“And, of course, we’re going to bob for apples,” Louie announced at the lunch table later that day. “And then there’s the piñata I told you about. We’re going to have a contest for the best costume, too. My costume is going to be incredible. You guys are lucky my mom said I can’t win since it’s my party. And my brother, Sam, is letting me use his iPod for the music, which is great because nobody has cooler songs on their iPod than Sam . . .”

George shook his head. He really couldn’t listen to Louie blab on and on about his party anymore. He was too bummed about Julianna. She was sitting there, just staring at her lunch.

Every now and then, she would poke at her macaroni and cheese with her fork and sigh.

“Any ideas yet, George?” Chris asked.

“Not yet,” George admitted. Then he looked over at Julianna and smiled. “But I’m not giving up.”

“You’re lucky, Julianna,” Sage said.

Julianna stared at her. “Lucky?” she asked. “How can you say that?”

“Because Georgie is helping you,” Sage said. She turned to George and batted her eyelashes up and down. “ Georgie is really smart. He can solve anything.” George really hated when Sage called him Georgie. It was embarrassing. Sage was a real pain. She was also really wrong. This seemed to be the one problem George had no clue how to solve. The one problem besides his burp, that is!

“It stinks that your house is so cool,” Alex said. “If there was something wrong with it, no one would want to buy it.”

“That’s true,” Chris agreed. “It’s too bad you don’t have termites or a leaky roof.”

“I wouldn’t want to live in a house with termites,” Sage said. “Think about how creepy it would be sleeping in a house that’s being eaten by bugs.”

Suddenly, George’s eyes lit up. “That’s it!” he exclaimed.

“What’s it?” Alex, Chris, Julianna, and Sage all asked him.

“I know how we’re going to stop your parents from selling that house!” George said. “We’re going to make your house so creepy no one will ever want to live there.”

“You’re not going to turn a bunch of termites loose, are you?” Julianna asked. “Because then even I wouldn’t want to live there.”

George shook his head. “Nope. No termites. We’re gonna . . .”

“I don’t believe you guys!” Louie interrupted angrily. “How can you talk about Julianna’s house at a time like this?”

“A time like what?” Alex asked.

“A time when I’m about to throw the biggest, best Halloween party ever!” Louie exclaimed. “I’ve been telling you all about it. But not one of you was listening to me.”

George couldn’t argue with that. He hadn’t heard much of what Louie had said.

“I listened,” Max assured Louie. “I heard every word you said.”

“Me too,” Mike agreed. “You told us we were gonna break open apples, and bob for piñatas, and—”

“That’s not right,” Max interrupted. “He said that there’s gonna be a contest for the best apple. And we’re going to break-dance to music and—”

“Break-dance?” Louie asked. “I didn’t say anything about break dancing. I said break a piñata. And bob for apples.”

“Oh right,” Max said. “Sorry, Louie.”

“Tell us again,” Mike added. “I’ll listen better this time.”

George didn’t hear the rest of Louie, Mike, and Max’s conversation. He was thinking about something more important. There was a plan hatching in George’s brain. He couldn’t wait to get started on Operation Save Julianna’s House!