Jaclyn Hyde Read online

  Jaclyn couldn’t say how long it was exactly before she snapped back to normal. It was Ryan’s voice that did it.

  “My sunflowers!” he shouted. It was the loudest he had ever spoken. Yellow paint dribbled down his canvas. It mixed with the blues and browns of the vase and then dripped into a muddy brown puddle on the floor.

  Jaclyn squirmed in her seat but couldn’t bring herself to speak up. She looked down and saw that her hands were back to normal. The only yellow on her fingernails was from paint.

  Ms. Bicks ran over to Ryan. “Oh, dear! What happened here?”

  Ryan ran his hand through his thick blond hair. “I don’t know,” he said solemnly.

  Ms. Bicks smelled his water cup and recoiled from the chemical odor. “Oof! You covered your entire canvas in paint thinner.”

  Ryan looked completely dumbfounded.

  Ms. Bicks turned to the class. “Let this be a lesson to all of you. All the natural talent in the world won’t save a sunflower from paint thinner. Now, look at this one.” She picked up Jaclyn’s painting. “It’s a perfectly nice painting and she took excellent care of it. Looks like we’ll have a new star artist this week.”

  Chapter Eight

  I’m Jackie!

  “Who’s ready for hot cider?” called Tanya, the cafeteria cook, as she opened the double doors to the lunchroom. The students formed a line, buzzing with excitement. Each year, the second week of October was known as Hot Cider Week at Fog Island Middle School. It was a tradition created by the old principal, Mrs. Goodman, to make the dreary autumn a little cozier. It was the one week of the year when the weird smells of the cafeteria were masked by fresh apples and mulled spices. Even the teachers got into the spirit—except for Miss Carver, who always ate lunch alone in her office no matter the season.

  Paige and Fatima brushed past the line and sat down at their usual table. Paige was allergic to apples. They made her lips itchy and her tongue swell. And Fatima thought that waiting in a long line for hot juice was absurd.

  Tanya stood behind the counter, which was lined with paper cups. She sloshed a ladleful of cider into each cup. Everyone was allowed one serving.

  “Yes!” cheered a seventh grader as he grabbed a cup of cider. He downed it all in one gulp before he’d even left the line. “Why did I do that?” he said, his voice full of regret.

  Paige looked at all the kids waiting eagerly in line and sighed. “I’m missing out.”

  “Trust me, you’re not missing out on anything,” said Fatima. “This is all just a ploy by the Fog Island Orchard to sell more apples.”

  “But it smells so good.”

  Fatima rolled her eyes. “I don’t see what the big deal is. Haven’t they ever heard of hot chocolate?” She pointed to Paige’s sandwich bag. “Don’t throw that out, by the way. I’m collecting extra props for the big Trash Beach scene in the musical.”

  There was only one beach on Fog Island. Its official name was Pogwilly Beach but it was known to the locals as Trash Beach because it was always covered in garbage. For a long time, this phenomenon went unexplained. No matter how many times the beach was cleaned, more garbage always appeared. Finally, a team of researchers had determined that the ocean currents flowed in such a way that they pushed all the debris from the surrounding waters straight to the beach. Anything that fell from the Fog Island Ferry or any fishing boats between Fog Island and the mainland ended up on Trash Beach.

  Paige gave Fatima her sandwich bag. “Haven’t you filled three trash bags already?”

  “It’s still not enough,” said Fatima. She loved that Trash Beach made Fog Island unique in its own smelly way. That’s why she’d decided to set the act one finale of the musical there, with the actors surrounded by algae-filled coffee cans and soggy plastic bags.

  As Paige handed Fatima a candy-bar wrapper from her pocket, Jaclyn sat down at the table.

  “No cider?” Paige asked. Then she gasped. “Does it make your tongue fat, too?”

  “There’s no time for cider!” said Jaclyn. “I have to tell you something really important—”

  Fatima interrupted, “We already heard you’re star artist of the week.”

  “No, not that!” Jaclyn said sharply. “Well, yes that, but—here’s the thing. I didn’t earn it.”

  “Give yourself some credit.” Fatima smiled. “I heard your sunflowers were spectacular.”

  Jaclyn was starting to get frustrated. “Will you listen to me?”

  She was interrupted by Tara Satriale, who still had little brown bits of banana in her hair from when Miss Carver had dropped the peel on her head. “Hey, Paige, has anyone asked you for your cider yet?”

  It was common knowledge throughout the school that Paige never drank the apple cider, so there were always kids vying for her serving.

  “Actually, you’re the first today,” said Paige, taking a bite of her PB&J. “Go for it.”

  “Thanks, Paige!” Tara hopped back in line for a second cup of cider.

  Jaclyn leaned in closer to Paige and Fatima. “Guys, seriously, there’s something really weird going on—”

  “Ex-excuse me,” said Zeke, edging up to their table. His backpack, now stuffed with all the contents of his locker, stuck out way behind him. In combination with his turtleneck it made him look like, well, an actual turtle. “Fatima, I’d like to submit a request for your cider,” he said.

  It was also common knowledge that Fatima never drank her serving of apple cider, but she was much more demanding about who got hers than Paige was.

  Fatima rested her chin on her hands. “State your case.”

  Zeke looked down at the floor. “I know I ruined everyone’s day by getting their locker privileges revoked, but when I picked up my cider I accidentally squeezed the cup too hard and it spilled all over me.” He held up his arm. His sweater sleeve was soaking wet.

  “Okay, okay.” Fatima held up her hand. “You can have the cider.”

  Zeke’s face lit up with joy. “Really? Thanks!” He ran off.

  “What can I say? I felt bad for the guy,” said Fatima. “We’ve all been carved up by Miss Carver at one point or another.”

  Last year, Miss Carver shut down the school newspaper for the entire spring semester because Fatima was doing a story about the cafeteria food and she asked too many questions about the mixed-meat medley.

  By now, Jaclyn was so anxious that she was digging her fingernails into the wooden grooves of the lunch table. Before anyone else could interrupt them, she blurted out a little too loudly, “I stole the Perfection Potion formula, and then I made it!”

  Fatima stared at her. “You did?”

  “Perfection Potion?” asked Paige, cramming the last piece of her sandwich into her mouth.

  “We found a formula in Dr. Enfield’s lab,” Fatima explained. She turned back to Jaclyn. “You actually made it?”

  Jaclyn nodded. “A whole bottle of it. It’s in the desk drawer in my bedroom.”

  “Wait a minute,” said Paige. “You’re telling me that you have a potion that makes you perfect, and it’s just sitting around in your bedroom?”

  Before Jaclyn could answer, Marina approached them.

  She sat on the edge of the table. “Hey, ladies! Quick question. Jaclyn, I noticed that you didn’t have any cider today, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to give your cup to Ryan. He’s having a really bad day.” She pointed to Ryan, who was sitting at a table by himself, his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth.

  Jaclyn felt terrible. “Of course he can have my cider,” she said.

  “Thanks, Jaclyn. You’re the best.”

  As Marina sashayed off, Jaclyn heard a grunt of disgust behind her. She hadn’t noticed that Shane was sitting at the next table this whole time. He held up two soggy green beans on either side of his head to look like pigtails.

  “I’m Jaclyn Hyde,” he said in a singsong voice. “I’m so great. I’m the most perfect girl in the world. Here, take my cider.” He tossed the be
ans down on his plate. “Give me a break.”

  Jaclyn couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “Why have you always had it out for me?”

  Shane blinked back at her in surprise. “I haven’t always—”

  “Ever since third grade, when you broke my flamingo!”

  “When I broke your flamingo? I—” Shane let out a huff. “Never mind. Forget it.” He picked up his lunch tray and stormed off.

  Jaclyn threw up her hands. “I don’t get it. What did I ever do to him?”

  “Just ignore him. He’s a pea brain,” said Fatima. “Actually, that’s an insult to peas.”

  “And your pigtails don’t look anything like green beans,” added Paige.

  Fatima leaned in. “So what happened with the Perfection Potion? I need details.”

  Jaclyn told Paige and Fatima all about the rotten apples picked fresh from the tree, and how she had broken the test tube and gotten a big stinky whiff of the potion right before bed. Then she told them about stealing the brownies and ruining Ryan’s painting, and how her hands had looked like they were someone else’s. “It’s like I’m turning into a completely different person!” she said. “And this person is making me look perfect, but . . . not like I expected.”

  When she finished speaking, she was met with stunned silence. “You don’t believe me,” she said.

  “It’s not that we don’t believe you!” said Paige, trying to sound encouraging. “It’s just that . . .” She searched for the right words. “You sound crazy.”

  Fatima jumped right in. “What Paige is trying to say is, you sound . . . not . . . sane.”

  “But it’s true!” said Jaclyn.

  Fatima took a deep breath. “We get it. You didn’t want to let Darcy down on her birthday, so you took the brownies.”

  “But it wasn’t me!” Jaclyn protested.

  “Jaclyn, you can tell us. It’s okay. We’re your best friends,” said Paige. “I once stole a toothbrush from my dentist’s office.”

  Fatima shook her head. “Paige, they give those out for free.”

  “Really? Hmm. I guess I haven’t stolen anything.”

  “What about the painting?” said Jaclyn. “I would never ruin somebody else’s artwork.”

  Fatima raised her eyebrows. “Really? Not even so you could be star artist of the week? You’ve been obsessing about it since September.”

  “But what about the weird monster hands?!” said Jaclyn.

  Fatima looked at Jaclyn’s hands. “They seem normal to me. Listen, you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, between the science fair and the musical, not to mention losing Charles. Have you considered that this is all in your head?”

  “Yeah, stress can make people crazy,” said Paige. “Last year during the state championship, my soccer coach threw a grapefruit at the referee.”

  Jaclyn slumped down in her chair. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Paige stood up and threw her backpack over her shoulder. “I wish I had some Perfection Potion,” she joked. “I am not ready for the history test next period.”

  “The test!” Jaclyn shouted. “I totally forgot!” She stood up so quickly that her chair fell over.

  “Jaclyn, calm down,” said Fatima.

  But Jaclyn wasn’t listening. “What am I going to do? I haven’t studied at all! This is a complete disaster! I’m going to fail! My life will be over!” Then, it hit her. Hard. The complete loss of control, like she was in the back seat of her own brain and someone else was driving. Everything around her looked fuzzy. She blinked her eyes back into focus and saw that Paige and Fatima were staring at her, their jaws nearly on the floor.

  She stood up to run away, but before she could take a step, they each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her out of the cafeteria. Fatima threw her leather jacket over Jaclyn’s head so she looked like a celebrity trying to avoid the paparazzi. They smuggled her down the hall and ducked into the bathroom. A sixth grader was standing at the sink.

  “Out!” Fatima snapped.

  “But I didn’t finish washing my hands!” said the sixth grader.

  “Washing your hands does nothing! It’s all a myth,” Fatima lied. “Now, get out!”

  The sixth grader scampered away.

  Fatima tore the jacket off Jaclyn’s head and pointed at the mirror. “Look.”

  Jaclyn stared at her reflection. But staring back at her was not Jaclyn Hyde. It was someone else entirely. Her hair was frayed and stringy, like her pigtails had been zapped in the microwave. She was short and shrunken; her cardigan hung awkwardly on her bony shoulders. She had a sharp, scowling face and a furrowed brow that cast a shadow over her reptile-green eyes. She held up her hands, which were gaunt and knobbly.

  Paige backed up against a stall, hyperventilating. “What the—how did—” She gulped. “Fatima, help!”

  Fatima didn’t move. “Who are you?” she whispered.

  The girl grinned. In a raspy voice that seemed to scrape its way out of her throat, she replied, “I’m Jackie!”

  She pushed Fatima out of the way and bolted out of the bathroom.

  Chapter Nine

  Baby Spiders

  Jackie ran down the empty hallway, cackling loudly. She felt like a bird that had just escaped its cage. She turned the corner into the locker hallway. She noticed that Miss Carver had cut off the old locks and replaced them with new ones, so the students could never use the lockers again.

  Fatima and Paige chased after Jackie.

  “Jaclyn, wait!” Fatima called out.

  Jackie stopped in her tracks. She whipped around and put her hand up to her ear. “I’m sorry. Jaclyn can’t come to the phone right now,” she taunted. “Try again later!” Then she grabbed the nearest trash can and flipped it over. Garbage spilled out onto the floor. Her face lit up with delight. She turned and took off at full speed again.

  Paige and Fatima ran after her. Fatima slipped on a half-empty carton of milk and fell to the floor. “Gross!” she exclaimed.

  As Paige helped her to her feet, they heard Jackie’s voice from up ahead. “Don’t cry over spilled milk!”

  Lunchtime had just ended and the students were starting to file out of the cafeteria.

  “We can’t let anyone see her like this,” said Fatima.

  “I wish I hadn’t see her like this,” said Paige. “It’s the middle of the day and I’m already having nightmares.”

  They turned the next corner just in time to see Jackie duck into the library.

  “There she is,” said Fatima.

  Fatima and Paige sprinted into the library, which was totally empty. It was eerily quiet—even for a library. They didn’t see Jackie anywhere.

  “Jaclyn?” Paige called out.

  Silence.

  Fatima cleared her throat. “Jackie?”

  Nothing.

  “She did come in here, right?” said Fatima.

  “Fati, look out!” Paige tackled Fatima to the floor as a book whizzed through the air, narrowly missing Fatima’s head.

  “Ow,” said Fatima, sitting up and clutching her side. “My ribs.”

  Paige brushed herself off. “Sorry. I always wanted to play on the football team.”

  Jackie popped up from behind the circulation desk. “Don’t forget to study!” she screeched. Then she started flinging books like frisbees at the girls. They ducked and covered their heads against the flying hard covers. Jackie grabbed the computer off the desk. “Information overload!” she howled as she threw it with all her strength. Fatima and Paige scattered just in time. It landed between them with a loud crash.

  “Jaclyn, get ahold of yourself!” Fatima shouted.

  “Okay,” said Jackie. She jumped on top of the circulation desk, held on to both of her pigtails and pulled them straight up, stretching her face into a grotesque smile. “How’s this?”

  “Never mind—let go of yourself!” Paige screamed.

  Jackie climbed to the top of the nearest bookshelf. She towered over the girls. She g
rabbed an armful of books and tossed them into the air just as the doors swung open. Todd and Davis walked in.

  “I’m telling you, Todd, they probably have a whole book on chickens!” said Davis.

  Then they saw the books flying. Their eyes went wide.

  “What’s going on?” yelped Davis as a book soared past his head.

  “Who cares? Run!” said Todd, grabbing his friend’s hand and hightailing it out of there as fast as they could.

  Jackie cackled and tossed another pile of books down from the shelf.

  “Paige, get her!” Fatima called out from under a chair.

  “You get her!” said Paige, holding an oversized picture book above her head for protection.

  “You’ve seen me in PE. I’m terrible at climbing.”

  Paige groaned. “Fine.”

  She shimmied up the side of the bookcase and peered over the top.

  Jackie smiled at her. “Hi, Paige.” She chucked an atlas at Paige’s face. “Bye, Paige.” Jackie leaped off the bookshelf and crashed to the floor. “Oof, didn’t stick the landing.” She pulled herself to her feet and raced out the door.

  Paige and Fatima staggered out of the library, Paige rubbing the lump on her forehead where the atlas had hit her. The halls were packed with students hustling in all directions toward their next class.

  “She’s totally lost it,” said Paige.

  “I just hope we haven’t lost her,” said Fatima.

  Paige craned her neck over the crowd. She saw Jackie bouncing between the backpacks, knocking kids over, and moving so fast that no one could see her face. Paige zeroed in on Jackie and charged. She lowered her shoulder and plowed forward, clearing the way. She almost went crashing into Ms. Bicks but spun out of the way just in time.

  Fatima stumbled along behind her. “You were right, Paige!” she shouted.

  “About what? That Jaclyn lost her mind?” Paige called back.