Elliot and the Pixie Plot (Underworld Chronicles 2)

"Don't fuss, it's just a photo," Cami said, finding the camera. "Now smile!" She snapped a picture, then said, "I guess you don't have to smile, because the photo is really just of your legs."

She took three or four other pictures and then gave Elliot a big hug (he promised himself to shower as soon as possible so that her girl germs didn't stick to him).

"I can't believe you tried the potion on yourself," she said. "Nobody else dared to do it. You are so brave."

Elliot wanted to say, "Well, I did battle an evil Demon." But all he did was shrug and wonder how long Fidget was going to keep his legs invisible. He didn't want to go to school like this.

As Cami put her camera into her backpack, she said, "You know, Elliot, I always thought you were a pretty cool kid, but I thought you hated me."

Elliot didn't know what to say to that. Calling her Toadface wasn't exactly a sign of burning love. But Cami continued, "Anyway, you've been extra nice to me these past few days, and I wanted to tell you thanks. Sometimes I feel a little out of place, and, well, it was just a good week."

Elliot frowned. He felt pretty bad now for calling her Toadface.

Cami put a hand on the potion. "So my mom's waiting out front in our car

. I can get the potion to school, and I'll see you there, okay?"

"Are you sure you can carry that by yourself?" he asked.

She grinned at him. "Will you help me?"

Anyone who battled Demons and Shadow Men could surely defend himself against girl germs. Elliot went to the far side of the potion and after a "one--two--three" from Cami, they lifted it up.

"It's gotten heavier," Cami said. "Like it all turned to syrup or something."

It was heavy for Elliot too. He couldn't catch enough breath to say anything. They made it only four steps before Cami grunted a "wah," Elliot spat out a "whoa," and the entire bucket of invisibility potion tumbled to the ground. It spilled out like floodwater breaking free of the dam and quickly soaked into the dry autumn grass.

Cami and Elliot stood beside each other for several seconds. Cami made a small sniffling sound, and Elliot took a step away from her, certain she was going to cry floodwater tears as well.

But she didn't. She began laughing. Then she did start crying, but it was only from laughing so hard. "This is terrible," she said, still laughing. "What's going to happen to our grades now?"

"We still have the pictures on your camera," he said, laughing too. "And my legs."

"I can see your legs now," she said. "The potion probably splashed on them and turned them back."

He looked down and saw that she was right. Fidget had returned his legs to him. She probably had made the potion spill too, just so Cami couldn't try it on anyone else.

"Oh, well," Cami said, wiping a last happy tear from her eye. "We had fun doing the project, and I have the picture of your legs, so we'll get a good enough grade." She paused then added, "And I guess we're friends now, right?"

"Uh, right." Elliot scratched his chin, then said, "Hey, a few days ago when you were stuck in that mud my little brothers made, sorry I didn't help you get out."

"I finally made it out on my own," she said. "Good thing it wasn't quicksand."

"Or gripping mud," Elliot said under his breath.

He gave an awkward wave as Cami skipped out of his yard, calling back, "See you at school!"

"Look at this mess!" Wendy said, opening the back door to the house. "Elliot, what are you doing out here? I thought you left early for school."

"Nope. Just finishing up my science project," he said.

"Oh. Hey, that white patch in your hair is gone."

Elliot reached up to the back of his head. "Oh, yeah."

"I guess that bleach you spilled on it must have worn off or something."

Elliot didn't think bleach worked that way, but if Wendy believed it, he wasn't going to argue the point.