by Mary Amato
“Girls!” Mrs. Tandy yelled. “Stop it right now! Take that cat into the bathroom and clean her up. I’m going to have to pay to have this carpet cleaned.” She grabbed our T-shirts and threw them in the trash.
“Now what are we going to wear for the talent show?” Scarlett cried. “You wouldn’t buy us real costumes! We were just trying to make our own! If Brandy hadn’t—”
Her mom’s eyebrows went up in a scary way. “You can forget about being in that talent show, Scarlett,” she said.
Scarlett ran, crying, out of the room.
Brandy left, too.
I had a shivery feeling inside. It’s strange being in a quiet room after people were yelling in it. I didn’t know what to do, so I started trying to clean up the mess.
Mrs. Tandy turned and said, “Lucy, go home.”
Of all the things she could say to me, that was the best.
When I got home, my dad was making banana bread. He had flour on his nose and all over his T-shirt. He gave me a look. “Mrs. Tandy called,” he said.
“It really wasn’t my fault!” I said. “I wanted to work in the kitch—”
“Actually, Mrs. Tandy wasn’t mad at you,” he said.
“She wasn’t?”
“She was upset with Scarlett and Brandy,” he said. “She just wanted me to know that she was sending you home.”
“I’m not in trouble?” I asked.
“No.” He poured the batter into a pan. “What happened over there?”
“The Tandys all had a big fight,” I said. “They were venting, but not in a good way. Sometimes when I’m over there, the way they talk to each other makes me get a shiver.”
Just then Leo and Lily ran in. Leo hugged one of my legs and Lily hugged the other. They were like little koala bears hugging a tree, and I was the tree!
“Come and play,” Leo said.
They made me feel the opposite of shivery. It was so good to be home. I wrote a song about it!
WHEN I’M HOME
BY LUCY MCGEE
When I feel sad and shivery,
home is where I want to be.
That’s where I know I belong—
Me and my family.
Oh, when I’m home…
Oh, when I’m home…
So much can happen in an ordinary day.
I know that when I’m home, I’ll be okay.
Though our clothes are kind of worn out,
torn right where they shouldn’t be,
And our hair’s a mess…
nothing fancy’s fine with me.
Oh, when I’m home…
Oh, when I’m home…
So much can happen in an ordinary day.
I know that when I’m home, I’ll be okay.
Inside jokes and made-up games
and noisy laugh-out-louds.
Sometimes we hug so hard
we knock each other down.
Home Sweet Home, Oh!
Home Sweet Home, Oh!
Home is where I want to go.
There I’ll be okay.
Oh, when I’m home…
Oh, when I’m home…
So much can happen in an ordinary day.
I know that when I’m home, I’ll be okay.
On Monday, Phillip was waiting for me by the fence.
I was about to tell him what happened at Scarlett’s house, and then Resa walked up.
“Please don’t say you’re mad at us,” Phillip said. “Because all this mad stuff is getting to me.”
Resa smiled and shrugged. “I’m not mad. I just came over to see if you heard about Scarlett.”
I was about to tell them that I actually felt sorry for Scarlett when Scarlett came running over. She had a big smile on her face.
“I can be in the show!” she said. “I begged and begged, and my mom gave in. Let’s practice at recess. We can have a dress rehearsal after school on Wednesday. I have a new idea for costumes. I can’t believe the show is this Friday! It’s going to be so much fun. Your words and my tune!” She hugged me and Phillip and then ran to tell Saki.
Resa grinned.
Phillip was shocked. “She hugged me,” he said.
We laughed. Like I said, life is a surprise.
We all practiced at recess, and it was fun.
Scarlett’s idea for costumes was great: jeans on the bottom and plain, colored T-shirts on top, each of us in a different color. We made two rows and we did half the song with Scarlett’s row in front and half the song with my row in front.
The more we sang together, the more the merrier we were!
We practiced our ukulele part, and we practiced our singing part. We practiced looking out at the audience and smiling. We even practiced bowing.
On Wednesday after school, we had our Songwriting Club meeting and sang the whole thing for Ms. Adamson.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “I’m so proud of you all for working together. I know it wasn’t easy.”
The show was coming up on Friday.
Some of us were tall. Some of us were short. Some of us had flat hair. Some of us had holes in our smiles, but we were ready!
On Friday we were so excited. The show was going to be during the last period of the day. While we were putting our ukes in our cubbies, we couldn’t stop talking about it. We looked fantastic in our jeans and colorful T-shirts. Mine was orange! The color of happy! We were extra excited because families were invited. My dad, Mom, Leo, and Lily were coming. The whole flock!
“Boys and girls, you have ants in your pants!” Mrs. Brock said. “Does anyone know what a group of ants is called?”
“A colony!” Phillip said. “You’re going to love our song for the show, Mrs. Brock. It has animal group names in it.”
I started singing, “A flock floating together is sweeter than swee—”
“Lucy, it’s time for our morning routine,” Mrs. Brock said. “So please zip your lips.”
“Zip your lips is a good rhyme, Mrs. Brock,” I said. “It could be a song.”
She smiled. “Not right now. Let’s get our day started.”
It was hard to focus, but we got through the morning. At recess we practiced again. Finally, last period arrived.
Then the principal made an announcement: “All performers for the show, please go to the gym.”
We jumped up and got our ukuleles out of our cubbies and started walking toward the gym. Scarlett was going clack, clack, clack because she had on her fanciest shoes.
“Scarlett! Lucy!”
We turned around. Mrs. Tandy was walking up the hallway with a big bag. She waved at Scarlett and me to come over.
“Girls,” she said. “I know how much you wanted real matching costumes. I got some cute tops and matching bobby pins at the last minute! Look!” She pulled out a package of bobby pins and four sparkly white jackets with pink flowers and fringe on the sleeves. Scarlett started jumping up and down. “Mom! I love you so much! These are amazing!”
My stomach started to get a bad feeling. “They’re nice,” I said. “But they don’t fit the song. I think—”
“Pablo and Phillip can wear their T-shirts and stand in the back. The girls can wear these,” Scarlett said, and tipped the bag upside down. It was empty. “Mom!” she said. “We need seven jackets.”
“I thought it was you, Victoria, Mara, and Lucy,” she said.
“No! There are seven girls in the Songwriting Club. There are us plus Resa, Saki, and Natalie.” Scarlett’s face looked like she was dying.
“I’m sorry, honey,” Mrs. Tandy said.
“We should stick with our T-shirts,” I said.
Scarlett stuffed the jackets and bobby pins in the bag and ran ahead with it, her heels going clack, clack, clack again.
Mrs. Tandy huffed and walked away.
Phillip and Resa came over.
“What’s going on?” Resa asked.
Phillip made a horrified face. “Did I see sparkly jackets? Really? I am not wearing one of those things.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “We can’t use them. There’s only four.”
When we got to the gym, we all went crazy. Ms. Adamson had put up lights and set up a stage.
Scarlett called everybody over for a huddle.
“I have these amazing costumes,” she said. “One for me, one for Mara, one for Victoria, and one for…” She looked around.
“Scarlett,” I said. “We should all wear our regular shirts. We look great.”
“But these are amazing!” She held one up.
“Let take a vote,” Phillip said. “All in favor of wearing our T-shirts, raise your hand.”
Phillip, Resa, Saki, Natalie, Pablo, and I all raised our hands. Scarlett, Victoria, and Mara were the only ones who wanted to wear the sparkly jackets.
Scarlett gave Victoria and Mara each a jacket. “Fine. We’ll wear them.”
“That won’t look right,” Resa said. “We won’t look like a group.”
Scarlett turned red. “Fine,” she said. She put the jackets back in the bag and stood there, looking sad and mad. Then she pulled out the package of bobby pins. There were eight in the package. They were silver with a tiny glittery flower on the end. Scarlett gave each girl one bobby pin. “At least we can have a little sparkle in our hair,” she said sadly.
Resa and I looked at each other. I could tell she was thinking how bossy Scarlett was being, but neither of us said anything. We took the bobby pins. Not everything is worth a fight.
Ms. Adamson called all the performers to stand by the stage. It was mostly fifth graders. There was a magic act, a comedy skit, a violin player, and a piano player. And then two fifth-grade girls who were doing a ballet dance walked in wearing costumes with sparkles, and I thought Scarlett was going to explode with jealousy.
“I should have done ballet!” she moaned.
Ms. Adamson talked us through the order of all the acts. The Songwriting Club had the most kids in it, so we were going to be last. The grand finale!
We looked good with our different-colored shirts and our ukuleles.
When the kids and families started coming in, Ms. Adamson took us all to the side hallway right outside the gym. “Wait out here,” she said. “When it’s time for your act to go on, I’ll come and get you.”
I peeked through the doorway as she was talking.
My family was walking in. This was going to be the best day of my life!
The show started! We all got nervous.
The ballet girls began practicing their dance in the hallway.
“Check out the way Scarlett is looking at those costumes,” Phillip whispered. “Her eyes are woozy. The sparkles are hypnotizing her.”
“She loves sparkles,” I whispered back.
“Don’t look, Scarlett,” Victoria said. “It will make you crazy.”
Scarlett turned away from the ballet dancers. “How about if I wear a sparkly jacket?”
Pablo rolled his eyes. “No way, Scarlett. We already agreed.”
“Let’s find a place to go over our song,” Resa said.
We didn’t want anybody to hear us, so we walked down the hallway looking for a place. Scarlett opened the door to the room with cleaning supplies. “This is nice and private,” she said, and turned on the light.
Phillip, Resa, Pablo, Natalie, Saki, and I went in.
Victoria stopped. “Wait. I really have to go to the bathroom.”
“Me too!” Mara said.
“Go quick,” Saki said.
“I’m going, too,” Scarlett said. “We’ll be right back. Don’t start without us.”
The three of them left.
“Let’s sing some of our other songs to warm up,” Phillip said.
We closed the door so nobody would hear us. Then we started playing.
“Wait,” Pablo said. He looked embarrassed. “I have to go to the bathroom, too.” He tried to open the door. “I think it’s locked,” he said.
“It can’t be true!” Phillip said. He jiggled the knob. It wouldn’t move.
“We’re locked in?” Resa asked.
Oh no! I tried turning the knob, too.
“This is bad!” Natalie said.
“Scarlett and Victoria and Mara will come,” Saki said. “They can open the door from that side.”
Just then we heard a sound…clack, clack, clack…Scarlett’s shoes! She was coming!
I pounded on the door. “Hey, Scarlett! Let us out!”
There was silence. We all looked at the doorknob, expecting it to turn.
“They’re locked in?” Mara’s voice asked.
“Yes,” Resa said. “We’re locked in. Open the door.”
Then we heard Scarlett whisper, “Let’s go! We can wear the sparkly jackets and do the show! Come on!”
We were speechless.
Before we could say anything, we heard the horrible clacking of shoes running away.
No! We started pounding on the door.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
“Help! Let us out!” we cried.
Silence.
“I can’t believe they would do this to us,” Resa said.
“They can’t get away with it,” Saki said. “Ms. Adamson will notice we’re not there. She’ll stop the show.”
Phillip shook his head. “Ms. Adamson always says, ‘The show must go on!’ ”
“But Ms. Adamson will ask Scarlett where we are,” Saki said.
“Knowing Scarlett, she’ll lie!” I said. “She’ll tell her we all chickened out.”
“And then Ms. Adamson will say, ‘The show must go on!’ ” Phillip said.
We all started pounding again.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
We called and called. Nobody answered.
There were no windows. Just a sink and some mops and brooms and lots of paper towels, toilet paper, and soap. We dragged a garbage can over to the door and banged on it with a broom to make more noise.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Then we stopped and listened.
Silence.
“This is like a movie and we’re in prison,” Natalie said.
“It’s Friday,” Phillip said. “Everybody will go home after the show.
“Nobody will find us and we’ll have to stay here all weekend and starve!” Natalie looked like she wanted to cry.
“We can chew on empty toilet paper rolls,” I said. “Mr. Chomper would be in heaven.”
Resa sat down. “Scarlett, Victoria, and Mara are probably putting on their sparkly jackets and getting ready to sing.”
“They’re going to sing our song,” Phillip said.
“And everybody will love it and they won’t even miss us because of all the sparkles in their eyes,” I said. I pictured my mom and dad and Leo and Lily all watching Scarlett instead of me. “This is the saddest day of my life.”
“We cannot miss this!” Pablo said.
“Yeah,” Saki agreed. “We have to figure out a way to open the door.”
When you are stuck in a locked room, it’s easy to panic.
Phillip was chewing his fingernails.
Pablo was bouncing up and down.
Resa and Saki were pounding on the walls.
Natalie was sitting down with her head on her knees.
I was pacing.
An idea popped into my head. “We could stop up the sink with paper towels and turn on the water and let it flood out the door,” I said. “Someone will see it.”
“I don’t know,” Phillip said. “We’ll get in trouble.”
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“We’ll drown,” Natalie said.
Another idea popped into my head. “We could dig our way through the floor and make a tunnel all the way to the gym.”
Pablo held up a broom. “Dig our way out with this?”
He was right. We didn’t have any digging tools.
“I have an idea,” Resa said. She found a pen and wrote “Help! We’re locked in!” on a paper towel and slipped it under the door.
We huddled near the door and listened. The hallway was silent.
“Nobody will see it,” Natalie said. “All the teachers and kids are in the gym.”
Then we heard a sound. Someone humming!
“It’s Mr. Tapper!” Phillip said. “He’s probably sweeping the hallway!”
Our school’s custodian loves music. He always sweeps the hallway with his headphones on, listening to music and humming along.
The humming was getting louder! He was coming! He was going to see our note and rescue us!
Everybody started jumping and cheering. Phillip and I got down and peered under the crack below the door.
Suddenly, we could see Mr. Tapper’s big mop swoosh right by the door. He swept up our Help note and just kept going!
We jumped up and shouted. “Wait! Come back!”
We waited and waited, but his headphones kept him from hearing us.
“He must have thought the note was a piece of trash,” Pablo said.
“He should have noticed the writing on it!” Saki said.
Phillip shook his head. “You can’t blame a guy for doing his job. He is one good cleaner-upper.”
Our group was losing hope.
“We have to come up with another way out!” I said. “Come on, brain! Think! Think! Think!”
