The four boys met at Kendall's house on Saturday. They lounged on the living room sofa, eating Mrs. Knight's homemade cookies.

"These are the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted," Logan said. He politely helped himself to a second cookie, and slapped Carlos' hand.

"Carlos! Get your fat hand out of the way!"

Carlos stuck his tongue out at Logan as he stuffed a cookie into his mouth.

"Gross!" Logan said.

"Double gross!" James said.

"Thanks Mom," Kendall said.

"You're welcome," Mrs. Knight said. "It's so kind of you boys to find Carlos a date for Prom." Mrs. Knight ruffled Carlos' hair. "He's such a sweet boy, and I wouldn't want to see him sitting at home alone with his hockey helmet on Prom night."

"Neither would we, Mom," Kendall said.

"Thanks Mrs. Knight." Carlos mumbled between bites of cookie.

"Katie, don't bother your brother and his friends."

Mrs. Knight left the living room.

"Oh, please." Katie Knight stared at her older brother and his three friends. She tapped her foot. "Carlos is a 'Class A' fruitcake. Good luck with finding him a girlfriend."

"Katie's just kidding." Kendall glared at Katie. "Right, Katie?"

Katie grabbed a cookie. "All the girls in my class think Carlos is crazy, as in loony, nutty, and just plain off his rocker."

"Girls think I'm crazy?" Carlos asked.

"What do a bunch of ten-year-old girls know?" Kendall asked. He jumped up from the sofa and pushed Katie toward the family room. "Don't you have a Tiger Beat to read or some Nickelodeon show to watch?"

"No. I'm good." Katie sat down in a chair across from the boys. "Learning what girl would be stupid enough to go out with Carlos is way more interesting."

"I don't date stupid girls," Carlos said.

"You don't date any girls," Katie said.

"That's about to change," Logan said. "Right, James?"

James licked his fingers as he finished a cookie. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

"You guess?" Kendall slapped James. "James! You were supposed to find a chick for Carlos from your little black book."

James jumped up from the sofa. "First, don't muss my hair. I worked hard on making it look this good. Second, I tried, guys. I really tried." James glanced at Carlos with a look of pity.

"You promised me a totally hot date with Bergitte Larsen," Carlos said.

"Bergitte Larsen? The senior?" James asked. "Man, are you dreaming Carlos! You're screwier than Katie's friends think you are. Bergitte doesn't give me the time of day. What makes you think she would be interested in you?"

Carlos stood up. "I have charm," he said. "And personality.

James pulled a piece of notebook paper from his pocket and smoothed it out. "I wasn't going to do this, Carlos. But do you really want to know what one of the girls said about you? I quote, 'Carlos Garcia? Are you crazy? Carlos is nuts! I mean, does he ever take that helmet off of his head? I bet he even wears it in the shower.' Unquote."

"I don't wear my helmet in the shower!" Carlos strapped his hockey helmet under his chin. He gave his friends a hang dog look as he walked toward the front door.

"It's okay, guys. Thanks for trying, James. I don't really want to go to Prom anyway."

"Hold up, Carlos!" Kendall shouted. He stared at James. "James, do you mean to tell me that there isn't one girl in the junior class who is listed in your black book that would go to Prom with Carlos?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"What about Jennie Tinkler?" Logan asked.

"Dating Buddy Simms," James said.

"Really, it's okay," Carlos said. "I'm going to go perfect a crazy skateboarding stunt up at Harriman Hill."

Logan raced to the front door. But Carlos had already shut the door behind him.

"There goes one dejected guy," Logan said.

"I told you Carlos was a hopeless case," Katie said.

"We are horrible matchmakers," Kendall said.