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Luckily, I found some video clips of a high school girl practicing HER French horn. So those videos are doing the trick, at least for now. This whole musical instrument thing might be a big waste of time, anyway. Mariana didn't invite the entire band to her party tomorrow night, just the WOODWIND section. That means if you play a brass instrument like me, you're out of luck. But then I realized I've got an IN. Rowley's part of the woodwind section, and if HE'S going, then I can just tag along. I can't just show up with him, though, or I could get turned away at the door.

So I figured out a way to make sure that doesn't happen. I realized that if I make myself part of Rowley's COSTUME, then wherever he goes, I go, too. That's how I came up with the idea of us going as a two-headed monster. On the walk home from school, I told Rowley all about my plan. But Rowley said he wanted to go to the party as a "nice witch," and his mom was already working on his costume. See, this is EXACTLY why Rowley needs me to go with him.

I told Rowley if he went to a party like this dressed up as a witch, he'd never live it down at school. I think that made him kind of nervous, so he said he changed his mind and wanted to do the two-headed-monster thing I had come up with. So tonight we got to work making the costume out of some sheets I found in the linen closet. When Mom got home from school, I realized I should've asked permission before cutting them up. But she was really happy me and Rowley were MAKING something instead of playing video games like we usually do. I told her we were making a two-headed-monster costume, and she thought that was a GREAT idea for trick-or-treating.

I told Mom the costume was actually for Mariana Mendoza's Halloween party, and as soon as I said it, I wished I could take it back. Like I said before, last year's party was a total blowout, and EVERYONE in our town heard about it. But Mom was actually good with the idea. She said a party was a chance for us to "branch out" and grow our "friend circle." She said she'd even be happy to give us a RIDE. I'm just relieved she didn't suggest adding another head to the costume, because believe me, that's EXACTLY the kind of thing she would think of.

Halloween It took a long time to get to Mariana's house tonight because the street was full of little kids trick-or-treating. I was kind of GLAD we were a little late, because if we showed up right on time, we'd look like we were too eager. When we finally got to Mariana's, I told Mom thanks for the ride and not to come back for us until the party ended at 11:00. But Mom turned off the ignition, got out of the minivan, and pulled some bags from the back.

When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was coming in to introduce herself to Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza. I BEGGED Mom not to, but when she decides to do something, there's really no stopping her. She rang the doorbell, but nobody answered. We could hear loud music coming from the basement, so Mom opened the door and we all stepped inside. Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza were on the couch watching a horror movie, and they didn't seem too interested in getting up and chatting with Mom.