down the hall, Stevie passed Miss Fenton’s office. A few paces later, she stopped short and retraced her steps. “I’ve got it!” she murmured.
Ignoring the protests of Miss Fenton’s secretary, Stevie rapped on the headmistress’s door and marched into her office.
“Yes, Stephanie?” Miss Fenton said in a surprised voice.
“Miss Fenton, remember how you said you trusted meto put some life into this back-to-school dance?” Stevie asked.
“Yes, I remember,” Miss Fenton said, raising one eyebrow. “And?”
“Veronica is bringing her friend Ashley, and that gave me an idea. I know it’s late, but if I called some people and the dance committee called some people, and
they
all called some people—”
“Yes, yes.”
“—we could all invite a few friends of ours who don’t go to Fenton Hall. That would really make for a great dance. Lots of new, interesting faces. And you wouldn’t want Fenton Hall to be known as a snobby school, would you?”
“Certainly not. We—”
“Then say yes! Please say yes! I’ve got a bunch of friends who would love to come, but I couldn’t ask them because the dances are always for Fenton students only.”
Miss Fenton pursed her lips and looked hard at Stevie. “All right. You’ve got it. It’s a very democratic suggestion. Now, I won’t make it a precedent, but I’ll say yes for this one time, and we’ll see how it goes. Now make sure …”
Stevie didn’t hear the rest. She hugged her headmistress and went skipping down the hall yelling, “Extra!Extra! Outside students invited to Fenton Hall dance!”
Miss Fenton sighed. “Make sure you get more chaperones,” she called after Stevie.
S TEVIE HAD NEVER seen the gym so crammed with people. She couldn’t keep track of anyone—not Lisa or Carole or Phil or A.J. or Chad or Alex or her parents, who’d been pressed into chaperone service at the last minute. Everybody was wearing socks without shoes and dancing up a storm in the middle of the basketball court. On the sidelines lay hundreds of pairs of shoes.
“Stevie, you’re incredible!” Lisa said, coming up with Carole to give her friend a hug. “It’s packed!”
“I know. And I hope it stays that way,” Stevie said. “The more people, the less chance there is of my having to see any members of my immediate family.”
Carole cringed. “I know how you feel. Remember when my dad got a little overly involved at Pine Hollow?” she asked.
Stevie and Lisa nodded. Colonel Hanson had tried to help out, but he’d mostly gotten in the way. “Luckily, my parents seem to be blending into the crowd,” Stevie said, craning her neck to look.
“The theme was a great idea,” Lisa said. “Usually nobody dances. But they seem to like the oldies.”
“They’ve got good taste,” Stevie said.
The girls laughed. Stevie was known for loving all things from the fifties—records, movies, even clothes.
“What I don’t get is how you talked Veronica into it,” Lisa said.
“Oh, it was easy. She loved having an excuse to run out and buy a whole new fifties costume. Plus she thought it would be a big flop, and then she could tell everyone it was all my idea.” Stevie grinned. “Instead it’s a huge success, and it was all my idea,” she said.
“Did I hear my name? Honestly, you must lead boring lives to always be talking about me,” an all-too-familiar voice said.
Stevie, Lisa, and Carole spun around. Veronica was standing there with Ashley Briggs. Both of them were wearing elaborate store-bought costumes—unlike Stevie, Lisa, and Carole, who had gotten together an hour before the dance and thrown on whatever they could find in the Lakes’ attic and Stevie’s closet.
“Ashley, meet Stevie and Carole. I think you already know Lisa,” Veronica said.
Ashley wrinkled her nose in Lisa’s direction. “Do I? Oh yes. You’re the girl who wanted to go to Wentworth. I’m sorry you didn’t get in, but I’m sure you realize how competitive it
Ignoring the protests of Miss Fenton’s secretary, Stevie rapped on the headmistress’s door and marched into her office.
“Yes, Stephanie?” Miss Fenton said in a surprised voice.
“Miss Fenton, remember how you said you trusted meto put some life into this back-to-school dance?” Stevie asked.
“Yes, I remember,” Miss Fenton said, raising one eyebrow. “And?”
“Veronica is bringing her friend Ashley, and that gave me an idea. I know it’s late, but if I called some people and the dance committee called some people, and
they
all called some people—”
“Yes, yes.”
“—we could all invite a few friends of ours who don’t go to Fenton Hall. That would really make for a great dance. Lots of new, interesting faces. And you wouldn’t want Fenton Hall to be known as a snobby school, would you?”
“Certainly not. We—”
“Then say yes! Please say yes! I’ve got a bunch of friends who would love to come, but I couldn’t ask them because the dances are always for Fenton students only.”
Miss Fenton pursed her lips and looked hard at Stevie. “All right. You’ve got it. It’s a very democratic suggestion. Now, I won’t make it a precedent, but I’ll say yes for this one time, and we’ll see how it goes. Now make sure …”
Stevie didn’t hear the rest. She hugged her headmistress and went skipping down the hall yelling, “Extra!Extra! Outside students invited to Fenton Hall dance!”
Miss Fenton sighed. “Make sure you get more chaperones,” she called after Stevie.
S TEVIE HAD NEVER seen the gym so crammed with people. She couldn’t keep track of anyone—not Lisa or Carole or Phil or A.J. or Chad or Alex or her parents, who’d been pressed into chaperone service at the last minute. Everybody was wearing socks without shoes and dancing up a storm in the middle of the basketball court. On the sidelines lay hundreds of pairs of shoes.
“Stevie, you’re incredible!” Lisa said, coming up with Carole to give her friend a hug. “It’s packed!”
“I know. And I hope it stays that way,” Stevie said. “The more people, the less chance there is of my having to see any members of my immediate family.”
Carole cringed. “I know how you feel. Remember when my dad got a little overly involved at Pine Hollow?” she asked.
Stevie and Lisa nodded. Colonel Hanson had tried to help out, but he’d mostly gotten in the way. “Luckily, my parents seem to be blending into the crowd,” Stevie said, craning her neck to look.
“The theme was a great idea,” Lisa said. “Usually nobody dances. But they seem to like the oldies.”
“They’ve got good taste,” Stevie said.
The girls laughed. Stevie was known for loving all things from the fifties—records, movies, even clothes.
“What I don’t get is how you talked Veronica into it,” Lisa said.
“Oh, it was easy. She loved having an excuse to run out and buy a whole new fifties costume. Plus she thought it would be a big flop, and then she could tell everyone it was all my idea.” Stevie grinned. “Instead it’s a huge success, and it was all my idea,” she said.
“Did I hear my name? Honestly, you must lead boring lives to always be talking about me,” an all-too-familiar voice said.
Stevie, Lisa, and Carole spun around. Veronica was standing there with Ashley Briggs. Both of them were wearing elaborate store-bought costumes—unlike Stevie, Lisa, and Carole, who had gotten together an hour before the dance and thrown on whatever they could find in the Lakes’ attic and Stevie’s closet.
“Ashley, meet Stevie and Carole. I think you already know Lisa,” Veronica said.
Ashley wrinkled her nose in Lisa’s direction. “Do I? Oh yes. You’re the girl who wanted to go to Wentworth. I’m sorry you didn’t get in, but I’m sure you realize how competitive it
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