zeroed in on Eve, who was nibbling on her hot-pink nails. When Eve opened her mouth to speak, everyone leaned forward to listen.
“I … I, um, really like the paparazzi idea?” she said, terror in her eyes.
Ashlee’s jaw dropped.
“All right!” someone yelled from across the room, and a smattering of applause broke out. Someone else chanted, “We want Hollywood Halloween!” and someone else said, “Nice going, Emma-Rose!”
I couldn’t believe it. I stared at Gabby, who also looked shocked but proud.
“Order!” Ashlee cried, pounding her gavel against the desk. “Order!
I
don’t like that idea! Who wants paparazzi at a dance? What’s going on here? I’m the president and I get to decide!”
“I’m sorry, Ashlee,” Ms. Goldsmith finally spoke, standing up and smoothing out her skirt. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. Student council always follows a democratic process, which means thestudents vote.” Before Ashlee could argue, Ms. Goldsmith turned around and faced us. “All in favor of the Halloween Candy idea, please raise your hands,” she said.
Ashlee threw her arm into the air with such force she knocked her pink flower ring against the blackboard. Nobody else followed her lead. Hesitantly, Eve raised one hand, but then put it back down on her lap, whispering, “I’m sorry!” to a fuming Ashlee.
“Okay,” Ms. Goldsmith said. “All those in favor of Hollywood Halloween?”
Every hand but Ashlee’s went into the air. Eve actually raised her arm all the way up, as did Henry and Roger. I felt a burst of pride. I noticed that Ms. Goldsmith was smiling a little, too, and I wondered if, despite scolding me and Gabby before, she was glad to see my idea beat Ashlee’s.
“I guess that determines it!” Ms. Goldsmith said, brushing her hands together. “Looks like we’re going with Hollywood Halloween.”
Ashlee gritted her teeth, smoke practically coming out of her ears.
“And I hereby nominate Emma-Rose the designer-in-chief of the dance!” Gabby called, taking my hand and lifting it up again.
“No — wait, what?” I sputtered, turning to my best friend. “I was just suggesting ideas…. I can’t actually …”
“I second that!” Zora called out, grinning. “You’ll do a great job, Emma-Rose.”
“Fine,”
Ashlee spat, throwing down her gavel. “Emma-Rose can be in charge of the design. But that means
you”
— she gave me a withering look — “need to buy all the decorations,
and
set up the gym right before the dance. I’ll come to the setup, but only to supervise. I won’t want to ruin my nails,” she added haughtily.
“I’ll help you, obviously,” Gabby told me.
“I won’t be able to help with the setup,” Zora said apologetically. “But I can help you shop for decorations.”
“Same here,” said Zora’s best friend, Janie Woo.
I nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. What exactly had I gotten myself into?
And then it hit me: If I was in charge of the dance’s decorations and design, there was no way I could skip the dance itself.
Which meant that I’d never be able to make the gala.
I felt a pang of disappointment. As Ashlee snippilyadjourned the meeting, Gabby turned to me and saw my frown.
“No gala then, huh?” she said sympathetically. “Or trick-or-treating?”
I shook my head. “I guess Ashlee made the decision for me,” I said. “Too bad there’s no way for me to dash between the dance and the gala, right?”
“Not unless you can wear a costume to the gala,” Gabby sighed.
I watched Ashlee leave the room in a huff, her heels click-clacking. Eve scurried after her, apologizing, and Henry and Roger left as well. As soon as the door shut behind them, all the other kids stood up and began streaming over to my desk.
“Hey, Emma-Rose, it was so cool what you did, standing up to Ashlee!” Zora exclaimed, her eyes bright with admiration.
“Yeah, that pink idea was terrible,” groaned Janie.
“We didn’t think
“I … I, um, really like the paparazzi idea?” she said, terror in her eyes.
Ashlee’s jaw dropped.
“All right!” someone yelled from across the room, and a smattering of applause broke out. Someone else chanted, “We want Hollywood Halloween!” and someone else said, “Nice going, Emma-Rose!”
I couldn’t believe it. I stared at Gabby, who also looked shocked but proud.
“Order!” Ashlee cried, pounding her gavel against the desk. “Order!
I
don’t like that idea! Who wants paparazzi at a dance? What’s going on here? I’m the president and I get to decide!”
“I’m sorry, Ashlee,” Ms. Goldsmith finally spoke, standing up and smoothing out her skirt. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. Student council always follows a democratic process, which means thestudents vote.” Before Ashlee could argue, Ms. Goldsmith turned around and faced us. “All in favor of the Halloween Candy idea, please raise your hands,” she said.
Ashlee threw her arm into the air with such force she knocked her pink flower ring against the blackboard. Nobody else followed her lead. Hesitantly, Eve raised one hand, but then put it back down on her lap, whispering, “I’m sorry!” to a fuming Ashlee.
“Okay,” Ms. Goldsmith said. “All those in favor of Hollywood Halloween?”
Every hand but Ashlee’s went into the air. Eve actually raised her arm all the way up, as did Henry and Roger. I felt a burst of pride. I noticed that Ms. Goldsmith was smiling a little, too, and I wondered if, despite scolding me and Gabby before, she was glad to see my idea beat Ashlee’s.
“I guess that determines it!” Ms. Goldsmith said, brushing her hands together. “Looks like we’re going with Hollywood Halloween.”
Ashlee gritted her teeth, smoke practically coming out of her ears.
“And I hereby nominate Emma-Rose the designer-in-chief of the dance!” Gabby called, taking my hand and lifting it up again.
“No — wait, what?” I sputtered, turning to my best friend. “I was just suggesting ideas…. I can’t actually …”
“I second that!” Zora called out, grinning. “You’ll do a great job, Emma-Rose.”
“Fine,”
Ashlee spat, throwing down her gavel. “Emma-Rose can be in charge of the design. But that means
you”
— she gave me a withering look — “need to buy all the decorations,
and
set up the gym right before the dance. I’ll come to the setup, but only to supervise. I won’t want to ruin my nails,” she added haughtily.
“I’ll help you, obviously,” Gabby told me.
“I won’t be able to help with the setup,” Zora said apologetically. “But I can help you shop for decorations.”
“Same here,” said Zora’s best friend, Janie Woo.
I nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. What exactly had I gotten myself into?
And then it hit me: If I was in charge of the dance’s decorations and design, there was no way I could skip the dance itself.
Which meant that I’d never be able to make the gala.
I felt a pang of disappointment. As Ashlee snippilyadjourned the meeting, Gabby turned to me and saw my frown.
“No gala then, huh?” she said sympathetically. “Or trick-or-treating?”
I shook my head. “I guess Ashlee made the decision for me,” I said. “Too bad there’s no way for me to dash between the dance and the gala, right?”
“Not unless you can wear a costume to the gala,” Gabby sighed.
I watched Ashlee leave the room in a huff, her heels click-clacking. Eve scurried after her, apologizing, and Henry and Roger left as well. As soon as the door shut behind them, all the other kids stood up and began streaming over to my desk.
“Hey, Emma-Rose, it was so cool what you did, standing up to Ashlee!” Zora exclaimed, her eyes bright with admiration.
“Yeah, that pink idea was terrible,” groaned Janie.
“We didn’t think
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