Deprivation House by Franklin W. Dixon

bedroom.
    Bobby drew in a ragged breath. Ripley pulled out the needle. She checked the side of the EpiPen. “I can see the plunger. That means he got a dose of the epinephrine.”
    â€œI’m ’kay,” Bobby wheezed. “She got . . . in time.” He began massaging the injection site.
    â€œDon’t try to talk right now,” I told him.
    â€œHe didn’t actually stop breathing,” Ripley explained. “I was heading to my room, and I heard this thump, and I ran in and he was on the floor by his bed, and I panicked. I thought he wasn’t breathing, but it was just hard for him.”
    â€œHe would have stopped if you hadn’t acted so fast,” I said. “You were awesome.”
    â€œDefinitely puttin’ you in blog,” Bobby T gasped.
    â€œShhh,” Ripley said.
    When the EMTs rushed into the room, I thought I recognized a couple of them from the night before. It was good to see them do their stuff on someone who was going to make it.
    â€œSee you soon, Bobby,” I called as they rolled him out of the room on a gurney. Face uncovered.
    â€œThat was intense.” Wilson dropped down on the floor. Olivia sat next to him and whispered something in his ear. Was he making progress in the girlfriend area? Or was something else going on? I’d have to bring it up with Frank.
    â€œSo do you still think the threats are elementary-school stuff?” Mikey asked James.
    â€œWhat?” James raised his eyebrows.
    â€œWhat do you mean what?” Mikey replied. “BobbyT won the contest today. He was ahead yesterday before . . . you know. He was starting to look like a front-runner to win this thing. Then he almost stops breathing. You think that’s a coincidence?”
    â€œHe has an allergy,” said Ripley. “That’s why he carries the EpiPen. Because there’s always the possibility something like this could happen.”
    Mitch appeared in the doorway. “Hey, I wanted to see if you’re all okay.”
    â€œPretty much,” I answered.
    â€œThanks for the fashion advice this morning,” Kit added. She clearly didn’t want to get too specific on-camera. Which was smart. Veronica would probably fire Mitch for giving us a heads-up on the roach competition.
    â€œAny time,” said Mitch. “There’s the stuff for ice cream sundaes downstairs.” He winked. “Junk food is still available—for now—and I figured you guys would be too wound up to sleep for a while.”
    â€œWant to go get some?” Brynn asked me.
    â€œI’ll be down there in a minute. I’m just going to hit the bathroom,” I told her.
    Frank and I both hung back until the room had emptied out. Then I went into the bathroom. Frank followed me.
    â€œI guess this is the only place to talk the situationthrough without possibly ending up on-camera,” I said.
    â€œYeah. I guess it will seem kind of weird. If we were girls, it would make sense we were always hitting the bathroom together,” Frank pointed out.
    I shrugged. “No choice. So how much time would it take between ingesting something with peanuts in it and an allergic reaction?”
    â€œBobby T seemed extremely sensitive,” Frank answered. “His skin and nail beds were bluish. And you heard him wheezing. He was in anaphylactic shock. I’d think a reaction that strong would have happened almost immediately after he swallowed the peanuts. Fragments of peanuts, more likely.”
    â€œBut dinner was more than two hours ago,” I said. “And no one was eating in the great room. Veronica doesn’t like snacking in there.”
    â€œRight,” Frank agreed. “So what did he eat to cause the reaction?”
    â€œAnd where did he get it?” I added. “Could someone have slipped him something?”
    â€œYou’re with Mikey? You think somebody tried to murder Bobby T?” Frank asked.
    I held out