The Invisible Day Read Free Page A

disappointment. “How did she get out? Come on, Sarah, let’s get her in trouble. She’s late for chorus.”
    “She’s probably
in
chorus, Alyssa,” I heard Sarah grumble. “We’re the ones who are late.”
    Sarah is new this year. Her family just moved here from Wisconsin. Alyssa snatched her up instantly so she would have a slave-girl. So now nobody else really hangs out with her. Other than being friends with Alyssa, her only mistake is that she hasn’t realized yet that fifth-graders in New York City do not wear pink. She’ll catch on.
    “Maybe I won’t snitch just yet,” said Alyssa. “But I’m taking this hostage.”
    Her shiny boots clattered out the door, with Sarah trailing.
    I knew without looking that she had my backpack.
    I had to get Hubert right away. I glanced in the mirror to check that I still wasn’t there. I left the bathroom and tiptoed down the hall to the music room. There he was, in the alto section, gazing up at Mr. Belenky like a choirboy.
    Sarah’s head was bowed and Alyssa’s cheeks were bright pink so I knew they’d gotten the evil eye. Too bad I missed it. Lucky for me, Mr. Belenky would never stop a song to listen to Alyssa. He just glares if you’re late and usually glares at the parents, too, assuming it’s their fault. My pack was between Alyssa’s feet at the end of the second row.

    I realized I would have to think about my approach. It would be too easy to scare the wits out of Hubert. And this kind of thing just doesn’t happen every day.
    I retreated to the hallway. Under the bulletin board was a stack of flyers for the middle school play. I scribbled on the back of one of them.
    Hubert! Emergency!
Before class, go to boys’ bathroom.
2nd floor. Billie.
    I hadn’t really noticed before how bathrooms were the only place where a kid can be alone. I chose that one because it’s a single, with a lock on the main door.
    I folded the note twice and put it on the upper shelf of Hubert’s cubbie, where I knew he would find it soon, wrapped around his stash of banana gum.
    Crouched next to the sink in the bathroom, I got a little stiff. Maybe it was only a few minutes, but it felt like hours. I was trying not to worry about my predicament. It could even be fun, eavesdropping and going places where maybe I shouldn’t be.
    Mostly, I just kept hoping that no one would come in to use the toilet or that other weird piece of plumbing. Finally, I heard Hubert’s triple knock, and I triple-knocked back. He opened the door and looked astounded at the empty room.
    “Hubert,” I whispered, “it’s okay; come in; I’m invisible.”
    He was not reassured. His face slid into a pudding of worry, and I could almost feel his hand sweating on the doorknob.
    “Hubert, I promise, it’s okay. Please come in before anyone sees you standing there like a dodo-bird. I need your help.”
    He stepped in automatically and closed the door behind him.
    “Where are you?” Hubert’s eyes were roaming around the room.
    “I’m over here, you idiot! Look at me!” I grabbed his hand and he gasped, but I had his attention in more or less the right direction.
    “Uh, does your mother know about this?”
    “What do you think?”
    “You’re in trouble, Billie. Plus, you’re in the boys’ bathroom.”
    “Duh.”
    We were quiet for a minute.
    “Lucky for you, Ms. McPhee is sick today. We have a substitute, with purple frames on her glasses. Talk about ugly!” He wiped his face. Enough chitchat.
    “What happened?” He perched on the toilet. “This is really creepy, Billie.”
    “I was trying to tell you before chorus. I found a little bag in Central Park and inside were all these little jars full of cream and powder and stuff and I didn’t realize they were magic and …”I couldn’t even show him! “Ican’t even show you because Alyssa stole my backpack with all the stuff inside. You have to help me get it back.”
    “From Alyssa?”
    “Yeah, from Alyssa. Maybe you could be