lay or lay-ee) – A wreath of flowers or leaves that can be worn around the neck or head

  LUAU (loo-ow) – A Polynesian feast that can include traditional island foods and entertainment

  MAHALO (mah-hah-low) – Thank you

  MENEHUNE (meh-neh-hoo-neh) – Mythical island creatures

  Flowers

  HIBISCUS – (hi-bis-kus)

  ORCHID – (or-kid)

  PLUMERIA – (ploo-mare-ee-a)

  Names

  HANA – (hah-nah)

  LEILANI – (lay-lawn-ee)

  MALIA – (mah-lee-uh)

  AVAILABLE NOW

  Rosie and the Wedding Day Rescue

  COMING SOON

  Starr and the High Seas Wedding Drama

  Be the first to know about upcoming books, exciting FGW news, and more by signing up for our e-newsletter. Ask a parent to join our email list by clicking here.

  Join Camellia and her new friends, Poppy and Willow, for a fabulous and fun trip down the aisle.

  Take a peek inside the book.

  Visit us at

  www.FlowerGirlWorld.com

  Awesome Activities!

  Great Gifts!

  Creative Crafts!

  Hip Hairstyles!

  Cool Characters!

  Sensational Stories!

  Together, you can start an FGW club, trade the books, stage a pretend wedding, and create lots of fun!