Will shouted. He broke down into tears. “I caught her with her nose in the bowl!”
Godzilla was Will’s pet frog. He lived in a fishbowl covered with a piece of screen.
Mom and I checked out the fishbowl. The piece of screen lay on the floor. It looked as if it has been ripped off the bowl. The frog was gone.
“Dogs don’t eat frogs,” Mom said. She smoothed Will’s hair, trying to soothe him. “Godzilla must have escaped on his own.”
Will stamped his foot. “I told you! I saw Biscuit with her nose in the bowl! She knocked the screen off. Then she ate Godzilla! Swallowed him whole!”
“Come on, honey.” Mom grabbed a tissue and dried Will’s tears. “You and Ben have got to get to school. Godzilla is hiding in here somewhere. I promise to look for him this morning. I’m sure that I’ll find him. Okay?”
Will’s teeth were clenched. His face had turned bright red. It looked as if a major tantrum might be coming on.
But my mom can be tough. Even as she cooed and soothed him, I knew Will could see in her eyes that she wasn’t going to put up with much more fuss. She expected him to go to school.
He rinsed his face and grabbed his backpack. I followed him downstairs.
Mom kissed us both at the door. “Don’t worry, Will. I’ll find Godzilla! Have a good day at school, both of you!”
We went to the garage to get our bikes. It was January, but winter days weren’t too cold in Bitter Lake. Most days I could get by with just a sweater or a jacket.
Biscuit scampered up to me, wagging her tail. I patted her. “You’re not a frog-eater, are you, girl?” I said softly. “Of course not. Will is crazy.”
She had that troll doll in her mouth again. She dropped it into my hand.
Alien baby, I scoffed, remembering how Will had teased me.
I know it sounds stupid. But secretly, I wished that doll was an alien.
I was so curious about visitors from other worlds. I knew they were out there somewhere. How could Earth be the only planet in the whole universe with intelligent life? It was impossible!
I tossed the doll back to Biscuit. Then Will and I hopped on our bikes and rode to Bitter Lake Middle School.
Will didn’t talk. He was still fretting about his missing frog.
I stood up and pedaled as fast as I could. “Hey—wait up!” he called.
But I was in a hurry. School wasn’t exactly my favorite place on Earth. But I kept thinking about the object in my backpack.
The proof.
I couldn’t wait to show it to Summer and Jeff.
What will they say? I wondered. What will they say when I show them that aliens exist? That they have landed—right here in our town?
3
“Hey, look! It’s Benny the Belly Button Freak!” Rikki Mosely shouted as I pulled up in front of the school.
“Give me a break,” I muttered. I locked my bike to the bike rack and tried to ignore her. But Rikki and Dennis Corcoran hurried over to me.
“How’s your belly button, Shipley?” Dennis said.
“Come on, Shipley. Show us your belly button!” Rikki demanded.
“Ha-ha,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You two are so funny—remind me to laugh.”
Rikki was a tall, punky girl with short, messy red hair. She always looked kind of scuffed up. She had a lot of holes pierced in her ears. Sometimes shesprayed green or purple dye on her hair, just to look weird.
Dennis was husky with a dull, pudgy face. He was the kind of kid who went along with whatever someone else told him to do.
I sighed and walked up the school’s front steps. Rikki and Dennis followed me. “Let’s see the belly button, Shipley,” Dennis said again. “We need a good laugh this morning.”
“How about I show you this instead?” I said. I made a fist and shook it at them.
I have an outie belly button. Big deal. Most kids have innies, I have an outie.
Sometimes it pokes through my shirts a little. Otherwise, you can’t see it much. Except in the summer, when I go to the community pool. Kids have been teasing me about it since I was three.
I
Godzilla was Will’s pet frog. He lived in a fishbowl covered with a piece of screen.
Mom and I checked out the fishbowl. The piece of screen lay on the floor. It looked as if it has been ripped off the bowl. The frog was gone.
“Dogs don’t eat frogs,” Mom said. She smoothed Will’s hair, trying to soothe him. “Godzilla must have escaped on his own.”
Will stamped his foot. “I told you! I saw Biscuit with her nose in the bowl! She knocked the screen off. Then she ate Godzilla! Swallowed him whole!”
“Come on, honey.” Mom grabbed a tissue and dried Will’s tears. “You and Ben have got to get to school. Godzilla is hiding in here somewhere. I promise to look for him this morning. I’m sure that I’ll find him. Okay?”
Will’s teeth were clenched. His face had turned bright red. It looked as if a major tantrum might be coming on.
But my mom can be tough. Even as she cooed and soothed him, I knew Will could see in her eyes that she wasn’t going to put up with much more fuss. She expected him to go to school.
He rinsed his face and grabbed his backpack. I followed him downstairs.
Mom kissed us both at the door. “Don’t worry, Will. I’ll find Godzilla! Have a good day at school, both of you!”
We went to the garage to get our bikes. It was January, but winter days weren’t too cold in Bitter Lake. Most days I could get by with just a sweater or a jacket.
Biscuit scampered up to me, wagging her tail. I patted her. “You’re not a frog-eater, are you, girl?” I said softly. “Of course not. Will is crazy.”
She had that troll doll in her mouth again. She dropped it into my hand.
Alien baby, I scoffed, remembering how Will had teased me.
I know it sounds stupid. But secretly, I wished that doll was an alien.
I was so curious about visitors from other worlds. I knew they were out there somewhere. How could Earth be the only planet in the whole universe with intelligent life? It was impossible!
I tossed the doll back to Biscuit. Then Will and I hopped on our bikes and rode to Bitter Lake Middle School.
Will didn’t talk. He was still fretting about his missing frog.
I stood up and pedaled as fast as I could. “Hey—wait up!” he called.
But I was in a hurry. School wasn’t exactly my favorite place on Earth. But I kept thinking about the object in my backpack.
The proof.
I couldn’t wait to show it to Summer and Jeff.
What will they say? I wondered. What will they say when I show them that aliens exist? That they have landed—right here in our town?
3
“Hey, look! It’s Benny the Belly Button Freak!” Rikki Mosely shouted as I pulled up in front of the school.
“Give me a break,” I muttered. I locked my bike to the bike rack and tried to ignore her. But Rikki and Dennis Corcoran hurried over to me.
“How’s your belly button, Shipley?” Dennis said.
“Come on, Shipley. Show us your belly button!” Rikki demanded.
“Ha-ha,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You two are so funny—remind me to laugh.”
Rikki was a tall, punky girl with short, messy red hair. She always looked kind of scuffed up. She had a lot of holes pierced in her ears. Sometimes shesprayed green or purple dye on her hair, just to look weird.
Dennis was husky with a dull, pudgy face. He was the kind of kid who went along with whatever someone else told him to do.
I sighed and walked up the school’s front steps. Rikki and Dennis followed me. “Let’s see the belly button, Shipley,” Dennis said again. “We need a good laugh this morning.”
“How about I show you this instead?” I said. I made a fist and shook it at them.
I have an outie belly button. Big deal. Most kids have innies, I have an outie.
Sometimes it pokes through my shirts a little. Otherwise, you can’t see it much. Except in the summer, when I go to the community pool. Kids have been teasing me about it since I was three.
I
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