7 Double Trouble

Double Trouble

When Stink got to class 2D, his teacher was wearing a fuzzy THINK PINK bathrobe! She also had bunny slippers and a pillow and a real-live dog with bad breath named Pickles. Stink forgot all about sunny-side-down eggs. He forgot about giant lint balls. What in the world could be better than wearing not-itchy, glow-in- the-dark pajamas to school and reading all day! Stink plopped his sleeping bag next to his super-best-friend, Webster. "Are those your pajamas?" he asked. "They're not my soccer uniform," said Webster. "But how would you know? I got them for my birthday."

Webster sure was being a grump. Stink did not know why. He hunkered down inside his sleeping bag and stuck his nose in a pop-up book of animal skeletons. He propped his head up on Fang, his six-foot-long stuffed-animal snake. He popped a FREE fireball in his mouth. "Want one?" he asked Webster. "You're not allowed to eat candy in school," said Webster. He turned the other way and stuck his nose in a book.

"Stink? Webster? Did you hear?" asked Sophie of the Elves. "We're having a Pajama Parade. We get to walk through all the halls. And we get to go to a special assembly in the library, where Mrs. Mack will tell stories from around the world. And

she wears hats and plays drums. And I get to sit by you guys." "Who cares?" said Webster. "What's wrong with him?" Stink asked Sophie. Sophie just shrugged. WOW! PAJAMA PARADE! ASSEMBLY! Assemblies in the library were the best! Stink could not wait to hear stories from around the world (with hats and drums). Mrs. D.'s second-grade class paraded past the office and even down the fifth-grade hall. In the library, Stink sat beside Sophie of the Elves. Webster was right behind Stink. Mrs. D. pointed for Webster to sit down in the space right next to Stink. "I'm not sitting by him," said Webster. "Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill," said Mrs. D. Webster sat down. Mrs. Mack, the librarian, held up two fingers. "Let's show what good listeners we are at the Virginia Dare School," said Mrs. Mack.

"And remember," said Mrs. D., "let's keep our hands to ourselves." Stink couldn't stand being ignored. Especially by his best friend. As soon as Mrs. Mack started to tell a story, Stink tapped Webster on the shoulder when he wasn't looking, just for fun. "Hey!" said Webster. Stink pretended to be listening to the story. Webster tapped Stink on the shoulder, then pretended his hands were in his lap. Stink tapped him back. Webster tapped him back harder. "Ow!" said Stink. "Stink!" whispered Mrs. D. She pointed to Stink and Webster to settle down and keep quiet. "You guys are in trouble!" whispered Sophie of the Elves. "Now," said Mrs. Mack, "we're going to turn down the lights and travel to deepest Africa. I hope you like scary stories!" The lights went out. Stink glowed like a nightlight! Mrs. D. would sure see him now if he tapped Webster again. Stink pulled both of his arms all the way inside his pajama shirt, just to be