13. See the Real, Live Aliens!

Chapter 13 See the Real, Live Aliens! "And I think the younger kids should choose the punishment for the older kids," Mr. Pinto added. "Yes!" Brian shouted. "No fair!" Josh argued. "They'll make us stay in our rooms for ten years with no food!" "No, they won't," Josh's mother said. She looked at the four younger kids. "You'll be fair, right?" The four kids nodded.

"Okay, then go into the other room and decide," she said. The twins and Nate and Lucy scooted into the living room. "I go first because I'm oldest!" Brian said. "I say we make them walk around Green Lawn in their underwear." Nate nearly fell over laughing. "I've got a better one!" he said. "How about if we make them clean our rooms and make us snacks every day for a year?" "Those are both too mean," Lucy said. "Besides, I don't want them in my room poking around in my stuff." "Lucy's right," Bradley said. "So what should the punishment be?" Brian asked. Bradley grinned. "What if we make them dress up as aliens and sit in Ellie's Diner?" he asked. The other three kids stared at Bradley. "And we get to dress them," Bradley added.

Then they did a four-kid high five. The next Saturday morning Ellie's Diner was more crowded than usual. In fact, there was a line waiting to get in.... Bradley and Brian, Nate, and Lucy stood outside holding a banner. The sign said: MEET REAL, LIVE SPACE ALIENS INSIDE! Officer Fallon stopped to read the banner. "What's this about?" he asked. "Another January joke?" "No, this time they're real!" Nate said. Officer Fallon grinned, shook his head, and walked inside. The kids rolled up the banner and followed Officer Fallon. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose were sitting together in a booth. Their skin was green. They had fat bellies. Tinfoil antennas sprouted from their heads.

Each kid had a pair of goggly yellow eyes. Officer Fallon walked up to the booth. He had a big smile on his face. "Gee, real, live space aliens," he said, pulling his notebook from his shirt pocket. "Do you sign autographs?"

"They're not allowed to talk!" Bradley said. Josh reached out a green hand. His fingernails were purple. Officer Fallon gave him the pad and a pencil. Josh wrote: BUY US ICE CREAM, AND WE'LL SIGN ANYTHING! Officer Fallon showed the note to the younger kids. "What do you think?" he asked. "Sure," Bradley said. "Aliens like ice cream, too!"