Pawnails, Proof, and Leather Jackets
"This is it,” Vanilla says, pounding her fist into her palm.
Sprawled out on her bed with Alicia, Connie, and about twenty-six different colors of pawnail polish, Zoe looks up from her laptop. "This is what?"
"This time, I'm really going to get those pathetic Thea Sisters expelled!"
Connie returns to Alicia's nails. "Vanilla, seriously. Give it up."
"How dare you tell me to give it up! I have ironclad proof this time!"
"Oh really?" Connie selects a pink glitter. "Like last week, when you were convinced they were sneaking into the kitchen and tampering with the food, until it turned out they were experimenting with a secret new dish that everyone had second helpings of, even you?"
"Craig had, like, fourth helpings," Zoe adds with a giggle.
Vanilla snorts. "Craig has fourth helpings of everything. But that's not the point. The point is-"
"Or the week before that, when you made us stay out all night watching the grounds because you thought they were trying to dig up the school gardens-"
"I fell asleep in class the next day," Alicia recalls, somewhat reproachful. "And the night air totally ruined my hair."
"-until the Headmaster announced that they had found a really rare plant and we were all going to do a gardening unit-"
"I still haven't gotten all the dirt out from under my pawnails," Zoe sighs.
"Oh, shut up and listen. This time, I have actual proof." Vanilla's eyes gleam. "Look at this."
Connie squints at the object Vanilla is currently thrusting into her face. "Your phone? What, new case?"
"No, you cheesebrain! Look at the photo!"
"It's Pamela Tangu. What about her?"
"I cannot believe you! Look at her! Look what she's wearing!"
"A leather jacket. So? I wear leather jackets sometimes too."
"That's not just any jacket. That's Vic's jacket! I know it's his because he never goes without it, and now she's wearing it, and he’s not!"
"That means she stole it! And she's wearing it in broad daylight, which means she's not only a thief, she's a shameless thief. If that doesn't get her kicked out of Mouseford-"
Zoe attempts, unsuccessfully, to stifle a snicker.
"Vanilla," Alicia says gently.
Vanilla whirls on her, flushed with triumph. "See? I told you I-"
"I hate to break this to you, but Pamela didn't steal Vic's jacket."
"Wh- of course she did! Do you think someone else stole it for her? No, she'd want to do it herself. Thieves like to gloat, don't they?"
"Of, she's definitely a thief," Connie purrs, and Zoe bursts out laughing.
Vanilla whirls on them both, paws on hips. "Will you two cheesebrains stop laughing and tell me what's so funny about Pamela Tangu being a thief?!"
"She didn't steal that jacket," Alicia explains.
"She stole what's underneath it,” Connie says airily.
Zoe's now laughing so hard she nearly drops her laptop.
"His heart, Vanilla.” Connie finally takes pity on the fuming redhead. “She stole his heart. He gave her his jacket. Weren't you there, yesterday, when everyone was outside celebrating the first day of autumn?”
“I can’t wait to break out my new leg warmers,” Alicia adds happily. This goes largely ignored.
Still holding the bottle of polish, Connie pulls out her phone with her free paw and flicks open the Mousebook app. “This is where you got that picture from, right? Look at the one just after it.”
Vanilla’s subsequent shriek can be heard three rooms down.
