19. The Pact

CHAPTER 19 THE PACT While yesterday's George and Harold slept, George and Harold tried to figure out what to do next. "How are we going to explain this to our parents?" asked Harold. "How are we going to explain this to ourselves?" asked George.

Yesterday George yawned and stretched as he rolled over in his beanbag chair. He glanced at his pocket watch, then closed his eyes to go back to sleep. Suddenly, his eyes shot open. "OH! NOOOOO!" Yesterday George screamed. Yesterday Harold awoke with a jump. "WE FELL ASLEEP!" Yesterday George cried. "WE SLEPT THROUGH SCHOOL!!! WE SLEPT THROUGH OUR TESTS!!! WE SLEPT THROUGH—Hey, who are you guys?"

Yesterday Harold rubbed his eyes and looked at his twin. "I must be dreaming," he said. "Either that or I'm seeing double!" "Well," said George, "it's a long story." He and Harold told their yesterday selves what had happened, and quickly caught them both up on the events of the past three and a half chapters. "Now what are we supposed to do?" said Yesterday George. "We can't tell our parents," said Harold. "But where are we all going to sleep?" asked Yesterday Harold. "And how are we all going to get enough food?" said Yesterday George. "And clean clothes?" said Harold.

Everyone was beginning to panic except for George, who had been deep in thought for a while. George didn't seem worried at all. In fact, a devilish grin was beginning to spread across his face. "You know," George said, "maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. Maybe this is a good thing!" "A GOOD thing?" cried Yesterday Harold incredulously. "Yeah," said George. "We've always said there's never enough time to do what we want to do. So let's take shifts. Me and Harold will start going to school and doing our homework on even numbered days, and you guys will go to school and do homework on odd numbered days."

"Yeah, but what'll WE do while you guys are at school?" asked Yesterday George. "Whatever you want," said George. "Hang out in the tree house! Play video games! Make comics! Watch monster movies! It doesn't matter. You guys get to relax and take the day off every other day!" "I get it," said Yesterday George, smiling devilishly. "Then YOU guys can take the day off while WE'RE at school and stuff." "Yeah!" said George. "Just think of the possibilities!" "I don't know," said Harold and Yesterday Harold at the same time. "Don't worry," said George. "It'll be GREAT! We'll have TWICE as much fun as normal, and only half the work!" "Yeah!" said Yesterday George. "What could possibly go wrong?"