School was beginning, and Fern's presence was sorely missed.

"Have you seen Fern?" the harried-looking Binky asked Francine.

"Nope," the girl replied. "Not since last night."

"What about you, Van?" said Binky to his wheelchair-bound friend. "Have you seen Fern anywhere?"

"Sorry, can't help you," was the duck boy's response.

Binky took a position at the head of the classroom and waved his arms. "Attention, everyone!" he bellowed. "I need to find Fern. It's important!"

All the kids gave him a blank stare. "What do you need her for?" asked Mrs. Krantz.

"We're recording another Mary Moo Cow episode tonight," Binky answered, "and there's no one to do the voice of Mini Moo. If we don't find someone, I'll have to communicate with the audience through hand signals."

"She'll show up soon," the teacher assured him. "Now go back to your desk, okaaaay?"

The first-period history lesson ended, and Fern still hadn't shown up.

Binky, concerned that his show-business career might be derailed, went to the one candidate he had hoped to avoid—Mickie Chanel.

"Yeah, I auditioned for the role of Mini Moo," she told him. "But I didn't really want the role. I just wanted to win."

Infuriated by Mickie's arrogance, Binky reared back and launched a fist into her nose.

While he was fantasizing, Francine approached him with a worried look. "Hey, Francine," he greeted her. "You have a nice singing voice. How'd you like to…"

"I have a confession to make," the girl said meekly.

Binky fell silent without closing his mouth.

"The candy Dolly gave to Wyatt had a love potion in it," Francine told him. "Yes, that love potion."

"Uh…buh…" Binky stammered.

"We wanted to find out if he was really gay, or just confused," Francine went on. "We expected him to fall in love with either you or Dolly, but it had a different effect on him. I don't know, maybe it gave him diarrhea."

"Uh…buh…" Binky repeated.

"I don't know why he quit," said Francine apologetically. "I called him, but he didn't want to talk about it."

Still unsure what to think, Binky turned and walked away silently. Francine followed. "If only Fern were here," she mused. "She'd never fail Mrs. Stiles—the two of them are so close."

"Wait a minute," said Binky, abruptly facing her.

"What?"

Binky rolled his eyes back and forth, as was his habit when in deep thought. "The potion did work, Francine. Think about it. Either he fell in love with Dolly, or he fell in love with me. In either case he'd be ashamed, since Dolly's a girl, and I'm not gay. That's why he ran."

"Then why did he quit?" Francine wondered.

Binky thought for another second, then slapped his forehead and groaned.

"Oh, gosh…oh gosh, oh gosh…"

Francine dreaded the next thing her friend would say.

"He fell in love with me. That's why he quit—so he wouldn't have to see me again."

Too angry with herself to face Binky, Francine walked away rapidly. This is all my fault, she said bitterly to herself. After the mess I caused the first time I asked Dolly for a love potion, like a fool I asked her for another one!

So flustered was she that Jenna outscored her in the second-period basketball game. Even as she was taking off her athletic clothes in the girls' locker, the same desperate thought repeated itself in her mind: Where is Fern?

"Where is Fern?" said Mrs. Taylor impatiently. "She said this wouldn't happen again."

She asked around in the shower, but not one of the girls had a clue to Fern's whereabouts.

If she doesn't show soon, thought Francine as she rubbed herself with a towel, I'll have to take it on myself to make things right.

Her ruminations were interrupted by a sudden scream of terror. She whirled.

Across the room, the frightened Beat was scrambling to lay a towel between her naked body and the fully clothed D.W., who was training a small camera on her. The little girl snapped one photo after another.

"Dora Winifred Read!" cried Beat indignantly.

"Beatrice Margaret Simon!" D.W. shot back.

"Look what she's doing!" exclaimed Sue Ellen.

"How rude!" shouted Muffy. "Get that camera away from her!"

Before the girls could catch her, D.W. scampered from the locker room with her camera, yelling, "I'm gonna post these on the Internet!"

No one chased her, since nearly everyone in the room was at least partially undressed.

"She caught everything on film," said Beat, who appeared she might cry.

"Who put her up to that?" Jenna wanted to know.

"What's going on?" asked Mrs. Taylor, who had stepped out of her office to witness the commotion.

"D.W. took dirty pictures of Beat," Francine told her.

"I'll tell the principal," said the gym teacher. "We don't tolerate those antics here."

While the girls comforted Beat over her embarrassment, D.W. hurried to her rendezvous point with Rattles, located in a patch of bushes.

"How many pictures did you get?" Rattles asked her.

"Three," D.W. replied. "Wait…no, ten. I can't count."

"Good job, kid," said Rattles. "You'll get at least three days' detention for this prank."

"Are we really gonna put the pictures on the Internet?" asked D.W.

"Naw," said Rattles as he opened the camera and pulled out the film.

Fern finally appeared in the classroom at the start of third period; she wore a carefree smile, as if her absence had never happened.

"Fern, where have you been?" said Francine, slamming her hands down on the girl's desk.

"That's on a need-to-know basis," said Fern flippantly, "and I'm not telling you."

"Mrs. Stiles needs your help," said Francine accusingly. "Are you going back to the studio after school, or not?"

Behind Fern's indifferent countenance, two personalities were arguing.

I can't let Jean down. We've been friends for so long. She means a lot to me.

I think she'll understand that you're doing this for the Brainchildren—for Alan. Once I'm out of your brain, you can do what you want.

"Wyatt quit because of something I did," Francine told her, "and I'm sorry. If you won't help out Mrs. Stiles, I will."

Francine as Mini Moo?

"You don't want that," Francine went on. "I haven't prepared myself."

Crud, thought Fern. Now what?

to be continued