The next morning, I woke up and looked at my ceiling.

The ceiling at Dad’s house.

Yesssss!

The magic was still working.

I checked the date on my iPad to confirm.

Friday. It was still Friday, and the bracelet was still on my wrist.

“All right,” I whispered to myself. “Let’s do this.”

I put on my red shirt and shorts again. I thought about not wearing the white sneakers so that they couldn’t get messy. But if the only way to get out of this time loop was to truly have the perfect day, then that meant wearing my favorite shoes.

“I will form a protective anti-puke barrier around you,” I said to my feet as I went downstairs.

There was Dad, dancing to our song and making me a smoothie. “There’s my girrrrrl,” he sang with a smile. This time, I made sure to set my smoothie away from me before he twirled me.

“Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?” I knew exactly what I needed to tell him.

Dad glanced at his watch. “Okay, but at this point we’re only going to be four minutes early to school. Are you okay with that?”

“It’s acceptable,” I said, then went on. “Dad, you agree that you and I have a really great relationship, right?”

“The best, honey.”

“It’s been just you and me ever since I was three,” I went on. “And don’t you agree that in all those years we have been super happy here, the two of us?”

He smiled. “I do agree. We really have been happy.”

“Dad, you know I love Mom and Ben and the twins. I love being there with them, but when I come here …”

“Lucy, I think I know what you’re trying to say.”

I exhaled. “You do?”

“Yes, honey.” He pulled me into a hug. “I definitely do. When you’re here, it’s just you and me. Calm. Quiet. I get it. And I love you so much, my very best girl.”

“Okay, then!” I said, clapping my hands. I’d done it! “Let’s get this day started.”

As I walked out the door, I looked down and winked at my white shoes. So far, so perfect.

*  *  *

Everything that morning started off exactly like the other two Fridays. The buses pulled up and we started filing on. Ms. Brock was there in the aisle, directing kids into their seats.

Olive turned to talk to me as we moved down the aisle. “So about our science fair project. I’m a little worried that—”

“Um, can we talk about this later?” I said, trying to count the number of still-empty seats.

Up ahead, I spotted Jordana sitting by the window. I couldn’t sit next to her again. But I didn’t want Olive to get puked on, either.

“Well, I kind of wanted to talk about it now …” Olive went on.

“We’ll do ‘Texas in the Triassic’ for the project, and it’ll be great,” I said. “Fossil replicas: done. Research: done. Gabe and Martin: losers. Don’t worry. I have it all taken care of, okay?”

Olive cleared her throat. “But what if we—”

“Later, okay?” I cut in. Then I turned to the kid behind me. “Oh, hi, Casper. Can you go in front of me? I need to … tie my shoe!”

Casper shrugged and switched places with me. I saw Olive scowl at me and then sit down in the aisle seat. Casper sat across the aisle from Olive, beside Jordana.

Whew!

I took the seat in front of Casper, next to Benicio Morales. I tried to turn around and talk to Olive, but it was harder to make conversation in these new positions. It didn’t help that she wouldn’t make eye contact. She couldn’t be mad at me already, could she?

The bus rumbled onto the road, and we were off.

Behind me, I could hear the metallic sound of Jordana peeling back the lid of her yogurt.

I held my breath and said a small, silent apology to Casper.

The bus screeched to a stop in front of the museum.

“Hey, are you okay?” I heard Casper ask Jordana.

“I don’t … I don’t …” she mumbled.

And then there was a collective “EWWWW!” as Jordana threw up all over her seatmate. Who was Casper this time. Not me.

“Yes!” I said to Benicio. “It worked!”

“Uh, watch out,” said Benicio, pointing behind me.

Too late.

Casper stood up and hurled, sending a spray of vomit into my hair.

“Sorry,” he sputtered. “The sight of vomit always makes me … vomit.”

“EVERYONE OFF THE BUS NOW!” shouted Ms. Hoffman.

*  *  *

In the bathroom, I did my best to rinse out my hair in the sink.

Olive watched me from five feet away. “Sorry that happened to you, Lucy.”

“It’s going to be okay,” I said, toweling off. “My shoes are still spotless, so I think I can still achieve perfect-day status.”

“What?” she said, looking confused.

“Um, never mind. Come on, let’s go or we’ll miss the scavenger hunt!”

In the lobby, when Ms. Hoffman handed out the scavenger hunt sheets, I didn’t even look at our paper. I grabbed Olive’s hand and pulled her to the Hall of Texas Giants, where the dinosaur exhibit was.

Olive was still reading the first question. “This scaly giant terrorized Texas during—”

“Acrocanthosaurus! Has to be! And there’s the label—number 211. Did you write that down? Good, let’s go!” I started to pull her out of the hall.

“Ow, where are we going now?” she complained.

“The Mammals of the Eastern Forests diorama,” I said. “Armadillo, you will not elude me this time!”

“But we haven’t even read the questio—”

“Just trust me!”

We were ready with our completed scavenger hunt sheet before Ms. Hoffman even arrived at the meeting spot.

“Wow, Lucy and Olive! You two are really on the ball.”

Oh, it was sweet, sweet justice to see Gabe and Martin sprint in and watch their faces fall. Ms. Hoffman handed back our sheet with all the answers marked correct.

“High five, partner!” I said, holding up my hand.

Olive barely patted my palm. “As if you even needed my help.”

I looked at her. How could she be mad at me now? We won!

In the mock dino dig, we found more fossil replicas than before (because I had already figured out where not to look).

Things were going well, but I felt a little off. I definitely didn’t feel perfect. How could I feel perfect when my best friend was obviously getting annoyed at me no matter what I did?

And when my hair was still sort of stiff from Casper’s regurgitated oatmeal?

I told myself it was normal to feel a little weird. You know, because of the whole magic-bracelet-time-warp thing. By the time we got to the Hall of Gems, I was sure that I was going to pull this whole thing off.

Dad and I went through the demo. Everything went exactly like it was supposed to go. I slipped the diamond into my pocket this time (and made a very deliberate mental note to take it out afterward). And I had learned my lesson and didn’t say a word to Dad about planning something. There would be no reason that Dad would have marriage on his mind in any way.

Dad and I finished the demo, and the whole class clapped for us. My heart soared. That was it—the demo was over and no proposal had happened! I just needed to put the diamond back, and then …

“Lucy? Karina? I mean, er, Ms. Brock.” Dad waved us to come closer. “Can I have a moment with you two?”

Ms. Hoffman paused, and the rest of the class stopped and turned around.

Dad smiled at Ms. Brock, and then he reached out for her hand.

Oh no. No, no, no.

Dad took my hand in his other hand. “This morning, Lucy said that she and I had been living on our own for so long. She’s right. It’s been too quiet at our house. Too lonely …”

“That’s not what I meant … at all …”

Ms. Brock patted Dad’s hand. “Daniel, maybe we should talk about this another time?”

Dad smiled. “I know this is a little sudden, but …”

I had to do something!

I rolled my eyes back in my head and sank to the floor.

“Lucy!” shouted Dad.

I kept my eyes shut as he elevated my head and patted my cheeks.

I heard footsteps as all my classmates galloped over to us.

“She fainted!” shouted Martin.

“Is she okay?” asked Olive.

“Back up, everyone, please give her some air.” That wasn’t Dad’s voice. It was Ms. Brock’s. It was her hands that cradled my head. I felt her brush the hair off my face and take my pulse. I stayed very still.

“Karina,” Dad said, “do you think we should call 911?”

“She’s breathing and her heart rate is steady,” said Ms. Brock, sounding very calm. “Her blood sugar must have just dipped. Look, I think she’s coming to.”

“Wh-where am I?” I croaked. “Dad? Is that you? I don’t feel good. I think you better take me home now.”

“That’s exactly what I was going to suggest,” said Ms. Brock with a smile. She helped me to my feet and held me steady.

Dad put his arm around me, but his gaze was on Ms. Brock. He looked at her like she was the world’s greatest hero. Were those tears in his eyes?

“Karina,” he began. “Seeing you with Lucy has only reminded me what a special person you are. And that’s why I want to ask you …”

Something inside me just … snapped.

“Are you KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the stupid diamond box and threw it on the floor.

“Lucy?” gasped Dad. “The diamond? What—what are you doing? Are you all right?”

“No! No, I’m not!” I pushed away from him. “I just nearly died—”

Gabe piped up beside me. “You fainted for thirty seconds.”

“No one asked you, Gabe!” I turned back to Dad. “I collapsed on the floor, and the only person you can see is … the only person you care about is …”

I couldn’t get the rest of it out. I turned and sprinted out of the hall.

By now, you know what happened next:

I called my mom to pick me up. I ignored texts from my dad. I reintroduced myself to Becca and Addie. I confronted Eloise and put her off until “tomorrow.”

After I shut my window, I lay back down in bed, staring up at my ceiling. Some kids in my situation might feel defeated. They might feel like the universe was playing a cruel trick on them. But not me, Maya. I felt like the universe had given me a challenge.

And if there is anything I’m up for, it’s a challenge.

One. Perfect. Day.

How hard could it be?