Freaked Out by Annie Bryant

thirty-five to eleven thirty-five is one hour. Eleven thirty-five to twelve thirty-five is two hours. Fifteen minutes?” She scribbled a little. “Twelve fifty. Ten minutes till one. We’ll both be starved. ‘Hello, Dillon. I can go to lunch at twelve fifty. Is that too late?’”
    Charlotte laughed. Maeve was so funny and endearingsometimes without even meaning to be. Before they could think up another math problem, Maeve stood up. “I here and now declare that we won’t do any more studying tonight. Let’s do something fun. I want to forget school.”
    â€œWhat do you suggest?” Avery said.
    â€œWell, earlier I called my dad. I asked him if we got bored would it be all right to come to the horror movie festival.”
    â€œHorror festival? Awesome,” Katani said. “I love scary horror movies.”
    â€œWhat’s playing?” Charlotte asked. “I probably haven’t seen anything he has on the schedule.”
    â€œTonight is Bride of Frankenstein .” Maeve made her voice spooky, and then paraded down the aisle as if she had a bouquet of flowers.
    â€œI think Ole Frank would be more attracted to someone who walked like this.” Avery walked across the room like a stiff robot. Everyone laughed and agreed.
    â€œI can’t see Frankenstein hip hop dancing, can you?” Isabel laughed. She had seen Frankenstein so many times that it didn’t scare her anymore.
    â€œLet’s go!” Maeve pulled on her warmup suit and looked at her watch. “We can just make it in time.”
    The girls dashed out of the house, waving good-bye to a startled Mr. Ramsey, who’d been visiting with Miss Pierce.
    â€œOff to the movie, Dad. Back in a couple,” Charlotte called out her plans.
    They ran, while Maeve occasionally danced down the hill toward the movie theater. Maeve chased after Isabel,screaming in her best Wicked Witch of the West imitation, “I’ll get you my pretty!”
    â€œHurry,” Maeve’s dad said to them as they poured into the theater. “The guys are saving you seats about halfway down in the middle.”
    â€œThe guys?” Charlotte laughed. “Maeve, you didn’t! You planned this all along, didn’t you?”
    â€œThey could have watched the movie without us if you had said no, or insisted we study. We can’t study all the time in the Tower. It’s sacred. It should be reserved only for fun and oh-so-important BSG meetings.”
    Maeve led the way. The theater was already dark and showing previews. She blinked her eyes and tried to see. She didn’t want to fall over someone’s legs or sit in a lap.
    â€œMaeve,” Dillon whispered. “Over here. Hurry, we had trouble saving the seats.”
    The theater was crowded, and some people seemed annoyed when a pack of very late, laughing girls tumbled into their seats.
    Nick passed popcorn from one end of the row, and Dillon picked up Cokes from the floor one by one from the other end. Maeve had told Dillon to bring anyone else he wanted, as long as it wasn’t too many.
    Pete Wexler and Josh and Billy Trentini had held seats in the middle. They stayed together. But as soon as the spooky movie started, all eyes were glued to the screen. No talking, but gasps, little screams, and giggles were allowed.
    Maeve always had to wipe tears from her eyes when Frankenstein tried to convince his inventor he was lonely.His face was ugly, but so sad. She understood how he felt.
    They sat through a few credits at the end, letting other people leave the movie first. Then Nick led the way out of their row. “That was classic,” he said.
    â€œThat was great, Maeve,” Charlotte said. “Thank you.”
    â€œI love horror movies.” Maeve looked at Dillon. “Don’t you, Dillon?”
    â€œI think Frankenstein would have made a good basketball player. That would have made him