6 NO MORE NONSENSE

NO MORE NONSENSE Ivy wasn't exactly crying, but her eyes were glittery. "She still likes you," Bean said. "Really, she does." Ivy shook her head. They were supposed to be walking home, but Ivy kept stopping. She felt too awful to walk. "Why didn't you just say that the bathroom wasn't haunted?" asked Bean. "Grown-ups never like that kind of stuff." "But it is haunted," Ivy said. "And I'm the one who said it was." "Okay," Bean said. "But you don't have to tell them everything." "I didn't think Ms. Aruba-Tate would get mad at me." "She's not mad at you," said Bean.

"She is mad at me," said Ivy in a choked voice. "She hates me." "No. She likes you because you know all the answers" Bean said., Ivy didn't say anything, but she started walking again. "Ivy's in trouble!" sang a voice behind them. Bean whirled around. "Why don't you just shut up, Leo?!" "Hey!" said Leo, surprised. "That's mean."

"Go away," Bean said. She wished she had some plums. "I live on this street, you doof." Leo picked up a rock and threw it at a tree. "I heard you got sent to the Principal's," he said to Ivy. "I did not!" yelled Ivy. She stuck her tongue out at Leo. "Jeez," said Leo. "If there is a ghost, your ugly face will scare him back to his grave." Ivy stopped sticking out her tongue. "Oh!" she said. "Bean! That's what we have to do!" "What?" said Bean. "We've got to send it back to its grave," said Ivy. "We need to expel it." "Expel? Like Cody?" Cody had lit two garbage cans on fire and wasn't allowed to come back to school anymore. He was expelled.

"Yeah. Like Cody," said Ivy. "That'll fix everything." "How are you going to expel a ghost?" Leo asked. They had forgotten he was there. "Secret," said Ivy and Bean at the same moment.

They looked at each other and smiled. "Aw, come on" said Leo. "I won't tell",. "Can't," said Ivy as she started to walk away. Leo looked glum. Bean felt sorry for him. "We'll tell you afterward." "Oh thanks" he said, Bean turned and raced to catch up with Ivy, who was halfway up the street.