The Invisible Enemy by Marthe Jocelyn Page A

you such a big reward you won’t believe it.”
    “What will you give me?”
    “It’ll be a surprise.”
    “Do I get the present tomorrow?”
    “When tomorrow comes and we still have a secret, we’ll talk about delivery.”
    I took a deep breath before I allowed myselfto say the next part out loud. “Plus, think of this: We get to have a sleep-over party, and Mom doesn’t even know!”
    “Mom doesn’t even know what?” said my mother, suddenly arriving at the side of the bed.

14 • Help Wanted
    W e have a secret,” said Jane.
    “Oh?” said my mother.
    “And I’m going to keep it a secret.”
    I began to exhale.
    “For now, anyways,” said Jane, squinting at me.
    “Forever,” I said, pinching her.
    “I’ve ordered the pizza,” said Mom. Our traditional Friday-night supper is pizza, delivered from Lombardi’s, the oldest pizzeria in New York. “Why don’t you get started on your weekend homework, Billie? Jane, you come along with me and wash those hands.”
    Let Jane alone with a hot secret and my mother at the same time?
    “No!” I said. “Janey, stay here. I’ll help you wash your hands in a minute.”
    She looked at me with total scorn. “I think I can wash my own hands,” she said, prancing out of the room after my mother.
    “Oh, shoofly,” I swore.
    “Billie,” said Alyssa. “Why can’t I just have a shower and scrub this stuff off?”
    “It doesn’t work that way….” I let my voice trail off. She was getting closer, but I didn’t want to tell her the truth just yet. I kind of liked keeping her in the dark. I’d call Hubert, right now while my mother was busy, and tell him to start chewing the gum.
    I found the phone on Jane’s bed.
    “Who are you calling?” asked Alyssa.
    “The Department of Missing Persons.”
    “Hello?” said Hubert.
    “Hubert,” I said.
    “Oh, hi, Billie,”
    “What are you calling Hubert for?” asked Alyssa. “To talk to J. P?”
    “Be quiet,” I ordered, covering the mouthpiece. I pulled Jane’s blanket over my head so maybe she couldn’t hear everything.
    “Hubert, I only have a second,” I whispered. “It’s an emergency.”
    “Is this about Alyssa?”
    “Of course. Only I forget the names of those Chinese fungus things we had to get for Harry the last time this happened. Do you remember? Locust barf? Goat’s hoof?”
    “Goat’s horn, I think. Why don’t you call Jody?”
    “I will—it’s just weird to call her after all these months and say it’s an emergency. Or she might have moved, or— I was just hoping maybe you’d remember. Plus, Hubert?”
    “Uh-huh?”
    I’d been asking him for a lot of favors recently, it suddenly seemed. No wonder he got sick of me sometimes and had other friends over.
    “Hubert? I know you’re probably a little tired of me right now, but I’m kind of in a panic….” I heard my own voice wobble. “And I also need you to chew the gum. Lots of it.”
    “But, Billie, how am I—”
    “I could never chew as much as you, especially with my mother around. I’ll pay you back, however many packs you buy. Gum juice is an essential part of the Reappearing Potion, remember? Masticated chicle. And you are the master masticator.”
    “Don’t bother with the flattery, Billie. Anyway, J. P. is here, and what am I supposed to tell—”
    Someone poked me.
    I pulled the blanket off my head, but no one was there. Meaning Alyssa.
    “I gotta go. Just pretty please do it, Hubert? Okay? I’ll call you tomorrow. Say hi to Jean-Pierre for me.”
    Click
.
    “You
did
call Jean-Pierre!” Alyssa’s voice was right in my ear.
    “Out of the way, Alyssa, I want to go check on Jane. I don’t trust her to keep her mouth shut.”
    I hurried to the kitchen before Alyssa could protest. Jane was actually washing her handsand singing a song about a crow on the fence. It seemed like nothing to worry about, so far.
    “Billie, set the table, will you please?” My mother had trapped me.
    Jane dried her hands on