11-WE'RE OFF!

WE'RE OFF! Minutes later, we reached the airport. Thea had refused to stop at my place for my suitcase. She was afraid I would change my mind. Plus, she said I take too long packing. I don't know why. Don't all rodents sort their clothes by color, size, and fabric? Benjamin was already waiting for us at the airport. Trap showed up a few minutes later. "Don't leave without me!" HE PANTED, OUT OF BREATH.

Thea was already giving instructions to the mechanics. Did I tell you my sister flies her very own plane? A pink one with flowers! She's totally into it. She can do loops. She can do spins. She can even fly upside down. Last year, she won Mouse Island's Fearless Furs Flight Competition. It was amazing to watch. But I was happy when she landed in one piece. As for me, I'm afraid to fly. Mice look like tiny ants when you're up in the sky. My teeth began to chatter just thinking about taking off. "M-M-Maybe we should wait

until tomorrow," I stammered, looking nervously at Thea's plane. My sister rolled her eyes. "Get over it, GERRY BERRY!" she scolded. "You're such a scaredy mouse." She turned to greet all of her friends. "Hey, there, Squeaks! How's it going, Sniffer?" she called. The male rodents stopped and stared when Thea went by. I wish I had her luck when it came to love. My sister has more admirers than a mouse who just won the lottery. Just then, a furry rodent wearing a parachuting outfit approached Thea. "Would you like to, um, go for, um, a jump together?" he stammered, blushing. My sister giggled and fluttered her eyelashes. "Sounds fabumouse," she murmured sweetly. "But I can't today."

The parachutist shot me a dirty look. I guess he thought I was Thea's date for the day. I felt sorry for him. I knew exactly how he felt. Rejected with a capital "R." Thea took that moment to pass on some advice. Actually, it was the same old advice I'd been listening to for days. "See?" she whispered. "You have to play it cool. Then you'll be irresistible." I was thinking about what Thea had said when a paw stroked my shoulder. "Geronimo," a high-pitched voice crooned. "It's me, Stephanie von Sugarfur." My heart BEAT wildly. So much for playing it cool. I would ask her out to dinner. I would ask her to the movies. I would ask her to marry me! Excited, I turned around. But instead of seeing Stephanie's sweet snout I was staring right at my cousin Trap. He threw his arms

around me and began to kiss the air. "Hee, hee, heee!" my annoying cousin snickered. "GERRY BERRY. you are just so easy to fool. What a total nincomgoog!"