Betty Bent

The meeting was called to order, and one of the scout leaders stepped up to the group of girls.

"OK," she said, as if performing a tiresome ritual. "Let's get this over with. Which of you is Betty Bent?"

No one said a thing. All the girls looked eagerly around the room, examining their neighbors.

"We're not getting started until you tell us who you are today, Betty," warned the exasperated scout leader. After a long pause a hand slowly rose from the crowd. "Please stand up," said the scout leader.

A girl with long, stringy blonde hair, thick glasses, and a slight hump stood up, smiling nervously. The group broke into the kind of worshipful applause that's usually reserved for divas and dictators.

"You’re a genius!" shouted one of the girls who had accosted me earlier.

"Well, Betty," said the scout leader, shaking her head in disapproval. "You've really outdone yourself. But may I suggest that our master of disguise come to the next meeting as the real Betty Bent?"

"Who's the real Betty Bent?" whispered the girl, and the Girl Scouts roared with laughter.

"What does she really look like?" I whispered to Kiki.

"Beats me," she replied. "Last week she was Korean."