In Coach Nordland's dance class, Candy seem to notice that something was wrong. "Where's Alice?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," Coach Nordland explained, "Alice is out with a flu. On the bright side, we get to watch 'Dirty Dancing', and you guys get to do an 300 word oral report on life in the late '50s and what you'd do if you lived at that time."

Everyone cheered. "Usually homework is lame," replied Kiki, "but this is going to be the best dance assignment ever."

"Not only that," replied Daniel, "Alice doesn't have to rub in as she always does. Though I feel bad that she has the flu."

Candy started to feel jealous, because she remembered Bennie taking acting lessons and he knew the difference between playing and actually being sick.

XxoxX

In the cafeteria later, Candy, Kiki, and Daniel were starting a little bit on their oral report. "So far we get to watch between the moment Baby arrives in the Catskill Mountains to the part where she met Johnny," Candy said.

"Right," Daniel replied. "I'm glad we're homework buddies/imagination buddies."

"Aren't you glad that Alice Levy is out for the day?" asked a student behind them.

"Yeah," answered another. "She's a pain."

Overhearing this, Candy, Kiki, and Daniel knew that other students actually hated Alice. Candy could recall Alice insulting her a few times, tricking her into going into the woods, and trying to beat Aunt Davina's score on the old pinball machine.

"Alice may be a monster," admitted Kiki, "but she needs someone to cheer her up."

To make sure that Alice had plenty of cheering up, Kiki invited the Salinas twins - Bruno and Bautista - Paisley, Malcolm, and Raelynn.

XxoxX

After school, they arrived at the Levy house, which was an elaborate house with much garden equipment. Just as they were about to go in, Kiki noticed that Daniel is running a little tardy. After Malcolm turned his head, he spotted Daniel with a little pain in the head.

"Sorry I'm late," Daniel replied. "I had to get Amaya from her kindergarten. Mom has to do her taxes, for next year."

"Usually my aunts do taxes in January," Candy recalled.

"Enough chit-chat," replied Malcolm. "If I know anything about having parents who are both doctors, we have to get to the patient, stat."

Curious on how an eleven-year-old knew about the word "stat," Malcolm explained that he watched junior versions of hospital dramas.

"You should audition for 'General Hospital'," joked Bruno.

"Yeah," Malcolm replied, "if they allowed a modern Doogie Howser."

After Raelynn rang the door, an elderly man answered it. "You must be the Levis' butler, Reese," guessed Kiki. "Is Alice home?"

"Yes," Reese replied firmly. "But she's not in the mood for visitors."

"Guess that visiting hours are up," Candy replied in a jealous tone.

Before she could leave, she could hear an Elton John song coming from inside. Curious, they followed the song. By a piano, a little blonde-haired girl who is cuter than Alice was practicing "All The Girls Love Alice." "That's the youngest Levi child, Chloe," Reese explained. "She's practicing for her recital this weekend."

"Alice didn't tell us she had a sister," said Paisley. "I remember doing a photography lesson about each other's family, and she seems to be missing a person. I could tell that half of the picture was cut out and this got her a C."

"She doesn't like to talk about it," explained Reese. "Jealous of Chloe's high I.Q., she skipped to the fourth grade."

"Does this mean she's a prodigy?" Raelynn asked. "Talk about a major gift."

"I tell you one thing," Reese replied. "All the young kids love Alice. So maybe you should check on her for a few minutes."

While Candy and Malcolm stayed behind to comfort Chloe, the others started to look around for Alice's room. Candy said, "I've seen reruns of 'Doogie Howser' before, but she's doing it in music."

After Chloe finished her song, Candy and Malcolm applauded. "Hello," Chloe greeted shyly. "Are you Candy and Malcolm? Alice told me that you two are buffoons."

"Yeah," replied Malcolm. "From my voice music classes, Alice told me that I sound like a pirate gargling root beer, and she meant it."

"And I've delt with her schemes and her tattling before," Candy explained. "Believe me, she's a monster."

"I know," replied Chloe. "You wouldn't believe what it's like being an eight-year-old prodigy living with a bragging brat. When she comes to my school, she tries to rub in the other students' faces. It really scares me."

"Maybe your imagination could cheer you up," suggested Candy, "like a hospital drama set."

XxoxX

Suddenly, everything turned into a television studio where Candy, Malcolm, and Chloe were dressed like doctors. Kiki, Paisley, and Raelynn were dressed like nurses, and Daniel and the Salinas twins were dressed as janitors.

"Okay now," instructed Director Reese. "In this scene, you'll be helping Patient A cure her from the flu. The object is to cure her before you lose her."

After Director Reese shouted "Action!", the three doctors started working on curing Alice. "Tissues?" Candy asked as Nurse Paisley handed her some tissues.

Doctor Candy had a funny feeling this was like on hospital dramas. " Medicine," she said to Nurse Raelynn as she used an ice pack. "Ice pack," she said to Nurse Kiki as she placed the pack on Alice.

"Cut!" shouted Director Reese. "Print it. Beautiful job, Candice."

"What do you expect from a chick who's just a pre-teen?" asked Chloe. "And according to this real heart monitor, Alice will be just fine."

Just as they were leaving, they were having a lot of interviews from many reporters. As they were about to answer, the heard a bell ring.

XxoxX

Back in reality, Chloe recognized the bell as the servant bell. "Usually," she recalled, "Alice uses that when she needs assistance. Our six maids are on vacation in Las Vegas and won't be back until Monday."

"You know something?" Malcolm replied. "Your imagination seems to have helped you get over jealousy."

"With me around," Candy explained, "reality it seems was just a dream."

XxoxX

In Alice's elaborate bedroom, Daniel, Kiki, Paisley, Raelynn, and the Salinas twins were distancing themselves from a very sick Alice in fear of getting the flu. "Poor little darling with a chip out of her heart," Raelynn whispered. "We're doing our best to cheer her up, though."

Safely, the Salinas twins gave Alice a Spanish joke book, Malcolm gave her a ship in a bottle he made in class, Raelynn gave her a bag of peanuts, and Paisley gave Alice some new Beautique Cosmetics. Unfortunately, Alice turned all the gifts down. "I'm allergic to peanuts, I'm terrible at Spanish, the ship in bottle looks like that a kindergartener made it, and these cosmetics are so last week," she complained.

"Now that's rude," Paisley groaned.

"Children," interrupted Reese, "I think it be best if you leave the room."

"Reese is right," agreed Chloe. "What if you guys get sick?"

"Oh, great," groaned Alice. "The little germ is here. Chloe, shouldn't you be spreading your waste of a talent to these twerps?"

Annoyed, everyone left. Alice was glad, because she scared away Candy and their classmates.

XxoxX

Later that night, Candy and her friends were having a sleepover at the Levi residence. Feeling bad for letting the gifts go to waste, they gave them all to Chloe, because she had a real gift in music. Not only was Chloe gifted on the piano - she was also talented in tap dancing, singing, synchronize swimming, harp, and flute. "Looks like Alice is not only jealous of Candy," Bruno whispered to Bautista, "but of Chloe as well."

"It seems Alice is the spawn of a performance school," explained Candy.

"Come on, Candy," Raelynn said. "You're still the same imaginative girl we know."

"Shut up, you weirdos!" shouted Alice from above. "I'm trying to recover!"

"That's the consequences of having thin walls," Chloe replied. "Word gets out all the time."

The End.

Note: In memory of the 500,000 souls lost to COVID-19.