My dad came for us during breakfast. After hugs, he got a bagel and sat down.
“What’s on your faces?” he asked
“Tantoos,” Sam said. “Don’t we look amazing?”
“That you do,” my dad said.
“Jeep says we’ll start a fad,” I said.
“He’s often right,” my father said.
“Thanks to us, Nana’s getting a fence,” Sam said.
“Thanks to you?” my dad said.
“If it weren’t for the boys, we wouldn’t be getting it,” Jeep said. “That’s a fact.”
“Sam’s half responsible,” I said. “And I’m half responsible.”
“Jim Clarke already ordered the wood,” Nana said.
“Jim Clarke?” my dad asked.
“Jeep’s new golfing buddy,” Nana said. “Jim’s lady friend and I are having lunch while they play. Maeve says I’ll like her.”
“Who’s Maeve?” my dad asked.
“My new friend,” Nana said.
“You have friends?” my dad asked.
“Lots of them,” Jeep said.
“Due to us,” I said.
“Fantastic!” my dad said, smiling.
“And we saved Jeep from an alligator,” Sam said.
“In his own backyard,” I said.
My dad’s eyes popped.
“The boys set up an elaborate trick,” Jeep said. “They claim an alligator was inches from my toes, but somehow I didn’t notice it.”
“Because you were singing and weeding,” I said.
“I would not overlook an alligator,” Jeep said.
“The boys made us a fine Alligator Distractor,” Nana said. “I think they were eager to use it.”
“It worked,” I said.
“Don’t beat a joke to death, Sport,” my dad said.
“Nana and Jeep are in danger,” I said. “Believe me.”
We heard the front door swing open.
“Probably another alligator,” Jeep joked.
“It’s me! Mary Alice. Plus Geoffrey. We’re visiting you.”
“Come in the kitchen,” Nana said.
Mary Alice was wearing a yellow dress and socks on her hands.
“Aunt Maeve said come over because the chair boys are going home. Right, Geoffrey?”
“Right,” Geoffrey mumbled.
Mary Alice walked up to my dad. “You can’t look at Pauline unless you have a ticket. If you don’t have a ticket, you have to keep your eyes closed. That’s the law.”
“That sounds fair,” my dad said. “Who’s Pauline?”
She put her hands on her hips and said, “Don’t kid around, mister.”
“Dad,” I said, “Geoffrey’s the one who got the Distractor working.”
“You and Sam did most of it,” Geoffrey said. “I came in at the end.”
“Are you packed, Sport?” my dad asked.
“Thanks for letting me be on your team,” Geoffrey said.
“I’m glad we let you,” Sam said.
“It was the best choice I ever made,” I added.
I had a big BOB.
“Wait for us in the driveway, Geoffrey,” I said.
“Are you going to sneak up and throw oranges at me?” he asked.
It was the first time I saw him laugh.
Sam and I opened the garage from the inside.
“Keep it,” Sam said.
“You’re giving me Zippy?” Geoffrey said. “Why?”
“You’re our friend,” I said.
“I’m your friend,” Mary Alice said.
“That’s why we’re giving you this pin,” Sam said. “Airplane pilots wear them when they fly a plane.”
“Hip-hooray!” she said. “I can drive a plane.”
We hugged Nana and Jeep in the driveway.
“Dad, Mom, you’re the best,” my dad said. “Betty and I are grateful, and my boss thanks you. It’ll be a close race but I think he’ll win.”
“Thanks for letting me come,” Sam said.
“Our pleasure,” Nana said.
We were backing out when Jeep hollered, “Stop!”
I leaned out the window.
“Do you have my phone?” Jeep asked.
“Oops,” I said.
Sam jumped out. “I’ll get it.”
I ran after him. Everybody followed me.
“I hope it’s not busted,” Sam said. “I left it on the windowsill all night.”
Nana plugged in the charger.
“It works,” she said. “Were you making a movie?”
“I forgot about that,” I said.
“Let’s go, boys,” my dad said.
I couldn’t breathe.
Nana laughed. “You’re wearing my bathing cap.”
“Fast-forward,” I said.
“That’s me holding the Distractor,” Sam said.
“You’re aiming the Distractor at Jeep’s behind?” my dad asked.
“Keep watching,” I said.
“What’s that on the grass?” Jeep asked.
“The alligator,” I said.
Nana went pale.
“It’s crawling toward Jeep,” she said.
“I estimate it weighs nine hundred pounds,” Geoffrey said.
“It’s inches from my foot,” Jeep said. “Its mouth is wide open!”
His skin went pale.
Nana’s breath shuddered.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “You know how it turns out.”
“You’re the bravest boys I’ve ever known,” Jeep said. “Thank goodness you’re OK.”
“We were scared out of our heads,” I said.
“Of course you were,” Jeep said. “That’s why it was brave.”
Nana leaned against Jeep. She was crying.
We watched the alligator follow a marshmallow into the canal.
“That’s why torn bags have been in the canal,” Jeep said. “It’s been crawling into yards and stealing garbage.”
“And letting raccoons get the blame,” Sam said.
When Jeep hugged Sam and me, I could feel his heart beating through his shirt.
My dad said, “I’m so grateful for you boys and the Alligator Distractor.”
“That includes Geoffrey,” I said.
“I don’t have much courage,” Geoffrey said.
“You might,” I said. “You just haven’t found out yet.”
“I’m glad you talked us out of the egg,” Sam said.
“What egg?” Nana asked.
“We have to send the video to Lucy Rose, Pip, and Jonique,” I said. “We were making it for them.”
“It’s got drama,” Sam said.
“Also email it to us,” I said. “In case somebody doesn’t believe us.”
“There are people like that,” Jeep said.
Jeep and Nana hugged us so tight their arms felt like lassos.
When Dad was backing up, Nana yelled, “I’m calling the wranglers right now.”
I yelled out the window, “Tell them Sam and I said we told you so.”
We waved until we couldn’t see them anymore.
On the plane ride home Sam said, “Melonhead, I decided something.”
“What?”
“My dog’s going to be our dog that lives at my house. We’ll pick it out together and take care of it together. If we ever have another WOW, maybe your dad will let it stay in your room.”
“This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me,” I said. “And you’re the greatest friend.”
“You still have to pick up half the poop,” Sam said.
My mom and dad, Sam’s parents, and Julia met us at the airport.
My mom grabbed me into a hug so fast she didn’t give me time to show her my tantoo. Sam got all the glory until she let go of my rib cage. At first, it seemed like she didn’t like my lightning bolts.
“He’s safe and sound,” my dad said. “And tantoos don’t last forever.”
“They sort of will,” I said. “Because school pictures are next week.”
“And they’re on our Lifetime List of Accomplishments,” Sam said. We took the metro to the Eastern Market stop.
“Lola McBee called as I was leaving,” Mrs. Alswang said. “She said Lucy Rose, Pip, and Jonique are desperate to see our boys. I said we’d stop by for lunch on the walk home.”
“Good thing we bought baby palm trees for them at the airport,” I said.
But when we got there, Lucy Rose didn’t ask for her present.
“We emailed you a movie we made,” Sam said. “Did you get it?”
“We haven’t looked at our mail yet,” she said.
“Then why are you guys so excited?” I asked.
Pip passed Sam a little Baking Diva bag.
“Open it!” Jonique screamed.
Lucy Rose was tapping the toes of her red cowgirl boots so fast it sounded like Morse code.
Sam looked in the bag.
“Is it Banana Pockets?” I asked.
“There must be thirteen dollars in here,” Sam said.
“For the dog fund,” Lucy Rose said. “And don’t worry, Mr. and Mrs. Alswang, we earned it.”
“While we were gone?” I asked. “How?”
Then I spotted the new sign.
“ ‘Junior Divas Biscuits for Good Dogs,’ ” Sam read. “Are you the Juniors?”
“The girls came up with the idea and invented a recipe,” Mrs. McBee said. “It was such a success I bought it from them for twenty-five dollars.”
“We kept half and gave you half,” Lucy Rose said.
“That’s the nicest thing ever!” I said.
“Does this count, Dad?” Sam asked. “Since I didn’t earn it?”
“It counts,” Mr. Alswang said. “Only a responsible, committed person would have such responsible, generous friends.”
“Only four dollars and fifty-eight cents to go,” Sam said.
Jonique opened the jar on the counter and gave Sam and me each a dog biscuit.
“Smells OK,” Sam said.
“Tastes great,” I said.
My mother gasped. “You ate it!”
“Sure,” I said. “How else can we know if it’s good enough for a dog?”
