Howl by Karen Hood-Caddy Page B

questionnaire printed, to, like, make it look really professional, he’d take it to the place that does the paper.”
    Brodie gave Zo-Zo a high five. “Now you’re talking.”
    He raised his hand to give a high five to Robin as well.
    Robin lifted her hand. When hers touched Brodie’s, she felt a zing race from her fingers to her elbow.
    Zo-Zo twirled her pen. “Before we get the questionnaire printed, I think we should do it ourselves. Just to see how we score.”
    “I’m up for that,” Brodie said.
    They each pulled out a blank piece of paper, and Zo-Zo read out the questions.
    Zo-Zo finished scoring hers first. “Bummer. According to our point system, I’m going to need four whole planets to stay alive.”
    Brodie slapped down his pen. “That’s nothing, I’m going to need six!”
    Robin shrugged. I told you , she wanted to say.
    Zo-Zo peeked at Robin’s page. “How many planets do you need to stay alive?”
    “One and a half.”
    “Wow —” Brodie said, admiration filling his face.
    “It’s still pathetic,” Robin said.
    Zo-Zo grimaced. “Our contest is just going to make people feel hopeless.”
    “But it is hopeless,” Robin said.
    Mr. Lynch wandered the isles. “Three minutes left.”
    Zo-Zo looked down. “Maybe our eco-contest isn’t such a good idea after all.”
    Robin rolled her eyes. If they’d listened to her, they wouldn’t be in this mess.
    Brodie straightened in his seat. “No, it is a good idea. We’ve just run into a snag, that’s all.”
    Zo-Zo chewed her pen. “You call this a snag? It feels more like a brick wall!”
    “I know, but we’ll figure it out.”
    Robin said nothing. Although she still thought what they were doing was a waste of time, she admired Brodie for not giving up.
    The bell sounded. Later, Robin found Zo-Zo in the cafeteria at lunch. She also found Brodie. He was sitting by himself.
    Zo-Zo followed Robin’s eyes. “Maybe he’s decided to dump the Big Brat after all.” She turned her gaze to Robin. “He’ll be your boyfriend next, bet you anything.”
    Robin suppressed a smile. “No way.”
    “You’re hot.”
    Air snorted out Robin’s nose. She covered her face with her hand, embarrassed. “Me? Hot? I don’t think so.”
    “At least you don’t wear glasses. And your body’s not the size of a seven-year-old.” Zo-Zo pushed her glasses back up her nose.
    Robin was trying to figure out what to say when Zo-Zo let out a laboured breath. “My dad says that pretty girls do better in the first half of life. Smart ones do better later. I just have to wait, that’s all.”
    Brittany walked by with her tray of food. Robin and Zo-Zo watched as she went over to where Brodie was sitting, pushed away a kid who was about to sit beside him, and sat down.
    “So much for my break-up theory,” Zo-Zo said. “But I don’t get it. If she’s not his girlfriend, why does he let her act like she is?”
    “Maybe he’s scared of her. Like I am,” Robin said.
    Zo-Zo said. “I think half the school’s scared of her.”
    After lunch, the whole class went to an assembly in the auditorium. When they came back, Mr. Lynch asked everyone to hand in their book reports. Robin leaned over to get her backpack.
    She jerked from one side of her desk to the other, looked underneath her desk, then behind her desk. Twisting her whole body so she could peer under the desks nearby, she couldn’t see her backpack anywhere. Panic rose from her belly to her throat. She tried to swallow it down.
    “My pack …” She nudged Zo-Zo hard. “Did you see it?”
    Zo-Zo quickly put her own report on the teacher’s desk and helped Robin look.
    “Is there anyone who isn’t handing in their report?” Mr. Lynch asked.
    Robin cringed and lifted her hand. Mr. Lynch’s face darkened with disapproval. Robin lowered her eyes. Her face burned.
    “Ten marks off for every day it’s late,” he told her.
    “But I did it,” Robin cried. “I brought it, but someone took it, someone