Made You Look

by Diane Roberts

  “Three answers correct! The mummy gets a chance to Spin to Win,” Jasmine said. I took baby steps up to the board and gave the arrow a spin. Desmond O raced behind me on a skateboard. He skated so close to my backside that I wobbled off balance and I didn't give the arrow a good enough push. My first spin landed on a WHOOPS! When I turned around to see what to do next, he threw a pie in my face. I wiped the whipped cream off my eyes and licked my lips.

  “Back to the Hot Box,” Desmond O said, twinkling like a Christmas tree. The questions started to come faster. I couldn't catch my breath before Jasmine asked another one.

  “What team has won the most World Series titles?” she said.

  I hit the buzzer like wildfire. “New York Yankees!” I screamed.

  “Next question,” Jasmine said. “What's the capital of Rhode Island?”

  “Providence,” I said, pushing the buzzer as hard as I could.

  “Two points for the mummy. Name the Great Lakes,” Jasmine said.

  Before I had a chance, the reindeer buzzed and called out, “Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior.”

  “One point for the reindeer,” Desmond said. “Lakes have lots of water.” He skated across the stage and pitched a bucket of water in the reindeer's face. He came after me next and before I could duck, water splashed all over me. I looked down and I saw my skin through the gauze. I didn't dare move. What if my pink underwear showed?

  “Next question,” Jasmine said. “Name the seven continents.” I gulped. I could never remember them all.

  I slammed the buzzer anyway. “Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, and …North America, and South America.”

  Jasmine smiled at me again. “Another Spin to Win for the mummy!”

  I gave the arrow a giant push and it landed on a WHOOPS! Again. Desmond O grabbed me by the nape of the neck. I was ready for anything. “Time for the mummy dance,” he said. I heard the clock ticking. He played his kazoo and I had to do a mummy dance all the way back to the Hot Box. I tried to remember some of Jen's weird dance steps but I couldn't move fast enough to do them so I just made up my own mummy dance. People clapped to the beat of the kazoo. I jiggled and wiggled like I thought a mummy might do if he'd taken dance lessons. The audience laughed so hard I could feel the building shake.

  One more WHOOPS! and zap, I'd be out of the game. My nerves started to crumble.

  Jasmine walked up to the mike again. “Name the four great oceans.” The reindeer buzzed quicker than me.

  “The Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic!” he yelled.

  Desmond O came onstage riding a unicycle. “You like water, don't you?” he said to the reindeer. A waterfall dropped from the ceiling and landed on the reindeer's head. To my surprise colored cooked spaghetti dropped next. Limp spaghetti hung from every branch on the reindeer's antlers. He was a mess. I looked down at my mummy body. So was I.

  “Name five baseball players who belong to the five hundred club.”

  The reindeer was quick. “Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson.” I could have named a zillion more.

  “Spin to Win!” Jasmine told the reindeer. He ran to the spin board and gave the arrow a hard push. WHOOPS! Lights blinked throughout the studio.

  “Come with me, Mr. Reindeer,” Desmond said, beating a kettledrum across the stage. “Let's go sliding. If you can beat the clock you won't have to slide.” He shoved the reindeer up a ladder and the clock began to tick loudly. In about a second, a bell rang. “Whoops!” Des said. “You lose.” The next thing I knew, the reindeer was sitting in a tub of green Jell-O. He dripped back to his spot in the Hot Box. Jasmine stepped up to the mike again.

  “Name the city where the Rose Bowl is played.”

  “Pasadena,” I said.

  “Name the state bird of New Mexico.”

  “Roadrunner,” I hollered. Mom's packets had come in handy.

  “Michael Jordan plays what sport?” Jasmine asked.

  “Basketball,” the reindeer screamed.

  “Name the three Texas presidents,” Jasmine said.

  The reindeer slammed the buzzer. “George Bush, George W. Bush …” He stopped for a second. I heard the clock ticking against him again. I couldn't remember the last one, either. “Lyndon Johnson,” he finally said just before the clock's bell sounded.

  Jasmine smiled. “We are tied up and almost out of time. The next question will give one of you a Spin to Win if it's answered correctly. Just this week, the Muffin Man fastfood restaurants came out with a new muffin.” Her eyes narrowed. “Name that muffin.”

  I couldn't believe my ears. My hands trembled. I slammed the buzzer so hard my whole arm throbbed. “OoeyGooey-Chewy Chocolate Delight!” I screamed. If we hadn't driven out to California I would never have known the answer. I scooted over to the spin board. My hands were still shaking and I had a knot in my stomach. I couldn't afford another WHOOPS! The audience began to chant. “Go, Mummy! Go, Mummy!” I could hear Freddy yelling louder than anyone.

  I reached up for the arrow but I couldn't get a good grasp on it. My costume was unraveling and I tried to hold it so I wouldn't lose it. Some of the gauze on my fingers had come unwound. If I wasn't careful, I'd be responsible for the most embarrassing moment in the history of the show.

  The noise was deafening as I reached up again for the arrow. I gave it the biggest pull I could manage. The arrow went around three times and landed on a trip to Hawaii plus a bonus spin! Sirens went off and soap bubbles floated from the ceiling. “Spin again,” Jasmine said, “you've won a bonus spin!” I spun again with all my might. This time the arrow landed on free movie tickets for a whole year! Confetti and balloons dropped from the ceiling. The band played the show's theme song. Sirens blasted all over the studio and lights flashed off and on across the stage. The game was over and I had won!

  Desmond O ran over to shake my hand. I reached out and grabbed it. He held a rubber snake in my face. I jumped back. MADE YOU LOOK, MADE YOU LOOK, MADE YOU LOOK, his hat said, flickering in red and blue lights. I was in a daze. Jasmine ushered me back to my seat. The kid standing next to me was laughing so hard that the pitcher of water fell off his head and water spilled all over me. I didn't even care. I was going to Hawaii! And I was now a true Maniac.

  My family and Freddy ran up on the stage. “We did it!” Freddy yelled. “We really did it!” Jen and Millicent were jumping up and down.

  “You're the best manager in the whole world,” I said. “I could have never done it without your help.” I gave him a low five and a high five. I looked at Jen and my parents. “Or yours.” I gave Dad and Jen a thumbs-up and Mom a huge mummy hug. “Thanks, Jen.”

  “That's okay, twerp, you deserved it,” she said. “You did great, even if your pink undies do show.” She reached over and snapped my waistband.

  “We have to go backstage and sign for my prizes,” I said. “That reindeer guy was good. Did you hear him? I almost didn't win.” I looked over at the reindeer. He took off his head. One of the antlers had fallen off completely. He was grinning. What I saw startled me so much I came close to fainting. Neon braces!

  “Amberson Anderson!” I cried. “How did you get here?”

  “My grandfather and I were flying to Disneyland and thought it would be fun to see you in person. When we got to the studio, this kid in line got cold feet and backed out. He shoved this reindeer head at me and said I could have it. The rest is history.”

  His grandfather walked up and shook my hand. “Good job,” he said. “You were quick with those answers.”

  “Thanks,” I said, wondering if he liked to play tricks on people, too.

  “Have fun,” Mom said as they headed out of the studio.

  “Hey, Amberson,” I called. “You'll love the roller coasters at Disneyland. They aren't scary. I rode all of them.” I tried to keep a smirk off my face when I told him that.

  I didn't care anymore if Amberson was a copycat. Getting on the show had been my idea. I ha
d done what Ms. Ware had taught us to do all year long. If you don't follow your own dream, you will follow someone else's. That dream would never belong to Ambie. It would always be mine.

  “What are you going to do with your allosaurus head?” Freddy asked.

  “I'm going to give it to Ambie Boy for his birthday. He wanted to copy so much, he can have it.”

  When we got back to the camp I checked my e-mail. I was in for another surprise. There was a message from Kara Kaye Barton! I opened it but I didn't dare read it out loud. Jen would never quit teasing me.

  Dear Jason,

  Congratulations! Our class saw you. We recognized your hiccups. Maybe we can go to the movies sometime this summer.

  Your friend,

  Kara Kaye

  “Wow!” I might have a girlfriend in seventh grade after all. It had been the most exciting day of my life.

  “Hey,” Freddy said. “I want to ask you something. What does the P stand for in your name anyway?”

  “Persevere,” I said, grinning. “I put the P in my name myself. If you persevere, you can do anything. Ms. Ware told me that the first day of the school year. And I believed it.” Mom and Dad were proud of me. So was Jen. Millicent didn't understand what had happened. All she cared about was the balloons bobbing around on the stage floor.

  “Looks like we're making a trip to Hawaii,” Dad said. “What do you think about that, Jason?”

  “I can't wait!” One thing was for sure. We'd definitely have to fly. The Camp'otel had been pretty fun. But it was time to say good-bye.

  Freddy and I sat on the Hawaiian beach in front of our hotel soaking up the sun. I wiggled my toes in the sand. “Too bad Jen was already signed up for ballet camp,” I said. “She could have been doing the hula with that lifeguard over there as we speak.”

  “This rocks,” Freddy said, peering over the rims of his mirrored sunglasses. “Did I ever tell you, Jase, that you were awesome on Mania?”

  “About a hundred times,” I said, “but tell me again. It still seems like a dream.” I rubbed more suntan lotion on my arms. “It's still hard to believe that I did it and won. Just think. We can go to the movies every day when we get home.”

  “I'll go anytime,” Freddy said. “That is, when you're not taking Kara Kaye Barton.” I felt my face turn red, and it wasn't from the tropical sun.

  “Hey. I have this fantastic idea,” I said.

  Freddy groaned. “Not again.”

  “Let's get a couple of Shirley Temples and an order of nachos,” I said. “We can just charge them to the room like my parents do.” I raised my hand and motioned for the beach waiter.

  Mom and Dad were sleeping under a beach umbrella not too far away. With Millicent back with Aunt Kate, this was a true vacation. I guess Mom didn't want to organize an ocean sing-along. The competition—the gorgeous blue ocean to play in, volleyball courts, kids with shovels and pails building sand castles, and the surfers—would have been fierce.

  The waiter came over. “What can I get you guys?”

  “Two Shirley Temples with lots of ice and a million cherries, and loaded nachos,” I said, flashing a smile. The waiter scurried off.

  “Is this living or is this living?” Freddy said when the waiter came back with a tray.

  “Just charge it to room sixteen twelve, please,” I said.

  “No need. It's already been taken care of,” the waiter said.

  “What?” I said, sitting up. “Who paid for it?”

  “Those two gentlemen over there.” I squinted to see if I recognized anyone. All I could see were about a million kids, and people sunning on towels and asleep in beach chairs. Not a familiar face in the crowd. Then I saw it.

  “No!” I said, slapping my forehead.

  Freddy snapped to attention. “What?”

  “Look,” I said, pointing to a striped beach chair. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “You guessed it,” Freddy said. “Antlers!”

  Published by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children's Books a division of Random House, Inc., New York

  Copyright © 2003 by Diane Roberts

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  eISBN: 978-0-307-48784-1

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