Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder Page B

gets kind of old.” She looked at Ellen. “No offense.”
    Ellen shifted a tiny bit. “No problem.”
    â€œMine’s kind of twisted.” Megan picked up an oblong object about the size of Hazel’s palm, wrapped in purple tissue paper.
    â€œYou? Twisted? That would be new,” Sylvia joked. Megan gave her a little bat on the arm, and everyone laughed.
    Hazel pulled the tissue paper away. It was a replica of a human brain, made out of something purple and squishy.
    â€œThe brain!” Ellen cried. “Oh my God, Megan. You’re giving away your brain?”
    â€œI stole it from my brother a long time ago,” Megan explained to Hazel. “Because it’s purple, which is our color. Also, because I used to use it on the kids I babysat. I would tell them it belonged to someone who misbehaved. It’s yours now. And trust me—you’re going to need it.”
    Everyone cracked up.
    â€œIt’s true. A lot of the kids we sit are monsters,” Sylvia said. “But their parents realize it, so they pay us a lot of money.”
    â€œHey, Sly, what about your present?” Carolyn asked.
    â€œI’ll give mine to Hazel after school.”
    Hazel’s head reeled. As if being a PLD wasn’t present enough!
    She glanced around the lunchroom. Lakshmi and LaToya caught her eye. They smiled and each gave Hazel a thumbs-up.
    Hazel quickly turned back to her lunch, pretending not to have seen them.
    Ellen slurped the last of her Diet Coke. “Out of soda,” she announced. “Anyone else?”
    Carolyn shook her head. “No thanks, but go ahead. We’ve got time before the bell.”
    Ellen headed toward the serving line. Hazel watched as Brandon left the jock table and joined her there.
    Cosmic soda coincidence? Probably not, Hazel thought.
    The two of them chatted as they went through the line. Brandon stooped slightly, listening carefully to every word Ellen had to say. Hazel was caught off guard by the gentle expression on Brandon’s face. He didn’t seem like the same guy who had destroyed that girl in geometry last year. Maybe Ellen brought out something different in him.
    â€œThey are so not right for each other,” Sylvia mumbled to herself.
    â€œReally?” Hazel said. “I think they look kind of cute.”
    Sylvia snorted. “You don’t know Brandon like I do.”
    She glared at the pair—like a cat watching the quick, scurrying movements of a mouse.
    Then Josh appeared behind her, and the storm clouds parted.
    â€œHey, sexy.” She beamed at him and gave him a kiss.
    He reciprocated, then took in the packages surrounding Hazel. “You guys have presents? Is there a birthday?”
    â€œWe’re celebrating Hazel’s induction. She’s in the club.” Sylvia smiled broadly.
    â€œNo way! Good for you,” Josh congratulated her. “These guys could use some fresh meat.”
    â€œDon’t be disgusting,” Sylvia said lightly.
    â€œWell, where’s my present?” he whined, nuzzling her cheek.
    â€œYou’ll have to earn one. Just like Haze.”
    Sylvia turned again to stare at Brandon and Ellen. They were laughing now. Brandon had his arm around Ellen’s shoulders. Sylvia’s lips pressed together to form a grim line.
    â€œI know!” Sylvia looked at the group and clapped. “Why don’t we learn the word for the day?”
    Hazel had heard about this. For fun, Sylvia taught her friends dirty words in French. Then they worked them into regular conversation, making everyone wonder what they were talking about.
    â€œWhy don’t we wait for Ellen?” Hazel asked.
    â€œShe looks busy,” Sylvia scoffed. “Today’s word is salope . It means ‘whore’ in French, only it’s more shocking than if we say whore in English.”
    â€œContext?” Carolyn ventured.
    â€œBreona is a salope ,” Sylvia