Van took in Francine's words with astonishment and a bit of disbelief. "Okay," he said, nodding. "So why are you telling me this?"
"I just wanted to talk to someone I can trust," Francine went on. "I know I can count on you to keep my secrets. That's why I voted to admit you into the sisterhood."
Van turned his eyes away from Francine. "I don't know why you're asking me for help. I don't know anything about love or romance. You need Muffy. She's the one with all the romantic advice."
"I don't want romantic advice!" exclaimed the exasperated Francine. "I just want these feelings to go away. I want to be Arthur's friend, and nothing more. Unless..." Her voice became wistful. "Unless there's a way to get him to love me again, like he did before the accident..." Her lips spread into a dreamy grin, which turned into a scowl when she caught herself.
Van turned his chair and began to slowly roll away. "I'll try to think of some way to help you, Francine. And I won't share your secret with the boys. I give you my word as a sister."
"Thanks, Van." Francine waved after him and smiled.
As Van made his way back to Mr. Wald's classroom, Binky and George came up alongside him. "Hey, Van," Binky said to him, "I saw you talking with Francine outside."
"Uh-huh." Van nodded indifferently.
George flashed him a wicked grin. "Did she, like, tell you any girl secrets?"
Van adopted an arrogant tone. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"Oh, come on, Van," Binky pressured him. "You're not one of them. You're one of us. Now what did she tell you?"
"I gave my word as a sister not to reveal it," said Van haughtily.
Binky and George groaned in unison. "Fine," said George in an annoyed voice. "If you want to be a girl, be a girl. But I get to call you Vanna."
"Hey Vanna, how about a date?" Binky joked.
"You guys can make fun of me all you want," Van shot back, "but it won't change the fact that I know Francine's secret, and you don't. So nyaaah."
As Van followed them into the classroom, Binky and George debated between themselves on the nature of Francine's mysterious secret. "I bet she's in love with somebody," George postulated. "And I bet it's not me."
"Keep an eye on her," Binky half-whispered. "If she looks at one boy all the time, that must be him."
However, Francine had prepared for such a stratagem on the part of the boys, and spent most of the second period staring at the notebook on her desk.
By the time lunch hour arrived, the boys in Mr. Wald's class, as well as many others, had all been made aware that Francine had a crush on someone, and Van was the only boy who knew who it was.
"Remember the last time Francine had crushes?" Alan said to Arthur as Van rolled by and listened in. "When she painted her nails and put on a dress?"
"Yeah, that was crazy." Arthur chuckled. "Then we found out she really had a crush on Beat all along."
Alan's tone became worried. "Gosh, do you suppose she actually likes a boy this time?"
Arthur shrugged. "I don't know. But it's not one of us, so why worry about it?"
In another part of the city, Muffy and Mavis had seated themselves in the Uppity Downs lunchroom, and taken utensils in hand to carve up their veal cutlets.
"I haven't understood a thing all day," Muffy lamented. "I was failing before, and now I've missed three weeks. It's hopeless, Mavis. I wish my dad could understand that."
"Don't give up, Muffy," Mavis tried to console her. "Mr. Putnam was working on an experimental method of education before he died. Maybe it would help you."
"I'm ready to try anything," said Muffy with determination. "I don't want to be stuck in fourth grade until I have grand-nieces."
"That's the spirit." Mavis smiled and gave Muffy a thumbs-up.
As Muffy raised a slice of veal to her mouth, her cell phone chimed. "Excuse me, Mavis." She laid down the fork and snatched up her phone. "Hello?"
"Muffy, it's Van." Miles away in Lakewood Elementary, Van was making a call on the courtesy phone next to the principal's office.
Anger welled up in Muffy's heart. She felt an urge to yell into the phone, and let Van know what she thought of him, but no...it would be too undignified. If she exacted her revenge in an orderly manner, then Van would suffer while she came off smelling like a proverbial rose.
Muffy jumped up from the table, leaving her lunch behind, and hurried toward the cafeteria exit. "Francine talked to me this morning," Van said to her over the phone. "She told me she's in love with Arthur. I don't know if she wants me to help her stop being in love with him, or help get him to love her back. What do you think?"
"Hold that thought," Muffy replied. She found a corner in the hallway where nobody could hear her, then continued. "This is really a surprise, Van. I always thought Francine and Arthur were just friends."
"So did I," came Van's voice. "What should I do, Muffy? I don't know what advice to give her. That's why I called you."
Muffy thought for a few seconds, trying to formulate a scheme that would help Francine while at the same time embarrassing Van.
"Muffy? Are you still there?"
Muffy's face lit up. "I've got it! Here's a surefire way to find out if Arthur returns Francine's feelings. Okay, Van, here's what you do..."
----
"I'd like all of you to choose a U.S. president and write a three-page report about his life," Mr. Wald informed his students. "Or, if you want, you can choose a first lady and write a report about her life. The report is due a week from today."
The bell rang to signal the end of the school day. Francine rose quickly from her desk and hurried through the door, with Van following closely behind. The other kids began to file slowly from the room, forming groups in the process.
Arthur, Adil, Beat, and George approached Fern. "Hey, Fern, we're going to the Sugar Bowl," Arthur informed her. "Want to join us?"
Fern shook her head. "Sorry, I can't. I'm going to an audition."
"An addition to what?" asked the confused Adil.
"Au-dition," Arthur corrected him. "It's where you try out for a part in a show."
"What are you trying out for, Fern?" Beat asked.
"It's, uh, a play." Fern smiled as if relieved. "Yeah, a play."
"Which play?" George inquired.
"I don't know yet. It's a surprise." Fern waved goodbye and quickly turned, her ears flapping about.
As she rushed out of the classroom, Arthur turned to George. "That's weird," he remarked. "Why would they hold an audition, and not tell you which play it's going to be?"
"Maybe it's a murder mystery," George answered. "And if they told us the name of the play, we'd read it and find out whodunit, and spoil the suspense."
"Maybe it's The Real Inspector Hound," Beat suggested. "She'd be perfect for that one."
The four Sugar Bowl-bound kids exited the classroom and soon encountered Binky, who was nervously glancing around the center court. "Sugar Bowl, Binky?" Arthur invited.
"Uh, sorry, I've got to be somewhere," Binky replied evasively. He appeared to be looking for a way to escape from the school building without being seen.
"I guess it's just the four of us, then," observed Beat as she, Arthur, Adil, and George meandered toward the front exit. "I wonder where Francine's gotten to."
"She's probably with her boyfriend," George mused.
"When did she get a boyfriend?" asked Beat. "Or is that something else I've forgotten?"
"I think it's just a rumor," said Arthur as he pushed open the glass door leading to the outside world. At the bottom of the stairway, Van waited on the curb for his sisters to arrive in the Coopers' old Buick, as he usually did. On this occasion, however, someone was with him...
Arthur and Beat froze to the spot and became breathless. George's eyes bulged. Not one of them could believe what their eyes were witnessing.
Francine was hunched over Van's wheelchair, her arms flung over his shoulders, her backpack almost ready to fall off to one side.
She was kissing him. Passionately. On the lips.
"Francine!" cried Arthur and Beat in horror. They leaped down the staircase toward her, as she turned her face away from Van's moistened beak.
Arthur was the first to reach her. "Get away from him!" he barked, grabbing Francine by the shoulder and yanking her upright.
"What's the matter, Arthur?" asked Francine as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Arthur, suddenly embarrassed by his outburst, stepped backwards and began to stammer helplessly. "Francine...I...I..."
Then Beat confronted Francine indignantly. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "You can't kiss Van. He's an honorary girl and member of the sisterhood."
Francine made a pleading face. "B-but I love him..."
"You can't!" exclaimed Arthur angrily.
"Why can't I?" Francine took a bold step toward Arthur. "Van is sweet, kind, thoughtful, and drop-dead handsome. He's been sending me cards ever since we met. You only send me cards on Valentine's Day."
"But...but..." Arthur blushed with shame.
Francine narrowed her eyes at him. "Why, Arthur Read, I do believe you're jealous."
It was a waking nightmare. Arthur felt as if he had walked into the classroom in his underwear, with the name Francine tattooed on his kneecaps--and on the day that the "Magic Toolbox" crew had come to film a segment featuring the entire class. "Um...uh...I need to go," he sputtered, then turned and fled down the sidewalk.
Beat watched him go, then turned to face Van. "You know you'll be kicked out of the sisterhood," she admonished him. "You can't be romantically involved with another sister."
"It's okay, Beat," said Van nonchalantly. "Francine and I aren't really in love. We just wanted to see if we could make Arthur jealous. It was Muffy's idea."
Beat folded her arms. "Well, you made him jealous, all right. But you've also created a scandal. This will not reflect well on the sisterhood, Van. If I were you, I'd resign now and avoid a lot of headaches."
As she turned and walked away in a huff, Van groaned. "Don't worry, Van," Francine said encouragingly. "I'm sure Muffy and I can convince the sisterhood that this was just a harmless little joke."
"Well, at least it worked," Van observed.
"Yes." Francine smiled ecstatically. "He really does care. I must go to him, Van."
(To be continued...)
