“Okay, so madness runs in the family, am I right?”

“Gwen!” Isobel breathed out in a rush, sinking to the carpet on her knees.

“What is it?” said Gwen. “What’s the matter?”

Outside her door, Isobel could hear Danny droning on, spouting off made-up codes. She knew there was bound to be a catch to Danny’s help, but for the moment she was grateful.

“Varen was here,” Isobel whispered, and then proceeded to give Gwen the abridged version of what had happened, all the way from the drive home to the atomic explosion with her dad.

“Are you serious?” Gwen exclaimed, cutting her off before she could finish. Then, as if she hadn’t heard a word about the fight, she said, “He tagged you to go to the Grim Facade? Oh my cheese and crackers. Do you even know how major this is?”

“Gwen, are you listening to me? Did you not hear me when I said my dad just finished grounding me for the rest of my natural life?”

“Are you kidding?” she squeaked. “Ohhh, you are sooo going. You gotta see it. ’Course, I’ve only ever been once myself, but it was awesome. I went the year before last ’cause that emo kid, Mikey, with the spiky hair? You know the one I’m talkin’ about? He tagged me. Hey! I bet I could get him to tag me again. If he isn’t already taking somebody.”

“Gwen, hello.” Isobel tapped a finger against the receiver. “You’re not hearing me. I can’t go. I already told him I couldn’t.”

“What are you gonna wear?”

Isobel shut her eyes. She rubbed her temple where a headache had begun to set in.

“Look,” she said, “it’s probably safe to say that I won’t be having much social interaction outside of school, at least until New Year’s. I’m not going, Gwen. End of story. I’m just trying to figure out a way to meet with Varen this week to get the project done. Can you help me figure that one out? Please? Besides, if I can manage not to get kicked off the squad again, I’ve got the rival game this Friday anyway.”

“Your parents gonna be there?” Gwen asked, a sly edge to her voice.

“At the game?”

“No, at your bat mitzvah—yes, the game!”

“After tonight? Are you kidding? My dad’ll probably pick a seat front and center and still have binoculars handy.”

“Can you . . . guarantee that?”

“Yes!” Isobel hissed, “I can!”

“Good!”

“Gwen—”

“Only do me a favor and try not to piss your dad off any more—well, any more than can be avoided.”

“But—”

“—is not a nice word, even though we all have one. Now go to bed before your dad finds out you’re on the phone and sends you into orbit for nine years. I’ll see ya in the morning.”

Click.

Isobel stared at the phone. Now she was completely convinced. Gwen was a mental case. Recent escapee from the Home of Our Lady of Loonies. There was no way she was going to be able to sneak out this Friday. Hello. It was Halloween. Her parents—at least her dad—would be taking notes for the record if she so much as sneezed.

Isobel jumped when Danny zoomed into her room, snatching the phone out of her grasp. “Abort, abort!” he rasped, rushing back out, practically dive-bombing into his own room, shouting into the receiver, “Yeah—oh, yeah. Detrodon is the best!”

Isobel heard footsteps on the stairs. Her first instinct was to rush forward and slam her door shut, but instead she rose quietly and went to stand in the doorway. She grasped the handle and peered out to see her mother on her way up. Isobel frowned and turned away but left her door ajar. Returning to her bed, she buried herself in covers.

“Isobel,” her mom said, her voice soft, coaxing, “I want you to know that your father and I are going to have a talk.”

Isobel felt one side of her bed sink down as her mom sat, and then the weight of one warm hand against her arm. “In the meantime, I want you to go ahead and make plans to finish this project, okay? Here, I brought you your book.” Isobel’s eyes widened as her mother laid The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe on the covers right next to her head. She shifted to sit up.

“Do you have somewhere else you two can meet this week?” her mom asked.

Isobel thought for a moment. In her mind, she pictured the ice cream shop. There was also Nobit’s Nook, and of course, there was the library if all else failed. She nodded, grateful to have an ally after all. More often than not, her parents stuck maddeningly together on most issues concerning her social life.