my corner. The tingle up and down my arm lasted all the way to the science wing.
The Rat-o-rama Revealed was an unforgettable event. At least I’ll never forget it. Lydia, Prairie, and I performed a finger drumroll on the science sink while Max lifted the black silk tablecloth. Everyone gasped. Right before they burst into laughter.
“See?” Ashley squealed. “It’s just a bunch of junk.”
The whole class shook their heads and wandered back to their own projects. Except Hugh and Kevin. “So, how does it work?” Hugh asked.
Max retrieved Harley from his cage, where he was deep in rat dreamland, and plopped him down at the start. I set a Gummy Worm at one end of a gallon milk jug. Harley sort of quivered in place, then yawned, wiggled his nostrils, and scurried through the carton. He snarfed the worm in one slurp. I continued the trail of Gummy Worms over tubes, through cartons, and around the steering wheel. At which point Harley stopped. He was breathing hard. Suddenly he sprawled in place and fell asleep.
“Wow,” Hugh and Kevin said together. Kevin added, “Pretty neat.”
“Hugh, Kev, come on!” Ashley shrieked from the PC center.
They jumped. Before leaving, Hugh reached down and scratched Harley’s head. “What happens at the end?” he said, speaking to Prairie.
She froze in shock.
I smiled coyly. “It’s a surprise.”
Hugh smiled back at me. His eyebrows wiggled. “I like surprises.”
After he lumbered off, Prairie grabbed my arm. “Did you h-hear that? Hugh l-likes surprises.”
“If he likes surprises, we’ll give him a big one,” Lydia said. “After he sees your glamour photos, he won’t be able to keep his eyes off you.”
Prairie beamed. She looked so happy, I thought she might pop right out of her prosthesis.
Back in homeroom after science, Mrs. Jonas told us to line up for lunch. Lydia, Max, and I stalled around. “Girls, we’re waiting.” Mrs. Jonas cocked her head.
Max said, “We’ll catch up. We gotta feed Harley first.”
Lydia added, “Since we all brought our lunches today, could we eat here, Mrs. Jonas? We don’t feel right about leaving Harley alone.”
“Don’t worry,” Mrs. Jonas said. “I’ll lock up.”
I said, “What if he gets out while we’re gone? What if he chews up a library book?”
Mrs. Jonas flinched. The consequence of returning mutilated materials to the media center… well, it was too hideous to imagine.
“Okay,” she relented. “I assume I can trust you girls to clean up your mess.”
We all gave her our “totally insulted” look.
“Tell them to keep out of our stuff,” Ashley said behind her.
“Ashley, really.” Mrs. Jonas frowned.
We copied the frown and added a sneer to bolster its effect.
As soon as everyone was gone, we ransacked Ashley’s desk, looking for Lydia’s notebook. “It’s not here,” Lydia wailed.
“Let’s try Melanie’s desk,” I said.
No luck there either. But she did have a tube of blue eye shadow that I pocketed. Then immediately felt guilty about and lobbed back in.
Max said, “What about the guys? Hugh and that Rooney Tunes geek?”
I shot her a dirty look. Hearing my true love trashed was not to be tolerated.
Lydia started toward Hugh’s desk.
“You better not let Prairie find out that you think Hugh might’ve taken it,” I said.
The door flew open, and Prairie plodded in. “Hugh might’ve t-taken what?”
Our eyes darted around. “That’s who,” I said. “I mean, you. Taking you. Hugh is taking you to the dance. And we’re so jealous, we could spit.”
“Yeah, r-right.” Prairie flung her pack over her desk chair and added, “You d-didn’t tell me we were eating in the classroom. I had to ask M-Mrs. Jonas where you guys were.”
“I was just coming down to the cafeteria to find you,” I lied. Max dropped a book behind me, and I scootched over in front of Hugh’s desk to hide her handiwork.
“What are you doing in Hugh’s desk?” Prairie asked.
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