Battle of the Brightest

by Hope McLean

  After a fifteen-minute wait, the girls and Mrs. Johnson finally reached the glass display case, where the black opal sat inside.

  “It’s even more amazing up close,” Jasmine said, getting as near to the glass as she could. “I wish I had gotten a better look when I held it in my hand.”

  “It’s like the more you look, the more colors you see,” Lili said breathlessly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful!”

  “I still think it’s so cool that Martha came up with all those clues and had them etched on the jewels,” Jasmine remarked. “That was really smart.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you guys. She was a pretty awesome lady,” Erin said.

  “We should move on, girls,” Jasmine’s mom said. “There are a lot of people waiting behind us.”

  With a sigh, Jasmine broke away from the display, and all of the girls reluctantly left the opal behind. They headed to the food court, a lovely glass pavilion surrounded by a brick terrace with metal tables and chairs. They found an empty table and sat down next to a freshly green bush, where a yellow butterfly rested on top of the leaves.

  “I saw online that they have a nice deli here,” said Mrs. Johnson. “Who wants a sandwich?”

  “Tuna, please,” said Lili.

  “Oh, make mine tuna, too,” Willow said. “Fish is brain food, and my brain needs all the food it can get for tomorrow.”

  “I’ll take a veggie sandwich, if they have one, Mom,” Jasmine said.

  Mrs. Johnson nodded. “What about you, Erin?”

  “Ham, salami, cheese, turkey, tomato, lettuce, pickles, mayo, and mustard, please,” Erin said. “On whole wheat.”

  Lili made a face. “That doesn’t sound like brain food.”

  “Hey, I’m getting it on whole wheat,” Erin protested. “That’s healthy.”

  Willow sighed. “It probably doesn’t matter what we eat. There are fifteen other teams competing in our category at Nationals, and one of them is the Rivals. We don’t have a chance of winning the whole thing.”

  Jasmine frowned. “That doesn’t sound like the Willow I know. You’re our math expert. There’s got to be some percentage of a chance, right?”

  “Well, I haven’t fully worked it out yet … but yes,” Willow grudgingly admitted. “I just feel like we need to study more.”

  “Then we’ll go to the library for another study session as soon as we get back,” Jasmine said. She looked at Erin and Lili. “Right?”

  Now it was Erin’s turn to sigh, but she and Lili still gave the same answer.

  “Right!” they said.

  Willow smiled. “You know, no matter how we do tomorrow, we should be proud,” she said. “We’ve had a great season.”

  “And we found Martha’s treasure,” Erin added. “I’d say it doesn’t get much better than that.”

  “But we will win, and things will get even more awesome,” Lili said confidently. She held out her right arm over the table.

  “Arts and literature!” she cheered.

  Erin put her right hand on top of Lili’s. “History!”

  “Science!” Jasmine said, adding her hand to the pile.

  Willow put her hand on top of Jasmine’s. “Math!”

  Then the four girls cheered together.

  “Gooooooooo Jewels!”

  “Eight to the third power is five hundred and twelve,” Willow said.

  “That is correct, and the Jewels are twenty points in the lead so there is no need for a follow-up question,” announced the moderator. “The Jewels will be moving on to the next round.”

  Willow, Jasmine, Erin, and Lili walked across the stage and shook hands with the members of the opposing team. Then they ran offstage and erupted into squeals.

  “We did it!” Willow cheered. “We’re going into the finals!”

  “I can’t believe it,” Jasmine said. “My hands are shaking.”

  Sixteen sixth-grade teams had started competing that morning. First, each team competed against one another. Then the winners of those eight matches competed in the second round. In the third round, the top four teams paired up to compete. Now there were only two teams left: the Jewels and the Rivals.

  The kids from the New Jersey team they had just defeated approached them.

  “Good match,” said Zinnira, the team captain.

  “Yeah, you guys know your stuff,” said another member, Grace.

  The girl next to her nodded. “I’m kind of relieved that you won,” Nadia said. “Those Rivals are scary.”

  The last member of the team, Josemanuel, nodded. “Yeah, they’re like robots.”

  “We used to feel that way, too,” Erin said. “But they’re pretty normal once you get to know them.”

  “We even beat them once,” Jasmine said.

  Zinnira looked impressed. “Nice. Well, good luck!”

  “Thanks,” Willow replied.

  There was a short break before the final round, so the Jewels headed to the lounge backstage at the Kennedy Center Opera House, where the Nationals tournament was taking place. Ms. Keatley was waiting for them with a big smile on her face.

  “I am so proud of you!” she said, hugging each of them. “You are tearing through this competition.”

  On the other side of the room, Mr. Haverford was in a huddle with the four Rivals. Ryan looked up when he saw the Jewels enter.

  “Great job,” he said. “I’m glad it’s you guys we’re going up against.”

  “Why? Because you think we’re easy to beat?” Willow asked, suddenly feeling defensive.

  “No way,” Ryan said. “Because you’re worthy competitors.”

  Willow’s angry expression softened. “Thanks. You, too.”

  Aaron walked up to them. “You guys look nice,” he said.

  “Thanks,” Willow said. “Lili came up with our outfits, like always.”

  Because Nationals was being held in the classic and rather fancy Kennedy Center Opera House, Lili had decided that their usual T-shirts just wouldn’t cut it. Instead, they each wore a ruby-red blouse with a black skirt and shoes.

  “They are much better than those glittery shirts you wear,” Isabel remarked.

  “We’ve still got glitter,” Erin said, pointing to the sparkling pin on her collar. “Lili made one for each of us in honor of the four jewels. Mine’s blue, like the sapphire, see? Jasmine’s looks like rubies, Willow’s is diamonds, and Lili’s got a green emerald.”

  Veronica stepped up and got a closer look at Erin’s pin. Lili had created a swirly design using blue glass jewels.

  “Wow, that’s cool,” she said admiringly.

  “I can make some for you, too!” Lili said. “After all, we found the jewels together.”

  “That would be nice,” Veronica agreed.

  Lili turned to the boys. “Don’t worry. I’ll make you some cufflinks or something.”

  A young woman wearing a headset walked into the lounge. “You guys are back onstage in five minutes,” she said.

  Jasmine’s palms immediately began to sweat. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe we’re in the finals!”

  Ryan held out his hand to Willow. “May the best team win!”

  The Jewels and Rivals solemnly shook hands with one another, and then headed back onstage.

  Ever after a full day of competing there, the opera house still felt like the most magnificent stage they’d ever been on. The hall was huge, with three levels of balconies. The seats and balcony facades were a rich red velvet.

  “It’s like being inside a ruby,” Jasmine whispered as they walked back to their microphones.

  “I just realized that, too,” Erin whispered back. “Maybe that’s good luck!”

  The quiz bowl moderator was already standing at the lectern. There was a different moderator for this round, and this time a woman with short gray hair and glasses had the job.

  “Welcome to the last round of the Grade Six National Quiz Bowl Championship,” she announced. “Compet
ing today are the Atkinson Preparatory Rivals and the Martha Washington Jewels, both from the Washington, DC, area.”

  A cheer went up from the crowd. It was hard to see faces because of the bright lights on stage, but Willow shaded her eyes to make sure Principal Frederickson, Ms. Keatley, and all their parents were still there. Seeing her mom’s face always made her feel a little bit calmer.

  “The rules are the same as the previous rounds,” the moderator went on. “The first team to buzz in after a question has the opportunity to answer. If the answer is correct, they will be asked three follow-up questions. If the answer is incorrect, the other team will have a chance to respond.”

  Willow tightened her hand around her buzzer, and looked down the row at her teammates. Jasmine, Erin, and Lili were all doing the same. They were ready to go.

  “First question,” the moderator began. “A book is on sale for fifteen dollars. If the sale price is twenty-five percent off the original cost, what was the original price?”

  Another math question, Willow thought, and she quickly did the calculations in her head. She buzzed in — one second later than Ryan.

  “Twenty dollars,” Ryan replied.

  “Correct,” the moderator said, and Willow felt her stomach flip. Was this how the rest of the match was going to go?

  The Rivals got three follow-up math questions right, and with each question worth ten points, they were leading the Jewels 40–0 right out of the gate. Willow gripped the buzzer even more tightly.

  “What is the scientific name that describes rocks that have melted and then cooled and solidified?” the moderator asked.

  Jasmine hit the buzzer so quickly that Willow nearly jumped out of her skin.

  “Igneous!” she practically shouted when the moderator called on her.

  “Correct,” she said. “And now for your follow-up questions.”

  The next three questions were also about geology, Jasmine’s specialty, and the score was now tied at 40–40.

  The next question was about the Little House on the Prairie books, and Aaron got to it before Lili could buzz in. Willow was starting to feel a sense of déjà vu. Every time they faced the Rivals, it was like a tennis match. The Rivals got one right, and then the Jewels got one right. If the Rivals missed a follow-up question, the Jewels missed one on their next turn.

  It’s going to be right down to the last question, Willow thought. She could feel it. With the Rivals, there was always going to be suspense.

  And Willow was right.

  “This is the last toss-up question,” the moderator said as the match drew to a close. “The Jewels and Rivals are tied, so if one team gives the correct answer to this question they will win the match — and the Grade Six National Quiz Bowl Championship.”

  A hush went over the crowd as the moderator picked up the last card — the card that would decide everything.

  “Name the lawyer who wrote the lyrics to the United States’ national anthem, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’” the moderator said.

  Erin and Isabel buzzed in at what sounded like almost exactly the same time. The moderator looked to one of the judges offstage, who walked on and conferred with her. Willow’s heart was beating like a drum.

  “Martha Washington gets the question,” the moderator said, and Willow let out a huge sigh of relief.

  Erin grinned. “That would be Francis Scott Key.”

  “Correct,” the moderator said. “Congratulations, Jewels. You are the Grade Six National Quiz Bowl Champions!”

  This time, the girls couldn’t hold back their cheering. They jumped up and down, hugging one another. A man in a suit walked onstage with a three-foot-tall trophy that he placed in Willow’s arms.

  The Rivals walked over to them.

  “I can’t say I’m happy we lost,” Veronica said. “But at least you guys won.”

  “Thanks!” Willow said. “It was hard beating you guys.”

  “Yeah, it came right down to the wire there,” Erin said, looking at Isabel.

  “It was too close,” Isabel said with a grin. “We will beat you next time.”

  Both teams posed for photos for their excited parents before heading backstage to gather their things and leave. Willow placed the trophy on a table and everyone gathered around to admire it.

  “It’s so shiny,” Lili said, touching the silver cup.

  “I like the design of the plaque,” Jasmine said, pointing to a black plate engraved with symbols for science, math, history, and the arts. Then Jasmine frowned. “Wait, there’s something sticking out from behind the plaque.”

  Jasmine tugged at a piece of yellow paper tucked behind the engraved plate and pulled out a small, folded note. She opened it up to reveal a message that looked like it had been typed on an old typewriter.

  The four lost jewels have all been found,

  But many treasures still abound.

  Willow looked at Ryan. “Very cute. When did you plant this?”

  Ryan shook his head. “I didn’t.” And Willow started smiling in disbelief.

  “I swear, I didn’t!” he insisted

  “Of course you did,” Jasmine said. “It’s on the same lined paper as those notes you sent us before.”

  “But the writing is different,” Erin pointed out, and silence descended on the group.

  Lili’s eyes were wide. “Well, if Ryan didn’t send it, then who did?” she asked.

  The Jewels and Rivals looked at one another questioningly, but no one had an answer.

  “Don’t tell me we have more jewels to find,” Jasmine said, but her voice sounded more hopeful than complaining.

  Erin put a finger to her lips. “Shhh, don’t let Principal Frederickson hear you say that,” she said, and everyone laughed.

  “Seriously, guys, what if we get another message?” Lili asked.

  “Then we’ll do what we do best, and try to figure it out,” Willow said. “After all, we’re the Jewels!”

  “And the Rivals!” Ryan chimed in. All eight teammates looked at one another and grinned. They would do it together!

  Copyright © 2013 by Pure West Productions, Inc. and Katherine Noll.

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  This edition first printing, December 2013

  Previously published as Jewel Thieves: Battle of the Brightest

  Cover art by Tatevik Avakyan

  Cover design by Natalie C. Sousa

  e-ISBN 978-0-545-57661-1

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.