Romance of the Snob Squad by Julie Anne Peters

Author:Julie Anne Peters
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: JUV019000
ISBN: 9780316071260
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

All morning long people tried to sneak a peek at the Extreme Rat-o-rama. Or at Harley, the wonder rat. A steady stream of lookie-loos wandered by Max’s desk in back, as everyone took the long route to the pencil sharpener or the drinking fountain. Lydia and I switched off guarding the project, since Max was busy with Harley. After my neck developed a permanent crick from twisting around so often, I asked Mrs. Jonas if we could all just move our desks to the back. “To keep Harley from escaping,” I told her. “He’s extremely intelligent, you know.”

“By all means,” she said. She was making an obvious effort to stay as far away from our rat as possible.

Right before science, Ashley and Melanie meandered by to harass us. “The Extreme Rat-o-rama.” Ashley clucked. “I’m sure. I bet it’s just a bunch of junk car parts all taped together. And Harley is a junkyard rat. ‘Certified laboratory rat.’ Gimme a break.”

“Name the bone,” Max snarled. She held up a fist.

Ashley lurched back.

We all sneered.

Ashley and Melanie rolled their eyes and sashayed off to sharpen their glitter pencils.

“How’d she know where we found Harley?” I whispered to Lydia. “And what the Rat-o-rama really is?”

Lydia’s teeth ground together. Then her jaw unhinged. “She stole my notebook!” Her eyes narrowed. “Ashley stole my notebook. Now she knows all our science secrets.”

Science secrets? What was Lydia writing in there?

“Worse than that, she has my notes on Hugh.”

That was bad. Bad for Prairie.

“Guess we’ll just have to steal it back,” Max said.

Like a firing squad, we took aim with our eyes at Ashley’s broad backside. “We’ll do it at lunch,” I whispered, “when they’re out of the room.”

“Let’s go, people.” Mrs. Jonas stood, checking her watch. “Everyone in line for lab.”

For the first time ever, people actually hustled to line up for science. They couldn’t wait to see our project. Hugh and Kevin paused by our desks. “Can I help you carry that thing?” Hugh asked.

“No, we’ve got it.” Lydia hefted up a corner.

I elbowed her hard.

“Oh.” She stumbled backward. “You can carry this side.”

Hugh grabbed the corner, which happened to be next to Prairie’s. Her freckles sizzled. No kidding—you could hear them.

“Here,” Kevin said. “I’ll take this edge.” His hand brushed across mine as he grasped my corner. The tingle up and down my arm lasted all the way to the science wing.

The Rat-o-rama Revealed was an unforgettable event. At least I’ll never forget it. Lydia, Prairie, and I performed a finger drumroll on the science sink while Max lifted the black silk tablecloth. Everyone gasped. Right before they burst into laughter.

“See?” Ashley squealed. “It’s just a bunch of junk.”

The whole class shook their heads and wandered back to their own projects. Except Hugh and Kevin. “So, how does it work?” Hugh asked.

Max retrieved Harley from his cage, where he was deep in rat dreamland, and plopped him down at the start. I set a Gummy Worm at one end of a gallon milk jug.

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