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saved!” Deirdre announced.
    â€œWhere were they?” Nancy asked.
    â€œThat’s the strangest thing,” Juliana said. “They had fallen behind a filing cabinet in one of the dressing rooms.” She shook her head. “I’m just positive I looked there, but I must not have looked carefully. I’m certainly glad Nicole dropped her pen and that it rolled behind that particular filing cabinet, or we’d still be searching for them.”
    Nadine raised her hand. “We thought someone stole them!” she said. She turned to Nancy, Bess, and George. “Our River Heights Fashion Models Club even hired the Clue Crew to investigate.”
    Juliana looked at her. “Oh my goodness, I can’t imagine why anyone would do something like that.”
    Nancy opened her mouth to speak, but Deirdre said, “Well, those designs are worth afortune, Juliana. We were desperate. We just couldn’t sit by and do nothing.”
    Mrs. Corwin held up her hand. “Well, Juliana does have something to say that may disappoint several of you,” she said.
    â€œOh no!” Bess whispered. “Something new every day!”
    â€œI have an agreement with a professional modeling agency in New York City,” Juliana said, “and Felicity reminded me this morning that I can’t have more River Heights models than professional models in the show.” She let out a big sigh. “So I can only use
five
of you.”
    Bess looked at George and Nancy. “That Felicity is a real troublemaker,” she whispered.
    Nancy and George nodded.
    â€œWho will they be?” Deirdre said. “Who will they be?”
    George raised her hand. “I’ll be happy to—”
    Bess grabbed George’s hand and pulled it down. “My cousin thought you were talkingabout running in the New York City Marathon, Juliana,” she said. “She forgot you were talking about the River Heights Fashion Show and how incredibly important it is to some of us!”
    Juliana and Mrs. Corwin gave Bess funny looks.
    â€œWell, we’re going to decide that by secret ballot, Deirdre,” Mrs. Corwin said.
    That seemed to satisfy everyone.
    After Juliana left to go back to the auditorium, Mrs. Corwin passed out blank pieces of paper. “Write out five names,” she told the class. “One of the models has to be a boy.”
    Fifteen minutes later the ballots had been turned in and counted.
    â€œHere are the results,” Mrs. Corwin said. “Nancy, Bess, George, Deirdre, and Quincy!” She looked up at the class. “Is everyone satisfied?”
    â€œYes,” the class answered. George groaned.
    Nancy looked at Nadine. She didn’t seem disappointed.
    â€œNo!” Amanda Johnson shouted.
    Everyone turned to look at her. Amanda had never before been so negative about everything.
    â€œI am still very upset that my ONITAP designs weren’t chosen,” Amanda said. “I think they’re better than everyone else’s.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Amanda,” Mrs. Corwin said. “Juliana’s decision was based solely on what she thought would sell the best.”
    Nancy looked at Bess and George. “Her designs weren’t bad,” she said, “but where in the world did she get ‘ONITAP’ as a designer label?”
    â€œI still think it’s all really unfair,” Amanda said.
    At that moment the classroom door opened, and Nicole said, “We’re ready for the River Heights models!”
    With Nicole in the lead, Nancy, Bess, George, Deirdre, and Quincy headed to the school auditorium.
    When they got there, all the other models—except Felicity—gave the River Heights models brilliant smiles.

    Felicity said, “I hate this town!”
    Juliana gasped. “Felicity! That’s a terrible thing to say!”
    Deirdre turned around and whispered to Nancy, Bess, and George, “Those smiles they gave us