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Great wasn’t exactly the word she’d use to describe the idea for the 4B pom-pom squad. Annoying, maybe. But not great.
    â€œSuzanne, I don’t think you’re going to like the costume,” Emma W. said slowly.
    â€œEmma W.’s right,” Katie added. “It’s not really your style.”
    Suzanne rolled her eyes. “Nice try,” she said. “But you two are not going to be able to talk me out of this one. I’m wearing the mascot costume, and that’s that.”

Chapter 12
    â€œA squid ?” Suzanne’s voice scaled up nervously as she took the costume out of its box. It was Monday morning, right before the pep rally. “They’re the Cherrydale High School Squids ?”
    Katie and Emma W. nodded. “Yep.” They were all in the girls’ bathroom.
    Suzanne looked at the costume. She fingered each of the fuzzy tentacles, and stared at the bulging squid eyes.
    â€œThat mascot was a big hit at the state competition,” Emma W. assured Suzanne. “Everyone thought it was really funny.”
    Suzanne made a face.

    Katie understood why Suzanne didn’t seem thrilled. Funny was never the look Suzanne was going for. On the other hand, Katie also knew Suzanne would never give someone else the chance to wear the costume. Not after she’d made such a big fuss about it.
    â€œWell, the tentacles are a nice shade of red, anyway,” Suzanne said. “I guess I could wear it.”
    â€œHow did Lacey’s squad do?” Katie asked.
    â€œThey came in second,” Emma W. told her. “That’s the highest they’ve ever placed. And the pyramid routine was a real hit.”
    Katie smiled proudly. Now she just hoped that her idea for an all-school pep rally would be a hit, too.
    Mandy and Miriam walked into the girls’ bathroom.
    â€œWe just finished giving out the pom-poms,” Mandy told them. “Suzanne, you have to hurry up. We need to get started.”
    â€œWhy?” Emma W. asked her.
    â€œA few of the second-graders are trying to use their pom-poms as swords,” Miriam explained. “Principal Kane is worried someone’s going to poke an eye out.”
    â€œThat would be awful,” Katie said.
    â€œYou’re telling me,” Suzanne said. “Those kids need both eyes to really appreciate me in this costume.”
    Katie sighed. Somehow Suzanne always managed to focus the attention on herself.
    Katie hurried and zipped Suzanne into her squid costume. Then the girls helped lead her out into the gym.
    As soon as the kids saw Suzanne they all began to laugh. “What is that octopus doing here?” Katie heard some first-grader ask.
    Suzanne stopped in her tracks. For a minute, Katie thought she was going to run out of the gym. But Suzanne didn’t run. Instead, she turned to the first-grader and said, “I’m not an octopus. Don’t you know a squid when you see one?”
    Katie gulped. That was kind of harsh. How was a first-grader supposed to know the difference between an octopus and a squid?
    The first-grader looked upset. No way was Suzanne going to ruin this pep rally. Quickly, Katie leaped up and raced to Suzanne’s side.
    â€œThat’s right, this is the Cherrydale squid!” Katie cheered. “He’s the high school’s mascot, and now he’s our mascot, too. Let’s hear it: Squids rule! Squids rule!”
    A moment later, the whole school was shouting along with Katie. “Squids rule! Squids rule!”
    Phew. That had been close. And then, suddenly, Katie felt a cool breeze blowing on the back of her neck . Oh no! Had the magic wind returned? Katie didn’t want to switcheroo into anybody else. Not now. Not in front of everyone in the whole school. Not when she was having so much fun.

    For a minute, Katie thought she was going to burst into tears. But then she turned around. Whew! So many of the first-graders were waving their