Chapter 12

At the end of the day, Dorothy reported to Mr. Macarini’s classroom. Sunshine filtered into the spacious art room through a wall of windows, but Dorothy’s mood was dark. She was serving time for a food fight she hadn’t started, and her bad luck was spreading. Dinah, Ruth, Lizzy, and Juana were already sitting at desks. Chunks of lettuce and deli meat still clung to the back of Ruth’s and Lizzy’s hair.

Dorothy chose a desk at the back of the room and sat down quietly, but the chair’s feet squeaked loudly on the concrete floor.

Everyone turned to look at her. To Dorothy’s surprise, no one looked angry or disappointed. In fact, the girls were smiling.

“Detention is so cool,” Dinah said. “Do you think we’ll get to do crafts?”

“I’m sorry I got you all into this,” Dorothy said.

“You shoulds not be sorry,” Juana said, sweeping a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. “You had bravery, no?”

Me? Brave? Dorothy wondered. She had talked back to Ms. Nailer, but that seemed more stupid than brave now that everyone was in trouble.

Lizzy gave Dorothy a big, bracey smile. “Personally, I don’t care if they lock me in the brig with Dracknesian Glibnofs, I’d do it all again in a nanosecond. Those Pompoms have tormented me for years. Did you see the looks on their faces when I growled at their table?”

Ruth giggled and gave Lizzy a high five. “And when I tipped it over?”

“Okay, girls. Party’s over.” It was Mr. Macarini entering the room. He was followed closely by the refrigerator from gym class.

Dorothy gulped. Dee.

Mr. Macarini ordered Dee into a chair and then sat down behind his desk. The art teacher was a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache and long, curly hair. Dorothy had only known him for a couple days, but he was definitely her favorite teacher at J. Elway—funny and nice. But by the disappointed look on his face, Dorothy guessed that was all about to change.

“Miss Moore, front of the room, please.”

Dorothy’s head drooped and she walked obediently to Mr. Macarini’s desk. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her back.

Mr. Macarini spoke to Dorothy in a low voice. “Listen, Dorothy. I’m not a big fan of the Pompoms, either, but violence is never the answer. You should know that.”

“But I didn’t do anything,” Dorothy mumbled.

Mr. Macarini sighed and rubbed the edge of his mustache with a thumb. “Actually, I believe you.”

“You do?” Dorothy said, relief washing over her body.

“But,” the teacher said, “you’re still in trouble. Your friends ruined the Pompoms’ lunches and destroyed that table. And you didn’t stop them. It was a miracle no one was hurt.”

Dorothy folded her arms across her chest. This is so unfair! “Come on, Mr. Macarini. I didn’t tell them what to do. It’s not like I’m their leader or anything. I’m just…nobody.”

The teacher raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?” He nodded to the classroom.

Dorothy turned and was shocked by what she saw. With the exception of Dee (now scratching her initials into the table with a thumbnail), everyone was staring at her. Their eyes conveyed a mixture of concern and admiration, eerily reminding Dorothy of how the Pompoms gawked over Alex.

Dorothy snapped her mouth shut. I don’t get it. Why are they looking at me like that?

“You may go back to your desk now,” Mr. Macarini said softly.

Once Dorothy was back in her chair, Mr. Macarini addressed the class. “Listen up, people. I’m missing an electric ukulele concert to be here, so I expect you all to be quiet and study while I put my bachelor’s degree to good use in grading these masterpieces.” The teacher held up a painting that looked a lot like cat throw up.

Dorothy unzipped her backpack and took out her math homework, but she couldn’t concentrate. She was still thinking about what Mr. Macarini had said. Did these girls really look up to her?

But I’m not a leader. I’m just Dorothy the freak. The Undead Redhead. Right?

Dorothy’s thoughts were interrupted by the classroom intercom.

“Mr. Macarini! Mr. Macarini! Please meet animal control at your car immediately. We have a… a situation.”

Mr. Macarini sprang to his feet and looked at the intercom, then back at his class. “I’ll just be a minute,” he said, pulling a jacket from under his desk before running to the door. “Stay put,” he ordered. He pointed a warning finger at Dee. “Especially you.”

The girls listened as Mr. Macarini’s footsteps echoed down the hallway.

“I wonder what animal control is doing at his car,” Ruth said.

“I bet bunny rabbits are trying to steal it,” Dinah suggested.

Lizzy snarked. “Or lizards,” she said.

Dorothy had to smile at the nerdy girl. She’d never seen Lizzy so bubbly.

“Speaking of lizards,” Dorothy said, “nice Godzilla impression.”

Lizzy grinned. “You can call me Geekzilla, if you’d like.”

Dorothy nodded. “Okay, Geekzilla.”

“Hey!” Dinah said, bouncing out of her chair. She did a happy jig that looked a lot like a potty dance. “I just had a great idea. You guys should totally join our roller derby team!”

“Roller derby?” Lizzy said, adjusting her glasses.

“Sure!” Dinah said. “You already have an awesome skate name and everything.”

Dorothy cleared her throat, trying to get Dinah’s attention. Dorothy liked Lizzy, but it would take more than a good name to be good at roller derby. Shouldn’t they be trying to recruit athletic girls? Like the soccer players or girls from the Ultimate Frisbee team?

“The next training is Monday after school,” Dinah continued, not noticing Dorothy’s zip-your-lips signal. “We need more players, and you guys totally kicked butt at lunch today.”

Kicked butt? Dorothy thought, thinking of the upturned table and Ruth and Lizzy laughing themselves silly in a pile of smashed food.

“My skating is decent,” Lizzy said. “And I can offer strategy advice.”

“I can roller-skate, too,” Ruth said. “But do I have to use Thunder Thighs for my skate name? I know I’m kind of big, but…” She started to giggle, but there was something so sad about the laugh, it nearly broke Dorothy’s heart.

Dorothy sighed. Poor Ruth. Was it her fault that she was bigger? She was strong, too, right? During the dodgeball game she had knocked over Pompoms like bowling pins.

“Um,” Dorothy said, thinking out loud, “maybe you could go by Rolling Thunder instead?”

Ruth stopped giggling, and her eyes lit up like she had just received a Christmas present. “Rolling Thunder? Oh, Dorothy, it’s an awesome skate name. Thank you!”

Oh, frap. Did I really just recruit Ruth?

Dee rocked back in her chair and propped her huge, muddy boots on the table. “Roller derby, huh?” she said. “So you guys get to hit people and stuff, right? ’Cause I like to hit stuff.”

Dorothy cringed. Not Dee. Anyone but Dee! The beastly girl would probably break everyone like dry twigs before the team even had a chance to compete.

Before Dorothy could think of a way to talk Dee out of joining, there was a tap-tap-tap at the window. Gigi and Jade peered in, their noses pressed against the glass. Dorothy leapt out of her seat and rushed to her friends, unlocking the window and pushing it open.

“Jailbreak!” Gigi said. She grabbed Dorothy by the shoulders and pulled her halfway through the opening.

Dorothy gripped the window seal and pushed herself back into the classroom. “What are you doing?”

“Come on, Dorothy. We’re busting you out,” Jade said.

“But why?” Dorothy asked.

“Duh,” Jade said, rolling her eyes. “Because you’re innocent. That’s why.”

“Really, it’s okay. I’m fine,” Dorothy said, looking back over her shoulder at the door. She expected to see Mr. Macarini return at any moment.

“Look,” Gigi said, her hands propped on her round hips. “Your grandma went to a lot of trouble to put that snake in Mr. Macarini’s car. And if you don’t come NOW, we’re all going to get busted.”

“Grandma? Snake?!” A ribbon of fear coiled itself around Dorothy’s heart and squeezed. Dorothy craned her head through the window and dared a glance at the parking lot. There, idling at the curb, was the long black hearse with a pink lightning bolt on the door. Dead Betty.

But instead of Grandma sitting behind the steering wheel, there was a strange driver with squashed features and unnaturally pink skin. A pink-faced child appeared at the window and waved at Dorothy. Dorothy gasped. She’d recognize that wave anywhere. It was her sister! But why was she so pink and misshapen? Sam bounced up and down and long pink ears sprang up around her face. Dorothy groaned. Nylons. Grandma and Sam were wearing pink panty hose over their heads.

“See!” Dinah said, sticking her head out next to Dorothy’s. “I told you there’d be bunny rabbits.”

Morti pressed his paws against Sam’s window and barked happily. The poor dog was wearing pink nylons, too.

Dee shoved Dorothy and Dinah out of the way and squeezed through the window opening. It was not a pretty sight—similar to watching a live yak birth on the animal channel.

“See ya, suckers,” Dee said. She hit the ground running and was soon out of sight.

“You shoulds go, too,” Juana said, patting Dorothy’s back encouragingly.

Lizzy handed Dorothy her backpack. “Don’t worry. We’ll devise a logical excuse for your absence.”

Dinah hopped up and down excitedly. “Be sure to hug a bunny rabbit for me!”

“And count on us for roller derby!” Ruth said.

Dorothy sighed and reluctantly stuck her head and arms through the window. Gigi and Jade pulled her through, and the three girls ran to the car.