parked his car nearby. Debbie, Nicholas, Rose, and Aster each got a display.
“They’re ten dollars each,” I told them. “Three for twenty-five.”
Dad volunteered to keep an eye on things whileMom and I helped everyone find the best locations. Nicholas claimed the front gate. “McIlhenny Moose Corsages!” he immediately began to cry. “Get ‘em while they’re hot!”
Aster promised to watch Poppy at their spot by the south entrance. Debbie picked the area by the ticket booth. Rose picked the restrooms. “Everybody’s got to go at some point,” she said. I had to give her that.
People began lining up for the corsages almost immediately. Mrs. McGillicuddy, whose anniversary party we had done over the summer, grabbed my arm. “What a great idea, Del!” she cried. “I adore the fall leaves. How in the world did you preserve them so beautifully?”
“Paraffin,” I told her. “Mom’s idea.”
I looked over at Debbie. She had a long line in front of her, too. “We’d better drop off that dress and start bringing these guys more corsages!” I exclaimed.
“Nicholas was right!” Mom said.
“I guess he was,” I admitted.
We headed back to the parking lot. There was Dad, leaning against his car, concentrating on his iPhone. The van was nowhere to be seen.
Mom walked up to him. “Ben, this isn’t the time for jokes,” she said. “Where’s the van?”
Dad looked up. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Have you been playing that Gnome game the whole time?” I asked.
Dad looked sheepish. “Yes,” he said. “It was time to harvest my navy beans. You know I hate it when they wither.”
I took a deep breath. “Well, if you haven’t noticed … the van isn’t here!”
“Someone must have stolen it from right under your nose!” Mom cried.
Dad looked around wildly. Then he smiled and pointed. “No, there it is!” he said. “You just forgot where you parked it!”
I looked at Mom. Was that possible? I was fairly certain we had parked it next to the red sports car. But there sat the white van, a couple of rows away.
Mom shook her head. “That’s weird. I could have sworn it was parked closer to Dad’s car … I guess we’re just worked up. I, for one, won’t be able to relax until the dress is delivered to Marcia.”
“And the corsages are all sold,” I added.
“That, too,” said Mom.
Mom gave Dad a dirty look and he wisely pocketed his phone. We walked up to the van. It looked dirtier than I remembered and someone had traced
WASH ME
into the dust on the back window. I hadn’t noticed that when we loaded up that morning.
Dad threw open the back door.
And it was completely empty.
“Someone stole our rose dress!” said Mom. “And the rest of our corsages!”
The campus police officer looked very confused as he took down our report. “So you say that someone moved your van and then stole a dress with roses on it?”
“No, the dress is
made
of roses,” I explained.
“Um, come again?” the officer said politely.
Nicholas came jogging up to us. “Everyone wants corsages! I need more,” he said. Then he noticed the looks on our faces, and the police officer. “What’s going on?” he asked.
My heart was beating superfast and my hands were shaking. “Someone stole the rose dress!” I cried.
Mom wrung her hands. “I’m supposed to get the dress to Marcia in fifteen minutes,” she said. “What am I going to tell her?”
“Who would do something like that?” Nicholas asked. Then his eyes narrowed. “I’ll bet it was those people from Fleur! They must have heard about your amazing dress and now they’re trying to sabotage you!”
“That’s crazy!” I said. But then I wondered,
Or is it?
“You don’t really think that’s what happened, do you?” Dad asked Mom.
“I don’t know what I think right now,” Mom said, sniffling. She searched her pockets and came up empty. “And I forgot my bandanna!”
I felt sick. Was the competition between
“They’re ten dollars each,” I told them. “Three for twenty-five.”
Dad volunteered to keep an eye on things whileMom and I helped everyone find the best locations. Nicholas claimed the front gate. “McIlhenny Moose Corsages!” he immediately began to cry. “Get ‘em while they’re hot!”
Aster promised to watch Poppy at their spot by the south entrance. Debbie picked the area by the ticket booth. Rose picked the restrooms. “Everybody’s got to go at some point,” she said. I had to give her that.
People began lining up for the corsages almost immediately. Mrs. McGillicuddy, whose anniversary party we had done over the summer, grabbed my arm. “What a great idea, Del!” she cried. “I adore the fall leaves. How in the world did you preserve them so beautifully?”
“Paraffin,” I told her. “Mom’s idea.”
I looked over at Debbie. She had a long line in front of her, too. “We’d better drop off that dress and start bringing these guys more corsages!” I exclaimed.
“Nicholas was right!” Mom said.
“I guess he was,” I admitted.
We headed back to the parking lot. There was Dad, leaning against his car, concentrating on his iPhone. The van was nowhere to be seen.
Mom walked up to him. “Ben, this isn’t the time for jokes,” she said. “Where’s the van?”
Dad looked up. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Have you been playing that Gnome game the whole time?” I asked.
Dad looked sheepish. “Yes,” he said. “It was time to harvest my navy beans. You know I hate it when they wither.”
I took a deep breath. “Well, if you haven’t noticed … the van isn’t here!”
“Someone must have stolen it from right under your nose!” Mom cried.
Dad looked around wildly. Then he smiled and pointed. “No, there it is!” he said. “You just forgot where you parked it!”
I looked at Mom. Was that possible? I was fairly certain we had parked it next to the red sports car. But there sat the white van, a couple of rows away.
Mom shook her head. “That’s weird. I could have sworn it was parked closer to Dad’s car … I guess we’re just worked up. I, for one, won’t be able to relax until the dress is delivered to Marcia.”
“And the corsages are all sold,” I added.
“That, too,” said Mom.
Mom gave Dad a dirty look and he wisely pocketed his phone. We walked up to the van. It looked dirtier than I remembered and someone had traced
WASH ME
into the dust on the back window. I hadn’t noticed that when we loaded up that morning.
Dad threw open the back door.
And it was completely empty.
“Someone stole our rose dress!” said Mom. “And the rest of our corsages!”
The campus police officer looked very confused as he took down our report. “So you say that someone moved your van and then stole a dress with roses on it?”
“No, the dress is
made
of roses,” I explained.
“Um, come again?” the officer said politely.
Nicholas came jogging up to us. “Everyone wants corsages! I need more,” he said. Then he noticed the looks on our faces, and the police officer. “What’s going on?” he asked.
My heart was beating superfast and my hands were shaking. “Someone stole the rose dress!” I cried.
Mom wrung her hands. “I’m supposed to get the dress to Marcia in fifteen minutes,” she said. “What am I going to tell her?”
“Who would do something like that?” Nicholas asked. Then his eyes narrowed. “I’ll bet it was those people from Fleur! They must have heard about your amazing dress and now they’re trying to sabotage you!”
“That’s crazy!” I said. But then I wondered,
Or is it?
“You don’t really think that’s what happened, do you?” Dad asked Mom.
“I don’t know what I think right now,” Mom said, sniffling. She searched her pockets and came up empty. “And I forgot my bandanna!”
I felt sick. Was the competition between
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