BUDGIE SMUGGLERS, AHOY!

Later that day, things got even weirder. The school had a special assembly, and after Principal Stricker droned on for, like, ten minutes, she introduced the mayor of Hills Village.

Mayor Blitz Coogan is one of those big, nice, friendly guys who slap everyone on the back in a big, nice, friendly way with their gigantic paws. He gave Principal Stricker such a big, nice, friendly pat on the back that she almost coughed up a lung and crowd-surfed off the stage.

“G’day, Hills Village!” Mayor Coogan boomed into the microphone. “Fair dinkum, it’s a bonzer arvo for you and yer cobbers to put on the old budgie smugglers and take the planks down the beach to catch a couple of goofy breaks out back!”

There was a stunned silence.

Other than the words “Hills Village,” nothing Mayor Coogan had said made any sense. We looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Mayor Coogan just stood there smiling like a guy who’d won the lottery.

“That’s what folks in Australia speak like! I just got back from a trip to Shark’s Bay, Australia, where my brother, Biff, lives. And I’ve got some very exciting news.” Mayor Coogan paused again like he was announcing the winner of a national TV talent show. “Hills Village is now twinned with Shark’s Bay!”

Mayor Coogan beamed a big smile that made him look like a xylophone was lodged in his mouth, and glanced expectantly around the auditorium like he was waiting for the applause to die down. The only problem was that there wasn’t any, other than a few stray claps from the teachers.

The only way it could have been any worse was if his pants had fallen down.

“Twinning,” Mayor Coogan continued, “means that our two towns are now special partners that will learn a lot from each other. It’s all about reaching out, sharing ideas, and cultural exchange.”

It all sounded so boring I almost passed out.

Until something Mayor Coogan said jolted me out of my drooly daydream.

“… and first prize in the Shark’s Bay/Hills Village Art Competition will be a three-week, all-expenses-paid trip to Australia. Judging takes place next week. Get creative, Hills Village, and you could be on that plane!”

Art, I thought. I can do art.

I could win that prize! I bet Mom would like that A LOT.

Mostly because my trouble in middle school has been hard on Mom, too. HVMS has a rule book so big that it requires two grown men to open it—and I’m not exactly great at following the rules. So, naturally, I got expelled at one point. Mom wasn’t too pleased.

You can see why I could use a fresh start, at least in Mom’s eyes. Winning Mayor Coogan’s art competition could give me another chance to make it up to her.

Well, another another chance.

But if I was such a good artist and I had a shot at a free trip Down Under, and if winning that trip would make Mom proud of me, why did I have a feeling in my stomach like I’d just swallowed an octopus?