10. Bee-having

Chapter 10 Bee-having Ms. Diz came back with the name tags. She was not happy to see Gus and Dewan playing swords again. "Drummers, settle down," she said firmly. "My bobbles are staying on, Ms. Diz," Maria reported. "And so are mine," said Coco.

Ms. Diz looked surprised. "Hmm," she said. "That's good news." Just then Coco's mom and dad arrived. "Smile, everyone!" said her mom. "We're recording!" Coco's dad was holding a silver camcorder. All the other moms and dads began to come in. They smiled and talked and waved and shook hands. While Ms. Diz was busy saying hello, Gus pointed his stick at Dewan. "I am Zorro!" he yelled. "I am Darth Vader!" cried Dewan. "Duel to the death!" Gus shouted. They were going to have a hard time sitting still for the bee song, I thought.

And then I had another Super-Mega-Gonzo idea. Sometimes my brain amazes me. I went over to the drummer chairs. I looked around. Nobody was watching me. And Mom and Dad weren't there yet. I pulled out the don't-you-dare glue. And I put a few drops on each chair seat. I smiled a proud smile. The bee song would go perfectly. Ms. Diz would keep her job.

And all because of me. "Roscoe! Hello, Pumpkin!" someone called. It was Mom. She was carrying her banana-avocado-raisin cream pie. It is not really okay for moms to call you "Pumpkin" in front of your classmates.

But that's all right. Sometimes parents forget to follow the rules too. My dad was right behind her. He was carrying Hazel. Hazel only goes to preschool half a day. Little kids have it so easy. "What's on Roscoe's head, Mommy?" Hazel asked. "These are my bee bobbles," I said proudly. I wiggled my head. They stayed put. I am a genius, I thought. Ms. Diz clapped her hands and put a finger to her lips.

"Parents, please find a seat. We have an exciting performance planned for you!" All the moms and dads sat down. They had to squish into our little bitty chairs. They looked pretty silly. I was glad no one tried to sit in the chairs I'd glued.