07 Finch-Face Freakout

Finch-Face Freakout Dinnertime! The Moodys waited for Jessica Finch and her family at KaBob's Place. Stink showed Judy the menu. "Every food here is on a stick. Hot-dog kabobs. Batter- dipped-veggie kabobs. Even fruit kabobs." Judy was building the Washington Monument out of sugar packets. "Stink, don't shake the— Tim-ber!" said Judy, as her sugar packets came crashing down. At last, the Finches arrived. Judy and Stink could not stop talking about Washingfun. They told Jessica about the Bad Mood House and the giant chair and the way-old dung. Judy glanced all around. "Hey, where's your

pig?" she asked. "PeeGee WeeGee's in the car," said Jessica. "He'll be okay in his kennel while we eat," said Mr. Finch. After they ordered, Mom said, "So, tomorrow's the big spelling bee, Jessica. How do you feel?" "My tummy's doing gymnastics," said Jessica. "It's like the Olympics in there." "Nothing a grilled-cheese kabob won't fix," said Mrs. Finch. "I could never ever spell in front of a million people," said Judy. "Even with my lucky penny." Jessica Finch took out her list of spelling words. "I have to keep studying. Only seventeen hours and thirty-three minutes till Bee Time." "Hey. Want me to quiz you?" Judy asked.

"I'll be your study buddy." "Great idea, girls," said Mom. Judy ran her finger down the list. Jessica spelled neighbor and zipper and alligator. She spelled library and geography. "Spell shampoo banana," said Stink. "Shampoo banana is not on the spelling list,

Stink." "S-H-A-M-P-O-O B-A-N-A-N-A," said Jessica. "Sure," said Judy, "but can you spell berryfurrymerrycherryhoneybunnyfunny?" "That's like half the words on page one," Jessica said. "I bet you can, Sweet Pea," said Mr. Finch. Jessica took a deep breath. "B-E-R-R-Y-F-U-RR- Y-M-E-R-R-Y-C-H-E-R-R-Y-H-O-N-E-Y-B-U-N-NY- F-U-N-N-Y." "As your study buddy," said Judy, "can I just say? You are so going to win." "We heard Orchard Elementary has a boy named Sanjay Sharma who's really good. He may be tough to beat," said Mr. Finch. "Yes, but can he spell half the words on page one at warp speed without taking a breath?"

"Thanks," said Jessica. At the salad bar, Jessica spelled mushroom and watermelon. She spelled artichoke, cucumber, and cauliflower. "Even the salad is on a stick!" said Jessica, showing off her plate. "Jessica can spell the whole salad bar!" Judy told everybody at the table. She set the spelling list in her lap. "Those are page three words," said Jessica. "It's page four that gets me. Like heirloom. I keep spelling it HAIR-loom." "Those are like fourth-grade words," said Judy. When their main courses came, Stink said, "Even vegetables taste good on a stick." "Stink would eat camel on a stick," said Judy. "Hey, Jessica? Can you spell

KABOBBLEHEAD?" Just then, Judy dropped her mini-meatball kabob. It landed— SPLAT! —right smack-dab in the middle of her lap! On her lap was not a napkin, but... Jessica's spelling list! Page four. Judy swiped at the spelling list with her napkin. Yikes-a-roni! Page four now had a big fat meatball smudge that would not budge. Judy flipped the list back to page one. Good thing they were done studying. She slid the list across the table toward Jessica's plate. When they got to the hotel, Mom and Dad checked them in. They stood in line behind a guy with a pet iguana named Iggy. A kid walked past them in the lobby with a chinchilla on a leash.