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have run errands on the way to the restaurant. I'd made a reservation at Spriggo's, which is that fancy restaurant Mom and Dad are always talking about. I knew it might be a little pricey, but I'd saved up a lot of money from chores and I really wanted to impress Abigail by looking like a big shot. When we pulled into the parking lot, Mr. Jefferson opened the back for me. But when I got out, my suit was covered in all these greasy smears from the vacuum cleaner.

I didn't want to look like a slob, so I just left my jacket in the car, and we went into the restaurant together. I was hoping Rowley would take a hint and stay back with his dad, but he came right along with us. Spriggo's was a LOT fancier than I thought it would be. When we walked in, the host told us this was an upscale establishment and that gentlemen were required to wear sports jackets. But there was no way I was gonna wear my dirty suit jacket, so I asked the host if he could just make an exception this one time. He said he couldn't but that the restaurant had spare sports jackets I could

borrow. The one he gave me was a little big, but I put it on anyway. When we sat down I noticed a terrible smell and tried to figure out where it was coming from. Then I realized it was coming from me. I guess that loaner jacket had been used by a hundred different people without ever being washed. I didn't want to smell like somebody else's body odor during dinner, so I excused myself go to the bathroom and scrubbed the sports jackets underarms with soap and water, then dried them with the hand dryer.

Well, that just made it WORSE, because the heat activated the B.O. and its spread. That was it for me. I told Abigail and Rowley this place was for phonies and we should just take off. I left my jacket with the host at the front, and the three of us walked out the door. I said maybe we should just skip dinner and go right to the dance, but Abigail said she was really hungry, and Rowley said he was starving, too.

The only other restaurant in the area was Corny's, and I told them there was no way I was going THERE. But Rowley said he really likes the dessert bar at Corny's, and Abigail said that sounded good to her. I was really starting to regret having Rowley along on this date, because if all he was gonna do was take Abigail's side, I'd get outvoted every single time. But I didn't want to make a big deal about it in the middle of my date, so I just bit my lip and we walked three blocks to Corny's. Luckily, I remembered about the tie issue before we

walked in the front door, and I stuffed mine in my back pocket at the last second. But I didn't have time to warn Rowley, so now his tie is a permanent part of the Wall of Shame. Corny's was a total ZOO. My family usually goes on a weeknight, but it's a whole different scene on a Saturday. The good news was that since we didn't have any little kids with us, they didn't seat us in Children's