me, I just wish that you had been hanging with me when Patrick had turned up rather than talking about clothes with Melissa Tait.â
âI told you, the only reason I was there was because my mom made me babysit. I wouldâve much rather been at the mall with you,â Sophie assured her friend before shooting her a hopeful look. âSo are we cool?â
âOf course we are.â Kara instantly gave a watery sniff. âI was just being a doofus.â
âNo, you werenât. If anyone was being a doofus, I was,â Sophie countered.
âWell, personally, I think the pair of you are pretty doofy to be worried over a dress,â Harvey pointed out, but before either of the girls could comment Malik appeared in the middle of the room. Today he was wearing a black T-shirt and gray trousers, and his Zac-like hair was spiked up like a hedgehog.
But Sophie hardly noticed. Instead, her heart started to hammer in her chest as she jumped to her feet, causing the turquoise dress to fall into a heap on the floor. She ignored it as she clutched her hands together and stared at him.
âSo? How did it go? Did you find anything out?â
âOh, yes, I most certainly did,â Malik announced as he made his way over to Sophieâs bookshelf and produced a packet of M&Mâs from behind her collection of books on positive thinking. âAnd I wouldâve told you about it sooner if I couldâve found you. I mean, seriously, I was looking everywhere for you yesterday. I even tried the school auditorium, and you have no idea how much of a racket they were making in there. Where have you been?â
âI was babysitting at Mr. Riversâs house, but I was home by six.â
âMr. Riversâs house?â Malik was immediately distracted as he paused from ripping open the M&Mâs with his teeth. âAs in the basement where I was stuck in an ugly red vase for what seemed like an eternity? That place is evil.â
âThatâs exactly what we tried to tell her,â Harvey added.
â
And
she had to spend all afternoon with Melissa âshe thinks sheâs so greatâ Tait,â Kara chimed in.
âLook, like I told Kara and Harvey, Mr. Rivers is fine. Heâs actually been really kind to my mom lately, especially with her pottery business.â
âOh, and I havenât?â Malik wanted to know. âI mean, the other day on Facebook your mom wanted to know if she should cook hamburgers or pasta, and I totally helped her.â
Sophie blinked at him for a moment before deciding that it was better to just ignore that last statement.
âOkay, back to my dad. How did it go?â she asked as she tried not to focus on the way her pulse was wildly fluttering.
âWell, my young friends, I finally managed to catch up with Manny the Moody, in a very unsavory bar, and letâs just say that heâs not what I would call the most congenial of djinns.
However,
â he quickly added, obviously catching Sophieâs frustrated expression, âthe important thing is that heâs a talker, and in half an hour he told me everything we need to know.â
âReally?â Sophieâs hands felt clammy as she let go of the breath that she hadnât known she was holding. âYouâve really found him?â
âI really found him,â Malik confirmed with a nod of his head. âIâm not going to say that it was easy. Or cheapâif a certain camel loses in next monthâs All Sahara Invitational Challenge, then thereâs going to be one cranky djinn.â
âSo tell me everything. Has Manny seen my dad? Is he okay? What is he bound to? Will it be hard for us to find him?â Sophie inquired as a bubble of happiness started to swell up inside her. Being a positive thinker, she had always known that this moment would arrive, but she hadnât expected it to feel quite so...amazing.
âLast time Manny
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