Hello, and welcome to bedtime stories with me. ARAT okay. So last time on the podcast, April was accused of killing Matilda's cockroach because it was found floating in red paint, but then fin revived the cockroach and it was okay, but then pumpkin ate the same cockroach and then it was not okay. It was definitely dead. So we'll pick up the story there. And today we're gonna be reading chapter 18 confrontation with a beauty. Here we go. Joe had never been so scared in his life. Daisy had cornered him in the boy's bathroom. He had thought he was safe there. The smell alone should have been enough to put off any normal girl, but Daisy was clearly not normal. She stationed two friends on the door to keep watch and went in after him. Are you trying to avoid me? She asked Joe's back, was pressed to the wall. Daisy had her hands up, either side of his shoulders and was leaning in. So her face was uncomfortably close to his chest. She would've preferred for her face to be comfortably close to his face to encourage impromptu kissing, but she wasn't tall enough. Joe had sprinted to the boy's toilets. As soon as the bell rang for recess, he'd been in there for the full 20 minutes. So clearly he was either avoiding her or he had a terrible bowel problem. Apparently Daisy was not to be deterred by either alternative. Uh, so Joe struggling to know what to say. It would've rude to yell, go away and he didn't wanna hurt Daisy's feelings. He briefly considered yelling, help I'm being attacked, but he suspected it would be something he could never live down. So you're gonna ask me to the ball, ask Daisy. The cockroach race's ball is a seriously big deal. It's the third most important event in the car, social calendar. I need to know what color Kage you'll be buying me so I can match it with my dress. Um, said Joe, his brain was screaming. I don't want to take you. I don't want to take you. And his mouth was opening and closing, but he couldn't get his vocal chords to make sound. If only Daisy had been able to lip read obvious, the decision is yours. She said, but pink really suits me. If you tell Maria in the florist, it's me, you're buying for. She knows the shade of rose. I like said, Joe, what was that? Daisy showing the first sign of interest in what Joe might have to say. No said Joe. No. What asked Daisy? No, you don't like pink. I suppose white would do. If you have strong feelings about it. No, I can't take, you said Joe, getting out the words was a great strain, but now that he'd finally said them an enormous sense of relief washed over him. What said Daisy? Apparently just as Joe's vocal chords had started working Daisy's brain had stopped. I can't take you to the ball said Joe, with growing confidence. Why not ask Daisy Joe stare at her? What reason could he give? He couldn't say because you terrify me or because as all girls terrify me, it would be the truth, but it wouldn't be good for his image. And he couldn't say because I can barely speak to girls, let alone dance with them because she would probably find that endearing and just use the fact to bully him more. He needed a really good, solid excuse that would make this beautiful girl, leave him alone and stop scaring him. B B, B, because began Joe making the mistake of starting to talk before he knew what he was gonna say, because what asked Daisy, she was starting to get testy now. And Joe knew that girls like Daisy went from flirty to nasty in a microsecond because, uh, I said, Joe, his brain flailing for inspiration. I'm taking someone else. He didn't know where the words came from. Let alone why he said them out loud. He was horrified with himself. Someone else asked Daisy her face, screwing up. UNAT attractively as though this was a deeply distasteful thought who Joe's brain blanked. He'd only been living in Kara won for three days. He hadn't learned any of the girls' names at school yet. They were all the same to him, giggly and terrifying. He couldn't tell you what any of them looked like because he tried not to look girls directly in the face. It was like looking directly the son. So dazzling, you could do yourself damage. So Joe blurted out the only name of the only girl in car won. He knew Loretta went a Daisy recoiled as if she'd been slapped. You're taking her Daisy clearly knew who Loretta was. She was reacting with a body language as someone who had just found out that Joe had smallpox. She shrank BA him as if you were diseased. Yes. A Joe relieved that Daisy had taken us step back. You're taking Loretta this one a to the cockroach races ball as Daisy, her nose wrinkling as though this thought was more disgusting to her than the actual smell of the boy's bathroom. Yes, sir. Joe, why are Daisy? This seemed an odd question. While Daisy was the most beautiful girl, a car won high Loretta was in another league of beauty. She was as beautiful as a model and not the type you see in Kmart catalogs. Loretta resembled the type of model you see on a Miam catwalk looking incredibly bored to be wearing the latest possibly overpriced designer outfit. Oh, said Joe lion was one thing, but fabricating a whole backstory was more than his imagination could handle. He decided to go with the truth because she's my next door neighbor. So she got to you first said, Daisy, typical. Well, don't come crying to me when she rips out your heart. It mins it in a mink grinder. Okay. So Joe Daisy was frightening him more, not less now. He was glad he decided to lie. It seemed like a good decision. You know, she cheats flung out. Daisy on boys asked Joe confused by this turn in the conversation. No, in the cockroach races said, Daisy, I don't really care. Joe replied, honestly, Daisy gased, ah, which was a mistake. You should never inhale sharply in such a smelly room. Then you two deserve each other. With that. She turned on her heel and stormed out Joe slumped back against the wall. It finally got rid of Daisy. It was as ever weight had been lifted off him. Suddenly Daisy burst back into the bathroom. Joe Hasley stood up straight. Scott Benita just asked me out to the cockroach traces ball. And I said, yes. He asked you in the five seconds you were gone asked Joe incredulously. Yes. That's how popular I am said Daisy. So we'll see you. Andretta the ball. I look forward to watching how miserable she makes you Daisy stalked off again. Then Joe had a horrible dawning realization. He wasn't off the hook at all. Now he had to do something much, much worse. Now he had to ask Loretta this one, Arthur, to be his date. He considered fainting, but he couldn't even do that. The boy's bathroom is no place to collapse and that is the end of the chapter. So we'll leave it there until next time. Goodbye.