The pep rally started well. Makenna joined Jessica, and they apologized for snapping at one another. While they waited for the cheerleaders to give their cheer, Jimmy Carter met them in the courtyard and asked if it was okay for him to hang out with them.
"Sure," Makenna replied. "You can hang out, Jimmy."
"Thank you," said Jimmy.
While they chit-chatted, Natalie walked past them, looking as if she were searching for someone. She forcibly fanned herself with her hands and repeatedly asked, "Where is he?"
"Where's who?" Makenna asked in a weakened voice. She and Jimmy focused on Natalie, but Jessica stared at Makenna out of the corners of her eyes.
Natalie soon answered Makenna's question. "Romeo! Where is Romeo? I want to let him know that I'd be the perfect girlfriend!"
"Romeo?" asked Jimmy.
Makenna knew Natalie was referring to Tracey. She remembered her calling him Romeo. "He's not here today, okay, Natalie?" she said. "He's sick! He's still in the hospital!"
Jimmy glanced at her. "Are you talking about Tracey?" he wanted to know.
Makenna nodded.
"Personally, Fairy Girl," continued Jimmy, "I'd feel more comfortable if you stick with Tracey instead of Peter Nelson. I can't help but feel like Peter's planning on doing something nasty to you."
"What?" Makenna asked. "Him? Peter Nelson? He wouldn't, Jimmy."
"What are you talking about?" Jessica nervously said. She took Makenna's upper left arm. "Your mind's gone ballistic, Jimmy. Peter would never hurt Makenna."
"That's right," Makenna snapped at Jimmy. "Peter's not a bad boy. Jessica and I have been spying on him since the beginning of the school year, and he's done nothing wrong."
"What's this all about?" asked Natalie.
"Relationship issues," Jimmy answered. "Peter Nelson's good looks immobilize Miss Delling and Jessica, and they're totally unaware of the stuff he does to girls!"
"What stuff are you ranting about?" Makenna fought.
"What are you all talking about?" asked a voice. Peter appeared on the outside of the crowd and edged toward Makenna.
All four freshmen glanced at him and gasped.
"Peter Nelson!" Makenna and Jessica yelped at the same time.
Jimmy glared at Peter.
Noticing that, he asked, "What's with the Grumpy Kitty face, Carter? Are you jealous that you don't have a girlfriend?" He stopped beside Makenna and shooed the others away. "Now shoo, shoo. Go date a tree, but leave Makenna and me alone. We have to review the plan for tonight."
Makenna waved. "Tallyho. Goodbye. Leave us alone, please."
Jimmy, Natalie, and Jessica started to leave.
"That's it," added Makenna. "Goodbye."
Soon after she and Peter disappeared from view, Jimmy grabbed Jessica and Natalie and lugged them behind a tree, saying, "Girls, we've got to save Makenna!"
"Save her?" Jessica choked out. "What do you mean, save her, Jimmy?"
Jimmy sighed. Finally, he leaned in close to the two girls and whispered, "Peter Nelson is planning on murdering her."
***
Peter and Makenna sat together on a bench that overlooked the cheerleaders, students, and faculty members.
Peter placed his arm around Makenna's shoulders and rubbed her left one, leaving Makenna to blush.
She soon turned her head, and her eyes caught Mrs. Hector approaching a table with the basket of apples. She set them down.
Seeing the basket, Makenna asked, "Apples? What's Mrs. Hector doing with a basket of apples?"
"I'm guessing it's for the dance battle," answered Peter. "Teachers did mention they were going to throw a dance battle, where each dancer has to come up with a dance that involves an apple."
"Really?" Makenna asked. "Huh." Her eyes landed on the apple basket again. "Interesting. I've never heard of a dance like that."
Behind her back, Peter smiled evilly. He turned his head and peered down at a bag he wore over his shoulder. Peter reached for it and said, "So, Makenna, since we're now alone, I was wondering if I could give you something."
"Give me something?" Makenna focused on her crush again. "Give me what, Peter? You don't have to."
"Oh, I want to. I think a beautiful girl like you deserves a gift." Peter stuck his hand inside his bag and wrapped his fingers around the tinfoil-wrapped cake. "Miss Delling, as a thank-you gift for letting me go to the dance with you, I want you to have—"
"Yes?" asked Makenna.
However, just before Peter finished, a whistle was heard, and heads in the courtyard turned toward it. Dr. Medford was the one who had blown it.
He smiled and gestured at the cheerleaders behind him. "Students! I present to you, this school's very own cheer from our amazing cheerleaders!"
Cheers, and people clapped.
Makenna felt her excitement boiling inside her. "It's starting!" she shouted. She grabbed Peter's arm and shook it. "The pep rally's starting, Pete!"
"Before we start the cheer, though," Dr. Medford spoke through the microphone he held, "will all students split up and join their grade level?"
Students nodded and quickly joined their grade.
Makenna turned to Peter. "Sorry, Pete, but we'll talk later. I'm really looking forward to this. Maybe this will lift your spirits." She leaned forward and kissed Peter's cheek. Then, grinning, she clenched her fist and hurried away.
Once all the grades were together and spread out, Dr. Medford again pointed at the cheerleaders and yelled, "Give it up for the cheerleaders!"
More cheers, and the cheerleaders began their cheer. They waved their pom poms and started to dance. While they danced, they cheered, "Go, go, Johns Island High School! Make a left! Make a right! Show them what we've got! Go, go, go! We are winners, yeah, we are! Take it to the top, and let's go, go, go!"
A few of the cheerleaders acted out back flips, and others lifted each other into the air.
Makenna watched them, fascinated. She put her hands together and said, "Wow."
Where the basket of apples waited, Raeven poked his head from out of them and inquired, "What's with all the noise?" His eyes landed on the pep rally. "What is this? It's making me sick. Where's Miss Makenna?" He searched the area. "Where is she?" Raeven prepared to fly out of the basket, but then he noticed a student looking in his direction and quickly dove back into the basket of apples.
Peter, who studied Makenna from a distance in the crowd of juniors, glared and glanced into his bag again. He would succeed, and he wouldn't let anyone stand in his way, not even a ninja fairy named Tracey.