Read Online Circle of Silence by Carol M. Tanzman - Free Book Online Page A

what we
want them to say. That shows our strength. Our priorities. Our total command of
the situation.”
    Phantom’s face had a skeptical look, but Ghost Face said,
“Skeletor’s right. That Campus News girl is the
type who won’t stop unless we make her. If she finds out who we are, the school
might break us up.”
    Ghost Face glanced at me while saying it. I’m pretty sure
she likes me, not like most of the stuck-up bitches at this school.
    “How are we supposed to stop her?” Phantom asked, all pissed
off because people were on my side.
    Hell Girl came up with an idea. I have a better one, but
sometimes you’ve got to let chicks think they’re smart if you want to keep them
in check. If Hell Girl’s plan doesn’t work, we’ll go for mine. Like I always
say, save the best for last.
    Once we got that out of the way, we started planning the
next prank. That’s what we call the stuff we do. Phantom read some old book
about people doing pranks. It’s part of the reason we’re MP. In the summer, when
we thought up the idea, Phantom wanted us to be the Merry Pranksters. I said,
“No. We can’t copy from that book exactly. We could maybe use the initials, MP,
but it’s got to mean something else—” That’s when the idea came to me. “Masked
Pranksters! All the people we ask to be in it can pick their own names from
comic books or manga or even horror movies and
then we’ll get masks.”
    “What for?” Phantom asked me.
    “We’re going to need them. People feel freer behind a mask.”
Free to do whatever’s needed.

8
    “Whoa!” Marci whispers as we exit the third-floor
staircase.
    The hall looks like the East Village with concert announcements
plastered across construction site walls. The only difference is that the papers
taped to lockers aren’t blasting info about the latest indie band. The flyers,
if that’s what they are, repeat the same words, over and over.
    JOIN US.
    Underneath the stenciled letters, a small group of birds
gather. The drawing doesn’t have many details. Hatch marks create messy
feathers; darker lines make up legs and heads. Something about them looks cool,
though, despite the fact that the picture is crude.
    In the bottom corner, one bird stands alone. He’s got a crooked
wing and stares up at the flock as if he’s just been attacked. On the other
hand, it might be that the poor bird’s desperate to join the rest. It could go
either way.
    “MP?” Marci whispers.
    “Who else? The writing’s the same. Call Phil. See if they
papered his hall. I’ll try Bethany.”
    My sister answers on the second ring. “If I get caught
talking—”
    Honestly, would it kill the kid to answer the phone nicely just
one time? “You won’t get in trouble. It’s before first bell. Are you at your
locker? Is the hall papered with MP flyers?”
    “No. Is yours?”
    “Yes. Go around the corner. See if anything’s there. I’ll
wait.”
    It doesn’t take long before she whispers, “I see them—”
    “Which hallway? English or French?”
    “I’m not sure. I don’t know where all the classes are yet.”
    “What room are you in front of?” I ask.
    “One eighty.”
    “That’s French. Thanks, Bethie-any.” I hang up before she can
yell at me for screwing up her name. “First floor was hit. The language
corridor.”
    “Phil’s locker is clean,” Marci reports. “What do you think? MP
only had time to do a couple of halls.”
    “That’ll be my guess. We should ask Mira—darn it!” I point down
the hall. “People are starting to tear these down. I’ve got to get
equipment!”
    Just before sprinting to the Media Center, I make sure to
reattach the flyer to my locker.
    * * *
    By the time first period ends, Omar and Raul have
returned from their reconnaissance trip.
    “MP did one hallway on each floor,” Omar says. “My guess is
there wasn’t time to blanket the whole school.”
    “Any rumors going around about who did it?”
    “Eryn Forrester, who’s on Student