Escape from the Drooling Octopod! by Robert West Page B

fact, the more he looked at her, the less ugly she seemed. Once, they were both driving electric cars when they bumped head-on into each other. Beamer got a close look at her face. She definitely had the face of an old woman — a very old woman, like the old crone Snow White’s stepmother turned into to give her the poisoned apple. He couldn’t help taking a deep gulp.
    Then it happened — the moment of doom Beamer had been afraid of.
    â€œDo you think I’m pretty?” he heard Alana ask Scilla.
    It was like Murphy Street had suddenly become Hiroshima. He was choking and coughing like he was in the middle of the mushroom cloud.
    Scilla was turning pink — or was it green? She cleared her throat nervously, hemming and hawing. If she didn’t think of something to say soon, she would probably shrivel up from the fallout.
    â€œNot that I’d be as pretty as you are, of course,” Alana added before Scilla could say anything.
    Beamer could tell from Scilla’s expression that, however much she had come to like Alana before, she really liked her now. The trouble was that the mushroom cloud was growing, and Scilla still didn’t know what to say.
    Scilla was rescued from her dilemma by the patter of rain-drops on the window. You’d have thought those drops were the cavalry coming to the rescue. If he’d had a flag, Beamer would have waved it wildly, cheering till his lungs wore out.
    â€œHey, we’d better get going before it really starts coming down,” Scilla said quickly. “Thanks for having us over,” she said to Alana with a smile. “I’ve had a great time!”
    â€œMe too,” said Beamer.
    â€œNo question about it,” added Ghoulie.
    Scilla hesitated a moment then hugged her. Alana’s eyes grew big with surprise and bewilderment. She had no idea how to react. Then Alana moved toward Ghoulie.
    Ghoulie backtracked triple speed, disguising his retreat with a laugh and a crooked smile. “See you next time. Yessiree, just put up that flag, and we’ll be back here in a flash!” Then he was in the hallway, making a quick run to the balcony window.
    Fearing the same thing as Ghoulie, Beamer also made a quick exit. He took her outstretched hand and shook it like he was pumping water from a well. “Yeah, let us know, and we’ll be back. Some day maybe you can come and visit us — well, maybe when we find a way to change your dad’s mind . . . and . . . and a few other things.”
    â€œSome things are just for girls,” Scilla said to Alana with a wink, “like hugs.”
    Alana batted her eyelashes, trying to figure out what a wink was all about, but she nodded, seeming to get the gist of Scilla’s comment.
    â€œWe’ll see you soon. Oh, let me help a little,” Scilla said as she scurried about the room, putting things back the way they were. “We don’t want anyone to know you’ve had visitors.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” Alana answered, “I’ll clean up. You’d better get going before you get drenched in a downpour.”
    â€œOh, yeah, right!” Scilla said. “Well, bye!”
    Alana was right behind her when she ran out the door, and she was waving at them from the balcony when they disappeared into the canopy of leaves.

    Sure enough, Scilla got grounded . . . for two whole weeks! Her grandmother could hardly speak to her, except through clenched teeth. Dashiell told their grandmother that it had been an accident. Once again, Scilla was about to be grateful for her stepbrother when he added that Scilla probably shouldn’t have been playing near something as fragile as that lamp. Scilla wasn’t sure she appreciated him coming to her defense. His other attempts to comfort Scilla involved describing his latest science project. Scilla thought it sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.
    After a week of listening to Dashiell brag