Labradoodle on the Loose by T.M. Alexander

girl,’ said Fifty.
    â€˜Isn’t she?’ said Fifty’s mum, smiling at Rose.
    â€˜Her talking’s really coming on,’ said Dad. I was grateful for the chat about Rose. I needed to work out what was real and what was dream, and fast. I glanced up at the Tribehouse – the star piñata was still hanging, un-whacked. That was a clue. I scanned the bodies: Fifty, Fifty’s mum, Probably Rose, my dad, Copper Pie, Jonno. There was still no Bee. Another clue.
    â€˜Mum, what time was it when you said they were on their way?’ Fifty asked. My ears pricked up. Another clue – but who were
they
? Bee wasn’t
they
. Bee was
she
. I worked it out quite quickly considering the clever half of my brain was still somewhere else – someone was bringing Bee over.
    The doorbell rang.
    â€˜Well, go on,’ said Fifty’s mum. Fifty ran up the garden and let the kitchen door slam. There was a pause before we heard voices – man voices. Fifty appeared, followed by a tall body with its face in shadow – it was Patrick or maybe Louis. Followed by Louis, or maybe Patrick. That wasn’t what I was expecting.
    â€˜Hello,’ shouted Fifty’s mum.
    â€˜Hi,’ said one twin and then the other.
    â€˜Hello, everyone,’ said Bee’s mum, who was carrying a big oval plate. Bee’s dad was there too. I waited for the nextperson to come through the doorway, which was bound to be Bee. Except there was no other person.
Had they come to tell us Bee hated us? Had Bee sent them over to say we weren’t friends any more?
If only I’d stayed awake I’d have known what was going on.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ I said to no one in particular.
    â€˜You’ve been abducted by aliens,’ said Fifty. ‘They’ve stolen the bodies of people you know to lure you into their world. The alien eel they placed on your earlobe is boring its way into your brain slowly taking over all your thoughts. Soon you won’t know who you are, or were. You will be theirs.’ Fifty is quite keen on making up ridiculous stuff. It’s quite annoying.
    WEIRD THINGS TRIBERS’ THINK ABOUT
    FIFTY: Crazy things happening, like time travel, or finding treasure, or a fairy in the Tribehouse. And making a huge fire that burns for days.
    COPPER PIE: Food.
    BEE: How to save all endangered species from extinction, and make people get rid of their massive cars, and stop litter and sea pollution, and on and on . . .
    JONNO: What else might live in the rotting tree stump that he hasn’t seen yet.
    KEENER: Worrying about what might go wrong (but trying not to).
    â€˜Anyone normal going to fill me in?’
    Jonno did. ‘Fifty’s mum told Bee’s mum all about the party. Bee’s mum said she’d think of a way to get Bee round here without ruining the surprise.’
    â€˜And then we cooked up a plan,’ said Fifty’s mum, clearly excited. ‘As soon as Bee left the house to walk round here —’
    â€˜We got in the motor and here we are,’ said Bee’s dad, finishing off the tale.
    OK, I’d got it. It was still a surprise, but a bigger one: Tribers, Probably Rose, Fifty’s mum, my dad, Bee’s brothers, Bee’s mum and dad. Cool!

Bee’s Birthday Surprise . . . At Last
    We heard footsteps and dogsteps coming along the path. We heard them stop. Doodle’s head came through the Tribe catflap first. He barked. Bee’s head followed and then stopped, half in, half out. She stayed half in, half out.
    â€˜Get in here, Bee,’ said Jonno. ‘We’ve been working all day and waiting all evening.’
    That did it. She shuffled forwards. When she was upright we all cheered. Her face went Keener’s-face colour – most unusual for cool-as-a-cucumber Bee.
    â€˜Happy Birthday, Bee,’ said Fifty’s mum above the polka music or whatever it was. There was some random birthday-greetings