And nailed to the wooden plaque was a skull still wearing a crown. It seemed like we had found out what’d happened to Old Skele’s head. The skull’s hollow eyes seemed to stare sinisterly down at us. In a quick motion, its bony jaw moved and the skull whispered maliciously, “I see you.”

I closed my eyes meditatively and thought out my entire Plan. The Plan I had been formulating ever since Al had told me how mean and nasty Malfoy had been to them. I opened my eyes and stared directly at him and Jag. “No, it’s going to be you two. I’m going to make you boys the distraction.”

“Exactly what kind of ‘distraction’ are you making us into, Rose?” Jag asked uneasily. “You’re dressing us up as half-naked, plumed, headdress-wearing Vegas dancers, aren’t you?”
 

Jag coughed. “Al and I decided that Rose has to do two pranks. Not just one.”

“And I have to get caught for both?” I was horrified. “Are you MENTAL?”

“You have to get caught for the second one. That’s the bigger one. You can get caught for the first one too, if you really want to be in our good books.”
 

I blinked. Kai Evergreen + physical labor? “Since when do YOU want play a SPORT?” I asked in an incredulous voice. 

He looked at me with a defiant eye. “I don’t, but I want to! Teach me, please! I heard Al say that you’re a brilliant Chaser. I want to be a Chaser, too!”

I tried my best not to sound to aghast. “But WHY?”

“Does it matter, why?"
 

“You can’t seriously be this stupid, Jaggy.” I said in a dry voice. “She has a ballerina outfit. You’re not wearing any clothes. What do you think she’s going to do?”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

“THEY’RE TURNING US INTO FEMALES!” Al screamed intelligently, running toward the door.

“His dad could be the metaphorical Phantom!”

Zelda faced me. “So, you’re telling me that some creepy dude lived underneath Irene’s theatre and stalked her when she was thirteen.”

“That explains why Jag’s so twisted,” I snickered a bit. “Genes, you know. Heredity.”

“Great, so Jag’s got bits and piece of creepy stalker guy inside him."

Irene suddenly looked furious. “That chicken is your grandfather, Jag!”
 

“What?” Zelda said. “Did I hear that right? Your grandpa’s a chi—?!”
 

“When Grandpa died, Mum says that his spirit was transferred into that chunk of poultry.” Jag rolled his eyes. “What load of bull.”
 

“Yes. I would like you to fix her marriage with Irene’s son.”

“HO—” Zelda started to shout, but Xander and I pounced on her, sitting on her and nearly squishing her against the floor. I eagerly gripped my Extendable Ear, straining to listen to Giselle’s response.

“Are…” her voice was croaky. “My grandson and her, are they in love?”

“I’m a very persuasive stalker, oh yes, I am!” Adrian said with a laugh. “I had to kneel on the pavement for several hours a day and throw up confetti whenever she poked her head out of the window. That didn’t work so I followed her to her apartment and picketed the area with signs.”

Silently, I wondered how many times this guy had been arrested.