Okay, where’s my gum? I thought. Because whether I was at home or in the library, Orbit Sweet Mint was forever a necessity. It helped me focus. Once I finally located the squashed pack of gum, my heart leapt…but it plunged to the floor when I also found something else. The Jester’s bid. With half the neighborhood over for dinner, I’d managed to forget about it, but it hadn’t forgotten about me. I bit my pinkie nail and read Alex’s note again.
