4 The Basement Plan

CHAPTER FOUR THE BASEMENT PLAN ROSIE, SIMON, AND I kept our heads down while we worked on our food plates. "Why do they want to move?" Rosie asked as she colored some green broccoli bunches. "I think maybe Dad got a new job," I answered. I started to draw my chicken. "I heard Mom say she would quit her job." "So what are we going to do?" asked Simon. I couldn't see what he was drawing. But he squeezed a yellow colored pencil in his hand and scribbled really

hard. The tip of his tongue stuck out from the corner of his mouth. "I don't know," I answered honestly. My chicken didn't look very good. It looked like a dog with a beak. I erased it and drew an egg instead. Then I started on my fruit section—bananas and oranges. Rosie didn't have any ideas. And neither did I. But Simon did. "We'll just trap them," Simon said without looking up. Rosie and I stopped drawing and turned to look at him. He must have felt our gaze because he explained some more as he worked. "We'll take their favorite foods and set little bits of it on each step headed down to your basement," Simon explained. "What are your mom's and dad's favorite foods?"

"Mom likes chocolate," I answered. "And Dad likes french fries." "Great," Simon said, still scribbling away. "We'll get some french fries and chocolates and put them on your basement steps. We'll hide and watch your parents follow their favorite foods all the way downstairs."

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"When they get to the basement, we sneak in and slam the door shut." Simon paused. "Then we'll lock it three or four times." "You want me to capture my own parents?" I asked. "It's not bad capturing," Simon said, finally looking up at Rosie and me. "It's good capturing." "Umm, how is it good?" Rosie asked. She couldn't believe what Simon had suggested. Neither could I. "We'll give them food and stuff," Simon explained. "Not like bread and water. Good food. Like spaghetti and meatballs and grilled cheese and Fruit Roll-Ups. And we'll toss down comic books and other fun stuff. Like a jump rope. Or some monster truck toys!" "Simon, how long, umm, are we going to keep Molly's parents trapped in their own basement?"

Rosie asked. "Just until high school graduation," Simon answered. "By then, Molly will be going to Harvard or Stanford or wherever and her parents can move anywhere they want! Bingo-bango-bongo! Problem solved!" I didn't know what to say. Neither did Rosie. But, unfortunately, Mr. Willow did. He was standing right behind Simon. And that meant trouble at Table 5.