“Everything is okay,” I said out loud, trying to convince myself. “Leah didn’t look inside the lunch box, so when I give it back to Tina, everything will be fine.”
But everything didn’t feel fine. I had a very hard time walking calmly out to the reception area when I knew what was inside that lunch box. For one thing, even though Leah hadn’t said anything, I wasn’t convinced that she hadn’t peeked inside the lunch box. I mean, what would she have said after finding Mr. Talbert’s toupee and dentures packed in green slime? I can’t think of an appropriate remark, can you?
Anyway, despite my general feeling of creepiness, I handed the lunch box back to Tina, and we went outside. We all flew back to school, just in time for the last five minutes of computer science. It’s a good thing I wasn’t in there for very long, because I really couldn’t concentrate.
I passed Matt on the way to my locker after school. He gave me kind of a funny look.
“Jendra,” he said. “I’m kind of worried about you.”
“Worried about me?” I squeaked with a nervous laugh. “Why?”
“Well, for starters there’s your hair,” he said. “No offense, Jen, but I think that poodle cut looks really weird on you. And then there was that little dance performance you gave in Ms. Long’s class, not to mention the fact that your eyes have suddenly turned gray.”
“Oh, is that all?” I said, forcing a laugh. “Well, don’t worry about me, Matt. I’m a cheerleader now, right? And basically, all that stuff just sort of goes with the territory.”
Matt looked skeptical. “Well, whatever,” he said. “But, Jendra, I should warn you, Tina can be really rotten sometimes. I just hope you never catch a glimpse of her dark side.”
I hoped so, too.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, not feeling fine at all.
Then, to my horror, he suddenly said, “Listen, Jen, do you want to come with me to the principal’s office? I need to ask Mr. Talbert some stuff about the science fair.”
“Uh . . . I think the science fair’s canceled,” I blurted out nervously, running off down the hall. I ended up running right into Tina.
“Jendra,” she said, gray eyes wide. “Calm down. Why are you so worked up?”
“Why am I so worked up?” I repeated incredulously. I sighed. “Tina! Do you know Matt wants to go and talk to Mr. Talbert? And I’m sure he’s not the only one. What is going to happen when everybody finds out that he’s dead?”
“Don’t worry,” Tina assured me. “We’ve already taken care of that. Nobody will ever know. We thought up the perfect cover story, okay? We’re telling everybody that Mr. Talbert moved to New Guinea to be a missionary and that Dr. Murphy will be taking over until he gets back.”
“But,” I protested, “don’t you think that people are going to get the tiniest bit suspicious if he never comes back?”
“Well, that’s not our problem,” Tina said with a sigh. “I’ll be in ninth grade next year. Now go home and get some sleep, Jendra. You need to be rested for the ceremony tonight.”
“Why do we have to have the ceremony at night?” I wondered. “I mean, I think that shrine to Athena is creepy enough in the daylight. After dark it must be terrifying.”
“It’s awe-inspiring,” Tina said with a smile. “You’ll love it.”
“I doubt it.”
She slipped me a stick of gum and said, “No, Jendra, really you will. Now go home and get to bed. And don’t worry. When it’s time for the ceremony, we’ll contact you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I mumbled, slowly chewing my gum.