Elsa Van Helsing got up early. Very early.
Normally she slept in on Saturday mornings. But not today. It was 5:45 AM, and Elsa had big plans.
Two weeks ago, Elsa noticed that Victor was paying more attention to her than usual in science class, a class that was now taught by a gym teacher. Was Victor really attracted to her? Or was it because Mr. Rzykruski was gone?
Then at lunch, Victor asked Elsa if she would marry him, presenting her with a fake but nevertheless pretty ring.
"I can't marry you right now!" Elsa laughed. "I'm only nine. I'll have to wait at least nine years!"
"Well, how about the next closest thing?" Victor asked, not giving up easily.
"What do you mean?"
"We pretend to get married. Think of it as a dress rehearsal."
"I don't know. My uncle might not like this idea."
"You don't have to ask his permission, and neither do I. We can walk to the New Holland Church early in the morning on a Saturday while your uncle and my parents are asleep. No one else will be there but us. And we won't be breaking any laws. The only way we would be breaking the law is if we asked for a marriage license and lied about our ages to get it."
"This upcoming Saturday is too soon. How about next Saturday?"
"Excellent. See you there," Victor said with a smile.
Elsa now had something more pleasant to look forward to than the monotony of elementary school. But she had to surpress her joy for the time being. Even though they were in a quiet part of the cafeteria, she hoped no one overheard them. She wanted to pull this off without anyone finding out.
As she walked home from school, her mind was in overdrive. She needed to buy a dress, and she needed to practice sneaking in and out if she could.
The possibility of failure worried her, but the possibility of success and the desire for Victor's affection excited her.
Keep reading to see if she succeeds...