Chip, who had started everything.
“Amaaaaazing!” Matt observed.
Mom headed straight toward Dad, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him into the kitchen. We heard the back door open and shut.
And then a miracle happened. Matt, who usually just watched things happen, started helping Uncle Ron clear things away. He set the coffee table back up and wiped it with a big handful of paper napkins. “I’ll go get some more appetizers,” he said, disappearing into the kitchen.
In a few seconds he came back with a plate of cheese and crackers.
I knew it was still really Matt, because he wasstuffing some crackers in his mouth as he put down the plate.
I took the rocket outside, went into the street, and picked up the launcher. I headed around the house, and Chip followed me.
“I didn’t know it was going to do that,” he said.
“You didn’t listen to Uncle Ron!” I said.
The perfect little turkey had almost mowed down the whole family. And the guests.
Mom and Dad were standing in the driveway by the garage arguing with each other. When Chip saw them, he stopped and went back toward the front yard. I kept going.
“It’s not Uncle Ron’s fault,” I said.
“Not now, Charlie,” Mom said.
“He told us not to fire it, but Chip—”
“Not now!” Mom repeated. Dad shook his head, warning me not to say anything.
The way Mom looked at me, I could tell she thought it was my fault, too. But there wasn’t muchpoint in trying to explain. Sometimes, explanations are impossible. Especially when you’re talking to a marine sergeant mad scientist mom. Especially when people had almost died in a catastrophic water rocket accident.
I went back inside. The kitchen was filled with the smells of all different kinds of delicious food, but the most beautiful smell of all came from Gams’s rolls. They had just come out of the oven. Gams had put them in a basket wrapped up in a napkin.
Guess who was standing right next to the basket, tossing a hot roll from hand to hand?
“Chip!” I yelled. “You aren’t supposed to eat those yet!”
“They’re my favorite,” Chip said, taking a bite.
“Save some for everybody else.”
“There’s a lot,” he said.
Just then, I heard Matt’s voice. “Hey, Charlie, come here!”
“No rolls until dinnertime!” I said and gave Chip a Buck Meson electron stare.
Matt came up behind me. “Charlie!” he said softly. “Up to my room. Important Bumpers meeting. Now.”
“Can I come?” Chip asked, still chewing on the roll.
“Only if your name is Bumpers,” Matt said. “Sorry, Chip. It’ll just take a minute. Let’s go, Charlie.”
I wondered what Matt had in mind. I followed him up the stairs, with the Squid on my heels. Matt led us into his bedroom and closed the door.
13
We Are Ever Vigilant
“Sit on the bed, you guys,” Matt said.
“And girl,” the Squid said.
We sat on his bed. This was unbelievable! He never invited either of us into his room, especially not me.
“It’s time for Operation Perfect Little Turkey,” he said.
“What’s that?” the Squid asked.
“I hate to admit this, Mabel, but Chip is giving Charlie a really hard time. As his brother and sister, we are the only ones allowed to do that. It’s time for us to protect him.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean we have to make sure that Chip stops bugging you and that you don’t keep getting blamed for stuff you didn’t do. Mom and Dad are too busy to notice what’s really going on, so we’ll have to take the law into our own hands.”
That sounded pretty interesting.
“Chip doesn’t listen,” the Squid announced, nodding her head. “He’s not a perfect turkey. He’s a turkey
butt.
”
That was about as bad a word as the Squid would ever say.
“Right, Mabel,” Matt said, and he turned back to me. “We are ever vigilant in protecting the rights of the falsely accused, which means you, Charlie. Mabel and I have to keep an eye on Chip to make sure he does
“Amaaaaazing!” Matt observed.
Mom headed straight toward Dad, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him into the kitchen. We heard the back door open and shut.
And then a miracle happened. Matt, who usually just watched things happen, started helping Uncle Ron clear things away. He set the coffee table back up and wiped it with a big handful of paper napkins. “I’ll go get some more appetizers,” he said, disappearing into the kitchen.
In a few seconds he came back with a plate of cheese and crackers.
I knew it was still really Matt, because he wasstuffing some crackers in his mouth as he put down the plate.
I took the rocket outside, went into the street, and picked up the launcher. I headed around the house, and Chip followed me.
“I didn’t know it was going to do that,” he said.
“You didn’t listen to Uncle Ron!” I said.
The perfect little turkey had almost mowed down the whole family. And the guests.
Mom and Dad were standing in the driveway by the garage arguing with each other. When Chip saw them, he stopped and went back toward the front yard. I kept going.
“It’s not Uncle Ron’s fault,” I said.
“Not now, Charlie,” Mom said.
“He told us not to fire it, but Chip—”
“Not now!” Mom repeated. Dad shook his head, warning me not to say anything.
The way Mom looked at me, I could tell she thought it was my fault, too. But there wasn’t muchpoint in trying to explain. Sometimes, explanations are impossible. Especially when you’re talking to a marine sergeant mad scientist mom. Especially when people had almost died in a catastrophic water rocket accident.
I went back inside. The kitchen was filled with the smells of all different kinds of delicious food, but the most beautiful smell of all came from Gams’s rolls. They had just come out of the oven. Gams had put them in a basket wrapped up in a napkin.
Guess who was standing right next to the basket, tossing a hot roll from hand to hand?
“Chip!” I yelled. “You aren’t supposed to eat those yet!”
“They’re my favorite,” Chip said, taking a bite.
“Save some for everybody else.”
“There’s a lot,” he said.
Just then, I heard Matt’s voice. “Hey, Charlie, come here!”
“No rolls until dinnertime!” I said and gave Chip a Buck Meson electron stare.
Matt came up behind me. “Charlie!” he said softly. “Up to my room. Important Bumpers meeting. Now.”
“Can I come?” Chip asked, still chewing on the roll.
“Only if your name is Bumpers,” Matt said. “Sorry, Chip. It’ll just take a minute. Let’s go, Charlie.”
I wondered what Matt had in mind. I followed him up the stairs, with the Squid on my heels. Matt led us into his bedroom and closed the door.
13
We Are Ever Vigilant
“Sit on the bed, you guys,” Matt said.
“And girl,” the Squid said.
We sat on his bed. This was unbelievable! He never invited either of us into his room, especially not me.
“It’s time for Operation Perfect Little Turkey,” he said.
“What’s that?” the Squid asked.
“I hate to admit this, Mabel, but Chip is giving Charlie a really hard time. As his brother and sister, we are the only ones allowed to do that. It’s time for us to protect him.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean we have to make sure that Chip stops bugging you and that you don’t keep getting blamed for stuff you didn’t do. Mom and Dad are too busy to notice what’s really going on, so we’ll have to take the law into our own hands.”
That sounded pretty interesting.
“Chip doesn’t listen,” the Squid announced, nodding her head. “He’s not a perfect turkey. He’s a turkey
butt.
”
That was about as bad a word as the Squid would ever say.
“Right, Mabel,” Matt said, and he turned back to me. “We are ever vigilant in protecting the rights of the falsely accused, which means you, Charlie. Mabel and I have to keep an eye on Chip to make sure he does
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