sense. Not even Rose, Ivy’s dancing drone, challenged Aimee when it came to this.
Aimee leaned over to ask Drew if he’d help pull together all the music, too. Drew’s father was mega-rich. The Maxwells had a recording studio right there on their own property. He could make the best Halloween mix ever.
“Who would like to help lead our decorating crew?” Señora Diaz asked next. Ivy’s hand went up. So did Madison’s.
“Well.” Señora seemed pleased by their double enthusiasm. “What do you each have to say?”
Ivy started talking as if she’d already been put in charge. “I think, as class president, I know what the decorating for our dance should be. I would like to organize decorations. And I really think I can handle the scary hallway setup, too …”
“Fair enough,” Señora Diaz said. “Señorita Finn? Would you like to add anything?”
“Well … just …” Madison cleared her throat. “I just wanna say that—” The words got stuck on the way out.
“Madison,” Ivy interrupted in her hideous, sticky-sweet voice. Madison’s stomach curdled. “I really think we both know who’d be better at taking care of the decorating, don’t we?”
Madison didn’t know what to say to that.
But Aimee did.
“Excuse me,” Aimee interrupted. Her face was blotchy and Madison feared she might haul out and punch Ivy right there. She looked that mad. Aimee took things very personally when it came to Poison Ivy.
“We do know who’d be better, Ivy. But I think Madison would like to give you a chance, too.”
Gotcha!
Madison covered her mouth, surprised—and grateful.
Drew snorted again.
Ivy acted stunned.
“Now, girls,” Señora chimed in. “I don’t think we need that kind of talk.” She looked squarely at both girls, squinting and thinking for a moment. Madison sat still. Ivy flipped her hair.
Señora spoke up. “There’s more than enough work to go around for two or more people. I think Madison and Ivy should both lead this task team.”
“What?” Ivy and Madison said at the same time. “You mean—”
“Sí!” Señora Diaz said in Spanish emphatically. “You will lead the decorating task team together. That is my final decision.”
In one fleeting moment, Señora Diaz had sealed Ivy and Madison’s Halloween dance fates. Now Madison and Poison Ivy weren’t only partnered in science class—they were matched up after school, too.
The decorators worked on the to-do list for the scary hallway first. It started out okay—without any fights or disagreements. Madison hoped it would stay that way. She scribbled some notes. Everyone had great ideas, and the meeting lasted over an hour. When Madison got home, the notes on her laptop became an official file on her laptop.
Halloween Dance: To Do
Get vibrating rubber hands with fake blood (Ivy)
Plastic ax from props in basement
Brain gelatin mold (home ec?)
Eyeballs suspended from the ceiling (if possible)
Sheets (everyone bring one set plus curtains)
Sound effects music (esp. screaming—Mrs. Montefiore in the music dept.)
Monster makeup (green, white clown makeup, black nail polish from Rose S.)
Dry ice machine (Principal Bernard to help get)
Bats, rats, and spiders (Madison)
Madison decided she’d be the best person to make spiders, roaches, and moths out of black and brown construction paper. Her love of animals and all things creepy-crawly made her perfect for the job.
Ivy decided that she wanted to put up all the balloons. Probably because the boys were already talking about playing with the helium machine. Madison wondered if that was Ivy’s key motivation: blow up balloons, meet boys. Then again, everyone loved the idea of inhaling helium and talking like a squeaky Munchkin. Ivy always did things that were popular.
Suddenly Madison’s e-mail box blinked. It even had a red exclamation mark next to it.
Importance: high!
From: Bigwheels
To: MadFinn
Subject: Happy Columbus Day?
Date: Tues 17 Oct 5:20 PM
I know I’m
Aimee leaned over to ask Drew if he’d help pull together all the music, too. Drew’s father was mega-rich. The Maxwells had a recording studio right there on their own property. He could make the best Halloween mix ever.
“Who would like to help lead our decorating crew?” Señora Diaz asked next. Ivy’s hand went up. So did Madison’s.
“Well.” Señora seemed pleased by their double enthusiasm. “What do you each have to say?”
Ivy started talking as if she’d already been put in charge. “I think, as class president, I know what the decorating for our dance should be. I would like to organize decorations. And I really think I can handle the scary hallway setup, too …”
“Fair enough,” Señora Diaz said. “Señorita Finn? Would you like to add anything?”
“Well … just …” Madison cleared her throat. “I just wanna say that—” The words got stuck on the way out.
“Madison,” Ivy interrupted in her hideous, sticky-sweet voice. Madison’s stomach curdled. “I really think we both know who’d be better at taking care of the decorating, don’t we?”
Madison didn’t know what to say to that.
But Aimee did.
“Excuse me,” Aimee interrupted. Her face was blotchy and Madison feared she might haul out and punch Ivy right there. She looked that mad. Aimee took things very personally when it came to Poison Ivy.
“We do know who’d be better, Ivy. But I think Madison would like to give you a chance, too.”
Gotcha!
Madison covered her mouth, surprised—and grateful.
Drew snorted again.
Ivy acted stunned.
“Now, girls,” Señora chimed in. “I don’t think we need that kind of talk.” She looked squarely at both girls, squinting and thinking for a moment. Madison sat still. Ivy flipped her hair.
Señora spoke up. “There’s more than enough work to go around for two or more people. I think Madison and Ivy should both lead this task team.”
“What?” Ivy and Madison said at the same time. “You mean—”
“Sí!” Señora Diaz said in Spanish emphatically. “You will lead the decorating task team together. That is my final decision.”
In one fleeting moment, Señora Diaz had sealed Ivy and Madison’s Halloween dance fates. Now Madison and Poison Ivy weren’t only partnered in science class—they were matched up after school, too.
The decorators worked on the to-do list for the scary hallway first. It started out okay—without any fights or disagreements. Madison hoped it would stay that way. She scribbled some notes. Everyone had great ideas, and the meeting lasted over an hour. When Madison got home, the notes on her laptop became an official file on her laptop.
Halloween Dance: To Do
Get vibrating rubber hands with fake blood (Ivy)
Plastic ax from props in basement
Brain gelatin mold (home ec?)
Eyeballs suspended from the ceiling (if possible)
Sheets (everyone bring one set plus curtains)
Sound effects music (esp. screaming—Mrs. Montefiore in the music dept.)
Monster makeup (green, white clown makeup, black nail polish from Rose S.)
Dry ice machine (Principal Bernard to help get)
Bats, rats, and spiders (Madison)
Madison decided she’d be the best person to make spiders, roaches, and moths out of black and brown construction paper. Her love of animals and all things creepy-crawly made her perfect for the job.
Ivy decided that she wanted to put up all the balloons. Probably because the boys were already talking about playing with the helium machine. Madison wondered if that was Ivy’s key motivation: blow up balloons, meet boys. Then again, everyone loved the idea of inhaling helium and talking like a squeaky Munchkin. Ivy always did things that were popular.
Suddenly Madison’s e-mail box blinked. It even had a red exclamation mark next to it.
Importance: high!
From: Bigwheels
To: MadFinn
Subject: Happy Columbus Day?
Date: Tues 17 Oct 5:20 PM
I know I’m
Similar Books
The Arcanist
Greg Curtis
Of Sea and Cloud
Jon Keller
Captured by the Cyborg
Cara Bristol
The Monarch
Jack Soren
No Choice but Surrender
Meagan McKinney
The House at Royal Oak
Carol Eron Rizzoli
Whisper of Scandal
Nicola Cornick