Chapter 8

Chapter eight, "Hank," Frankie said to me. "This is the fifty- fifth time I've shown you this trick. You have to focus if you're ever going to learn it." We were in the clubhouse, and I had been working with Frankie after school for four days. I was proud of myself just for having found the velvet bag and the scarves. I had stuffed them into my backpack. But now, every time I tried to pull the snake out of the bag, something went wrong. "I'm really trying, Frankie, as hard as I can. I'm not messing up on purpose. I know I have to learn this trick, but I don't think I can." "Time is running out," Ashley said. "It's already Thursday, and Emily's party is on Saturday." "I'll never be able to do it by then," I said

with a big sigh. "You're the magician, Frankie. Why don't you do it?" "Hank, you can do this. I believe in you. If you give up now, you'll really feel bad." "But if you get it," Ashley added, "you're going to feel good forever. You'll never forget what you did for Emily." "But this is starting to really freak me out," I said. "All Emily talks about is how many people have said yes to her party. Last night at dinner, she said there were seventeen for-sures and another ten maybes. Not one person said no." "Okay," Frankie said, taking a deep breath. "Then let's stop wasting time. You're going to learn this." I rolled up my wizard-robe sleeves and put on the sunglasses with the beard attached. I took a moment to scratch my nose, because the cotton balls tickled my nostrils. "Hankster," Frankie said. "You have to become the Westside Wizard. And wizards don't scratch." "Well, this one does."

"Fine," Frankie said. "Just go on with the trick." "Okay," I began. "First, I lift my hand in the air. Then I drop it into the velvet bag until I find the secret pocket with the Velcro strip. Then, I say the magic word. What is it again, Frankie? Grapefruit?" "No, zengawii. It doesn't even sound like grapefruit." "Zengawii!" I repeated in my best wizardy voice. I thought I felt the scarves tucked into the secret pocket. So far, so good. But when I pulled on the scarves, the whole bag flew across the room and landed smack in the middle of Mrs. Fink's laundry basket.

"That's it!" I yelled, pulling off my beard and pointy wizard hat. "I can't do this! I give up!" "But, Hank—" Ashley began. "No but Hanks," I told her. "I'm so frustrated I could scream. In fact, I think I will. Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggg!"I shouted so loud I thought my tonsils were going to fly out of my mouth. "Hank, this isn't helping," Frankie said, covering his ears. "If you keep this up, they're going to throw us out of here. Then you'll have no place to practice." "I'm done practicing," I declared. "Done,

done, and done. Oh, by the way, have I said the word done?" "What about Emily and her party?" Ashley asked. "You promised her a snake. Are you just going to go back on your promise?" "I'm going to solve this another way," I said. "The right way." Before they could ask me another question, I hurried out of the clubhouse and headed for the elevator. Frankie and Ashley followed me up to my apartment. When I got inside, I picked up the phone and called Papa Pete. "Hankie," he answered. "What are you up to, my boy?" "Oh, about four foot three," I told him. He roared with laughter. That was our special joke. "Papa Pete, can you help me?" I asked him. "I need you to come and pick me up. I have to visit a friend. I have a favor to ask him, and I don't want my mom and dad to know." "You're not in any trouble, are you?" Papa Pete asked

."No more than usual," I said. Papa Pete is great because he doesn't bother you with too many questions, like most grown-ups do. He just tries to help. "I'll be there soon," he said. As I hung up the phone, Frankie and Ashley were staring at me. "I'm not following this," Frankie said. "What friend? What favor?" "His name is Ralph," I explained. "He's Ginger's owner. I'm going to ask him if he and Ginger can come to Emily's party."