The Miraculous Makeover of Lizard Flanagan by Carol Gorman Page A

to school. I wondered what Zach would say. He’d sure be surprised!
    Halfway down the stairs, I stopped.
    What was my family going to think? I hadn’t worn a skirt since— I tried to think back, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had one on.
    I walked down the rest of the stairs, trying to be very casual, and strolled into the kitchen. I was dying to scratch my legs. How did Mary Ann stand these things?
    Mom was standing at the counter pouring a cup of coffee, and Sam and Dad were at the table.
    â€œMorning, honey,” Mom said without turning around.
    â€œMorning.”
    I walked to my place at the table.
    Sam looked up and froze for a second, his cereal spoon hanging in midair. His face thawed out in the next second.
    â€œMan, oh man, oh man!” he shouted.
    â€œWhat?” Mom turned from the counter. Dad looked up from his orange juice.
    â€œLook at Lizard!” Sam said. “A dress!” He hooted and laughed.
    My face became really hot. I pretended I didn’t care about what he’d said, but I suddenly hated him and wanted to punch his face in.
    â€œThat just shows what an idiot you are,” I snapped. “This isn’t a dress, it’s a skirt.”
    â€œLizard’s wearing a skirt!” Sam hooted again. “Now I’ve seen everything!”
    My mother looked very surprised. “Honey, when did you get it?”
    â€œSaturday!” I yelled. “Why? Is there something wrong with me wearing a skirt?”
    â€œWell, no,” Mom said. “It’s just so—out of character for you.”
    Dad didn’t say anything. He just stared at me.
    â€œCall the Channel Nine news team,” Sam said, grinning. “They’ll want to get this on film.”
    â€œWhat’s the matter with you people?” I knew I was screeching, but it was better than crying, and I was afraid I might do something that stupid. “Is it a crime for me to wear something else for a change?”
    I didn’t give them time to answer. I turned around and ran back upstairs to my room and slammed the door. I pulled off my clothes and threw them on the floor, then put on the shorts that I should have worn in the first place!
    â€œYou didn’t wear your new skirt,” Mary Ann said, standing on the bridge. She was wearing hers.
    â€œI hate it!” I said, stomping past her. “Come on, let’s go. We’re late.”
    â€œBut what happened?” she asked, hurrying to catch up. “Why didn’t you call and tell me?”
    â€œIt was too late,” I said. “You wouldn’t have had time to change into shorts anyway.”
    â€œBut Lizard—”
    I kept walking. “I’m not in the mood to talk about it, okay? If that’s what it takes to get a boy to ask me to dance, well, I just won’t go to those dances. It was a stupid dance, anyway. But I don’t want to talk about it.”
    â€œOkay,” Mary Ann said.
    â€œAnd those panty hose ! They’re impossible to get on, and they feel terrible!”
    â€œI know, but—”
    â€œI don’t want to talk about it.”
    â€œBut you keep talking about it anyway!” Mary Ann said.
    We came to a corner and stopped to wait for traffic to pass.
    â€œDid Sam say something?” she asked.
    â€œHe thinks he’s so smart! I’d like to punch his lights out!”
    â€œGood idea. We’ll take turns,” Mary Ann said. “First you punch his lights out, then I’ll finish him off with karate kicks to the stomach.” She kicked her leg as high as her skirt would allow.
    We walked along the sidewalk. A couple of older kids rode by on their bikes yelling back and forth to each other.
    â€œLizard?” Mary Ann said.
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œI have another idea.”
    â€œI don’t want to hear it.”
    â€œHow about if we got you some blush?” Mary Ann said.
    â€œMakeup? No