All right, thought Raven, that should do it. Now where the heck is Eddie’s interruption? “Is that someone knocking?” she asked hopefully.

“I didn’t hear anything,” said Mr Petracelli. “Mrs Baxter, where’s Raven?”

“Raven... is... out in the car,” said Mama Baxter. “Crying... crying her little eyes out.”

Whaddya know, thought Raven. Cory’s “Three Cs” lecture might be good for some-thing after all.

“Big, puffy, red things,” Mama Baxter continued. “Runny nose. Even a face a mother wouldn’t look at... Well, I’m sure I heard someone — KNOCKING!”

“There is no one there,” Mr Petracelli assured her a second time. “Now,” he said, “I need to speak with you and Raven together.”

Raven could tell her teacher was losing patience. “When would you want that, Mr Petracelli?” she asked sweetly.

“When?” he said. “Let me check my calendar. NOW!”

Raven shuddered. “Okay then, I’ll see what I can do!” She waddled her Mama Baxter body out of the classroom.

Where the heck was Eddie, she wondered as she searched the halls. She found him nearby, leaning up against a locker with a dazed look on his face, watching two pretty girls talking.

Raven was furious. “Knock, knock,” she said.

“Who’s there?” asked Eddie innocently. “NOT YOU!” she screamed in his ear. Now are you awake? she thought as she stormed off.

With Mr Petracelli still waiting to see Raven, Mama Baxter had to transform fast.

As quickly as she could, Raven waddled into the nearest girls’ room. Two students were applying makeup at the mirror. Raven frowned when she saw them. She really didn’t want any witnesses to her transformation from Mama Baxter back into Raven Baxter.

So how do I get them out of here? She wondered for a moment.

“Excuse me,” she finally announced as Mama Baxter, “but I think the mayonnaise on the sardine sandwich I ate for lunch was bad, so I want to apologise for any discomfort I may cause you young ladies... If you have perfume, I’d spray it now.”

In horror, the girls threw their cosmetics back into their makeup bags and rushed for the exit. Raven rubbed her hands together with satisfaction. Nothing cleared a public bathroom faster than the threat of toxic stink!

Five minutes later, Raven was exiting the girls’ room as herself. She raced up to Eddie, who was waiting outside.

Continues next week

Based on the popular TV series created by Michael Poryes and Susan Sherman. Illustrations: Uday Deb