looked weird. I didn’t want my friends asking a million questions. Plus, you didn’t talk to me, either.”
She had a point, actually. A few good ones, but I didn’t say so. “Have you heard from the dognapper?”
“Nope. I was hoping you came up with something.”
“Not yet.” I shifted my bag from one shoulder to the other.
“It’s weird being at home without him.” Ivy rested her chin in her hands and stared off into space. “He used to sleep by my bed every night, then jump into it at, like, six thirty in the morning. I never even needed an alarm clock. Today I slept late and missed first period.” She bit her bottom lip and glanced up at me for a quick second. “I could buy a clock, I guess, but that’d feel like giving up.”
“It stinks. I know that,” I said gently. “But don’t give up. I’ll find him.”
Suddenly she glared at me and sat up straight. “You’d better find him, or else.”
“Or else what?” I wondered what she could possibly threaten me with. She already acted like a total jerk most of the time and she’d ditched me for no good reason.
“Or else I’ll tell Milo that you like him,” she said, grinning mischievously.
“But that’s—I don’t like him.” My voice came out squeaky with panic.
“You don’t? Cool.” She stood up and slipped on her sunglasses. “So that means you won’t mind if I ask him out sometime. I mean, if you’re not interested, I don’t see any reason for me not to—”
“Wait, why would you? You don’t even … ”
Aargh! I couldn’t believe she was pulling this.
“I thought you might need the extra motivation. You know, to find Kermit.” She grabbed her book bag and took off down the street without another word.
“I’ll find Kermit because he’s a good dog,” I called. “Not because of your threats.”
Ivy didn’t bother to reply. She didn’t even turn around.
So I pulled out my keys and headed inside.
When I walked by the basement door, I noticed a giant padlock on it. Also, Glen was waiting outside Isabel’s apartment. He was dressed in black cycling gear. His red and silver racing bike leaned against the wall. “Hey, Maggie. Is she home, do you know?”
“Isabel? She should be. Try knocking harder.”
He pulled off his helmet and hung it on his handlebars. “I swear I heard her in there, but I’ve been knocking for five—”
Isabel opened the door before he finished his sentence.
“Maggie! I thought I heard your voice outside. You’re just the girl I wanted to see.”
“Do you still want me to take Preston to get his nails clipped?”
“Of course. Come in.” Isabel opened the door wider to make room, and that’s when she saw Glen standing next to me. “Oh, hello,” she said, her voice shifting from warm to chilly in an instant.
“Isabel, do you have a moment?” asked Glen. “I was hoping to run something by you.”
“I have many moments,” said Isabel. “Why don’t you come in for some tea and I’ll tell you about the time I did summer stock with Mia Farrow?”
It was the kind of question that sounded more like an order. But Glen wasn’t falling for it. “I’d like to replace one of the walls in my apartment,” he said, ignoring Isabel’s request.
“A wall?” Isabel seemed perplexed, and I didn’t blame her.
“Yes, a wall in the studio.” Glen leaned against the doorframe. “That back bedroom that I use as my studio, I mean. The sound quality is off and it’s the strangest thing—every time I hit a low E note on my bass, the sound reverberates.”
“Reverberates?” Isabel tilted her head to one side.
“Vibrates,” Glen clarified.
“Yes, I know what reverberates means,” she said. “I’m just trying to figure out why that would be.”
“Me, too,” said Glen. “It doesn’t happen in any other room in the house. I noticed the problem ages ago, but I never gave it much thought. Not until the other day, when I accidentally knocked over my bicycle. It hit
She had a point, actually. A few good ones, but I didn’t say so. “Have you heard from the dognapper?”
“Nope. I was hoping you came up with something.”
“Not yet.” I shifted my bag from one shoulder to the other.
“It’s weird being at home without him.” Ivy rested her chin in her hands and stared off into space. “He used to sleep by my bed every night, then jump into it at, like, six thirty in the morning. I never even needed an alarm clock. Today I slept late and missed first period.” She bit her bottom lip and glanced up at me for a quick second. “I could buy a clock, I guess, but that’d feel like giving up.”
“It stinks. I know that,” I said gently. “But don’t give up. I’ll find him.”
Suddenly she glared at me and sat up straight. “You’d better find him, or else.”
“Or else what?” I wondered what she could possibly threaten me with. She already acted like a total jerk most of the time and she’d ditched me for no good reason.
“Or else I’ll tell Milo that you like him,” she said, grinning mischievously.
“But that’s—I don’t like him.” My voice came out squeaky with panic.
“You don’t? Cool.” She stood up and slipped on her sunglasses. “So that means you won’t mind if I ask him out sometime. I mean, if you’re not interested, I don’t see any reason for me not to—”
“Wait, why would you? You don’t even … ”
Aargh! I couldn’t believe she was pulling this.
“I thought you might need the extra motivation. You know, to find Kermit.” She grabbed her book bag and took off down the street without another word.
“I’ll find Kermit because he’s a good dog,” I called. “Not because of your threats.”
Ivy didn’t bother to reply. She didn’t even turn around.
So I pulled out my keys and headed inside.
When I walked by the basement door, I noticed a giant padlock on it. Also, Glen was waiting outside Isabel’s apartment. He was dressed in black cycling gear. His red and silver racing bike leaned against the wall. “Hey, Maggie. Is she home, do you know?”
“Isabel? She should be. Try knocking harder.”
He pulled off his helmet and hung it on his handlebars. “I swear I heard her in there, but I’ve been knocking for five—”
Isabel opened the door before he finished his sentence.
“Maggie! I thought I heard your voice outside. You’re just the girl I wanted to see.”
“Do you still want me to take Preston to get his nails clipped?”
“Of course. Come in.” Isabel opened the door wider to make room, and that’s when she saw Glen standing next to me. “Oh, hello,” she said, her voice shifting from warm to chilly in an instant.
“Isabel, do you have a moment?” asked Glen. “I was hoping to run something by you.”
“I have many moments,” said Isabel. “Why don’t you come in for some tea and I’ll tell you about the time I did summer stock with Mia Farrow?”
It was the kind of question that sounded more like an order. But Glen wasn’t falling for it. “I’d like to replace one of the walls in my apartment,” he said, ignoring Isabel’s request.
“A wall?” Isabel seemed perplexed, and I didn’t blame her.
“Yes, a wall in the studio.” Glen leaned against the doorframe. “That back bedroom that I use as my studio, I mean. The sound quality is off and it’s the strangest thing—every time I hit a low E note on my bass, the sound reverberates.”
“Reverberates?” Isabel tilted her head to one side.
“Vibrates,” Glen clarified.
“Yes, I know what reverberates means,” she said. “I’m just trying to figure out why that would be.”
“Me, too,” said Glen. “It doesn’t happen in any other room in the house. I noticed the problem ages ago, but I never gave it much thought. Not until the other day, when I accidentally knocked over my bicycle. It hit
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