10 NO DESSERT

NO DESSERT "No dessert" said Bean. "No videos for a, week. But at least they didn't make me stay in my room." Ivy was sitting next to Bean on her front porch. It was almost dark. They watched the bugs flying around the streetlight. "I don't think they're really mad," said Ivy. "You don't?" They had seemed pretty mad to Bean. "They have to act mad so they'll seem fair to your sister," Ivy said. "But your mom had this little, teeny smile on her face when she pulled Nancy out of the pit. She thought it was funny."

Bean smiled, too, remembering. "It was funny." "It was great." "Nancy says she's never going to speak to either of us ever again. And she took back the coloring book she gave me." "Well, she never spoke to me before today, so that won't be any different for me." "It'll be better for me. But I bet she

doesn't stick to it." Bean yawned. It had been a big day. She turned to Ivy. "Do you think the spell is what made her dance?" "Of course." Ivy sounded very sure. But after a minute she said, "I didn't have time to say the spell, really. I just sort of thought it at the last second." Bean stared into the shadowy yard. "Maybe that's why she didn't dance for very long—because you only thought the spell instead of saying it." "Next time I'll say it." "You're going to do it again? On who?" Bean asked. "I was thinking about that Mrs. Trantz," said Ivy. Bean pictured Mrs. Trantz kicking up her feet on the edge of a muddy pit. It would be a beautiful sight. "Can you teach me to burp like that?" asked Bean. "Sure," Ivy said. "Maybe I'll try

something new on Mrs. Trantz. Like a storm of grasshoppers." "Is that a hard one?" "No, but we have to start with a lot of grasshoppers," said Ivy. "It seems like all the spells have bugs in them" said Bean., "Not all of them," said Ivy. "Potions don't." Potions. That sounded fun. "Let's make a potion," Bean said.

"Okay," Ivy said. "Tomorrow we'll make potions." "I know what" said Bean. "Tomorrow, let's fix up a lab in your room. Then we can make potions." She pictured a lab with shelves full of little bottles. She and Ivy would wear goggles. Ivy sat up straighter. "Yeah! That'll be good. We'll dump the dressing room and get some shelves. Shelves with little bottles. And maybe a counter." "Bean?" Bean's mother came out onto the front porch. "There you are. It's almost bath time. Ivy, do you want me to walk you home?" "Okay," said Ivy. But Bean's mom sat down beside Bean

and looked at the nighttime sky. "You girls have certainly had a big day, haven't you?" Bean leaned against her mother's arm. "Tomorrow we're going to make a lab in Ivy's room." "You are, are you?" said Bean's mom. "What for?" "Potions," said Ivy. "What kind of potions?" asked Bean's mom. "Secret potions," said Ivy. There was a silence. Then Bean's mom said, "No matches. No poison. No explosions. No deadly fumes. No bugging Nancy. Is that clear?" Ivy and Bean looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Weren't you the one who was always telling me to play with her?" said Bean. "Wasn't this all your idea in the first place?"