April 1996
"Are you sure you're okay without us?" My dad asked. I rolled my eyes.
"Dad, I'm twelve years old." I put my hands on my hips. "I'm practically a teenager."
"Why did I even ask?" He smiled. "Okay, we won't leave until your friends get here."
"Do we have to watch Emily?" I groaned. My little sister could ruin the best sleepover ever.
"No, we'll drop her off at your grandparents' house." My mom explained, putting her arm around my dad. The doorbell rang and I bounded to get it.
"DA!" Phoebe smiled as I flung the door open. She and Keesha had arrived together.
"Where's Wanda?" I asked.
"She probably tried to walk or something." Keesha explained. Wanda was crazy that way.
"Stop talking about me!" Wanda cried, running across my front lawn.
"Speak of the devil…" Keesha muttered, grinning.
"Everyone here then?" My mom asked.
"Yeah," the four of us said in unison.
"Emily, are you ready to go?" Dad called. My eight-year-old sister came down the stairs, dragging a duffel bag.
"Why can't I stay with them?" She whined.
"Don't you want to go to Grandma's?" Mom asked. I tapped Wanda's shoulder quickly and the four of us escaped into the basement.
"Did you bring it?" Keesha turned to Wanda, her brown eyes wide.
"Yeah, want to get it out?" Wanda asked mischievously.
"I don't know if it's such a good idea…" Phoebe mused.
"What?" I asked.
"Dorothy Ann, we're leaving!" My mom yelled.
"Have fun!" I replied hastily. "What have you been planning, Wanda?"
"Ouija board." Keesha answered in a low voice.
"Aren't those evil?" Phoebe asked innocently.
"Come on, Pheebs," Wanda urged. I smiled. My friends were so wonderfully predictable.
"It's no more evil than a Magic 8 Ball." I assured.
"Magic 8 Balls are evil?" Phoebe looked stunned. We laughed.
"Okay, let's ask it a question." Wanda's eyes glinted with excitement. If there was anything evil in this room, it was Wanda. "Put your hands on the… thingy."
Keesha giggled. "That sounds dirty." She put her fingers on the triangle-shaped piece of plastic. Wanda sat across from her, knees touching each other, her fingers on the "thingy."
"Now what?" Phoebe asked.
"You write down what it says." Keesha instructed.
"What do I do?" I asked, handing Phoebe a notepad. "Are we going to take turns or what?"
"Yeah," Wanda nodded. She and Keesha moved the shuttle around the board in wide circles. "We're warming it up." She explained.
"You've done this before?" Phoebe squeaked.
"Sure!" Keesha shrugged. "It's fun."
"Okay, start with something simple." Wanda looked at me.
"Is Wanda evil?" I asked, smirking.
"That's not a good question." She scowled.
"Do you really want to know?" Phoebe smiled.
"Hit the lights – it should be pretty dark in here." Keesha changed the subject. I turned the lights off, but it was too dark, so I turned on a lamp near where we were sitting on the carpet.
"Okay," I pursed my lips. "Something simple?"
"Yes." The three of them responded.
"Hold on," Wanda interrupted. "I'm going to be the medium, okay?"
"Sure."
"So I'm going to ask the board the questions. I'll take suggestions from you guys." She explained to Phoebe, who looked confused. She closed her eyes and leaned back a little bit. "Spirits in this room, we will only seek positive information – negative energy and demons aren't welcome here!" Wanda sounded like a gypsy fortune teller.
"I can't think of a question," I whispered.
"Are Dorothy Ann and Carlos going to get together this summer?" Wanda asked the board. I scowled in silence, watching the shuttle twitch about a little bit.
"Is it working?" Phoebe asked.
"Sh!" Wanda insisted. We all watched the triangle shuttle (that's the best word I could think of for it, anyway) move up the board, toward Keesha's right knee. It stopped moving. Wanda looked down.
"Yes." She said definitely.
"Whatever." I folded my arms.
"The spirits have spoken!" Wanda declared.
"Do I have to write that down?" Phoebe asked.
"No, only if it starts spelling something." Wanda explained.
"Okay, ask it something more complicated." I challenged.
"Fine." Wanda retorted. She took a deep breath and went back into "gypsy mode."
"Ask about Ms. Frizzle." Phoebe whispered.
"Spirits, we ask that you spell out Ms. Frizzle's first name!" Wanda semi-wailed.
"Now write." I whispered to Phoebe.
The shuttle moved more quickly this time before stopping. "Well?" Keesha turned to Phoebe, who showed her the notepad.
"See!" Wanda cried triumphantly. "It says Valerie!"
"You were moving it." I insisted.
"Why don't you try, DA?" Keesha scooted back. I felt a lump in my throat.
"Okay," I moved over and sat in front of Wanda, my knees against hers, and put my hands on the triangle.
"Ask it who will get married first." Keesha suggested.
"That's too far away. We won't know if it's true." Wanda replied.
"Ask if I'll get a boyfriend." Phoebe tried.
"You will." I retorted. "There. You don't need it."
"Okay, then ask who her first boyfriend will be." Keesha added.
"Who knows when that will be?" I argued.
"Still, we'll remember." Wanda tried before closing her eyes.
"Close your eyes." Phoebe insisted.
"If Arnold asked you out, but the Ouija board said your boyfriend was going to be Ralphie, would you say no?" I asked. Phoebe blushed.
"Just shut your eyes." Keesha ordered. I heard a scuffle of paper. "I'm writing this time."
"I can't look." Phoebe said quietly.
"You have to so we know Keesha didn't cheat." Wanda insisted.
"Fine." Phoebe whimpered.
"What is the first name of Phoebe's first boyfriend going to be?" Wanda asked in her gypsy voice. My eyelids were clenched shut. I felt a slight twitching on the shuttle, which made me gasp. Someone (probably Keesha) shushed me. The shuttle was moving, all right, and I knew I wasn't controlling it. It didn't feel like Wanda was pushing it, either. I could hear Keesha scribbling something down. I could only imagine Phoebe's reactions to all this. Even if it said "no one," it'd be priceless to see her face. Finally, the shuttle stopped. I opened my eyes and looked down through the hole in the shuttle. "D."
"Arnold." Keesha grinned. Wanda raised her eyebrows. She had liked Arnold, sure, but she said she was over him. Phoebe assumed the fetal position. "Well, did you move it?"
"No," I said softly.
"Ask something about Wanda's love life!" Phoebe suggested.
"Yeah!" I agreed.
"Will Wanda ever have a love life?" Keesha tried.
"Will Keesha ever get a man?" Wanda asked in her gypsy voice. Keesha slugged her and we all started laughing.
"Okay, let's play something else." I said. We were sitting in a rough circle. "Truth or dare."
"Dare!" Wanda cried out. I wasn't necessarily addressing it to her, but it's a way to get started.
"Dangit, I haven't hand a chance to think yet!" I cried. "Okay… I dare you to sneak into Ralphie's room."
"Now?" Wanda asked.
"Now." The three of us agreed. "Put your shoes on!"
"You guys, I don't think this is a good idea." Phoebe mumbled. We were crouched behind a hedge in Ralphie's yard.
"Shut up," Wanda said. Her eyes were wide with excitement.
"I don't know, he's on the second floor." Keesha said doubtfully. "And what if his parents are home?"
"Don't be such a wimp, Keesha." I countered. I wanted to see this. Part of the reason I picked Truth or Dare was so we could dare Wanda to do things: she'd actually do it, too.
"I can get up there, but how will you know I'm in?" Wanda asked me.
"Um," I thought. There was usually some kind of thing to take back as proof.
"His hat." Keesha said flatly. "Take his baseball cap. I think he has a bunch; he won't miss it."
"Perfect!" I cried before being shushed by the other three girls.
"Have you been in his room?" Wanda asked Keesha.
"I didn't pick truth." Keesha grinned. "But if it's my turn, then yes I have."
"Was it gross?" Phoebe asked.
"We've all been in Ralphie's room. Remember that time we were in his body?" I asked pointedly.
"Oh." Wanda and Phoebe sighed.
"Well besides that," Wanda clarified.
"I'll answer when you have the hat." Keesha smirked.
"That means yes." Wanda smiled and darted over to a large tree. She climbed it faster than any monkey I'd seen at the zoo do anything. I hoped his parents didn't find us. The image of three pairs of preteen eyes staring anxiously up at Ralphie's window was pretty funny, though. Wanda moved from the tree to the roof of the garage, which was attached to the house. She moved quietly up to the roof under a bedroom window.
"Oh shoot, which one is it?" Phoebe asked.
"Why are you asking me?" Keesha hissed.
"You've been there!"
"So have you!"
"Shush!" I insisted. Wanda was lying on her stomach now, looking like something out of Mission: Impossible. It took all I had not to giggle. Wanda cricked her neck slightly to look in the window.
"What if he's in there?" Phoebe asked.
"SHH!" Keesha and I insisted.
"Sorry." She said softly. Wanda sat up – she was very flexible. She was in ballet and gymnastics, and it showed as she removed the screen from Ralphie's window. The three of us in the hedge watched her reach for the bottom of the window and push up.
"What the hell is that?" A familiar voice asked. Wanda scurried back onto the roof of the garage. Ralphie's head stuck out the window. "Wanda? What are you doing on my roof?"
"Um… I tried knocking but no one answered." Wanda replied casually. I swear Ralphie looked right at us – the hedge had just giggled. "I was wondering if I could borrow a baseball cap. I don't have one."
"Sure." Ralphie was confused. "I mean, how did you get up here?"
"That tree." Wanda pointed.
"And… why do you need the hat?"
"Just give it to me!" Wanda demanded. Ralphie vanished from the window and Wanda gave us a thumbs-up. It's amazing that she could still intimidate people when she had obviously been caught in the middle of a dare.
"Good thing you didn't ask for his underwear." Phoebe noted.
"Ew…" the three of us said. Ralphie reappeared with an old hat.
"Here." He extended the hand with the hat in it to Wanda, and then remembered that he was lending a hat to a girl on his roof. "Seriously, why are you on the roof of my house?"
"Thanks, gotta run!" Wanda grabbed the hat and dashed across the roof of the garage. We waited until she hit the ground and made it back to the hedge. "Run for it!" She whispered. I know Ralphie noticed the sudden rustle in the bushes, but we darted along a small dirt path that led into a darker patch of trees. There's no way he saw us. We reached a clearing a short ways away and had stopped to rest a moment.
"Oh my God, Wanda, that was awesome!" Keesha said, amazed. "I would've hid."
"I would've died." Phoebe chimed in.
"Speaking of which, Phoebe, I dare you to…" Keesha smiled.
"Answer my question, Franklin!" Wanda insisted.
"Yes, besides the time we were in Ralphie – I've been in his room. We were studying or something."
"Ooh," I said mockingly. "Or something, huh?" We heard a phone ring.
"Are we in someone's backyard?" Keesha asked, alarmed.
"HIDE!" Phoebe insisted, scrambling up a pine tree.
"Phoebe, you're as sharp as a bowling ball," Wanda laughed as Phoebe made small pained noises under her breath.
"DA, where are we?" Phoebe asked, sounding scared.
"I don't know, it's dark." I answered. I was huddled behind another bush – a juniper or something. Wanda was in a more climbing-friendly tree, Keesha was next to me in the juniper, and Phoebe had her pine. We could hear a voice close by, but not close enough to understand.
"It's a boy." Wanda whispered. Although she liked to act fearless, it was fun for Wanda to be scared every once in a while.
"Is it Ralphie?" Keesha asked.
"No," I said, looking out at the landscape. "We're too far away from his house."
Phoebe peered through the pine needles. "I think it's – Carlos."
"SHIT!" Wanda said, a little too loudly.
"Wait a second," the voice said. "I think I heard something."
"Wanda, we're screwed!" I hissed.
"Don't say anything else!" Keesha insisted. We were happy to oblige. The footsteps came closer.
"I swear I heard someone," the voice said, pausing and waiting for the other party to speak. "Yeah, it probably was Wanda." I could only imagine the look of horror on Wanda's face. "That's true, I do live down that dark dirt path from your house…" The boy was egging us on.
"It's not Carlos," Phoebe whispered. Wanda drew her finger across her throat, telling Phoebe to shut up.
"It speaks again." Not-Carlos said. The footsteps were moving closer. I could almost hear Wanda thinking "What are we going to do? What are we going to do? What are we going to do?" as well as Keesha's "Oh bad, oh bad, oh bad, bad, bad!"
According to my research, I thought mockingly, we shouldn't even be here.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" The voice taunted. I could clearly see the (fake?) panic on Wanda's face and Phoebe trying to inconspicuously shimmy further up the pine tree.
"Ow!" She whispered loudly.
"Found 'em," Not-Carlos cried. Keesha and I looked at each other.
"We're dead." She mouthed. I nodded seriously.
"Yeah, there's more than just Wanda. You know what that means." Not-Carlos said. I could hear another voice in the distance.
"It's got to be all four of 'em." I thought it said.
"Probably. Girls get dumber in large numbers." I expected Wanda to jump out of the tree and start beating the crap out of Not-Carlos. A second set of footsteps – this set running, approached our hideout. "Sorry, I lost reception." It was Ralphie, as expected.
"I don't think this is what they mean when they say 'chasing girls,'" the first boy said. I squinted through the leaves, but couldn't see anyone. He was behind Phoebe's tree.
"Hey, Wanda, I just realized I need my hat." Ralphie called. "I know you're here somewhere." Then a light flooded the area.
"Since when did Ralphie get smart enough to bring a flashlight?" I thought. I had a feeling the other three girls were thinking the same thing.
"Wanda?" Ralphie asked.
"Get down here, you weasly wimp!" The other boy laughed. It was Tim. We were in Tim's backyard.
"Make me!" Wanda cried.
"Wanda!" Phoebe protested.
"Phoebe?" Tim asked. Ralphie looked around with the flashlight.
"It's got to be all of them." Ralphie reasoned. "It's good we caught them now, because this reeks of slumber party."
"Oh, that would have been bad." Tim said, sounding like he'd just prevented World War III.
"I'm sure we can be reasonable about this!" I protested. Keesha inched away from me.
"I don't negotiate with hedges!" Tim cried. Ralphie laughed. I couldn't help cracking a smile myself.
"Look, we just tried to… run away from Ralphie. We were going to my house and got tired." I explained.
"Can I have my hat back?" Ralphie asked.
"Can you guys stop hiding?" Tim countered.
I stood up and left my hiding place, the branches of the juniper (or whatever it was) scratching my bare legs. Keesha followed, looking ashamed. Wanda descended from her tree.
"Where's Phoebe?" Tim asked, grabbing Ralphie's flashlight and looking around. I laughed.
"I can't get down," Phoebe whimpered. "I'm afraid I'll break my leg."
"Why did you climb a pine tree?" Ralphie asked.
"She's Phoebe." Wanda explained to Tim, who smiled. Ralphie nodded.
"Seriously, guys, help me down!" Phoebe cried.
"I don't know…" Tim said.
"Right," Ralphie ran away.
"Where's he going?" Keesha asked.
"Doesn't he want his hat?" Wanda lifted it up.
"Don't leave me!" Phoebe protested.
"We're not going anywhere!" I assured her. "It's just Ralphie that left."
"Yeah, who needs him?" Keesha folded her arms.
"I need him to take away this disgusting hat." Wanda held it between her thumb and forefinger. "I never realized how gross it was until I was stuck up in the tree with it."
"Where did he go?" I asked Tim firmly.
"I'm not his keeper. He can do what he wants!" Tim insisted.
"Don't play dumb with me! I know you know what he's doing!" I narrowed my eyes.
"I seriously don't know!" Tim cried. "Maybe he's getting a camera or something."
"Liar." Wanda whispered.
"Am not!" Tim folded his arms.
"Can we just stop fighting and help Phoebe down?" Keesha sighed. "Are you okay up there?"
"I think I got sap all over my hands." Phoebe replied. "And maybe in my hair."
"You can take a bath at my house," I offered.
"Maybe you should've stayed home today." Ralphie cried mockingly, running back.
"You didn't…" Keesha gasped.
"Didn't what?" It was Arnold.
"He did." Wanda sighed.
"Did what?" Carlos asked. Great, the party was complete. "So are we calling the fire department?"
"I'm not a cat!" Phoebe insisted.
"I was kidding!" Carlos cried.
"Your jokes suck!" Phoebe said with a vehemence that was hilarious.
"Fine, see if I help you then!" Carlos retorted.
"No, she's right." Arnold said sincerely.
"Some friend you are!"
"Guys, can we just get her down and then we can fight?" Keesha offered.
"But it's so much more fun to have her in the tree." Tim was disappointed.
"Speak for yourself!" Phoebe cried.
"Okay, I'll guide you down." Arnold offered. I looked at Keesha and smiled. "Move down to that branch on your right – now hold on to it with your hands and put your left foot on a branch a few feet below you – how did you climb that high?"
"Tim found us." Wanda explained.
"Okay, now get on to that branch you have your foot on."
"What if I fall?"
"You won't fall."
"Ah, young love." Carlos mused smugly.
"Will you shut up?" Arnold snapped. Eyebrows raised. Realizing Phoebe was still in peril, Arnold continued guiding her down.
"So…" Carlos began. "What brings you to this side of the neighborhood?"
"Wanda wanted to borrow a hat from Ralphie." I tried.
"And so she went in through the window?" Carlos raised an eyebrow. Why is he asking me?
"She didn't go in – she just tried."
"So it was a dare then?"
"Yeah," I sighed. It was obvious.
"Man, I've done much better escaping from dares than you guys have." He boasted.
"Sure you have." I countered.
"Put it this way: I still have your physics book." Carlos smirked. I could feel my blood boil.
"Where is it?" I demanded.
"Oh, I don't know…" Carlos mused.
"Give it to me!" I shouted.
"Honestly, DA, I didn't know you wanted me that badly." Carlos grinned. I tried to hide my embarrassment by pushing him. He fell to the ground. "Wow, I'm impressed."
"Where's my book?" I demanded.
"Lean in and I'll tell you." He said. I wasn't going to fall for it, but he was smiling so innocently. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the ground.
"Why did I fall for that?" I asked.
"You wanted to." Carlos grinned. Damn he was cute, not to mention right in my face. I realized that I'd been staring when his smile faded. It had taken me so long to respond.
"Maybe I did?" I said shyly. And before I knew it, Carlos had kissed me.
Unfortunately, it was in front of all of my friends.
"I TOLD YOU THE OUIJA BOARD DOESN'T LIE!" Wanda cried out.
"You know what this means, right?" Keesha raised an eyebrow at Phoebe, who was about to jump out of the tree. This made her change her mind.
"What?" Arnold asked.
"Oh, nothing." Wanda said innocently. "Come on, Pheebs, jump!"
"Catch me!" She cried as she let go, squinting her eyes closed. She landed in Ralphie's arms, nearly knocking him down.
"Well that was unexpected." Keesha said to Wanda.
"Good thing DA and Carlos are nice and predictable." Wanda smirked at me.
"I hate you." I said.
"I know, and I love you too." Wanda grinned.