Free Tunnels by Lesley Downie Page B

could also hear some familiar singing in the background. "Are you with your dad?"
    "Well how else are we going to get there?" he yelled and then took a deep breath. "Come on, Kat! How often do I ask you for anything? It's that stupid fundraiser fashion show at my mom's Junior League meeting. Remember? The country club, me and you in those historical costumes?"
    Shoot. I'd forgotten all about it. Now there was no way I'd get to the tunnels today. "A reminder would've been nice. You asked me over a month ago!" I wasn't much for calendars, totally the opposite of the General. Except when it came to the tunnels. Or seeing David. A girl needs to have exceptions to every rule.
    I heard the car horn so I knew I'd better get out there. "Just give me a sec. I've got to get my shoes on."
    Throwing on my boots, I grabbed my backpack and ran out the door. Maybe I could talk him into a visit to the tunnels after we were done. He'll owe me big time because we both know he's fully using me today. Who else was willing to get up on stage and make a fool of themselves?
    "Hey, Mr. Evan's dad!" I said through the open passenger window. It's what I'd been calling him since I was little because they had a bunch of Ss in their last name. Fact: It's impossible for a kid who goes to speech therapy to pronounce Schmansinski.
    "Good to see you, sweetie."
    "Finally," my angry friend said as I climbed in beside him. He had a sour look on his face and I could tell he was super grouchy. "We're going to have to throw that hair of yours up into a hat or wrap a scarf around it."
    I touched my head and realized my hair was still wet. Evan's hair was gelled and awesome as usual, and he smelled good. I wasn't about to tell him though. Not when he'd been so grouchy to me. Mom said he's probably just going through puberty and to expect mood swings. Ew.
    "Don't be mad, E." I tried to snap him out of it. "I promise not to trip or embarrass you, okay?" It wasn't quite an apology for forgetting, but it was the best I could do. After all, my plans for the day were ruined, so I wasn't in the best mood either. But he is my best friend and I didn't plan on deserting him, no matter how much I'd rather be searching for tunnels.
    He was silent until we got to the country club. "Alright," he grumbled, "let's do this thing."
    As we walked through the door leading to the back of the stage area, I couldn't believe how many people were there. In the crowd backstage I saw the mayor, police chief, and some of the school board and city council people in costumes and getting makeup done. I knew who they were because I videotaped some of the city council meetings a few months ago for credit in my Video Arts class. There were also a couple teachers from my school. It was a riot to see my P.E. teacher, Ms. Roth, in a dress. I thought she was a strictly sweats-and-whistle kind of girl.
    "You two knock 'em dead," Evan's dad said as he disappeared through the door to the auditorium seats.
    I peeked through the curtain while Evan checked us in, and saw the auditorium was almost completely full. Now I had a sick feeling in my stomach as I thought about having to get up in front of all those people. Not sure what I expected, but it definitely wasn't this.
    "There's my mom," he said, pushing me toward her.
    "Katherine! So glad you could join us." Mrs. Schmansinski gave me a big hug. "Okay you two, we need to get you dressed. Let's go over to where Nellie is. She's in charge of the World War Two—"
    "Help!" someone yelled. "Mayor Delaney has collapsed!"
    Collapsed? I started going through the steps of doing CPR. Like I said, two years certified and I'm pretty much a pro. "Come on, E!" I ran to where a group had formed. Squeezing my way between Martha Washington and Abraham Lincoln, I knelt down and screamed at the mayor, "Are you alright?" just like they'd taught me in class. But it fully freaked me out when she didn't say, "Yeah, great," because now I knew I had to show some of my mad