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I was only about five feet from the bedroom door when the phone in my hand rang and scared the living daylights out of me. SCREAM! SCREAM! I think Dad really did almost have a heart attack. And once he recovered, he didn't look happy to see me.

Dad made me get out of his room, and then he slammed the door. I'm sure this episode didn't help my standing with Dad, but I guess at this point it's probably too late, anyway. Tuesday Two days have already passed since I shook hands with Holly, and I didn't want any more time to go by before I spoke with her again. Luckily, Dad and Rodrick weren't home tonight, so I knew I could make a phone call without being bothered. I practiced what I was going to say about a million times, and then I finally worked up the nerve to make the call. I dialed Holly's number, and the phone started

ringing. But right then Mom picked up the phone downstairs. Mom has this really bad habit of just dialing without checking to see if anyone else is using the phone, and that's what she did tonight. I tried to stop her, but it was no use. BEEP BOOP BEEP MOM BOOP BEEP BEEP MOM The phone kept ringing at the Hills's house, and then someone picked up. It was Holly's mother. Mom was really confused, since she didn't dial the Hills's number in the first place. I just held my breath and waited for it all to be over.

HELLO? HELLO? WHO'S THIS? It took Mom and Mrs. Hills a minute to figure out who was on the other end of the line. But once they did, they just started chatting like nothing strange had happened at all. They got into this long conversation about the PTA and the fundraising committee and stuff like that. I couldn't really hang up, because then Mom would hear the click and know someone was on the other end. Eventually, the conversation between Mom and Mrs. Hills turned to me. CALLED HIS BROTHER A "PLOOPY." nkledc. MM HMM...

At that point I just put the phone down and went to bed. I figure that a phone call between me and Holly isn't meant to be, so I'm officially giving up. Friday Today at school I overheard Holly tell a couple of her friends that she was gonna meet them at the roller-skating rink tonight, and a lightbulb went on over my head. After school I asked Mom if she'd take me to the Roll-a-Round tonight, and she said yes but I'd have to get a ride home from someone else's parents. So I invited Rowley along. As soon as Rowley showed up at my front door, I knew I made a mistake inviting him.

Rowley had his hair all teased up, and he was dressed just like his favorite singer, Joshie. And I think Rowley might have even been wearing sparkly lip gloss, but I can't say for sure. I couldn't stop to worry about the way Rowley looked, though, because I had my own problems. Earlier on I had lost one of my contact lenses, so that meant I had to wear my backup glasses. The lenses on those things are about three inches thick, and they look ridiculous. If I'm not wearing my contact lenses or my glasses, I'm as blind as a bat. I guess I should just feel lucky that I wasn't alive during caveman times, because I wouldn't have been able to hunt or do anything useful. I'm sure my tribe-mates would've ditched me the first chance they got.