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Ronald—who I’d decided looked like a Mopsy—turned around “So cookies,” he called “They can do the splits”

Moments later, Phillip Ross exited his lab and made his way to the reception area, where Ronald/Mopsy, as eyeing us slightly more speculatively, had nevertheless kept us in the hall, instead of inviting us in Looking past Mopsy’s shoulder, I could see Ross, who looked every bit as nerdy in person, flanked by another security guard—Flopsy I could only infer that Cottontail was in the lab or the kitchen, safeguarding the loot

“What school do you guys go to?” Ross asked, peering around Mopsy’s massively broad shoulder

“Bayport,” Brooke said Fake naned to discredit Ross’s story if he happened to try to pass it on After all, if ere parading around in our own school’s uniforh spirit from our very pores, ould we bother with fake names? It made no sense, and that was exactly e did it

Ross appraised us through his thick, wire-rilasses “Maybe you’re from Bayport and maybe you’re not Won’t you come in?”

The invitation sounded oerous little doodad had convinced Phillip Ross that he was a badass I could only i us in to determine if ho we said ere, and if he didn’t buy it…

Well, then I’d get to really use this so-called spirit stick

“Awesome,” Brooke said, and the two of us stepped into the office The doors closed behind us

I held out the clipboard “You can sign up for cookies here,” I said “The Sis-Boom-Baked Chocolate Chip are my favorite”

“But the Go, Fight, Cinnaood,” Brooke put in

The fact that ere even ht face was remarkable

“Or you could buy a pin,” I said, holding one up for his inspection He took it, turned it over, and then handed it back to me

“So you girls are cheerleaders,” he said

We nodded

“You cheer?”

We nodded again

“Prove it”

Man, this guy really was paranoid Then again, he was also right, but that was completely beside the point

“Prove it?” I repeated dubiously

Brooke wasn’t nearly as thrown as I was “Clap your hands,” she said, and then she went into major cheer mode

“Ready? Okay!”

My response to those tords was purely instinctual It had been drilled into ain, and I knew exactly what to do

“Clap your hands, everybody! Everybody, clap your hands!”

We threw ourselves into the cheer, and I ed to keep up with Brooke, move for move, head bob for head bob