Hubert? Please, please, pretty please? With Bubbalot on top?”
“I’ll think about it.” He was getting better at looking in the right place when he looked at me. He stood on the stoop, pretending he hadn’t decided, but I could tell he was too curious not to come in, now that he knew we wouldn’t be locked in the broom closet and used for soup ingredients.
Jody’s voice crackled through the intercom and Pepper’s barking greeted us as we opened the door. We headed up the stairs like regular visitors, with me in front and Hubert behind, groaning about how many steps there were. But he shut up quickly when he saw the lab and the chemicals and the train.
“Hey there!” Jody smiled at Hubert, her braces glinting under the skylight.
“Hey,” he said back, already a fan.
“Still chewing, huh? How much have you got?” We showed her our cups. Mine was only half full, but Hubert was almost done.
My jaws were aching, like I’d just spent the afternoon smiling at my gram’s friends.
“I have to take a break,” I said. “Hubert, you can fill mine.” I sat down in the rolling chair and rubbed my cheeks.
“I got everything together while you were out. I hope I remember everything,” Jody said.
Hubert kept on stoically chewing. He was playing with Jody’s satin bag, taking out the makeup and lining up the pots on the table.
“What does all this other stuff do, anyway?” Hubert asked as he unwrapped another piece of gum. “Is it all magic?”
“These are scientific experiments,” Jody scolded. “Magic is for babies. I am a scientist and an inventor.”
“Sorry.”
“That clear lipstick makes everything you eat taste like strawberry pie, which just happens to be my favorite food.”
“That might be the greatest invention I ever heard of,” I said. “Except for Hubert, it would have to be Banana Bubbalot!”
“Yeah,” said Hubert, “and I sure could use it. My mother is the worst cook.”
“And this lipstick …” Jody rolled out the tube of coral that I had first looked at in my own bathroom. “Well, maybe you should just try it and see.”
17 • Rhyme Scheme
I took it from her, and it disappeared. But I could feel the slim case, to roll it in and out.
“It’s not going to, you know, do any permanent damage, is it?”
“Just try it.”
“Billie, don’t,” said Hubert.
Jody flashed me a silver smile. “I promise, you will not turn into a werewolf.”
I rolled the lipstick over my lips, expecting a tingle or a flavor. But nothing happened. Jody was looking my way with an expectant grin.
“Nothing’s changed a single bit. There must be something wrong with it. Did you give me the right one? Are you teasing me for fun?”
The words tumbled out like a high-speed tape.
“Oops.” I covered my mouth as if I’d burped at the lunch table.
Jody shook with laughter. Hubert snorted. How did I fall for this?
“You mean that now I speak in rhyme? And this will happen all the time? What about when I’m at school? They’ll all think that I’m a fool!” I had horrible visions of trying to present my Small World Project in verse. Alyssa’s smirk flashed in front of my eyes.
“Fix me up without delay! Give me something right away!” I glared at Jody, wishing she could see my fury.
“This one’s easy,” Jody reassured me. “Just wipe it off with a tissue and then gargle with vinegar.”
She heaved a gallon jug of Grand Unionwhite vinegar from under her table. I wiped my lips raw on the sleeve of my sweatshirt and then took a swig. I wanted to vomit at once. I swilled it around for maybe four seconds and then spat it out into the saucer that Jody was offering.
“I better not be talking in rhyme …” I tested the cure. They both applauded.
“That was funny,” said Hubert. “You’re pretty smart, Jody. Now what do we do with all this gum?” He handed her two full cups.
“Let’s get going,” said Jody. “You’ll have to carry all this stuff. I’ll need my
“I’ll think about it.” He was getting better at looking in the right place when he looked at me. He stood on the stoop, pretending he hadn’t decided, but I could tell he was too curious not to come in, now that he knew we wouldn’t be locked in the broom closet and used for soup ingredients.
Jody’s voice crackled through the intercom and Pepper’s barking greeted us as we opened the door. We headed up the stairs like regular visitors, with me in front and Hubert behind, groaning about how many steps there were. But he shut up quickly when he saw the lab and the chemicals and the train.
“Hey there!” Jody smiled at Hubert, her braces glinting under the skylight.
“Hey,” he said back, already a fan.
“Still chewing, huh? How much have you got?” We showed her our cups. Mine was only half full, but Hubert was almost done.
My jaws were aching, like I’d just spent the afternoon smiling at my gram’s friends.
“I have to take a break,” I said. “Hubert, you can fill mine.” I sat down in the rolling chair and rubbed my cheeks.
“I got everything together while you were out. I hope I remember everything,” Jody said.
Hubert kept on stoically chewing. He was playing with Jody’s satin bag, taking out the makeup and lining up the pots on the table.
“What does all this other stuff do, anyway?” Hubert asked as he unwrapped another piece of gum. “Is it all magic?”
“These are scientific experiments,” Jody scolded. “Magic is for babies. I am a scientist and an inventor.”
“Sorry.”
“That clear lipstick makes everything you eat taste like strawberry pie, which just happens to be my favorite food.”
“That might be the greatest invention I ever heard of,” I said. “Except for Hubert, it would have to be Banana Bubbalot!”
“Yeah,” said Hubert, “and I sure could use it. My mother is the worst cook.”
“And this lipstick …” Jody rolled out the tube of coral that I had first looked at in my own bathroom. “Well, maybe you should just try it and see.”
17 • Rhyme Scheme
I took it from her, and it disappeared. But I could feel the slim case, to roll it in and out.
“It’s not going to, you know, do any permanent damage, is it?”
“Just try it.”
“Billie, don’t,” said Hubert.
Jody flashed me a silver smile. “I promise, you will not turn into a werewolf.”
I rolled the lipstick over my lips, expecting a tingle or a flavor. But nothing happened. Jody was looking my way with an expectant grin.
“Nothing’s changed a single bit. There must be something wrong with it. Did you give me the right one? Are you teasing me for fun?”
The words tumbled out like a high-speed tape.
“Oops.” I covered my mouth as if I’d burped at the lunch table.
Jody shook with laughter. Hubert snorted. How did I fall for this?
“You mean that now I speak in rhyme? And this will happen all the time? What about when I’m at school? They’ll all think that I’m a fool!” I had horrible visions of trying to present my Small World Project in verse. Alyssa’s smirk flashed in front of my eyes.
“Fix me up without delay! Give me something right away!” I glared at Jody, wishing she could see my fury.
“This one’s easy,” Jody reassured me. “Just wipe it off with a tissue and then gargle with vinegar.”
She heaved a gallon jug of Grand Unionwhite vinegar from under her table. I wiped my lips raw on the sleeve of my sweatshirt and then took a swig. I wanted to vomit at once. I swilled it around for maybe four seconds and then spat it out into the saucer that Jody was offering.
“I better not be talking in rhyme …” I tested the cure. They both applauded.
“That was funny,” said Hubert. “You’re pretty smart, Jody. Now what do we do with all this gum?” He handed her two full cups.
“Let’s get going,” said Jody. “You’ll have to carry all this stuff. I’ll need my
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