Rhiannon Harper zipped up her black cat costume and checked her tail in the mirror. Tonight was the Halloween party in the gym, and she had bigger plans than candy. The Recess Queens needed a place to plant their flag, and a crowded gym full of costumes was the perfect cover. She tugged on her pink-pawed gloves and headed for the door. The gym smelled like cider and floor wax. Her two best friends waved her over to a back corner, where they had already claimed a folding table. A pink banner with gold letters hung above it, reading Recess Queens. Rhiannon grinned. The corner was theirs now. They decorated the table with a cardboard box shaped like a puppy adoption crate, candy spilling out under a paper rainbow. Girls drifted over to look. Rhiannon offered candy and asked easy questions. Two girls passed her quiet test. One did not, and was gently waved along. Then Madison Piercerjade stopped at the table. She did not take candy. She looked at the banner, then at Rhiannon. "You need me," she said. "You have a corner. I can get you the room." Rhiannon studied her. The offer was cold and clean, and probably true. She slid a chair out with her foot. The Recess Queens had been two best friends and a dream. By the end of the song, they were something harder to ignore — and Madison was sitting at their table.