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Zack took a step back from the mirror and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His eyes<br />
glowed with excitement.<br />
“How do I look?” Erin teased.<br />
“You never looked better,” Zack joked.<br />
“I like what you did with your hair,” April teased, glancing up from the watch.<br />
Even April was joking and having a good time. Why couldn’t I relax, too? Why was I suddenly<br />
so frightened?<br />
“You feel okay?” I asked Erin. The words nearly caught in my throat.<br />
“Fine,” Erin replied.<br />
I could hear her footsteps as she walked around the room.<br />
“If you start to feel weird, just say ‘ready’, and Zack’ll pull the string,” I said.<br />
“I know,” she replied impatiently. “But I won’t be ready to come back until I break the record.”<br />
“I’m going next,” Zack told Erin, arms still crossed in front of him. “So your record won’t last<br />
for long.”<br />
Suddenly Zack’s arms uncrossed. His hands flew wildly up in the air, and he began slapping his<br />
face with both hands.<br />
“Ow! Cut it out, Erin!” he yelled, trying to squirm away. “Let go!”<br />
We heard Erin laugh as Zack slapped himself a few more times, then finally managed to wrestle<br />
out of her grip.<br />
“One minute,” April announced from behind us.<br />
“Ow! You hurt me!” Zack said, scowling and rubbing his red cheeks.<br />
Erin laughed again.<br />
“You still feel okay?” I asked, glancing into the mirror.<br />
“Fine. Stop worrying, Max,” Erin scolded.<br />
My T-shirt suddenly pulled up over my head. Erin laughed.<br />
“Give me a break!” I cried, spinning away.<br />
“Two minutes,” April announced.<br />
I heard the attic stairs creaking. A few seconds later, Whitey poked his head in. This time, he<br />
stopped in the doorway and peered into the room without entering.<br />
“Go back downstairs, boy,” I told him. “Go down.”<br />
He stared back at me as if considering my request. But he didn’t budge from the doorway.<br />
I didn’t want to take another chance of him getting too close to the mirror. So I grabbed him by<br />
the collar and guided him to the stairs. Then it took a while for the dumb dog to get the idea that he<br />
was supposed to go down the stairs!<br />
When I returned to the little room, April had just called out four minutes. Zack was pacing<br />
impatiently back and forth in front of the mirror. I guess he couldn’t wait for it to be his turn.<br />
I found myself thinking about Lefty. Lefty knew I had called everyone and canceled the<br />
competition. So why had he called Zack, Erin, and April and told them it was back on?<br />
Just one of his practical jokes, I decided.<br />
I’d have to find a way to pay him back for this.<br />
Something really evil…