She caught up with Rosa at the classroom door. “Where’s Abby?” Jeri asked. Rosa whipped around. “She’s sick now! So are Emily and Miss Barbara! It happened after breakfast.” “See?” Jeri cried. “I told you not to eat the food in the kitchen. Is Nikki sick again too?” “No, but she didn’t eat. She was at the horse barn since before breakfast doing some jumping.” “How’s your stomach?” Jeri asked, following her into class. “Fine, and I ate what everyone else ate.” Rosa shrugged. “It’s a virus. It has to be.” “I don’t think so. I’m even more convinced that it’s poison.” “Oh come on. You’re just inventing a poison plot so you can write about something exciting and win the media award.” “That’s not true—or fair!” Jeri sputtered. “In a book of Mr. Petrie’s I read about a bunch of common plants that can be poisonous. This is no virus. I just know it.” Jeri could tell Rosa was still skeptical, but she’d talk to Ms. Carter right after class today.
