Bully-Be-Gone Read Online Free PDF Page B

scowling toward Tonisha and Millicent, “and Madding and the rest of ’em later. They’re gonna pay.”
    As the trio shuffled away with Miss Ogelvie at their heels, Millicent heaved a sigh. Since the VocoPad worked—even if only after a shake and repeated attempts—then the chances of her new invention working were pretty good. She grinned to herself and collected her things.
    â€œThanks, Millicent,” Tonisha said.
    Millicent unlocked the secret chamber with the key she wore around her neck on a silk ribbon.
    There were two keys to the secret chamber. The original belonged to Millicent. The second was a copy, cut because Roderick demanded it. He had complained that Millicent was always late and that the Wunderkinder couldn’t dillydally, waiting around for her. She reluctantly complied and had a duplicate made, which Roderick wore around his neck on a chain.
    To this day, it bothered Millicent that Roderick wore a Madding heirloom around his chubby, pink neck.
    Millicent descended the stone stairs that lead to thechamber, Tonisha close behind.
    Tonisha tugged on Millicent’s sleeve. “I owe you,” she said.
    â€œI’ll be collecting shortly,” Millicent said.
    â€œWhat do you mean, you’ll be collecting?” asked Tonisha in a hushed voice.
    â€œYou’ll see,” said Millicent.
    â€œNo,” Tonisha said, grabbing Millicent’s arm. “Tell me now. I don’t like surprises.”
    Millicent set her things down. “If I tell you, you have to promise you’ll stick up for me. No matter what.”
    â€œI promise.”
    â€œOn a stack of your poems?”
    â€œOn a stack of my poems.”
    â€œI’m launching a new invention today,” Millicent whispered.
    â€œOh, no,” Tonisha grumbled. She plopped herself down on a stone step and started mumbling to herself. “Girl, I can’t believe you got yourself into this. You should have seen this coming, like it had flashing lights on it and a siren going wheee-ah-wheee-ah-wheee….” She waved her hands imitating a siren’s lights.
    â€œTonisha, that’s not nice,” Millicent said, sitting next to her.
    â€œLet me tell you about not nice. Not nice is that thing you made to do my wraps. What was it called? The Twist-O-Luxe Headwrap Wrapper?” Tonisha hissed. “Nearly strangled me senseless.”
    Millicent clicked her tongue. “I already apologized for that. Besides, this is different. I think I’ve hit on something that’ll change our lives.”
    â€œMy life does not need changing, Millicent,” Tonisha said. “It’s fine the way it is.”
    â€œOh, is it?”
    â€œIt is.”
    â€œAnd you enjoy having moments like that in your life,” Millicent said, pointing her thumb up the stairs. “The daily taunting and teasing. You like those moments.”
    â€œNo,” Tonisha said reluctantly.
    â€œSo your life does need changing,” Millicent said, feeling victorious. “What would you say if I told you my invention will get those bullies to stop tormenting us? What would you say if I told you that it will render them harmless?” She stood. “What would you say if I told you that, with my newest invention, the worst you’ll ever see from them is a dopey grin?”
    A spark lit in Tonisha’s eyes. “It’ll do that?”
    Millicent discreetly crossed her fingers. “It will.”
    â€œI did promise to stick up for you.”
    â€œYou did.”
    Tonisha clutched her poetry notebook to her chest, deep in thought. “Girl,” she finally said, rising, “we’ve got a product to launch.”

Four
    T he Wunderkind Club was already in session when Millicent and Tonisha finally tumbled into the secret chamber.
    A long, antique wooden table sat in the center of the windowless room. On the table squatted a tarnished silver candelabrum supporting thirty