I knew exactly how to start the new plan.

On the bus, before Ms. Brock directed Olive and me into our seats, I said, “Ms. Brock, could you and I sit near each other?”

She blinked. “You … you want to sit by me?”

I nodded and smiled as innocently as possible. “We could sit here, across the aisle from each other. I want to get to know you a little better.”

“Well … all right,” she said, sitting down as I took the seat next to Jordana.

Olive mouthed huh? as she took the seat in front of me.

Ms. Brock smoothed down the folds of her skirt. She looked a little nervous. Maybe I had caught her off guard and she was trying to think of some way to be mean to me. “Lucy, I’m so glad that you—”

“Um, hold on a minute,” I said, moments before the driver shut the bus doors. “Could you switch seats with me? I get carsick unless I ride on the left side of a vehicle.”

“Oh, sure,” Ms. Brock said, and we switched so that she sat next to Jordana. “Your dad tells me that the two of you take a road trip every year down to Port Aransas. That sounds like so much fun.”

Yup, and we’re going to keep taking that trip just the two of us, if Jordana’s digestive system cooperates.

At first Jordana hesitated. I worried she wouldn’t eat the yogurt beside a teacher. But then her hunger got the best of her. She opened it! She took a spoonful! She took another spoonful! Mmmmm, warm yogurt! She ate the whole thing.

And then guess what happened next.

Yes, Maya.

Jordana’s stomach started to rumble. And then she threw up all over Ms. Brock. Her striped yellow-and-white sundress. Her fancy silver flats. It even got in her hair! She got it worse than I did in all my many, many Fridays.

It was disgusting. It was amazing.

*  *  *

I was hoping Ms. Brock would just give up and go straight home, but she was tougher than I thought.

She changed into Ms. Hoffman’s extra gym clothes and rejoined our group in the lobby.

She kept on her not-quite-scrubbed-clean silver flats.

She looked ridiculous—and smelled like puke. There was no way my dad would be inspired to propose to her now.

But my work wasn’t done.

I needed Dad to not only think she was unattractive on the outside. I needed him to think she was unattractive on the inside.

I had a plan for that, too.

After Olive and I raced through the scavenger hunt, I saw Ms. Brock set down her school lanyard that had her car keys attached. When she turned around, I took them.

I know that sounds bad, but I wasn’t going to steal her car or anything. I just needed her to be flustered. I went directly to the museum’s Lost and Found and dropped the keys off there before anyone could see me.

It worked. Ms. Brock searched for her keys everywhere, getting more and more frustrated. When she finally found them at the Lost and Found, she came back super grumpy.

Then, to make her even grumpier, during the dino dig, I made sure that Olive and I were positioned right behind the only bench in the entire courtyard.

“Why are you scooping up so much dirt in your shovel?” asked Olive.

“Oh, am I?” I said, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Ms. Brock was still coming this way. “Hadn’t noticed.”

I flung the dirt over my shoulder just as Ms. Brock sat down on the bench. She shrieked as the sandy dirt hit her in the back of her head.

“Oh my gosh, Ms. Brock, I didn’t see you!” I cried dramatically. “I’m so sorry. I was just so into the paleontological process that I guess I got carried away.”

“It’s fine,” she said, brushing the dirt off herself. “Do I have anything on my face?”

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, smearing a big streak of brown onto her cheek.

“Nope, you look great!”

I know that sounds harsh, too. But I told myself it was all for the best.

By the time we got to the Hall of Gems, not only did Ms. Brock smell horrible, her face was covered in dirt, her arms were crossed, and her jaw and fists were clenched. Nothing about her was screaming, Propose to me, I’m very lovable!

“Can I go to the bathroom?” Debbi Wang asked.

“No!” Ms. Brock snapped. “Stay here! Let’s just get this done, and you’ll go to the bathroom later.”

Yup.

She’d had enough and wanted to go home.

And that’s when my dad walked in.

“New shirt?” my dad asked, smiling at Ms. Brock.

“I don’t even know where to start,” she said, keeping her eyes to the ground. “It’s been quite a day.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, putting his arm around her. Did he not notice the smell? How was that possible? She smelled truly disgusting!

“Don’t get too close,” she said, avoiding eye contact with him. “I must smell terrible.”

“Doesn’t bother me,” he said.

“Please,” she said. “I’m a wreck. I can’t wait to get home and pretend this whole day didn’t happen.”

Relatable.

“You look adorable,” Dad said.

His eyes got that googly look again.

No, no, no.

“Karina, what if I can turn this day around?”

No, no, noooooo.

“I don’t think you can,” she said.

“Karina. I love you so much.”

OMG, no. Dad, come on!

“Would you marry me?”

Argh! Still! How was that possible? I give up, I give up, I give up! If he wanted to marry her so badly, FINE. I couldn’t stop it!

And that’s when I heard her response.

“No.”

Wait, what?

“Daniel, I can’t …” she said quietly.

“But, Karina …” Dad started to say.

“I just want to go home,” she said. And that’s when she turned around and ran out of the room, leaving all of us shocked and staring after her.