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be a good president. There’ll be no more homework, no more tests, and everyone will get A’s from now on. So,” he said with a smirk, “vote for me. Frisco. Because I said so.” And he sat down to sounds of cheering and applause.
    Then Alexandra stepped up to the podium.
    And everyone giggled. (Except Alexandra, Drake, Nell, Haley, the teachers, and the principal, of course.) Alexandra cleared her throat and flipped her glossy hair. She then gave a rather nice speech about how she would make a good president, bring beauty to the school, and all of that. “And finally, to conclude, I would like to call on Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives.”
    “Thank you, Ms. Landsright,” said Drake and Nell. Together they took center stage.
    “Hey, wait a second,” said Frisco, looking confused. “I don’t think that’s allowed. Is that allowed?”
    Drake ignored him and spoke into the microphone. “Drake Doyle here. As everyone knows, an evil plot was hatched this week at Seaview Elementary. It was politics at its dirtiest. Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives, were hired to handle this most difficult case. Ms. Fossey?”
    “Thank you, Detective Doyle.” Nell cleared her throat. “Our mission, of course, was to find out who was ruining Ms. Landsright’s posters.”
    “So we set up surveillance,” continued Drake. “Only, it didn’t work.”
    “Not even close,” said Nell.
    “So we were forced to take drastic measures,” said Drake.
    “Is this going somewhere?” Frisco whispered from behind them. “Or should I get some sleep?” “As I was saying,” said Drake, ignoring Frisco, “we took drastic measures. We made twenty new posters, lickety-split. But they weren’t ordinary posters.”
    “Not ordinary at all,” agreed Nell.
    “We coated them with a secret formula. To be precise, we coated them with ultraviolet thief-detection powder,” said Drake proudly. “A powder used by detectives everywhere to catch thieves.”
    Nell looked out at the audience. “It all has to do with light. You see, there are different levels of light. There is light you can see, and light that is invisible to the human eye.”
    “Meaning, of course,” said Drake, “that you can’t see it.”
    “Precisely. Ultraviolet light is light that you can’t see. Ultraviolet thief-detection powder absorbs ultraviolet energy and—”
    “—when exposed to ultraviolet light,” continued Drake.
    “—releases that energy in the form of light you can see,” finished Nell. “This is called fluorescence.”
    “So what?” Frisco asked, yawning loudly. “Does anyone care?”
    Nell turned toward Frisco while speaking carefully into the microphone. “Perhaps you will care when we flip out the lights.”
    “Huh?”
    “Cut the lights!” ordered Nell.
    Suddenly, the room was plunged into darkness. Everyone gasped. And then, a great, scary silence settled over everyone.
    Finally, Drake spoke into the silence. “Whoever marked up the posters is in this room. They don’t know it, but they are covered with ultraviolet thief-detection powder. In just a few seconds, we will turn on an ultraviolet light.”
    “And whoever it is,” said Nell, “will glow like a glowstick.”
    “Ultraviolet light, please!” ordered Drake.
    And from behind Drake and Nell, a purplish light turned on.
    It took only a moment before the culprit was revealed.
    Drake gasped.
    Nell gasped.
    Mr. Hong gasped.
    Alexandra gasped.
    Haley gasped.
    In fact, Haley gasped extra loudly because she was the one glowing like a glowstick. She jumped to her feet and pointed a glowing arm at Frisco. “He paid me!” she shrieked.
    “Shh!” hissed Frisco. “You’re ruining everything!”“I’ll take it from here,” said Mr. Hong. “To the office. Both of you.” And out of the gym he marched, holding Frisco and Haley by the arms.



After that, the lights came on. Order was restored. The election proceeded. And Alexandra won by a landslide.
    “Congratulations on