Part 5 (2/2)
Jeri took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. ”I guess I'm just nervous. My project is due, but it's too boring to win the scholars.h.i.+p. And with our friends getting poi-soned, it's pretty hard to concentrate!” She grabbed her denim shorts and changed out of her school uniform, then scooped up her project papers. ”I'm going downstairs to work. See ya later.”
Brooke was already in the study room, her books and laptop spread over one of the tables. Jeri took the table by the window.
”What're you working on?” Brooke asked, stretching her arms behind her back.
”My article for the media fair. I need to write up my interview with Mr. Petrie yesterday.”
”I'm surprised he talked to you.”
”Why? Do you know him?”
”No, I only saw him Sat.u.r.day when he delivered the .owers for Abby's dinner.” She shrugged. ”I thanked him, but he just stomped off without answering. Mean old man.”
”He's usually not like that. I wonder what was bugging him.”
”I don't know.” Brooke mimicked his voice. ”When he left, he was muttering, 'What goes around, comes around,' or something like that.”
Jeri raised one eyebrow, but said nothing. Her grandpa up in Iowa used that expression lots of times. It meant you'd reap what you sowed, that there'd be consequences to pay for your actions. It could be taken as a threat, al-most like Mr. Petrie intended revenge on somebody. Who? Nikki?
Jeri hated to believe that Mr. Petrie could be like that, but if they weren't dealing with a virus, then it had to be somebody, didn't it? Accidental food poisoning might hap-pen once-and it might even affect lots of people - but it wouldn't keep happening.
After working hard on her outline before supper, Jeri wrote her rough draft after she ate. By the time she'd re-vised it into shape hours later, Rosa was asleep and snor-ing softly. She'd left Jeri's desk light on.
Rosa's snacks were on her desk, and Jeri was ravenous.
One chocolate cupcake with frosting was left in an opened cellophane package. She knew Rosa would let her have it if she were awake. Jeri took it and bit into it. Ahhh . . . heaven.
However, on the second bite, a scary thought occurred to her. It would have been so easy for someone to sneak into their unlocked dorm room while Rosa slept and tam-per with the open package of snack cakes. Regretfully, Jeri tossed the rest of it into the garbage.
Still hungry, she dropped into her purple beanbag chair. She'd done her best on the article, but she knew it wasn't spectacular. Not enough to impress the judges at the media fair anyway. As she reclined on the beanbag, her mind drifted and she half dozed in the quiet room.
Then her arm tickled. The skin p.r.i.c.kled, and she jerked. ”Ick!” she whispered, brus.h.i.+ng at her arm.
She peered closely in the dim light of her desk lamp, but couldn't see anything. Then she felt the same crawly sensation up the back of her bare leg.
Covering her mouth, she suppressed a scream.
7.
caught in the act.
Jeri scrambled up from the beanbag and dashed for the brightly lit hallway. She crouched down and spotted two brown ants marching up her leg. ”Yuck!” She brushed them off and stomped hard on them. Jeri sighed in exasperation. Rosa's cupcake wrappers and cracker crumbs were an open invitation to ants and other bugs.
Back in the room, she removed and shook out her T-s.h.i.+rt and shorts, then put on pj's. First thing in the morning, she'd make Rosa get rid of the food or store it in a tight plastic container. Crawling under the covers, Jeri snuggled down and muttered a quick prayer for G.o.d to kill the ants and then dropped off to sleep.
Over Mexican food for lunch in the dining hall Thursday, Jeri and Rosa argued about keeping food in their room. Finally Abby interrupted. ”I'll have a good surprise for you after school if you stop . ghting.”
”We aren't .ghting.” Rosa stood abruptly. ”See you later. I'll only be around a few minutes after school though.”
Jeri looked up from her taco in surprise. ”Why?”
”I'm going shopping with Shauna,” she said casually.
”Really?” Abby asked. ”Ms. Carter said you can go shopping on a school night?”
”I ran out of some stuff I need for my art fair project.” Rosa shrugged and then grinned. ”Can I help it if the art supply store is next to the pizza place?”
Jeri knew Shauna was old enough to drive. ”Why does a girl that old want to go shopping with a sixth grader?”
”Because I'm fun,” Rosa said, bristling. ”Some people think I have a great sense of humor.”
”I think you're funny,” Jeri said, stung by her tone. She forced herself to smile. ”I hope you have fun tonight,” she said. ”Really.”
Rosa paused and then .ashed a huge smile. ”Thanks. I will. Anything you want me to bring you?”
Jeri gave her a playful punch on the arm. ”How about some bug spray?”
That evening after supper Jeri worked at her computer. She was trying -without success-to make her article exciting when Abby stuck her head in the door.
”Hey, mate, fancy a brownie?” she asked. ”They'll be done in two minutes.”
”You don't have to ask me twice!” Jeri shoved back from her computer and followed the blonde British girl downstairs. ”Another home ec project?”
”No, Ms. Carter just said I could make some.”
”So you're feeling okay now?”
”Just tired. I hate being sick.” She smiled. ”Brownies just sounded really good today.”
Jeri grinned. ”Chocolate always sounds good. A choco-late brownie doeth good like a medicine,” she said, misquot-ing one of her mom's favorite Bible verses.
She followed Abby into the kitchen where Abby handed her a warm brownie on a paper napkin. She took a small bite. ”This tastes so good,” she said. ”I hope you made enough.”
Abby .nished cutting the brownies, placed them on a plate, and grabbed a handful of paper napkins. She led the way to the living room. There .ve girls sat on the . oor around the large coffee table, creating sc.r.a.pbook pages. Jeri leaned over Emily's shoulder to see. The photos were mostly silly shots taken in the dorm of girls making goofy faces. A bowl containing a few popcorn hulls was on the .oor near them.
Abby stood in the doorway. ”Anybody hungry?” she asked, holding out the plate of warm brownies.
”Yum!” Brooke said, reaching for one.
Abby handed her a napkin. ”I made them from scratch.”
Brooke's smile faded and her hand dropped. ”Actually, I'm not that hungry. I'm full of popcorn. Thanks, though.”
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