08 The V.I.Q

The V.I.Q. On the way back to her seat, Jessica Finch asked Judy, "How was Antarctica?" "Long," said Judy. What did Jessica Finch care anyway? She probably knew how to spell Antarctica. Even without sleeping on the dictionary. Judy grumped. Judy slumped. Judy Moody was down in the dumps. The dumpiest. She, Madame M for Mistake, could not predict the future — her own or anybody else's. She could not even predict one hour from now. Not one minute. Not one second. The future was unpredictable.

That did it. Judy decided then and there she would give up predicting the future. Forever. She had the Moody blues, the Judy-Moodiest. She dragged herself to the water fountain at afternoon recess. "Hel-lo? Judy? What is wrong with you?" asked Jessica Finch. "I'm a flop. A big fat fake. I can't tell the future. Just call me Madame Phoney-Baloney." "Okay, Madame Phoney-Baloney!" said

Jessica Finch. She laughed like a hyena. "If you say so. But I know something that tells the future. You can ask a question and it's N-E-V-ER wrong." Judy sprayed herself with water. How did Jessica Finch know so much about futuretelling? "Really?" "Really." "Never?" "Never!" said Jessica. "I'll bring it tomorrow. Think of something you want to ask. Something on your mind. Something that's been bugging you — a V.I.Q." "V.I.Q.?" "Very Important Question," said Jessica. Judy could hardly wait. She could hardly think

about anything else. She could hardly sleep, even without the fat red dictionary under her pillow. Judy thought and thought. She thought about something that had been on her mind. She thought about something that had been bugging her. She came up with a very important V.I.Q. Judy got to school early Thursday morning. She rushed up to Jessica Finch. "Did you bring it? Did you?" Jessica opened her pink plastic backpack and took out a bright yellow ball with a big smiley face on the outside. "Magic 8 Ball!" said Jessica.

"That's not a Magic 8 Ball," said Judy. "Is too," said Jessica. "I'll show you." "Will I always be the best speller at Virginia Dare School?" Jessica asked the Magic 8 Ball. The answer appeared in the window on a little triangle floating in blue liquid. You're a winner. "See? You try," said Jessica.

Judy decided to ask a practice question first. "Will my mood ring ever turn purple?" Judy shook the ball. You look marvelous. "Try again," said Jessica. "Will my mood ring ever turn purple?" Nice outfit. "You're not asking right," said Jessica. Judy shook the ball extra hard. "Will I be a doctor someday?" Pure genius. "Will I ever get a 110% Thomas Jefferson sticker on my spelling test? You're 100% fun. "Will Mom and Dad be mad about my spelling test?"