Jessica stood up and examined her sleeping sister. She looked asleep, at least. Jessica's lips curved into a smile. She was going to program Elizabeth to think that Jessica Wakefield was the greatest person the world had ever known.
"You are truly sleepy," she chanted. "When you wake up, you will love and admire the greatest person on earth--" She paused for effect, enjoying the moment. "The one and only--"
"Bruce Patman!" Ellen Riteman's angry voice came out of the darkness, just as Jessica said "Jessica Wakefield!"
"Sor-ry," Bruce grumbled. "How was I supposed to know that was your foot?"
Jessica glared in Bruce's direction. Twice now, Bruce had disrupted the whole thing! She wished that Todd hadn't invited him.
"Shh!" she hissed.
"Well, you should have looked!" Ellen complained.
"What's it doing under my chair, huh?" Bruce argued.
"Shh!" Things were going downhill fast. At least, Elizabeth's still out, she reassured herself. She leaned closer to her slumbering sister.
"If you have heard me, raise your right hand," she commanded.
Elizabeth's hand shot up. Way up. And it doesn't even look faked, Jessica told herself, wondering if maybe she was really on to something. Her eyes gleamed.
"Put your hand down," she told her twin. Elizabeth's hand sank slowly. Jessica turned to Lila. We'll see who's psychic and who isn't, she thought. And I'll teach you to place bets on how soon the Incredible Madame Jessica will mess up. She was going to enjoy this one especially.
"In a past life," Jessica said in her most soothing voice, "you were a duck." No one spoke."A duck," Jessica repeated. "Let me hear you quack, Lila."
Lila lifted her head. "Quack!" she repeated dutifully.Jessica could hardly believe her good luck. That is, her amazing talent. She studied Lila carefully. Yup, Lila definitely looked different from the night she'd been pretending to be hypnotized.
"Every time you see the principal of our school, Mr. Clark," Jessica went on, "you will remember your inner duckness, and you will only quack."
Detention City, here we come! Lila mumbled something under her breath. It sounded vaguely like "Yes, master." Jessica felt a surge of power. "Who is the principal?"
"Mr. Quack," Lila replied.
Jessica smiled. "Very good! Very, very good. Now, everybody, wake up!" She snapped her fingers. Slowly, eyes opened all over the room. Kids yawned and stretched, while Jessica watched with sweaty palms, waiting to see what would happen.
"See. it's just like I said," Bruce remarked near Jessica's elbow. "Totally dorky. Hypnosis, yeah, right. Some great demonstration, huh, Elizabeth?"
Jessica's pulse quickened. There was something weird about the way Bruce said her sister's name. She turned to locate her twin.
"Whatever you say, Bruce," Elizabeth said, smiling up at Bruce. "You certainly have the most brilliant ideas!"
"Yeah, well," Bruce said importantly. He took a step toward Elizabeth and put his arm gently on her shoulder. "That's just the kind of guy I am."
"I know." Elizabeth's smile grew bigger. "I think I've--always kind of known that, Bruce."
Jessica blinked in astonishment. She isn't pushing him away! she thought. If anything, Elizabeth was leaning closer to Bruce, burrowing into his arm.
"Elizabeth?" she croaked, swallowing hard. My sister? With Bruce--ahem--Patman?I'm sorry it didn't work, Jess," Elizabeth said, gazing dreamily at Bruce.Jessica could feel her jaw dropping open. She stared in astonishment as her sister reached up to stroke Bruce's cheek.
