Bears Beware by Patricia Reilly Giff Page B

kisses.
    Mitchell kept his head down. He didn’t want the whole Afternoon Center to see.
    He clumped his bag across the school yard. He clumped carefully. His bag was old. The zipper was a little broken.
    His mother had put red tape all over the outside. “It’ll be easy to spot,” she’d said.
    Afternoon Center kids were coming from everywhere.
    Trevor was walking on stilts. “I’m going to keep away from snakes and poison ivy!” he yelled.
    Destiny twirled across the yard. She had green beads in her hair. About fifty of them.
    Mitchell wondered how she could hold her head up. It must be heavy.
    Angel’s friend Yolanda was right behind them. “Hey, guys!” she called. “Wait up.”

    Angel slowed down.
    Mitchell sped away from them. He caught up to Habib.
    Mr. Oakley stood next to the bus. He wore jeans and combat boots. He still looked like a grandfather.
    “Hurry, everyone,” Mr. Oakley said. “We don’t want to miss a moment of fun.”
    “I can’t hurry too much,” Habib said. “I have a giant bag.”
    Mitchell looked down. Habib’s bag was elephant-sized. “What do you have in there?”
    “A bunch of food. Cupcakes. Chicken,” Habib said. “My mother doesn’t want me to starve.”
    Lucky
, Mitchell thought.
    Habib leaned over. “My mother put in Bugs Be Gone, too. Nothing will go near it.”
    “Does it work for snakes and bears?” Mitchell asked.
    “It works for everything,” Habib said. “Don’t worry. I’ll share.”
    Mitchell nodded. Habib was a great friend.
    Mitchell climbed onto the bus. Too bad his mother didn’t know Habib’s mother. Mitchell’s bag was filled with clothes.
    All his mother was worried about was clean underwear and dry feet.
    The bus started up.
    It wouldn’t be a long trip. The Zigzag Nature Center wasn’t far.
    “We can’t walk, though,” Ellie had said. “We have too much to carry. Tents, and food, and nets.”
    Nets?
    Were they going to capture something? Mitchell hoped the nets were ant-sized.
    He looked out the window. Maybe it would rain again.
    He poked Habib. “Do you think we’ll go home if it rains?”
    Mrs. Farelli turned around. “Don’t be silly, Mitchell. Zigzag kids are tough.”
    Mitchell put on his Gary Bopper face. “Rain is good,” he said. “Rain is terrific.”
    How many hours were there in a day? Maybe sixty?
    Gary Bopper would have his hands on his hips. He’d shout something. What? Maybe “Bears beware!”
    The bus screeched to a stop.
    “Everyone off,” called the bus driver.
    Mitchell scrubbed at the dusty window. They weren’t at the Nature Center. He could still see the school.
    “The bus broke down,” Habib said.
    “We’re almost there,” Mr. Oakley said. “We’ll have to walk.”
    “What about all this stuff?” Ellie asked.
    “Don’t worry,” said Mrs. Farelli. “The Afternoon Center boys and girls are strong as bulls.”
    Lucky Mrs. Farelli. She looked like a bull. Big and tough. No animal would mess with her.
    They climbed down from the bus. The bus driver threw out bags and boxes.
    A minute later, Mitchell had one end of the boys’ tent pole on his shoulder. Habib had the other end.
    The tent pole was a hundred miles long. It must have weighed as much as Mrs. Farelli.

    Besides, Habib was a little taller than Mitchell.
    The tent pole slid all over the place.
    Sumiko and Destiny were carrying the girls’ tent pole. Lucky. Both girls were the same size.
    Charlie had four bags on his back. He was bent over like an old man.
    Angel carried two bags. One of them was Mitchell’s. He could see the red tape.
    “Let’s go,” Mr. Oakley said.
    They marched along.
    Mitchell could see Angel and Yolanda in front. Angel looked back. She was probably checking up on him already.
    She tripped over Yolanda’s feet.

    The bags went flying.
    The one with the red tape opened.
    Mitchell could see his underwear hanging out. Mom had bought it for this trip.
    He raced forward. Never mind the tent pole.
    “Oof!”