Unfortunately, her thoughts couldn’t stay in the beautiful world of movies and Motown—they kept returning to the comments section:

Lol

Horse

Hilaaaaarious

“Hey!” Nina clapped. “Come back!”

“Huh? What?” Marianne said.

“Pay attention?” Nina requested apologetically.

“That’s good,” Vi’s voice said from behind Marianne. She had just entered the room, stalking toward them with stacks of papers and books in her arms that couldn’t fit in her backpack. “I like that. Clap when she’s getting too bored.”

“Clap three times so I know it’s not just a freak accident or something,” Dan requested.

“Done!” Nina clapped three times as practice.

“Okay, okay, I’m listening,” Marianne said.

“We have to start,” Vi said. “Unfortunately, today, something different is happening—”

Before she could explain it, Kylie, Jalilah, and Ava walked into the room.

They sat at the desks, smooshed together opposite where the Ermines sat. Vi began arranging their chairs into a similar row to the Ermines’, each on one side of the teacher’s desk.

“Um, hi?” Marianne said.

Kylie threw Marianne a friendly wave.

“Hey!” Jalilah mouthed from across their tables, as if speaking out loud wasn’t allowed in such a serious place as Quiz Quest practice.

Ava ignored her, instead concentrating on twisting her many rings so they all faced gem-up.

Mr. Garcia entered right behind and sat at the desk in front, with a timer and a stack of papers.

“Thank you to these gracious volunteers for agreeing to our mock scrimmage today!” Mr. Garcia announced with enthusiasm. “Yes,” he sighed, “there’s credit.”

Oh no. Mr. Garcia didn’t understand that they weren’t there for the credit, they were there for the show, for the story to tell afterward about seeing Horse on Quiz Quest.

Marianne, sitting next to Dan, whispered to him, “I didn’t know about this.”

Dan ignored her and said right away, “Hey, I’m really sorry about the post last night. I guess I wasn’t thinking anyone looked at my page.”

“Pssh,” she said. “It’s okay.”

“I deleted it,” he told her.

“I know.” She gave his shoulder a couple of pats and turned to listen to Mr. Garcia.

“I’m going to confer with our new rival team for a moment or two to make sure they’re all set on the rules, and then, scholars, we will begin,” Mr. Garcia went on.

Gosh, he loved Quiz Quest. He was practically … chipper. As cheerful as his neon tie.

Marianne leaned behind Dan and poked Vi. “What’s happening?!” Marianne hoped Vi could see the panic on her. Then maybe she’d call this off.

“I didn’t know about it either or I would’ve told you,” Vi spoke quietly. “He does this sometimes. Usually no one agrees, so he gets the sixth or seventh graders, but today…” She didn’t have to explain.

Today it would be funny.

Someone knocked on the classroom window, and, in horror, Marianne turned to see a group of kids waving to come inside.

Mr. Garcia, jolly mood disrupted, grumbled something to himself, and headed to the door, speaking in inaudible warnings to the students.