Fabulous Five 006 - The Parent Game (7 page)

"But she couldn't have been at the game," Jana
insisted. "She had a modeling appointment. She said it was important to
her. I've been sitting here all afternoon with her bear and Rex because of it."

"I know. We were there when she asked you to sit. But
she was definitely at the game, cheering like crazy. I think that you've been
had,
"
said Christie.

"But what about her asking me if it was okay to be
Randy's partner? And she said she was crazy about Chad Wallace. We saw Chad buy
her a soda, didn't we?"

"I don't think so."

"You don't think so, what?"

"I don't think we saw Chad buy her a soda. Melanie was
talking to Garrett Boldt about Taffy's liking Chad, and Garrett said Chad told
him that Taffy gave him money and asked him to pay for her soda. Also, he said
he thought Taffy was hanging around outside school in the morning waiting for
him. Then she's been walking onto the school ground with him as if they were
together. He thinks she's kind of spacey."

"Why, that rat!" exclaimed Jana. "I'll bet
she told Randy she wanted to be friends with me just so he'd tell me she said
it. She's been faking being friends and acting as if she were interested in
Chad just so I'd say it was okay for her to ask Randy to be partners on the
Family Living project."

"That's what we think, too."

"And she must have asked me to sit Monique so she could
go to the football game. She knew I wouldn't be able to go because I couldn't
carry her darn bear, my pink bunny, and Rex, too."

The more Jana talked, the madder she got. By the time she
hung up the phone she was ready to kill Taffy Sinclair. She was stomping back
and forth in the living room, shouting at an imaginary Taffy. By the time the
doorbell rang a few minutes later, Jana was ready to blast her.

"TAFFY SINCLAIR, I'M GOING TO . . ." Jana's voice
faltered as she saw Mr. Sinclair standing on the porch by himself.

"Taffy's not with me," he-said in his soft voice. "She
called and asked me if I'd come by and pick up her bear. She said to tell you you're
a true friend."

Jana looked at him in disbelief. Taffy had the nerve to
continue the farce. She expected Jana to go on believing her lies.

Thinking quickly, she said, "It's not legal for
students' parents to sit with our make-believe babies, Mr. Sinclair. I wouldn't
want Taffy to get a bad grade if someone found out. Why don't I keep Monique? I'll
return it tomorrow if my mother's fiancé will give me a ride."

"Oh, uh . . . I guess that's okay. I'll tell her. I'm
sure she'll be grateful."

"Good-bye, Mr. Sinclair," Jana said with a smile.
When he had left, Jana picked up the phone and dialed Funny's number. She just
might be home by now.

"Hello," Funny answered the phone.

"Hi. It's Jana."

"Oh, hi. I missed you at the game. It was great. We won
and Randy scored two touchdowns. Where were you, anyway?"

"It's a long, terrible story, and I'll tell you about
it. But first I need to know something. Who told Laura that I asked Taffy to be
partners with Randy so Laura couldn't be?"

"Taffy did. That's why Laura was so mad. Taffy said you
didn't want Laura even to think about being Randy's partner on the Family
Living project. You're not going to try and get back at Laura are you, Jana?
She just thought you were being mean."

"No, I'm not. For once it's not Laura's fault. Taffy
told me that Laura was trying to get Randy to be her partner and that if I
wanted, she would ask him so that Laura couldn't. She did all kinds of things
to make me believe her."

"Oh, that's terrible. I heard you and Taffy had clubs
against each other in Mark Twain Elementary, but you seemed to be getting along
okay now."

"I might just start up my club again. Thanks for the
terrific idea, Funny. Oh, Funny . . . tell Laura that I did not ask Shane to be
partners. He did truly ask me. I'm not trying to steal Riverfield boys."

"Thanks, Jana." There was a smile in Funny's voice
again. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll tell her."

Jana hung up the phone and went to her room to make plans.
Boy, was she going to make Taffy pay for her nasty tricks.

The next morning Jana slept late. When she woke, she was
surrounded by the happy faces of all the animals stacked around her room. She
was getting used to the silly look on Rex's face, and even Monique seemed to be
smiling.

Her mother had the papers spread out and was drinking coffee
in the living room. Jana dug out the funnies, sat on the opposite end of the
couch, and pulled her robe up around her. Sunday mornings were always the best.
Jana loved the quiet time when her mother sipped her coffee and seemed much
more relaxed than she was during the week, when she was working.

Jana had worked her way to the middle of the cartoon section
and had started to read
Peanuts
when her mother broke the silence. "Jana,
you do like the lavender dress, don't you?"

"Yes, Mom. I really do." She paused a moment
before continuing. "I'm sorry I was such a pain about the dress. I did
have things to do, but they weren't as important as the wedding."

Her mother smiled and moved down the couch to put her arms
around Jana. "I know, honey. Sometimes it's tough when things are changing
so fast. But I want you to know that you'll always be my girl. Pink's and my
getting married isn't going to change any of that. You know, I should have been
listening to you a little better, too. I realized that you were maybe the more
mature of the two of us when you came out wearing the dress yesterday. You kind
of told me that I was pretty important to you. I love you for it."

Jana snuggled deep into her mother's arms. "Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Pink can keep some of his trophies in my room if he
wants."

Her mother pulled back so that she could see Jana better.
She smiled sweetly and tears filled her eyes. "Thank you, Jana. Do you
know what Pink suggested last night at the bowling alley?"

"No, I am
not
learning how to bowl," said
Jana, laughing. "Christie's dad wants her to play tennis with him all the
time, and she doesn't want to. It's okay if you two go bowling without me."

"That's not what he suggested at all. What he said, young
lady, was that we ought to raise your allowance."

"Raise my allowance?"

"Yes. With two of us working we can do that now. I wasn't
able to do it before."

"I know. Your job didn't pay enough."

"One other thing. Now that Pink is going to be around,
I won't be such a worrywart about you. It's hard when you're the only parent,
you have to think of everything, and you get overly protective because you're
afraid something might happen that you can't handle. So you're probably going
to see a little relaxing of the rules around here. But don't try to get away
with anything. There will also be two of us to mete out the punishment,"
she said with a gleam in her eyes.

Later, in her room, Jana took the letter and the invitation
from the desk drawer. She went to the closet and pulled out the boot box and
put them in with her father's letters and the support-payment envelopes. Maybe
I'll see him again someday, she thought as she put the box back. The wedding
was her mother's and Pink's, and her father didn't really belong there.

She picked up the pink bunny and stroked it. Things were
changing a lot, as her mother had said. They were even changing between the
members of The Fabulous Five. Everyone was getting so many things to do, but
she knew when she called them later, after she had talked to Taffy, they would
all jump in to help her with her plan. She straightened the rabbit's ears. Maybe
it was time to give him a name. Since he was pink, she would call him Little
Pink, and Pink would probably be thrilled.

"Oh, hi, Jana." Taffy's voice sounded cheerful
over the phone.

"Hi, Taffy. I guess your dad told you what I said."

"Yes, and thanks. You were right. If anyone found out
that my parents sat with Monique, I'd get my grade knocked down. You
are
a good friend."

"How was your appointment?"

Taffy sounded cautious when she answered, "Oh . . . it
was okay. A typical modeling job, hot lights and all."

"Since we're friends now, I'd like to see you model
sometime."

"I think that would be all right."

"Taffy, I called to tell you I won't be able to bring
the bear by today. Pink's not here. But instead of you and your dad picking it
up, why don't I just bring it to school in the morning?"

"That would be super, but won't that be a lot of
trouble?"

To Jana's delight, Taffy sounded relieved, as if she thought
the two of them were still friends.

"Oh, don't worry, Taffy, it's not too much trouble,"
Jana assured her.

After hanging up with Taffy, Jana quickly dialed Christie,
Melanie, Beth, and Katie. Later, when each of them had arrived, she grabbed
sodas and settled everyone in her room. And then she said in her most solemn
voice, "I hereby call this meeting of The Against Taffy Sinclair Club to
order."

"There she is." Katie pointed at Taffy, who was
walking onto the school ground with Chad Wallace on Monday morning. Taffy was
chattering away as if Chad and she were old friends. He was looking around and
not paying the slightest bit of attention to her.

"When you know the truth, it's pretty obvious, isn't
it?" muttered Jana.

"It sure is," answered Christie. "He's
totally ignoring her."

Christie had her bunny. Melanie was holding her walrus. Beth
had her panda, and Katie, her Sheena doll. Jana had Rex and Little Pink. Taffy
saw them and headed for them with a smile on her face.

When she reached them, she looked puzzled. "Where's
Monique?" she asked.

"I've got some bad news, Taffy." Jana tried to
look serious, but it was all she could do to stifle a giggle. "Monique's
been bear-napped."

"She's been what?" Taffy looked horrified.

"Bear-napped. I brought her to school this morning and
set her and Rex down outside the girls' room while I went in, and when I came
out, she was gone."

"What do you mean,
gone
?
How could she be
gone? Who would have taken her?"

"She's just gone, as in a missing-person, or I should
say, a missing-bear."

"Jana Morgan, what are you trying to pull?"

"Pull? Why nothing, Taffy," said Jana in her
sweetest voice. "Friends don't pull things on each other, do they?"
Taffy gave her a suspicious look as she added, "Where did you say your
appointment was on Saturday? The Cinema-six?"

Taffy's face fell.

"Seen any good movies lately, Taffy?" Katie asked.

Taffy turned from one member of The Fabulous Five to the
next with a look of horror on her face. Then the horror turned to anger, and
she whipped around and glared at Jana.

"Jana Morgan, if you don't give Monique back right
away, I'll tell Randy. It's his project, too, you know. If I fail because the
bear's lost, he fails, also."

"Gee, Taffy. What are you going to tell Randy? That you
tricked me into taking care of your bear so you could steal him from me? How
about your telling Laura that it was my idea for you to ask Randy to be
partners with you? Funny Hawthorne will vouch for that. I don't think Randy
would like to hear any of that, do you?"

Taffy's face turned bright red and her lips tightened. She
was trapped—and she knew it.

"Monique's got to be around somewhere," Jana said.
"We'll help you look for her, won't we, gang?" They all nodded
enthusiastically. "If we find her, we'll let you know."

Taffy spun on her heel and stormed away.

"Boy, is she mad," said Beth.

Jana smiled gleefully at the way things were going so far. "It
serves her right. You know, I think she must have gotten the idea about asking
me to bear-sit when she saw that Shane and I were using Rex as a make-believe
baby. She knew I wouldn't be able to take him and Monique anywhere together.
They're just too big to cart around."

"I agree," said Christie. "The first time she
asked was probably a setup to see if she could talk you into it."

"Now," said Jana, "we've got to put the rest
of the plan into effect. It wouldn't make me feel too bad if Taffy got in
trouble because she had lost the bear, but I don't want Randy to get into
trouble."

She raised her hand, and The Fabulous Five did a group
high-five. "Let's go team!" they shouted in unison.

Taffy came into the cafeteria at lunchtime and glared
angrily at The Fabulous Five before sitting down with Stacy Holgrem and Gloria
Drexler.

"She's really upset," said Melanie. "Her
Family Living class is tomorrow, and she's got to find the bear before that or
Mrs. Blankenship will know something is wrong. Oh, look. Randy's going over to
talk to her."

"Oh, boy, I'd sure like to know what he's saying,"
said Katie. "He's probably asking her where Monique is."

"Talk to him, Jana," urged Christie. "See
what you can find out."

As Randy left Taffy's table, Jana waved to him, and he came
over.

"Hi, I heard you had a great game on Saturday. I wish I
could have been there."

He smiled. "I looked for you. What happened? Did you
get held up buying stuff for your mom's wedding?"

"No," she said quickly. "I had a big
babysitting job. I hear you went to a movie later."

Randy looked embarrassed. "Taffy and I did. She said
she wanted to see
The Return of the Vampire
real badly, and she was
afraid to go with just girls. She talked me into going. It was kind of dumb. It
wasn't a date, though," he added.

"Did you have to buy a ticket for Monique?" Jana
asked, smiling up at him.

"No. Taffy said she had a cousin who was visiting, and
she left the bear with her. That way she wouldn't break the rule about having
parents sit."

"A cousin, huh? Where's the bear now?" Jana asked
innocently.

"That's what I was just asking Taffy." He frowned.
"I guess her cousin still has it. Mrs. Blankenship isn't going to like it
when she looks at our report and finds out that someone besides Taffy or me was
taking care of it all weekend and today, too. I told Taffy to get it back right
away, and I'd take it. She acted kind of funny."

"I'm sure she'll get it back," said Jana.

"I am, too, but if she doesn't do it quickly it could
lower our grades. I've gotta go. If you're going to be at Bumpers later I'll
walk you home."

"Great," said Jana.

"Okay, everybody," she said after Randy left. "It's
time for part B of our plan. Melanie, do you have the note?"

They caught up with Taffy as she left the cafeteria. "Oh,
Taffy. We may be able to help you find Monique," Jana said with a big
smile.

"You'd
better
help me find Monique," Taffy
said nastily.

"I found this note from the bearnapper on my desk in
history class. I thought you might want it."

Taffy grabbed the paper from her hand and read it hurriedly
out loud:

"If the owner of the white bear wearing a tutu wants
it returned
, she should go to the girls' room by the main entrance and
look behind the water tank in the first stall."

Taffy looked at Jana. "This is some kind of trick, isn't
it?"

Jana shrugged. "How should we know? We're just
delivering the note."

"Jana Morgan, I'll get you for this if it's the last
thing I ever do!" As Taffy left in a huff, The Fabulous Five doubled over
and put their hands over their mouths, so that Taffy wouldn't hear the peals of
laughter that were ringing out behind her.

"Did everyone put their notes where they're supposed to
be?" asked Jana when they had all recovered. Her friends nodded, and for
the first time in weeks Jana felt great. She was their leader again, and they
were all working together to get even with their old enemy. Things hadn't really
changed much after all.

The Fabulous Five got to Bumpers early and found a booth
near the old Wurlitzer jukebox. Soon afterward Randy, Keith, and Scott came in.
Randy saw Monique sitting on top of the jukebox and walked over to it. He
looked angry as he took it down and carried it to a booth where he sat it on
the table.

The girls put their hands over their mouths to suppress
their giggles. Randy was frowning and talking to his friends loudly. Then the
door burst open and Taffy came flying in. She was perspiring and her hair was
messed up. It was obvious that she had been running all over the place. She
glanced around the room frantically, and then a look of horror came over her
face when she saw the bear on the table and Randy looking at her. He was
obviously not pleased.

Randy got up and carried the bear over to Taffy. Jana and
her friends strained to hear what he was saying, but the sound of the jukebox
drowned out their conversation. Jana could tell he was chewing Taffy out for
leaving the bear on the machine and jeopardizing their Family Living grade. But
what could Taffy say? She couldn't tell him that Jana had put the bear there to
get back at Taffy for her dirty tricks.

Jana smiled broadly. The note behind the water tank in the
girls' room had only been the beginning. It had started Taffy on a wild-goose
chase that took her from place to place where other notes, which The Fabulous
Five had made up at Jana's apartment on Sunday, sent her on to the next
location. The last note had said that if Taffy hurried, she would find the bear
at Bumpers.

Jana had a feeling that Randy wouldn't be in a very good
mood when he walked her home from Bumpers. But she was sure, since she was
feeling so good herself, that she could cheer him up.